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.