Summary
Detective movies often follow the same playbook, but some of the best mysteries shake things up. Since the dawn of cinema, detective movies have been popular. Filmmakers have frequently borrowed from mystery novels to create interesting criminal cases for the big screen. People have a fascination with crime, and the appeal of detective movies lies in seeing a capable investigator untangle a cunning plot, especially if audiences are encouraged to look for their own solutions.
While the classics are the classics for a reason, it can be refreshing to see mystery movies which think outside the box. This often leads to more interesting stories which are harder to predict. Thebest detective moviesneed to be one step ahead of the audience, so experimenting with the form can yield good results. Different detective movies have surprised audiences by obscuring the facts, delivering ambiguous endings, or looking at a crime from a different angle.
10 Best Mystery Movie Franchises, Ranked
Mystery is one of the most popular genres in film, which is why it often spawns lengthy franchises — but which ones are the best to watch?
Fargo’s Marge Gunderson is one of the most interesting movie detectives of all time, specifically because there is nothing about her that stands out. It’s an overused trope in detective movies for the main character to have some defining quirk, whether it’s a rare condition, a unique method or even an exotic accent. Marge is a morally sound, intelligent, tenacious detective.
Fargo’s dark humor is also a major positive, but the comedy never impedes the pace or the intrigue of the detective story.
Fargois one of thebest Coen brothers movies. It weaves a complex tale of criminal deceit and greed, and it places an honest, selfless woman at the center.Fargo’s dark humor is also a major positive, but the comedy never impedes the pace or the intrigue of the detective story. Despite the many laughs, it fits the tone of the movie perfectly to see a thug feeding his partner into a wood chipper.
Fans of mystery movies often like to ride along with the detective and try to solve the case at the same time. This is impossible inInherent Vice,a drugged up tangle of different crimes. Doc Sportello is a flighty hippie, still reeling from the 1960s as he tries to earn his living as a private investigator.Inherent Vice’s complex narrative reflects the frantic chaos inside his own mind. Being knocked out with a baseball bat doesn’t help him.
Fans of mystery movies often like to ride along with the detective and try to solve the case at the same time. This is impossible inInherent Vice,a drugged up tangle of different crimes.
Some of the cases Doc juggles come together in the end, while others seem to fizzle out or shoot off on tangents. This is a more accurate representation of real life than the color-by-numbers approach that many mystery movies adopt. The mystery is just one aspect ofInherent Vice,which is also loaded with dark humor and social commentary.Pynchon hasn’t had any of his other novels adapted for the big screen, andInherent Viceis a singular movie that shows what it takes.
With a flamboyant detective, a large mansion and a list of suspects with equally compelling motives,Knives Outlays the table for a throwback murder mystery. Rian Johnson’s detective drama pays homage to the tropes of the detective genre, but it also parodies them in interesting ways. Ultimately,Knives Outreveals plenty of surprises, and not just in the investigation.
Knives Outis an unusual whodunnit, in that it reveals who did it and why all before the third act.
Knives Outis an unusual whodunnit, in that it reveals who did it and why all before the third act. Detective Benoit Blanc then has to deal with the fallout from the mystery. By solving its initial mystery fairly early on,Knives Outleaves enough room for an intriguing game of cloak-and-dagger between the family members squabbling over their inheritance. ThethirdKnives Outmovie,Wake Up Dead Man,promises another unorthodox mystery.
Detective movies don’t always feature the families of the victims involved. When they do, the family members often shoot to the top of the list of suspects in whatever crime is being investigated, or they are there to remind the detective of the human element.Prisonersis different, as the parents of two missing children become just as involved in investigating a case as the lead detective.
Prisonersdoesn’t give definitive answers to most of its interesting ethical dilemmas, asking the audience to make up their own minds.
Prisonerssuggests that traditional law enforcement may not be up to certain tasks.Through the vigilantism of the families, the case progresses in ways that could never be achieved via legal methods. The movie also questions the morality of unlawful interrogation techniques. It doesn’t give definitive answers to most of its interesting ethical dilemmas, asking the audience to make up their own minds.
In detective movies, the audience is usually rooting for the detective. In heist movies, the audience is usually rooting for the criminals. Michael Mann’sHeatsways its audience into supporting both at the same time, despite their diametrically opposed goals. Neil McAuley and Vincent Hanna are both troubled, principled men, and they develop a mutual respect that proves they might even be friends in another life.
In detective movies, the audience roots for the detective. In heist movies, the audience roots for the criminals.Heatsways its audience into supporting both at the same time.
There are times when the two men show glimmers of remorse for the fact that they are fated to duel each other to the death. Neil might sabotage his perfect escape by going after Waingro because he’s bitter and full of rage, but he might do it because he doesn’t want the game between him and Vincent to be over.Heat’s ending shows that the two men are both winners and losers.
On the surface,Chinatownlooks and sounds like a traditional detective movie from the classic era of film noir, but it’s really a synthesis of the old and the new.Chinatownhas a femme fatale, a complex, confusing plot, and an honest, troubled detective at the heart of it all. However, this is far from the kind of movies Humphrey Bogart or James Cagney starred in decades earlier.
Following the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal,Chinatowncame at a time when America’s trust in its institutions had reached breaking point.
Following the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal,Chinatowncame at a time when America’s trust in its institutions had reached breaking point.Chinatown’s dark, cynical endingshows the greedy, corporate industrialist winning, while the detective has to walk away.The famous final line sums up the inherent nihilism of the movie. After trying to do the right thing, Jake has to simply forget the whole episode. Nobody can beat the power and influence of the wealthy ruling class.
Detective movies aimed toward younger audiences are nothing new, but it’s uncommon to see one dealing with the kind of dark topics thatZootopiadoes. The Disney animated movie features a lot of cute characters living together in a bustling metropolis, so there are a lot of lighthearted jokes and animal puns. However, the movie’s child-friendly visual appeal doesn’t detract from its compelling mystery.
Its mystery features an illegal psychotropic drug and the racial divide that envelops the city after an outbreak of violent crime.
Zootopiatreats its young audience with respect. Its mystery features an illegal psychotropic drug and the racial divide that envelops the city after an outbreak of violent crime. These topics are handled with enough delicacy to work for children, but they’re also well-developed enough to read as interesting allegories for adults. The mystery and the twist villain are also far more sophisticated than most animated children’s mysteries. TheupcomingZootopia 2has a tough act to follow after eight years away.
The first half ofPsychois a brilliant horror movie, overflowing with tension and dread. After the famous shower scene,Psychopivots into being an equally compelling mystery movie without skipping a beat. Detective Milton Arbogast arrives at the Bates Motel to look for Marion Crane and her bag of stolen money, and he and Norman engage in a delicate game of wits.
After the famous shower scene,Psychopivots into being an equally compelling mystery movie without skipping a beat.
Many ofAlfred Hitchcock’s best murder mysteriesuse dramatic irony.RopeandDial M for Murderare both brilliant detective movies, even though the audience sees the crime unfolding long before the detective character comes into frame.Psychoputs a twist on this technique, as the audience knows that Norman is hiding something, but the particulars of the crime aren’t revealed until the end.
Although it may look just like a classic Agatha Christie-style mystery,Cluehas an inventive approach to the genre.Cluestarts off with every character as both a detective and a potential suspect, just like the board game that inspired it. Of course,Clueknows that the audience is playing along as well. Other mystery movies understand this, but few lean into this idea as heavily asClue.
Clueknows that the audience is playing along as well. Other mystery movies understand this, but few lean into this idea as heavily asClue.
Cluealso shows a keen awareness of the fact that no solution can ever be as satisfying as a good riddle. When it was first released in movie theaters,Cluehad three different endings, and audiences would only get to see one of these at random. Soon after, the movie was edited so thatClue’s three endingsall play out in succession. This highlights the ambiguity of the mystery, as audiences have to choose for themselves which solution they prefer.
David Fincher’sZodiacis based on one of the most famous unsolved cases in true crime history, and it presents an interesting blend of fact and fiction. Many conversations and a few key characters are invented, but the details of the Zodiac Killer’s crimes are presented faithfully. The movie also retains the most important aspect of the case: the fact that it still hasn’t reached a satisfying conclusion.
Zodiacisn’t about justice. It’s about the way that a puzzle that doesn’t quite fit together can drive people to madness.
Zodiacbreaks the cardinal rule of detective movies, refusing to provide an answer to its central mystery.Zodiacprovides some suggestions, but there is just as much evidence to discount its main suspect. By keeping the mystery alive,Zodiacis able to make its audience just as obsessed as the movie’s characters. The story isn’t about justice or the battle between good and evil like so many other detective movies. It’s about the way that a puzzle that doesn’t quite fit together can drive people to madness.
