Best Mystery Movies

For all mystery loving people – if you are planning to spend some of your summer time (or the end of it) with mystery movies, here are some tips. My ratings for the top 10 of the IMDB’s List of Best Mystery Titles.

1. Inception (2010) – 4 stars
I would not index it under mystery. Otherwise, excellent concept. It is about entering the subconsciousness of targets through dreams to extract secrets. There are rules regarding the projections and the reality, and also to switch from one to another. The movie gets complicated in course with the characters entering dreams of higher level – dreams within dreams. To understand, you’d need to listen to the dialogues carefully.

2. Rear Window (1954) – 3 stars
You can not blame it for too few twists and turns; it is a 1954 movie after all. The leading character has a broken leg. So, he is confined to his room. He lazily watches the tenants in the other building day in day out. In course, he suspects a guy has murdered his wife. The remaining part of the movie is to prove this point.

3. Se7en (1995) – 5 stars
The best part of this movie is Kevin Spacey’s surprise appearance. Not a pleasant ending, but full of surprises. Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, as usual, perform brilliant.

4. The Usual Suspects (1995) – 5 stars.
Perfect in terms of narration (Kevin Spacey) and the way the story unfolds. As is the case with mystery movies, the last few minutes come as a surprise, thrill, pleasure, and you name what.

5. Psycho (1960) – 4 stars.
The story is just like something you would imagine from the title. The movie is about a murder (or rather, about the murderer) of young beautiful office lady who runs away with $40,000 from her boss. Needless to say, there is a psycho killer. There is a unique medical explanation behind the mental disability. A movie of such quality story in 1960 – must have been a blood-buster then.

6. Memento (2000) – 4 Stars
The best part of the story is the timeline which goes backwards. To understand the story, you will have to go over the story again – this time from the end to the opening scene. It is about a guy who memory lasts only 15 minutes – the idea inspired in an Aamir Khan movie too.

7. North by Northwest (1959) – 3 Stars
Another classic movie all right. But from mystery perspective, could not rate higher. This movie would rather be classified as a romance thriller.

8. Citizen Kane (1941) – 1 Star
Can not rate it precisely. Some story about an American media moghul. I dozed off almost throughout the movie and eventually switched off to YouTube for some interesting clips.

9. Vertigo (1958) – 4 Stars
A mix of thrill, romance, and suspense. This oldie is gold. One moment you would be expecting some ghost to come out, and the next you would wonder who would be perpetrating a crime. Does not bring new twists every now and then, but you will enjoy it. In the meantime, it is fun to see San Francisco of 1958.

10. The Shining (1980) – 4 Stars
Based on Stephen King’s horror novel and starring Jack Nicholson. So, you’d be quite motivated to watch this movie. Very brilliantly made. The end makes you feel yuck.