Horror movies often show characters becoming detectives in their own mysteries, particularly when the actual authorities don’t believe them. Yet, there are plenty of movies where real detectives come upon a case that’s totally out of the ordinary and requires their thinking outside the box. Skills and expertise don’t guarantee their own safety or yield […]
Horror movies often show characters becoming detectives in their own mysteries, particularly when the actual authorities don’t believe them. Yet, there are plenty of movies where real detectives come upon a case that’s totally out of the ordinary and requires their thinking outside the box.
Skills and expertise don’t guarantee their own safety or yield the most desirable results in the end, but these professional problem-solvers keep the audience informed. After watching Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the latest entry in the Knives Out series, there’s no better time to dig up some other confounding cases.
Keep in mind, these ten movies are just a small sample of what the horror genre has to offer whenever detectives are steering the story.
The Wicker Man (1973)
Christopher Lee in The Wicker Man (1973).
The inspiration from The Wicker Man, an adaptation of David Pinner’s novel Ritual, is immense and never-ending. Its DNA courses through countless subsequent stories of people coming to strange places in search of answers. Here we have Edward Woodward playing the ill-fated sergeant who visited the fictional Summerisle after receiving an anonymous letter about a missing girl. Opposite Woodward is Hammer legend himself, Christopher Lee. The two actors, along with director Robin Hardy, pulled off a stunning and accomplished movie that many consider the crown jewel of folk horror.
Night School (1981)
Night School.
Ken Hughes’ Night School (a.k.a. Terror Eyes) feels like the lovechild of 1970s police thrillers and 1980s slashers. In this underseen whodunit, also Rachel Ward’s big-screen debut, a kukri-wielding motorcyclist is decapitating women. All that stands between the killer and their bloodlust is that lieutenant played by spaghetti western actor Leonard Mann. So while the story isn’t exactly innovative, Night School does impress with its style and butchery.
The New York Ripper (1982)
Almanta Suska in The New York Ripper.
For an especially nasty murder-mystery, keep an eye out for The New York Ripper (Lo squartatore di New York). Lucio Fulci delivers violence and then some in this Italian shocker. Here, Jack Hedley plays the detective on the hunt for a misogynistic murderer in the Big Apple. And helping him is a psychoanalyst (Paolo Malco), one who provides insight into these grisly crimes. The New York Ripper is unabashedly sleazy, yet it also feels ahead of its time, as far as procedural storytelling goes.
The Hidden (1987)
Kyle MacLachlan in The Hidden.
A few years before his iconic role in Twin Peaks, Kyle MacLachlan played the alien investigator on the tail of a dangerous extraterrestrial. Along with Michael Nouri as a human cop, the interplanetary pair chased that elusive, body-jumping creature all across Los Angeles. Jack Sholder’s The Hidden isn’t like most buddy cop movies from the ’80s, but it also doesn’t lack in charm. Don’t be surprised at how quickly you warm up to this story’s odd couple. As for The Hidden II, that less-liked, direct-to-video sequel follows the grown-up daughter of Nouri’s character.
Cast a Deadly Spell (1991)
Pictured: Fred Ward, Julianne Moore and Clancy Brown in Cast a Deadly Spell.
For something inspired yet novel, check out Martin Campbell’sCast a Deadly Spell. It’s an entertaining mix of film noir, weird fiction, and urban fantasy. Fred Ward plays a detective named Phil Lovecraft, and his character goes against the new norm in this fictionalized version of 1940s Los Angeles. Magic is real and widely used in those days, but Lovecraft doesn’t play along. The gumshoe’s aversion only causes conflict, though, as he’s then hired to find the Necronomicon. For more Phil Lovecraft, there is a sequel; however, Witch Hunt (1994) changed backstories and recast Ward with Dennis Hopper.
All-American Murder (1991)
Pictured: Mitchell Anderson in All-American Murder.
While Christopher Walken shares the spotlight in Anson Williams’ All-American Murder, his sizable presence makes him seem like the lead. Here, Walken’s detective role investigates the gruesome death of Josie Bissett’s character, a popular college student who was burned to a crisp by a masked assailant. And who better to suspect than the victim’s date that night and the new kid on campus (Charlie Schlatter)? As expected, things are not what they appear to be in this giallo-influenced, Oklahoma-shot slasher.
Double Vision (2002)
Pictured: Tony Leung Ka-fai and David Morse in Double Vision.
Sometimes it takes more than one person to solve the case. InChen Kuo-fu’s overlooked Double Vision (Shuang tong), an American FBI agent (David Morse) teams up with a Taiwanese officer (Tony Leung Ka-fai). The presence of a strange, black mold found in the heads of murder victims suggests something more sinister than your garden-variety serial killer—and you’d be correct to think that. Where this movie ultimately leads is bizarre and makes it worthwhile.
Mindhunters (2004)
LL Cool J, Jonny Lee Miller and Kathryn Morris in Mindhunters.
With so many hands on deck in Renny Harlin’sMindhunters, surely the killer hiding among them wouldn’t stand a chance. Well, that’s not the case, as these FBI profilers in training are clueless as to who’s picking them off on an island, one by one. This action-oriented thriller borrows its basic setup from Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, yet now the methodical murders are given an upgrade in the style and effects department. The movie pairs well with Harlin’s Deep Blue Sea, another cheesy actioner whose entertainment value is through the roof.
Retribution (2007)
Pictured: Kōji Yakusho in Retribution.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s approach to investigative horrors and the uncanny, in relation to the living, is unique. Kurosawa regular Kōji Yakusho (Cure, Charisma) plays the weary cop in Retribution(Sakebi) who is viscerally disturbed by the recent murder of a woman in a red dress (Riona Hazuki). Before the film’s haunting conclusion comes into view, its story taps into more than just a ghost’s vengeance; Kurosawa has a lot to say about society here. Overall, Retribution is a misunderstood offering from the “J-Horror” wave.
I See You (2019)
Pictured: The masked killer in I See You.
The reliability of narratives is studied and put on display in the crime-horror hybridI See You. This clever, enticing mystery shows two sides of a small-town story; an investigator’s (Jon Tenney) home life is put under a microscope, and blurred, when an old case of his is reopened. Adam Randall’s movie contorts itself into a shape that’s tricky to get out of, even once you’re told what’s really going on here. Nevertheless, solid performances from Helen Hunt and the rest of the cast help smooth over any rough spots.
