The Science of the Plot Twist: How Writers Exploit Our Brains

The Science of the Plot Twist: How Writers Exploit Our Brains
Do spoilers really ruin your movie-going experience? Krists Luhaers/Unsplash
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Recently I did something that many people would consider unthinkable, or at least perverse. Before going to see “Avengers: Infinity War,” I deliberately read a review that revealed all of the major plot points, from start to finish.
Don’t worry; I’m not going to share any of those spoilers here. Though I do think the aversion to spoilers—what The New York Times’ A.O. Scott recently lamented as “a phobic, hypersensitive taboo against public discussion of anything that happens onscreen”—is a bit overblown.
Vera Tobin
Vera Tobin
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