Sense and Sensibilities: The Value of Coherence in the Contemporary Twist Film

Abstract

In this chapter I seek to explore the idea of value in relation to the contemporary ‘twist’ film, drawing upon the theme of coherence as a key critical concept. My contention here is that, for a number of expressive critics, the notion of coherence has come to represent a practical means of evaluating the nature of a film’s achievements and, in turn, establish the quality of those achievements. Twist films become a point of interest in such debates precisely because their narrative structures present a discernible challenge to themes of coherence, credibility and unity as they seek to rupture the defining order of their fictional worlds expressly for the dramatic impact of the storytelling volte-face. Thus, the extent to which coherence is achieved within this narrative structure becomes a potential measure of the twist film’s value, concurrently shaping our sense of its aesthetic achievement.KeywordsMedium StudyClose AnalysisAudience MemberNarrative StructureFictional WorldThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.