Mystery Movie Primer

For the genre primer of October, I thought it would be good to do the mystery movie primer. There are a lot of different directions to go in a mystery movie, from a classic murder mystery to a detective noir story or even an investigative cop story. There are many iconic film detectives featured in these movies, from Sherlock Holmes to Hercule Poirot to Benoit Blanc. This is also a genre that hasn't received much love in recent years, as mystery movies were more popular in the earlier days of cinema. With all that said, here is the Mystery Movie Primer.

1. The Hound of Baskervilles (1939)

You can't have a mystery movie list without a Sherlock Holmes film, and The Hound of Baskervilles is widely viewed as one of the best Sherlock Holmes stories. This story is one of the most adapted Sherlock Holmes stories, which already makes it an iconic piece of culture. The movie itself is important as it was the first Sherlock Homes film to be set in the Victorian era, establishing a gothic atmosphere that would continue to be used for many other films. This was also one of the first movies to establish the "Scooby Doo" plot structure, where a seemingly supernatural element turns out to be a human plot. The movie also set the standard for Sherlock Homes stories by establishing archetypes and the blending of detective work and gothic horror.

2. The Maltese Falcon (1941)

The Maltese Falcon was groundbreaking as it was one of the first films to establish the hard-boiled film noir style with its dark, cynical view of the world. The movie also established other key elements of the film noir style like complex, morally ambiguous character archetypes such as the hardboiled detective (the cynical, emotionally detached private eye) and the femme fatale (the manipulative, alluring woman who goes on to entrap the protagonist). This is also one of the first films to cement the MacGuffin trope, an object that is important to a character but often lacks intrinsic significance.

3. Vertigo (1958)

Vertigo is an influential movie more for its technical side, but it is an important movie nonetheless. Vertigo was the movie that pioneered the Dolly Zoom technique, which is the practice of zooming the camera in while simultaneously pulling it back, causing the perspective to be distorted. The film was also groundbreaking for how it prioritized emotion and filmmaking over storytelling. From the mystery perspective, Vertigo was important as it subverted expectations of the mystery genre by resolving the mystery early and instead focusing on the psychological journey into obsession and the construction of fantasy. The film is also a heavy influence on modern cinema and is regarded by many as the greatest film ever made.

4. Chinatown (1974)

Chinatown is groundbreaking for its cynical modernization of the noir genre. The film takes the classic 1930s noir setting and updates it with a 1970s, more complex worldview. It reignites the detective genre for a new generation and sets a new standard for screenwriting. The ending is also notable for its bleakness, subverting classic tropes where the protagonist solves the mystery and prevents a murder. The film's legacy is seen in others like LA Confidential, Brick, and even Rango, showing that dark mystery films can be both commercially and artistically successful.

5. Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Murder on the Orient Express is the representation of this list of another literary icon in author Agatha Christie. This movie stands out for its star-studded cast, a trope that would continue to be used in many modern whodunit mysteries. The movie is also groundbreaking for its blurring of the line between victim and perpetrator, with the murdered man being responsible for prior atrocities. The movie is also known for it unprecedented conclusion, subverting the traditional reveal of the killer for a more complex deception. The movie was also a box office success and helped revitalize the British film industry.

6. Clue (1985)

Clue is an important mystery movie is it brings a more comedic tone to the otherwise dark mystery genre. The film is groundbreaking for its merging of the comedy and mystery genres to be both a parody of the genre while also being a classic staple that would go on to influence many modern films. The movie also helped prove that movies based on games could work and helped create the modern video game movie boom we see today. The big standout for this movie is that it was shot with multiple different endings, which changed depending on what theater you were at and what showing you went to, something that was unheard of prior to the film.

7. L.A Confidential (1997)

LA Confidential helped redefine the mystery genre by honoring classic noir films while also subverting its conventions, such as the femme fatale and the single corrupt villain. The film also changes the perspective that the story is told by using three different morally ambiguous cops instead of the traditional single detective, making for a movie that can be seen from multiple perspectives. The movie is largely influential for its exploration of different versions of justice, where some corruption is exposed, and in the end, nobody's hands are morally clean.

8. Mulholland Drive (2001)

Mulholland Drive is groundbreaking for its surrealist structure that hooks the audience into a phycological puzzle instead of a traditional crime by blending the traditional neo noir structure with dream logic. The most influential part of the movie is its nonlinear story, with the plot being split between a wish fulfilled dream and the grim reality of a struggling life, forcing the audience to sift between dream and reality to find a solution to the mystery. The movie also stands out for its cynical view of Hollywood, replacing the nice Hollywood dream with the industry's ruthless reality.

9. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an important mystery movie for its unique protagonist and its unconventional detective duo of a disgraced journalist and a socially awkward hacker. The film is groundbreaking for its empowered but complex female, something that is quite uncommon in the mystery genre. The film also reignites the classic locked room style of mystery, where the characters try to uncover the mystery in a confined structure. The movie also helped spark a global interest in Scandinavian crime fiction, paving the way for other similar stories.

10. Knives Out (2019)

Knives Out is a groundbreaking film that updates the classic whodunnit to the modern era while also subverting many of the classic tropes. The movie is different for its twists in the formula, as it reveals the killer early on and evolves the story from a guessing game to a story that shows the complexities of the situation unfold. The movie is also influential for its way of leaving of clues so that the audience can solve the mystery with the characters or view things differently on a rewatch.