by Eurocheese
Rian Johnson’s upcoming Knives Out is a thrill ride of a whodunnit, toying with one of the most enjoyable film genres. To celebrate, I'm sharing my all time list of favorite murder mysteries. Feel free to add your own in the comments – we could all use some good discoveries from any era or country.
Before we begin some whodunnit qualifiers to narrow down this list. The films must have:
- A set group of suspects, who we get to know through the film (disqualifies movies like Se7en)
- An unknown culprit (knocks out most of Hitchcock)
- Evidence, so the audience has some chance of guessing the final answer
- ...And the identity of the culprit being revealed late in the film, either by a detective or the movie itself.
This should go without saying, but a whodunnit isn’t as fun when the answer is spoiled, so no spoilers in the comments (about any of these or Knives Out)!
TEN FAVOURITE WHODUNNITS...
10. The Thin Man
If you’ve never seen this booze-soaked, hilarious charmer, you’re in for a treat. William Powell and Myrna Loy trade barbs and flirt shamelessly as they stumble into clue after clue, and the classic gather-all-the-suspects finale is the cherry on top. The razor sharp dialogue is still as satisfying as ever.
9. Gosford Park
None of the Agatha Christie adaptations made my list, but this one might be the most similar, at least in tone. The upstairs/downstairs nature allows director Robert Altman to play with his sprawling ensemble, and he takes full advantage. The mystery itself doesn’t feel as consequential as the inner lives we briefly glimpse, but that’s one of the joys of the genre – finding an excuse to get into everyone’s head. This arguable masterpiece is captivating from beginning to end.
8. The Third Man
The hunt for truth about a man’s death turns this classic into a thriller, with its walls continuously closing in. As we follow Joseph Cotten’s hero through Vienna, the picture becomes clearer for us as well. The shots in this film are iconic, as is the final act. I’ve seen the gravity of this film copied in many that followed, but it still packs an emotional punch. A must see for any mystery fan.
7. Chinatown
I’ll be honest – the first time I saw this film, the stylized language and over the top performances threw me for a loop. Now, I can’t get enough of them. Smart alec noir detective Nicholson is led further down the rabbit hole by an insanely high strung Faye Dunaway, trying to figure out what to believe. As the tension builds, so does the confusion. The performances are bonkers and extremely rewatchable. Director and co-star Roman Polanski would return to the whodunnit genre, but this is among his very best films.
Are you fans of these four mysteries? The list continues with part two