Five to Watch - Murder Mystery Movies

With “Knives Out” in theaters now, it’s time to look at the good old murder mysteries. The whodunits, the quests for the truth. But I picked the ones that flew under the radar, so films like “Se7en”, “Chinatown” and “Zodiac” won’t be on this list, because the majority has seen them. Here are five films I think are not as well-known or deserve more attention. And I think you should definitely give them a shot.

A Shot in the Dark
Inspector Jacques Clouseau investigates the murder of Mr. Benjamin Ballon’s driver at a country estate. The world’s clumsiest detective is without a doubt Clouseau. So let’s talk about this comedic whodunit from 1964. Even though Jacques Clouseau is comically inept, he was the focus of one of the all-time great whodunits.

Identity
Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rain-storm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they’re being killed off one by one. I find this movie highly underrated and better then most people say. This whodunit is more about different shocking deaths instead of the standard investigation. The chaotic, rain-soaked events lead to a twist that no one will see coming. And I think it’s satisfying.

Clue
This comedy, based on the classic board game, follows a group of guests at a dinner party who all suspect each other when their host is murdered. By directly taking after the game that inspired it, “Clue” distills the whodunit down to its most gratuitous thrills: the who, the where and the weapon of a murder. Adding motive to these characters doesn’t slow the movie down either thanks to the collective charisma od a cast, including Christopher Lloyd, Tim Curry and Lesly Ann Warren. Like the game itself, “Clue” as endless replay value.

Death on the Nile
As Hercule Poirot enjoys a luxurious cruise down the nile, a newlywed heiress is found murdered on board. People might think of “Murder on the Orient Express” first, but “Death on the Nile” is just as fascinating. The pacing is more laid-back and a perfect whodunit. And with a cast that has Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, Maggie Smith and David Niven in it, this just couldn’t go wrong.

Gosford Park
The lives of upstairs guests and downstairs servants at a party in 1932 in a country house in England as they investigate a murder involving one of them. Leave it to Robert Altman to assemble possibly the largest size cast for a whodunit movie. In this period piece, personal dramas and class issues slowly rise to the surface when Michael Gambon’s cranky industrialist is stabbed in the back during a weekend gathering. The cast includes too many names, like Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Richard E. Grant, Kristen Scott Thomas, Emily Watson, Ryan Philippe, Clive Owen and Stephen Fry.