The Terminator franchise, spanning over six movies, has delivered numerous shocking twists, thanks to its time-traveling characters and alternate timelines.
The series has always been built on a foundation of shocking reveals and reality-bending ideas, using time travel mechanics to create thrilling narrative reversals.
These twists are the engine of the entire saga, constantly re-framing the stakes of the apocalyptic war between humanity and Skynet, a relentless artificial intelligence.
The franchise's willingness to upend its own mythology is the key to its enduring appeal, even if later sequels struggled to recapture the magic of the first two films.
The series used the mechanics of time travel to create thrilling narrative reversals, turning heroes into villains and victories into tragedies in the blink of an eye.
Author's summary: Terminator franchise's twists drive its appeal.