We look back at some of the best mystery movies of recent years
THE HANGOVER PART III is released in Irish cinemas this week and, since the Wolfpack always have to solve the odd disappearance of one of their number, we decided to take a look back at some of the best mystery movies of recent years.
CLUE
This is a fairly obvious, but a fun one. Based on the board game Cluedo, this 1985 movie stars Michael McKean, Christopher Lloyd and Tim Curry. Six guests are invited to a strange house and it is not long before someone is mysteriously murdered. The surviving guests bust cooperate with one another to solve the puzzle. CLUE is wonderfully silly and over the top, and is filled with fantastic dialogue, including “This is war, Peacock. Casualties are inevitable!”
CABIN IN THE WOODS
We are big Joss Whedon fans here at Movies.ie, and we believe his script for Cabin in the Woods is among his best. Five college kids head off for a break away at Curt’s cousin’s secluded cabin. Once there, the kids discover a basement full of creepy things including a 99 year old diary which, when read aloud from, wakens evil. Things are not always as they seem however, and there is a lot more going on underneath the surface of this seemingly by the numbers horror movie.
It’s always someone’s cousin’s house – or a creepy stranger’s – and the kids never seem to grasp that an eerie basement means trouble. This is just the formula that CABIN IN THE WOODS plays with and it is in this playing that the fun arises.
OLDBOY
A man is released from captivity after 15 years of incarceration, and is given 5 days to unravel the mystery of his imprisonment. The middle film in Chan-Wook Park’s Venegence trilogy is outstanding, with the audience dissecting the secrets of the film alongside the central character, Oh-Dae Su. Venegence is a terrible thing, and cruelty is another. Both mingle together to form a harrowing and gripping film. If you have not seen it, check it out before Spike Lee’s remake hits our screens.
PHONE BOOTH
Our Colin Farrell plays a man who answers a ringing public telephone, and is held hostage by a mysterious sniper. The caller demands that Stu confess his cheating ways, and refuses to release him from his sights until he does.
PHONE BOOTH features the voice talents of Kiefer Sutherland as the sniper and proved that Colin Farrell has the strength as an actor to carry a film.
TAKE SHELTER
Curtis is a devoted husband and father who plagued by apocalyptic dreams, but he does not know whether to shelter his family from the coming storm from his nightmares, or from himself. Secrets lead to resentment, and fear leads to despair in Jeff Nichols’ film.
Take Shelter is another film that relies on a strong central performance, and Michael Shannon has rarely been better than in this film. The beauty of the story is that the audience is never quite sure if Curtis is paranoid or cautious, and the air of fear and suspicion suffuses the whole film.
Are you a GASLIGHT fan? Or do you prefer WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? We know we have not covered classic mystery movies, so let us know your favourites in the comments below.
THE HANGOVER PART III is in Irish cinemas from May 24th
Words: Brogen Hayes