10 most confusing detective films

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Among the huge variety of films released for hire, there are films that catch on from the first seconds, and cause a whole storm of emotions with their plot twists. A quality detective is one of those. We have selected the ten most intricate films – not just fascinating, but making you follow every step of the main characters. Detectives who keep on their toes until the last moment.

The most confusing detectives

Nomination a place name rating
The most confusing detectives 1 10 Little Indians (Ten Little Niggers), 1987 5.0
2 Remember (Memento), 2000 4.9
3 The Life of David Gale, 2003 4.8
4 The Big Sleep, 1946 4.7
5 Mystic River, 2003 4.6
6 Mysterium. Start (Kvinden i buret), 2013 4.5
7 Island of the Damned, 2010 4.4
8 Fatal number 23 4.3
9 Before I Sleep (Before I Go To Sleep), 2014 4.2
10 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 2009 4.1

10 Little Indians (Ten Little Niggers), 1987

Rating: 5.0

10 AFRICAN AMERICANS

This detective novel by Agatha Christie is considered the best-selling book by the famous British writer and, according to her, was the most difficult to create. He was filmed 10 times and is one of the hundred best detectives of all time.

The plot takes place on a small Negro island near Devon. Eight strangers from different classes arrive at the invitation of Mr and Mrs A. N. Owen, who are not on the island – just a couple of servants. In the evening, guests hear a voice accusing them of murder. Soon the guests begin to die one by one in accordance with the children's counting-book about 10 little indians.

Among all the films based on Christie's novel, the Soviet version, shot by the famous director Stanislav Govorukhin, can be especially noted. It is in this film that the original (pessimistic) ending is shown, there were no changes either in the characters themselves or in their past. In addition, the Soviet film became the first film adaptation to have the original title. Before that, all the films came out under the title 'And there was nobody' – in accordance with the last line of the countdown.

Remember (Memento), 2000

Rating: 4.9

Remember

Based on the story of his brother Jonathan, the psychological detective story of cult cinematographer Christopher Nolan is included in the Internet Movie Database's 250 best films in history. The plot revolves around Leonard Shelby, who suffers from a rare form of amnesia resulting from a serious head injury. His memory sharply sharpens after the tragedy he suffered – the murder of his wife. The main character decides to find the culprits by all means.

The problem is that Leonard's entire life is preserved in his memory, but only before the murder of his wife, and now fragments of no more than 15 minutes are kept in his head. The main character has to take constant pictures of the events taking place and the people he meets. The main intrigue of the film is what remains hidden from Leonard's eyes.

According to the director's idea, 'Remember' is an attempt to look inside the consciousness of a person whose reality is different from normal, an opportunity to see the world with different eyes. An unusual film with non-standard shooting allows you to fully immerse yourself in what is happening on the screen and not only empathize with the hero, feeling the complexity of his situation, but also seriously ask the question: 'Who killed Natalie Shelby?'

The Life of David Gale, 2003

Rating: 4.8

The life of David Gale

A well-known detective drama that shows what a person is capable of, seeking to defeat the injustice of justice, albeit through self-sacrifice. In the center of the plot is a former professor at the University of Texas David Gale, now a death row inmate. The famous journalist Beaty Bloom comes to see him 3 days before his death penalty.

A cruel joke of fate is that Gail is an ardent opponent of the death penalty and will be executed for the rape and murder of his colleague, the equally ardent activist Constance Harraway. The longer the journalist communicates with the professor, the more clearly she understands that it is she who has to prove the innocence of this person. It only depends on her to live or die.

'The Life of David Gale' is a complex dramatic film that keeps you in suspense until the last frame, which turns out to be a complete surprise for the viewer.

The Big Sleep, 1946

Rating: 4.7

Deep dream

According to the plot of the motion picture, someone blackmails the youngest daughter of General Sternwood, and he turns to private detective Philip Marlowe for help. A simple plot gradually turns into a series of mysterious events. And in the course of the action, the plot makes many sharp turns, unexpected even for a sophisticated viewer.

A lot of secondary characters will appear on the screen, each of which will be difficult to keep track of, but all will play a certain role. The piquancy of the picture is given by sharp dialogues and incredibly bright main characters performed by the film legends of their time – the famous Humphrey Bogart and the fatal Lauren Bacall.

Deep Sleep is the perfect classic detective noir, immersing yourself in the abyss of scary events, intricate plot twists and unexpected murders. Its intricacies are so complex that the scriptwriters have repeatedly turned to the creator of the book for clarification. But it turned out that even he did not have the answer to the main question: he left this difficult decision to the discretion of the authors of the picture.

Mystic River, 2003

Rating: 4.6

Mysterious river

The adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel of the same name has received many prestigious film nominations, and the leading roles Penn and Robbins have received several awards for Best Actor and Supporting Actor, respectively. The film's director Clint Eastwood managed to create a gripping dramatic detective story.

According to the plot, the life of three boys, who were inseparable friends, once changed due to a misfortune. And now, 30 years later, a new tragedy brought them together: the daughter of one of their friends was killed. A second friend takes on the case. However, the inconsolable father decides to start his own investigation, suspecting a third friend of the crime, who fits the description of the murderer.

The actors managed to perfectly get used to their roles and create a complete picture, allowing the viewer to plunge into the atmosphere of the film and feel the acuteness of negative changes that family and friendship values ​​undergo under the influence of tragic circumstances.

Mysterium. Start (Kvinden i buret), 2013

Rating: 4.5

Mysterium.  Start

Released in 2013, the film is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Jussi Adler-Olsen – the first in a series of detective novels about two investigators dealing with the so-called 'wood grouse'.

According to the plot, detective Karl Mork, being on a mission, enters the suspect's house without waiting for reinforcements. The consequences of such an act are terrifying: one of his colleagues dies, the second becomes disabled. Karl himself is wounded in the head, and after returning to work after treatment, he hears an order from his immediate superior to go to the department of unsolved cases. Thus, he is removed from work. He has a companion – Assad, who has no investigative experience.

Sorting out a bunch of old cases, Mork, unexpectedly for himself, is interested in one of them: five years ago, a woman disappeared on a ferry, and the circumstances of her disappearance seem suspicious to him. Contrary to the instructions of the authorities, the main character and his assistant begin a full-fledged investigation, which unexpectedly leads them to the trail of the criminal. A tense storyline, great visuals, sudden twists and a shocking ending – this is' Mysterium. Start'.

Island of the Damned, 2010

Rating: 4.4

Shutter Island

The film by the renowned American director Martin Scorsese is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane. The psychological detective thriller is the fourth collaboration between director and actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

According to the plot, two marshals arrive on the island where the hospital for the mentally ill is located to search for an escaped child-killer patient. As he investigates, the protagonist Edward Daniels discovers various inconsistencies in the story and notes the strange behavior of doctors. Stuck on the island after the storm, he gradually plunges into the gloomy atmosphere of the hospital, learning more and more frightening facts, gradually getting lost between reality and his conjectures.

The Marshal has no idea what shocking discoveries lie ahead. The picture with frightening realism shows how unsteady the human mind and thoughts are. The film has an amazingly colorful visuals, is distinguished by the rapid development of events, heightening the atmosphere, and pleases with the excellent performance of DiCaprio. 'Island of the Damned' is an incredibly powerful movie with a shocking ending.

Fatal number 23

Rating: 4.3

Fatal number 23

A mystical thriller with Jim Carrey in an unusual role for him is a real find for connoisseurs of a high-quality detective that can immerse you in a special atmosphere. By the way, the leading actor succeeded in the latter just brilliantly. A bit absurd in some places the plot allows you to completely immerse yourself in the fantasy of the film's hero – Walter Sparrow.

The life of an ordinary employee of the animal control service changes dramatically after his wife gives him a book. As he reads it, Walter begins to realize with chilling horror that the same events are happening to the main character of the book as he once did. Gradually, Walter begins to associate himself with a book detective, who sees the ominous number 23 everywhere and loses control over his mind. He has only one thing to do – to find an author who will answer his questions in order to avoid the terrible ending of the book – a monstrous murder.

The director of the film managed to subtly and accurately convey the idea that fate as such does not exist, it is shaped by our choice. And Jim Carrey, in the title role, managed to immerse himself in the world of detective comics, addictive and frightening at the same time.

Before I Sleep (Before I Go To Sleep), 2014

Rating: 4.2

Before I fall asleep

This intense British-made detective thriller was based on the novel of the same name by C. Jay Watson. Ridley Scott, who bought the rights to the book, entrusted the script and direction to the eminent British director and film producer Rowan Joffe.

In the center of the plot is a young woman Christine Lucas, who wakes up every day after a trauma, not remembering anything from her past life. And only thanks to her beloved spouse, who helps her again and again to restore the events of the past, the heroine of the film remembers who she is.

But gradually, at first glance, insignificant events begin to cause doubts in Christine, like the people around her. She decides to start her own investigation and plunges into the dark abyss of the past, finding out shocking facts. Nicole Kidman's ingenious play in tandem with Colin Firth creates a mysterious and rather heated atmosphere, leading to an unexpected and eerie ending.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 2009

Rating: 4.1

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

A complex psychological thriller with elements of a detective story, the story of the successful journalist Mikael Blomkvist, known for his steadfastness in his search for truth. Because of his desire to expose the tycoon who sells weapons and does not disdain financial fraud, he ends up in court, where he loses the lawsuit.

Left without his favorite job and awaiting a delayed imprisonment, the main character receives an unexpected offer from Henrik Wanger, the head of a large concern: to investigate the disappearance of his niece, who disappeared more than 40 years ago. Simultaneously with him, Lisbeth Salander, a hacker girl of unusual appearance and non-standard mind, who was tasked with monitoring a journalist, begins to take an interest in the case.

She stumbles upon a thread that can lead to the solution of the mystery and, unable to resist, informs Mikael about it. In the course of their joint work, a lot of strange and mysterious facts emerge, gradually adding up to a terrifying picture of truth. The sensational Swedish film based on the book of the same name is part of the cult trilogy 'Millennium'. The picture to the last keeps the viewer in suspense, leading to an unexpected denouement.


Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

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