Updated September 14, 2023 3.6K votes 1.4K voters 258.2K views
Over 1.4K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Small Clues In Mystery Movies That Totally Give Away ‘Whodunit’
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We've all done it - we're watching a mystery, whispering to our neighbor who we think the culprit is. Maybe you were working alongside Benoit Blanc as you watched Glass Onion. Or you kicked yourself after not realizing the big twist at the end of The Usual Suspects.
More often than not, the director throws in some red herrings that do a good job of throwing us off the trail. But we're here to help you hone your deduction skills. Read on to learn of the clues that directors sprinkled throughout some of our favorite mysteries.
And the next time you go to watch these movies, keep your eyes peeled for any other hints that help you sniff out the guilty party. Beware: Spoilers ahead!
Plot: We follow the years-long battle between two magicians in 1890s London, each of whom are attempting to create the ultimate illusion.
Hidden Clue: Throughout The Prestige, we're trying to figure out how Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) is doing his trick called “The Transported Man," where he seems to transport from inside one wardrobe to another wardrobe across the stage.
At the end of the film, Borden reveals that he was able to do the trick with the help of his twin brother. The same twin brother who just took the fall for Borden and was sentenced to death.
This idea was hinted at earlier in the movie, when Borden does a magic trick with a bird. While it seems like the bird is crushed in a cage, it “magically” appears to have moved - out of harm's way. However, the boy Borden shows this to isn't fooled and asks, “But where's his brother?” - referencing the bird who has been killed for the sake of the trick.
Plot: Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) investigates the death of the patriarch of a wealthy family hiding many secrets.
Hidden Clue: When Detective Blanc first meets Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), you can see that his eyes are locked on her feet for a moment. This is because he's noticed the drop of blood on her shoe, which she doesn't realize.
Throughout the film, Blanc alludes to this secret information by repeatedly mentioning feet, saying things like: “The game is afoot,” especially when speaking to Marta.
Plot: Six guests receive a strange invitation to dinner, only for their host to be killed. Like the popular board game, they must work quickly to try and figure out the killer.
Hidden Clue: If you happen to know French, you might have noticed in the 1985 iteration of Clue that the French maid, Yvette, seems to say random French words.
This is hinting at her deception. We later learn that Yvette is in fact American, and doesn't actually know French at all.
Plot: We're working alongside world-famous detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to try and figure out who wants to kill billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton).
Hidden Clue: The action escalates when we realize that Duke Cody's (Dave Bautista) gun is missing from his body.
As the lights go off (around 1:06 hr into the film), for a split second you can see that Bron is actually carrying the gun in the hallway.
Plot: A murder takes place on a train that is stranded by snow, and Detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer before they reach the station.
Hidden Clue: Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express is one of the most popular mysteries of all time. So directors can get creative when putting their spin on the classic characters.
This was true for director Kenneth Branagh in the 2017 version of the tale. Throughout the movie, we've followed Detective Poirot (Branagh) trying to figure out who killed Edward Ratchett (Johnny Depp), who was stabbed 12 times on board the train.
When Poirot assembles all the suspects, he seats them in a way that mirrors The Last Supper painting, with Caroline Hubbard (Michelle Pfeiffer) sitting in Jesus's seat. This placement foreshadows that Hubbard is about to try and sacrifice herself to save the other guilty parties.
Plot: A US Marshal investigates a hospital for the criminally insane, hoping to find clues about a murderer who recently escaped.
Hidden Clue: Agent Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his partner, Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are asked to remove their firearms before entering the hospital. Chuck struggles to get his gun off the holster.
Later on, we realize he struggled because he's actually a doctor, not a law enforcement officer.
