# Recommend a Good Mystery Movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 3, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174 "2003-04-03T13:17:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/1 "2003-04-03T13:17:08Z")
Let me be very clear that this is about mystery movies. It is not about thrillers or action movies with a mystery plot-ette to hang the action on or slasher movies, etc. I mean full blown, classic, there’s a sleuth who has to figure things out (without having a time bomb ticking down to zero all the while), etc. The movie stores around here have a mystery section and it is full of everything but just a good mystery. I watch and enjoy the old black and white, classic stuff but would like to see some more modern examples. Are there any? ---
**Author:** ![Elvis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@Elvis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elvis)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/2 "2003-04-03T13:32:25Z")
_Deathtrap_ is a little unconventional but really really great. ---
**Author:** ![evilhomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/43a26b/32.png) [@evilhomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhomer)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/3 "2003-04-03T14:29:56Z")
_Murder On the Orient Express_ (1974 edition) was on TV a month or so ago, and I really enjoyed that. I guess it’s somewhat of a classic, but not black and white, so hopefully it fits your criteria. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/4 "2003-04-03T14:44:55Z")
A lot of the detective movies that first come to mind are really more action oriented, eg. Seven, Kiss the Girls, and Rising Sun. Here are a few slower moving mysteries that you might enjoy: Zero effect - You’ve got a detective and not a ton of action or suspense. Not a fantastic movie, but worth seeing. Usual Suspects - Not a ton of action and a sort of detective story. Not sure it fits with what you want. Memento - Certainly not a traditional detective story, with more style over substance, but it is a guy trying to solve a mystery. I absolutely loved this movie. The Bone Collector - Pretty decent movie with some serious suspense. Corny ending, if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/5 "2003-04-03T17:18:13Z")
Oldies & Goodies from the 40s: **Green for Danger** with the great Alistair Sim **The Big Sleep** w/Bogey & Bacall–convoluted but terrific dialogue and sexy fun **The Seventh Victim** , heavily atmospheric and one doozy of an ending ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/6 "2003-04-03T17:25:24Z")
My all-time favorite (as I’ve said on this Board many times) is **The Trouble with Sheila** , an absolutely wonderful mystery with many twists, but it plays fair – you get all the clues, and the end result flows naturally, rather than being contrived. I guarantee you won’t get the real ending. Written by Stephen Sondheim (! THe songwriter) and Anthony Perkins (!! Norman Bates from Psycho), and starring, among others, Richard Benjamin, James Mason, Racquel Welch, and Dyan Cannon. With the closing song by a then littlw-known Bette Midler. The film bears a weird relationship to Anthony Schaeffer’s **Sleuth** , which I also recommend. If you can find it, I also recommend **Judge Dee and the Haunted Monastery**. My copy of this was taped off the TV, but in a fair universe it would be available on DVD by now. Done by Nicholas Meyer, the god of good TV Movies (and who wrote **The Seven Per Cent Solution** , and who wrote or directed the best of the Star Trek movies) and starring an all-Asian descended cast. Based on a book by Robert H. Van Gulik, and intended to be a pilot for a TV series that never was, sadly. (There _was_ a British Judge Dee series, which I would dearly love to see sometime.) Again, a wonderfully bizarre mystery, set in 7th century China. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/7 "2003-04-03T20:54:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > My all-time favorite (as I’ve said on this Board many times) is **The Trouble with Sheila** …snip… > If you can find it, I also recommend **Judge Dee and the Haunted Monastery** …snip… IMDB lists: Last of Sheila, The (which appears to the movie you mean, given the uinque writing team) available only on VHS. Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders (also called Haunted Monastery, The) which apparently is not available at all. Dang…Ms. NCUN and I are always up for a good mystery. We particularly enjoy the David Suchet Hercule Poirot episodes. They are available on DVD if you have not seen them on TV. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/8 "2003-04-03T21:00:00Z")
Oh, and a huge “2 thumbs up” on Usual Suspects from us as well. ---
**Author:** ![konzar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac8455/32.png) [@konzar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/konzar)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/9 "2003-04-03T21:38:33Z")
here’s a good example of a terrible mystery movie. when they made “sliver” they filmed two endings, one where the killer was revealed to be tom berenger and one where it was william baldwin. then the tested it with an audience and chose the ending based on that. so all the clues that went before meant absolutely nothing! could this be dumber? ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/10 "2003-04-04T01:38:32Z")
I’d recommend _The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes_. It’s an engaging mystery with a little humor, wonderful acting and nice Victorian atmospherics. I’ve watched this movie about a dozen times - it’s on my list of all time favorites. Another good one is _Gosford Park_ - more of a parlor who-done-it, with a great cast. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/11 "2003-04-04T01:57:40Z")
One that always struck me as a good, compelling story was called _The Rosary Murders_, with Donald Sutherland and Charles Durning. However, if you’re familiar with the William X. Kienzle “Father Koesler” mystery books, you’ll already know how it ends. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/12 "2003-04-04T02:07:33Z")
Well, I don’t think I’ll be watching **Sliver** … ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/13 "2003-04-04T03:22:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Last of Sheila, The (which appears to the movie you mean, given the uinque writing team) available only on VHS. Geez – my hands must’ve typed that automatically. I _know_ the title is **The Last of Sheila**. In fact, the exact title is arguably an important part of the picture. I’d also recommend Peter Stone’s two mystery movies – **Mirage** and **Charade**. Both ewell done. The former is played straight. The second is a romantic comedy, and is virtually a textbook on the art of revelation. See the original with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, not the recent remake. Stone went on to write **1776** and the musical **Titanic** , but he returned to mysteries for the lower-tier **Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe**. ---
**Author:** ![float\_flyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c77e96/32.png) [@float\_flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/float_flyer)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/14 "2003-04-04T03:51:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by phreesh \* > \*\*Memento - Certainly not a traditional detective story, with more style over substance, but it is a guy trying to solve a mystery. I absolutely loved this movie. > \*\* I’ll have to second Memento. I loved it, and the first time I saw it I was always guessing what was going to happen next (or rather, what just happened to cause the current scene). ---
**Author:** ![furthur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@furthur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furthur)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/15 "2003-04-04T05:42:33Z")
I’d like to put in a vote for The Name of the Rose. It’s set in a 14th century monastery, and all these monks keep dying/getting killed… and William of Baskerville and his young apprentice, Adso, must track down the killer. V. enjoyable. Mrs. Furthur ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/16 "2003-04-04T06:46:06Z")
I second Gosford Park. A truly marvellous film though the whodunit is less important than the examination of life in an English country manor. Chinatown is another classic mystery film. ---
**Author:** ![sirtonyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sirtonyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirtonyh)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/17 "2003-04-04T09:18:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kat \* > \*\*Well, I don’t think I’ll be watching **Sliver** … \*\* You have chosen wisely. Stay curled up in your sunny spot instead 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/18 "2003-04-04T13:16:53Z")
Thanks for the help and for reminding me of some good ones and coming up with ones I’ve never seen. I’m kind of disappointed there aren’t more. There just must not be demand any more. Or is this like the musical? Somebody just decided that it “couldn’t work” with today’s audience. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/19 "2003-04-04T13:52:05Z")
I’m surprised no one mentioned **Sleuth** yet (of which **Deathtrap** was just a rehash, BTW). If you can find the Cadfael films, they’re well worth while. It’s a TV series, but most episodes are movie length. ---
**Author:** ![Maria](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Maria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maria)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174/20 "2003-04-04T14:03:17Z")
\*\*Sleuth \*\*(1972, not prior ones with same name) Laurence Olivier Michael Caine Need I say more? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-mystery-movie/166174.md?page=2)