Detectives are the most popular genre, both in literature and in cinema. That is why the detective canvas is often woven into films of other genres - comedy, melodrama, action, horror, science fiction. Intriguing secrets, emotional tension and vivid finals distinguish the best detectives with unpredictable denouement and attract spectators of all ages and both sexes to them.
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List of the best detectives with unpredictable denouement
A detective is a synthetic genre with many components. The only clear unifying feature of these films is investigation, confrontation between the mind of a detective and a criminal or a criminal and a victim. Other details of detective films can vary greatly.
The best psychological detectives
Detectives in which there is a deep immersion in the identity of the criminal and the victim are usually called psychological. In various ratings, such pictures of this genre are marked with high marks:
Mind Hunters 2004
Another great work of the Finnish-American director Rennie Harlin, famous for such hits as Die Hard 2 and Nightmare on Elm Street 4. This is a classic detective from the category of "murder in a locked room." Seven FBI students must pass an exam to gain access to sophisticated serial killers. To do this, they go to a closed island, where there are no more people besides them. At one point, the situation gets out of control, students begin to die.
“Before I Fall Asleep,” 2014
The names Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth inevitably attract viewers to the screens. However, the advantages of this work by British director Rowan Joffe are not limited to the list of busy actors. The slogan of the film - “Trust No One” - perfectly expresses the main emotion that the audience experiences when watching the tape. Until the final, it is not clear which of the heroes is telling the truth, and who is cheating, from whom to expect a blow. The situation is complicated by the fact that the main character suffers from a severe form of amnesia.
Faces in the crowd, 2011
The film, where Mila Jovovich played a witness to a murder, which is hunted by a serial maniac. The intrigue is that he can recognize her, but she does not. The heroine has prosopagnosia - "blindness on the face." The killer is able to approach her under the guise of a husband, father or detective, and she will not even know who is next to her.
The list of films of the psychological detective genre can be continued indefinitely. Almost all modern directors are happy to immerse themselves in the psychology of the criminal, which makes the plot sharp, not letting go of the viewer until the very end.
Bad End Films
Not all detective stories end with the victory of good over evil. A happy ending is required for fairy tales, but not for murder stories. Examples of bad-end films include the following:
“Substitution”, 2008
This picture is a successful directorial experience of the famous actor Clint Eastwood, which in itself makes her curious. In addition, the dramatic talent of Angelina Jolie is perfectly revealed here. The plot of the film is based on a real story that happened in America in the 20s of the XX century. A single mother is abducted by her son. When after some time the police triumphantly returns the child to her, it turns out that the boy is not the same. To hush up the mistake, the heroine is declared crazy, and her real son, meanwhile, remains in the hands of the kidnapper. Only now no one is looking for him.
Disappeared, 2014
Enchantingly confusing, psychologically complex and at the same time action-packed picture with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Around the middle of the film, director David Fincher implements a technique called “twist.” The seemingly banal detective story unfolds 180 degrees, develops tremendous speed and rushes the viewer to an unpredictable denouement. Unfortunately, not at all reminiscent of a Hollywood happy end.
“Identification”, 2003
According to critics, this film by James Mangold can be considered one of the best in the genre of "murder in a locked room." The creators themselves also do not deny that they were inspired by Agatha Christie’s novel "Ten Little Indians". The Russian translation of the name "Identity" does not fully reflect the essence of the picture. This word in English is part of the psychiatric diagnosis of "dissociative identity disorder" - a dissociative identity disorder or multiple personality disorder. The theme has been repeatedly exploited by cinema, but the pleasure of watching this tape is certainly worth the hours and a half spent.
Films with a bad ending have a dramatic effect. Of course, they do not allow the viewer to breathe out calmly after watching and go about their business. But for the detective genre, such finals can be considered a plus, since they emphasize the tragedy of the murder.
With a good ending
And yet there are much more detective stories in which everything ends well. But the difference between the endings of such films is what exactly is proposed to be considered a happy ending. An example of a different approach to this issue is demonstrated by two pictures:
The Game, 1997
David Fincher’s pretty old tape, referring to those that can be reviewed many times. The plot unfolds a rare topic for the detective genre of creating an alternative reality. The main character, played brilliantly by Michael Douglas, is led to murder by third-party manipulations, after which he does not want to live on his own.The brand-name Fincher “twist” in the finale seems to nullify the situation, and the end seems happy, but the precipitate remains. And the slogan of the film "The game you lost" only emphasizes it.
Taking Life, 2004
The film is a diverse and very talented director Daniel John Caruso with Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke and Kiefer Sutherland in the lead roles. The film is interesting in the unusual way of a serial killer and the non-standard of its motives: it kills people in order to live their lives. The narrative is rather gloomy, but the denouement is strong, energetic. However, many critics perceive it negatively. They believe that the finale is too head-on and looks "Hollywood".
Thus, even the good endings of detective films are really good if they leave room for reflection.
The best mystical detectives
The synthesis of the detective and mysticism gives rise to many ideas for the creativity of directors. Unexpected outcomes are a characteristic feature of many films of this category:
“Deliver us from the evil one”, 2014
This Scott Derrickson film is a prime example of how a mystical component can break a standard police detective story. The director introduces otherworldly forces into the plot gradually, slowly, but by the middle of the film they completely fill the screen, turning the usual game of a police criminal into an epic confrontation between good and evil.
The Sixth Sense, 1999
The tape of the brilliant M. Knight Shyamalan, which has become a classic in less than 20 years, cannot be considered a traditional detective story. The role of a detective is delegated to a psychiatrist, and there are many criminals. The trouble is that only the dead can expose them. The brilliant game of Bruce Willis does not overshadow the amazing talent of Haley Joel Osment, who starred in this film at the age of 11 years.
Although the detectives themselves give the viewer a lot of thrills, in conjunction with mysticism they become awesome. Therefore, it is undesirable for impressionable people to watch them with the lights off.
New detectives of 2017
2017 was rich in movie premieres. He pleased lovers of detective stories. Monitoring reviews on movie sites showed that the following pictures deserved the highest ratings from viewers:
Away, 2017
Debut work of American director Jordan Peale. A surprisingly inventive film at the intersection of the genres of detective and mystical thriller with clearly satirical implications. The plot on the theme of “getting to know the bride’s parents” and the banal interracial issue with the interweaving of the abduction line for the finale turns into a hard thrash.
“Mom!”, 2017
Unlike previous work, this film was shot by experienced Hollywood master Darren Aronofsky. However, this picture is also difficult to fit into the canon of the genre, drawing closer, rather, to experimental cinema. With a superficial viewing, the plot is built on a cliche: the husband and wife live in solitude in complete harmony with each other, but their appearance is interrupted by the appearance of strange guests. However, the film is so permeated with cultural references and allegories that it can not be called a banal detective or thriller. The outstanding acting quartet of Javier Bardem, Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Pfeiffer and Ed Harris makes the picture a real masterpiece.
2017 shows a tendency to expand the boundaries of the detective genre. Both filmmakers and viewers are clearly bored with endless cliches and are trying to break beyond the canon.
From Russian cinema
Unfortunately, no director has yet succeeded in repeating the success of Stanislav Govorukhin’s brilliant film “Ten Little Indians”. Modern Russian cinema offers a meager selection of detective films. Among them, the following can be noted:
Possession 18, 2014
The outskirts of the city, a young couple settles in a new building, and eventually discovers that all of their new neighbors are mysteriously disappearing.Strictly speaking, Possession 18 is not a detective story, but a mystical thriller, however, with a limited choice, this film directed by Svyatoslav Podgayevsky will fit in order to pass the evening.
"Yulenka", 2009
Detective stories in which children commit crimes are a rarity among films of this genre. That is why the picture of Alexander Strizhenov is worth seeing. The action takes place in a hypothetical provincial town, far from Russian realities. A closed school for girls, a unique child prodigy and an advanced metropolitan teacher are the basis of the atmosphere and the starting point of the plot. The film is emotionally heavy and somewhat annoying with far-fetched, but worthy of the attention of fans of the genre.
Unlike their foreign colleagues, Russian directors rarely turn to the genre in question in full-length films, and the Russian detective story, basically, went into the serial format.
TOP 10 best detectives with unpredictable denouement
If you set a goal and highlight the 10 most frequently mentioned detective stories, you can make the following list:
- The Zodiac, 2007, directed by David Fincher.
- Seven, 1995, directed by David Fincher.
- Island of the Damned, 2010, directed by Martin Scorsese.
- Secret Window, 2004, directed by David Kepp.
- Crimson Rivers, 2000, directed by Mathieu Kassowitz.
- The Ninth Gate, 1999, directed by Roman Polanski.
- The Beginning, 2010, directed by Christopher Nolan.
- "Night Flight", 2005, directed by Wes Craven.
- “The Fatal Number 23”, 2007, directed by Joel Schumacher.
- Ghost, 2010, directed by Roman Polanski.
The best films in the detective genre are distinguished not only by the unpredictability of the finale. They necessarily have a mind game, an elegant tandem of the viewer and the creator of the film, which is not objectively fixed, but perceived at the level of subtle feelings.
