Crime Mystery films

List Hai Toh Hit Hai

Welcome to another special podcast of List hai toh hit hai, I am your host Nikhil and this is OTTplay. I’m your host Nikhil, Let’s begin

From Zodiac to Dial M for Murder, in today’s List hai toh hit hai, we’re listing some of the most spine-chilling crime mysteries.

Crime mysteries have always enthralled audiences of all ages. From unsolved murders to serial killings, there’s a twisted pleasure in accessing damaged minds who commit unspeakable crimes. And what’s even more exciting is the journey that detectives and law enforcement officers embark on - in an attempt to get to the bottom of the affair.

It’s hardly surprising then that crime thrillers and mysteries have been one of the most profitable genres in Hollywood in recent decades. From Alfred Hitchcock’s classics to adaptations of Stieg Larsson’s bestsellers, the list of crime-thrillers is endless. But here’s a selection of films that you ought to watch if you’ve got an appetite for thrillers.

Zodiac

The 2007 thriller, starring the likes of Robert Downy Jr., Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo, is based on the life of the real-life serial killer who terrorised the San Francisco Bay Area between the late 1960s and early 1970s. The film follows the murders which are believed to have been committed by the serial killer who was given the moniker “Zodiac Killer”.

Rating - 7.9

Available - Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hungama, Vi

Dial M for Murder

Few filmmakers come close to the brilliance of Alfred Hitchcock when it comes to thrillers. One of the most memorable masterpieces of the director is Dial M for Murder. The film follows the devious plan that man hatches to murder his wife when he finds out that she’s having an affair.

KNIVES OUT

Knives Out is a comedy crime film which is fashioned like a classic “whodunit”. Christopher Plummer plays Harlan Thrombay, a wealthy crime novelist who has invited his considerably large family to his Massachusetts mansion to celebrate his 85th birthday. When Harlan is found murdered the next day, Daniel Craig enters the scene as the private investigator hired to solve the murder.

Rating - 8.0

Available - itunes, Google Play, Hungama, Vi, Airtel Xstream

Murder on the Orient Express

Kenneth Branagh’s take on Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel was as kitschy as it gets. The 2017 movie, featuring Branagh in the role of the legendary Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot, roped in some of the biggest names in the business. Johnny Depp, Olivia Colman and Judi Dench came on board to recreate the mysterious, grizzly murder that takes place on board a luxury train. From the cantankerous White Russian Princess (played by Dench) to a nefarious art dealer (played by Depp), Branagh’s film was deliberately over-the-top. Despite the action centerered around what seems like an implausible murder, Branagh’s characters ensure the film never veers into grim territory. Also starring Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Pfeiffer and Daisy Ridley, the whodunit is an authentic adaptation and keeps viewers consistently tense about the proceedings on the screen.

Rear Window

This 1954 classic is arguably one of Alfred Hitchcock’s finest works. Featuring James Stewart as an injured, house-bound photojournalist, this thriller follows his character while he idly plays peeping-tom to his neighbours. Things take an unexpected turn when he becomes convinced that he has witnessed a murder in the apartment opposite his. His girlfriend (played by Grace Kelly) his nurse (Thelma Ritter) then accompanies him in solving the alleged murder. The film stood out from its contemporaries largely for Hitchcock’s treatment of spatially restrictive narratives. Since the film was largely shot indoors, Paramount Pictures, the studio that backed the film, built a set that is still considered the largest ever constructed within their premises. Rear Window even had Hitchcock’s trademark cameo appearance where the filmmaker can be seen winding a clock in a crucial sequence.

WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT

WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT is a 1988 film which was selected for preservation by the Library Of Congress. This noir comedy is set in a fictional 1940s world where both cartoon characters and real humans live in perfect harmony. This delightful mixture of live-action and animation gives the film a distinctive edge and also appealing to various audience groups. When well known ‘Toon' Roger Rabbit is accused of murder, human private investigator Eddie Valiant tasks himself with exonerating him.

Rating - 8.2

Available - Netflix, Disney + Hotstar

Well that’s today's special theme-based podcast List hai toh hit hai, I shall be back with another podcast from the world of movies and entertainment. This is your host Nikhil signing off for now!

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