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Murder mystery moving picture are often dark and unsafe , but there are some which apply a murder investigation as a set - up for comedy . masses often find relief in laughing at tabu subjects , which depart some way to explaining why crime comedies are so popular . Humor can also be used to deconstruct the rigid framework of the mystery genre , which often seems stuck in the day of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie .
Some of thebest slaying whodunit moviesdouble as screaming comedies . It ’s not easy to equilibrize these two disparate sides , especially since murder can often feel too heavy . However , with some benighted humor and a compelling mystery , comedies about execution can work brilliantly . From the thirties right up to the present day , there are many fantastic execution enigma comedy for citizenry who can see the funny side of demise .
What makes a big murder mystery movie ? From Alfred Hitchcock films to cult classics to Benoit Blanc , we have 35 offerings in the beloved genre .
10A Shot In The Dark (1964)
The Pink Panther Franchise Moves From Jewel Theft To Murder
ThePink Pantherfranchisestarted in 1963 with Peter Sellers ' iconic Inspector Clouseau trying to apprehend David Niven ’s gentleman gem stealer for steal a priceless diamond . The undermentioned year , vendor returned as the incompetent Gallic tec in a hilarious murder closed book that leave behind the mankind of high - stakes rip-off in favor of a definitive Agatha Christie - style whodunnit .
While the mystery ingredient ofA Shot in the Darkare compelling enough , the strength of the movie lies in Sellers ' oafish physical comedy . Thrust into a story which suits the wit and cunning of Poirot , Clouseau bobble his path to the conclusion line via destiny , annoying his suspects into slip up and falling over several dozen fourth dimension . To accompany his slapstick fashion , Clouseau has an endless bank line of uproarious quotes .
9The Nice Guys (2016)
Ryan Gosling And Russell Crowe Make An Unlikely But Brilliant Duo
Cast
Shane Black has long been the king of the pal cop literary genre , after his work on theLethal Weaponfranchise andKiss Kiss Bang Bang . The Nice Guysalso flash his skills for buddy cop comedies , with Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe playing a pair of secret investigators whose lacking persons case turns into a murder investigation , which also ties into a incarnate cabal link up to the auto manufacture .
Gosling and Crowe do n’t seem like a natural fit on paper , but they balance each other out perfectly . Crowe shows some surprising drollery chops , and his deadpan dash counters Gosling ’s frenzied comedic energy . With a splash of 1970s spell and a strong support cast , The Nice Guyshas grown a considerable chase , despite the fact that it was a box office fizzle . The ending teases aNice Guyssequel , but the likeliness of this coming to run seems to have evanesce .
8Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
Zemeckis' Blend Of Animation And Live-Action Is A Joy To Watch
Who Framed Roger Rabbitpays tribute to the account of American animation , with iconic characters like Bugs Bunny , Mickey Mouse and Pinocchio all making appearance . Robert Zemeckis ' comedy also has its roots in film noir , another American picture tradition reach back to the mid twentieth century . The combination of these two genre givesWho Framed Roger Rabbitfertile ground for comedy .
Who Framed Roger Rabbitwill always be recognized for its unparalleled blend of animation and live - action , but it ’s also a brilliant mystery funniness , as Roger Rabbit squad up with a grizzled investigator to realize his name when he is accused of execution . Bob Hoskins deliver a great performance , considering that many of his view feature him interact with two - dimensional mitt - drawn rabbits . Who Framed Roger Rabbituses its cartoon character to disclose the image of the closed book musical style .
7Knives Out (2019)
Rian Johnson’s Locked-Room Mystery Shakes Up The Genre
Knives Outfeatures a classic locked - way puzzle , and a good household filled with potential suspects . Superficially , it deport all the assay-mark of a much older closed book movie , butKnives Out ’s voluminous narrative frequently surprises its audienceby subverting expectation . What begin out as a classic whodunnit with an eccentric detective grow into something much more thrilling and dangerous before too long .
Daniel Craig is captivating as Benoit Blanc , a brilliant detective with a Foghorn Leghorn drawl who is n’t above feigning ignorance when he retrieve it can help him . He ’s responsible for most of the funniest moments inKnives Out , just as he is in the first sequel , Glass Onion . Wake Up Dead Manpromises more laughs and another intriguing mystery . Rian Johnson has already shown that he like to flirt with his hearing , so there ’s no telling how the thirdKnives Outmovie will spread out .
6The Thin Man (1934)
The Thin Man Was One Of The Earliest Murder Mystery Comedies
The Thin Mancame out at a time when hardboiled police detective fiction was all the rage , and it poked merriment at the figure of speech and trend of the genre.90 years after , it ’s still a hilarious music genre satire , which shows that some mystery figure never die . The lean Manwas an huge achiever back in 1934 , leading to a long - lam flick franchise , which was fabulously rare at the metre . It ’s maturate brilliantly , and can still be enjoyed today .
found on the novel by Dashiell Hammett , The Thin Manfollows a husband and wife who team up up to solve a murder before things get too personal for them . William Powell and Myrna Loy have a wizardly push - and - pull dynamic , but their team is n’t everlasting without the dogtooth thespian Skippy , who was just as fully grown a star at the time . The negotiation ofThe Thin Manis twinkle , floating effortlessly between wry drollery and thrilling whodunit .
5Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)
Diane Keaton Shines In A Comedy Of Manners And Murder
Fans ofOnly Murders in the Buildingwill likely admireManhattan Murder Mystery , and it ’s leisurely to call up that the 1993 comedy had some influence on the hit mystery show . LikeOMITB , Manhattan Murder Mysteryfocuses on a group of Manhattanites who start investigating a crime which takes spot in their building as a misdirection from their cushy , humdrum lives . It has the same blend of comedy and mystery , never let one outweigh the other .
Diane Keaton reaffirms her status as one of the good comedic actors of her genesis inManhattan Murder Mystery . Without ever mug to the photographic camera , her wide - eyed exuberance is hilarious against the grisly backcloth of murder . Like any of Woody Allen ’s good scripts , Manhattan Murder Mysteryuses its quirky assumption to analyze the odd foibles of modernistic human living . In this case , the unpaid murder investigation is plow as some parlor game by a group of halfway - class New Yorkers who see everything as entertainment and scandal .
4Clue (1985)
Clue Has Gotten More Popular Over The Years
Clueis free-base on the board game of the same name , and it features multiple conclusion to reflect how thespian draw unlike finish in a game when present with the same grounds . WhenCluewas primitively released in theaters , interview saw just one of the endings , with unlike theaters represent different variant . The movie is much more enjoyable with all three endings toy out one after another , and it has grown in popularity since it begin being shown on goggle box and sold on home video recording in this way .
Clue ’s fascinating endinginvites its audience to go back and watch it all over again . It deconstruct the intact mystery musical style , in which people so often want all the result neatly set out in the end . Clueshows a stabbing awareness that these answers are seldom as satisfying as the game of essay to figure out what happened , so it essentially keeps this game go everlastingly . Tim Curry leads a fun ensemble cast as the butler , and his frenetic zip pick up speed as he rushed toward the coating assembly line .
3Game Night (2018)
Game Night Is A Hilarious Throwback Comedy
There ’s something aboutGame Nightthat seems like a throwback to the 2000s . It ’s becoming progressively rarified to see mid - budget comedies with great ensemble casts , likeThe Hangover , The 40 - Year - Old VirginandAnchorman . Game Nighttakes a fun initial concept and injects plenty of activity to keep thing operate swimmingly . Its commercial achiever prove that there ’s still a large audience for these types of movies when they ’re done right .
plot Nightfollows a free-enterprise group of booster whose murder mystery political party suddenly stick a little too real . While there ’s no real murder , there ’s theft , kidnapping , ravishment , blackmail and a litany of other crimes . Game Nightmines a caboodle of comedy from the fish - out - of - weewee awkwardness of the pedestrian suburban twosome who get tossed into a dangerous criminal conspiracy . Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams are both on top build .
2Hot Fuzz (2007)
The Action Satire Doubles As A Murder Mystery
Each movie inEdgar Wright ’s Cornetto trilogyparodies a unlike motion-picture show writing style , andHot Fuzzpokes sport at the surplus of action movies likeBad BoysandLethal Weapon . The action drive topographic point in a quaint English settlement , which is as far from the distinctive action setting as possible . The pic gets a lot of its comedy from this dissonance , with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost donning their sunglasses to expect as cool as Dirty Harry while chasing swans away from the model village .
As well as deliver plenty of in high spirits - octane activity , Hot Fuzzalso has a compelling execution mystery . Sergeant Nicholas Angel is used to solve heavy case in London , and he goes calculate for more of the same in the sleepyheaded village of Sandford . Hot Fuzzpulls off a great plot twirl to crest off his slaying investigation , and the flick turns into an adrenaline - fueled gunplay from then on .
1See How They Run (2022)
See How They Run Deserves More Love
See How They Runboasts a great ensemble cast , led by Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan as two uneven detectives . It ’s arguablyone of the most underrated drollery of the past few years , as it puts a confident spin on the sidekick cop genre . Rockwell is first-class as the gruff , world - aweary senior police detective , while Ronan take on his fanatical partner as they look into a execution on the set of a West End play in London .
See How They Runis a fun metatextual deconstructionism of the murder mystery story musical style , especially Agatha Christie ’s stories . The execution takes place during the yield of an adjustment of Christie’sThe Mousetrap , and the plot features as many shady suspects and exciting twists as the author ’s good works . The two police detective remain the beat heart ofSee How They Run , however , and their hilarious dynamic carries the story attractively .
