Popular genres like crime, thriller, and mystery are still just as relevant as ever. Mystery movies are especially having a renaissance, with massively popular recent entries in the genre proving renewed interest in the familiar formula.
(10) ‘Chinatown’ (1974):
A renowned neo-noir mystery film, director Roman Polanski’s Chinatown is a genre-defining timeless masterpiece that follows private detective J.J. “Jake” Gittes (Jack Nicholson) as he investigates a seemingly typical infidelity case. Before he knows it, he is plunged into a labyrinthine tale of corruption, deception, and power.
Set in 1930s Los Angeles, Chinatown perfectly captures the essence of the noir genre with its dark atmosphere and twisty story. Its stunning period details wonderfully complement its complex characters, who demonstrate the inextricable link between humanity, greed, and corruption.
(9) Gone Girl (2014):
Based on the eponymous bestselling novel by Gillian Flynn and directed by David Fincher, Gone Girl is a mind-blowing psychological thriller and mystery film that follows the disappearance of Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike). All eyes turn to Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck), Amy’s husband, whose erratic behaviour only makes authorities and the public – captivated by the media frenzy – more suspicious of him.
Layers of secrets and lies are peeled back as Gone Girl unfolds, leading to unexpected twists and turns that are satisfyingly faithful to the source material. Fincher’s signature style shows through the film’s atmosphere of tension and unease, which further immerses audiences in a psychological game of cat and mouse. A standout in the genre, it’s a modern psychological thriller audiences should see knowing as little as possible about its shocking mid-point reveal.
(8) ‘The Sixth Sense’ (1999):
Featuring one of the most infamous twists by director M. Night Shyamalan, The Sixth Sense is an iconic supernatural film that follows Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), a child psychologist who forms a bond with a young boy named Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), who claims to see the dead.
The Sixth Sense stands out as a great mystery movie not only for its intriguing twist but also for the suspense and surprising emotional depth built up before it gets there. As the story unfolds, audiences find themselves drawn deeper into the eerie world of Cole’s visions, eagerly searching for answers alongside Dr. Crowe, not expecting that there’s an unfolding mystery in front of them all along.
(7) ‘L.A. Confidential’ (1997):
Set in 1950s Los Angeles, L. A Confidential is a gorgeous masterpiece centred on three LAPD detectives – Detective Lieutenant Exley (Guy Pearce), Officer White (Russell Crowe), and Sergeant Vincennes (Kevin Spacey). The trio navigates a complicated and dangerous situation involving murder, corruption, and scandal.
Directed by Curtis Hanson, the renowned classic brings the gritty and seductive world of 1950s Los Angeles to life. The film’s noir and mystery elements work to create an engrossing film full of twists and turns as the detectives confront their dark sides in the quest for justice or recognition.
(6) ‘Shutter Island’ (2010):
Director Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island is a twisty psychological thriller with an absorbing mystery at the centre. It tells the story of U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio), and his partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), as they investigate the mysterious disappearance of a patient at Ashecliffe Hospital, a remote mental health facility located on the titular island.
Teddy eventually begins to delve deeper into a mind-bending journey that blurs the lines between reality and illusion. As he discovers more shocking secrets about the island, they all inevitably lead to realizations about his own life. The protagonist’s haunting story is made better by the dark, claustrophobic, and foreboding atmosphere that hangs over the entire film, reminding viewers that this doesn’t end well.
(5) ‘Prisoners’ (2013):
Director Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners is a nail-biting mystery-thriller film that revolves around Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman), whose world is shattered when his young daughter goes missing. He soon takes matters into his own hands, as the official investigation doesn’t seem to be going anywhere – in fact, the authorities released the prime suspect. Soon, alongside Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), the desperate families find themselves caught in a web of unexpected twists.
Prisoners explore the dark side of human nature by portraying ethical dilemmas that make audiences wonder what they would do if they were in the characters’ shoes. The line between right and wrong is blurred as the protagonist takes extreme measures to recover his loved one, while also doubting the competency of those supposed to help him unmask the criminal responsible.
(4) ‘North by Northwest’ (1959):
A renowned Alfred Hitchcock thriller from the end of the 50s, North by Northwest follows the exhilarating story of an advertising executive, Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), who goes on a wild journey after being mistaken for a government agent by international spies. As he’s pursued across the country, he winds up on a train, which also happens to be carrying the enigmatic passenger, Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint).
With remarkably elaborate set pieces and witty dialogue to go with tight pacing and action-packed sequences, it’s not surprising that the film enjoys the reputation it still has today. One iconic scene of Grant running away from a crop duster is still referenced and parodied in pop culture, a testament to this mystery movie’s far-reaching influence.
(3) ‘Vertigo’ (1958):
One of Hitchcock’s most studied works, Vertigo is centred on a retired detective, Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart), who’s hired by his friend to investigate his wife’s bizarre behaviour. The detective soon finds himself becoming obsessed with the subject he’s supposed to objectively observe, which is made even more challenging by sudden bouts of vertigo while he’s on the job.
Aside from being the film responsible for the “Vertigo Effect” cinematic shot, Hitchcock’s masterpiece provided necessary commentary about the male gaze in cinema. It’s an early critique of toxic masculinity, which the film does while also being impeccably scored and flawlessly shot from frame to frame.
(2) ‘Citizen Kane’ (1941):
Citizen Kane is a film that needs no introduction. Widely regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made, Citizen Kane is directed by and stars Orson Welles, who plays the role of a wealthy newspaper magnate. A reporter soon delves into the magnate’s mysterious last word, “Rosebud,” and makes some disturbing discoveries along the way.
Welles’ powerhouse performance is perfectly complemented by his innovative narrative structure, which follows a non-linear style. The film also showcased a groundbreaking focus on cinematographic techniques, which are still used in the industry today. Of course, its enduring message about the complex connections between power, money, and the media is just as relevant as ever.
(1) ‘Oldboy’ (2003):
Oldboy is a cult classic and critically acclaimed revenge movie that revolves around Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-Sik), who is kidnapped and held captive for fifteen years for seemingly no rhyme or reason. When he’s suddenly released, the protagonist decides to look for the captors responsible for his suffering but soon becomes embroiled in a major conspiracy.
Directed by Park Chan-wook, Oldboy is infamous for its disturbing and ironic twist, which ties together its themes of payback and obsession. Of course, it’s also known for its flawlessly choreographed action sequences, particularly Oh Dae-su’s hallway fight against a group of goons, which highlights the film’s amazing cinematography.
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