Mistaken Identity: An Entertaining and Intriguing Movie Twist

In this installment of “Observations on Film,” we have a clever narrative device for welcomed movie misunderstandings.
Mistaken Identity: An Entertaining and Intriguing Movie Twist
Chance (Peter Sellers) amazes socialite (Shirley Maclaine) with his aphorisms, in "Being There." United Artists
Michael Clark
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A relatively simple storytelling tool that’s surprisingly difficult to execute correctly, the “Mistaken Identity” twist has resulted in some of the most entertaining and intriguing movies ever produced. It’s workable in virtually every genre, but it’s mostly employed in thrillers. It’s also found success in traditional dramas, comedies, noir, sci-fi, Westerns, and character studies.

“The Wrong Man” and “The Man Who Knew Too Much“ are Alfred Hitchcock movies from 1956. The only Hitchcock film based on a true story, “The Wrong Man” stars Henry Fonda as Manny, a struggling musician wrongly accused of robbing two New York City businesses thanks to questionable eyewitness accounts. Manny’s situation goes from bad to worse after he performs poorly during police-orchestrated re-creations of the crimes.
Michael Clark
Michael Clark
Author
Originally from the nation's capital, Michael Clark has provided film content to over 30 print and online media outlets. He co-founded the Atlanta Film Critics Circle in 2017 and is a weekly contributor to the Shannon Burke Show on FloridaManRadio.com. Since 1995, Clark has written over 5,000 movie reviews and film-related articles. He favors dark comedy, thrillers, and documentaries.