I had this one figured out just before the halfway point. I know that sounds odd, but as soon as they harped on how the real Merrick treated the wife poorly and brought up the question: "why'd she nurse me to health so lovingly", it was obvious: he had to be Stanton. I imagine it would have been such an awesome twist had I not seen it coming...the scene was well-directed. Wish I could turn my brain off sometimes.
shareAlthough some of the reviews said basically (and I paraphrase): "You'll NEVER be able to figure out the twist.", I too was able to figure it out - not sure whether it was at the halfway point or whatnot.
I figured it out when I saw the spool of film the "new" Merrick was looking at.
From a distance, he thought he was looking at himself, as Stanton was about the same size and shape. Anyway, that's when it dawned on me.
Still, the film was done quite well, IMO, I just wasn't surprised at the "guy in formaldehyde" scene.
I had my suspicions way in the beginning. When the wife showed the surgeons what Merrick's face look like. If you watched too many films, you'll figure this out right away.
shareSo you knew he was Jack Stanton before Jack Stanton was even mentioned? I strongly doubt anyone could guess he was Jack until at least after the middle. There isn't enough information given until then. To be honest, I didn't guess it at all.
shareDon't be a moron. It was obvious that he was not the guy in the picture, but someone else, probably her lover. The other poster is right that it was already given away in that scene. Kind of sad you weren't able to figure it out before the reveal.
shareIf they do not provide enough evidence, then a "left-field" twist is totally unsatisfying. The filmmakers have to tease audiences, so that the connections become "obvious" after-the-fact. Surprising but inevitable.
I paused Netflix shortly before the reveal, stated my solution to myself, which turned out to be correct... however, the image of Berenger clutching his doppleganger seemed to familiar. Maybe I'd seen this years earlier on television. On the whole, I think this movie was ridiculous, the acting terrible. Voice, hair, bloodtype are all matches? The femme fatale thinks she'll get away with this cockamamie idea?
It's a movie you have to go with. If you hated it, you hated it. But you're way off on the performances, which is one of the reasons why I excuse the zillion flaws in the storyline. You just let yourself get wrapped in the noir. I purposely don't try and guess during these types of movies because then it ruins it. Every time you watch you discover a new flaw in logic, but I've been watching it for 20 years, so it's too late now to hate it.
"If I had ya where I wanted ya, they'd be pumpin your ass full of formaldehyde!"
It wasn't a bad movie. I didn't figure out that Tom Berenger was Stanton, but during the second scene I was like, "how did the doctors know that Tom Berenger looked like Tom Berenger? He could have looked like anybody." I assumed it was a flaw in the movie, instead it turns out to be the major pivot point that the entire movie turned on.
Then I'm why does he destroy the mirror, now we know why.
Later, when he finds the photos, I'm like "boy, that guys look a lot like Tom Berenger. is that Tom Berenger? oh no, it's not."
I noticed all the pieces right as they were being shown, but I didn't see how the pieces fit together, so that's one reason I liked it.
My father saw Tom Berenger at the train station and said to him, "Anyone ever tell you that you look like Tom Berenger?", and Berenger answered, "All the time!"
I'm happiest...in the saddle.
My father saw Tom Berenger at the train station and said to him, "Anyone ever tell you that you look like Tom Berenger?", and Berenger answered, "All the time!"Is he sure it was the real Tom Berenger and not some guy who'd had extensive plastic surgery that made him look like Tom Berenger? share
It cracks me up how often people brag about having figured out the twist in a movie WAY before everyone else. When in reality, you KNOW they didn't. They're just trying to make themselves look smarter than everyone else. Sad...
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It cracks me up that people too stupid to figure out an obvious twist never believe anyone else could've figured out that obvious twist.
This wasn't The Sixth Sense or something, the twist was WAY obvious.