A whodunit is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the clues to the case, from which the identity of the perpetrator may be deduced before the story provides the revelation itself at its climax. The investigation is usually conducted by an eccentric, amateur, or semi-professional detective.
Claude Henri Jean Chabrol was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues and contemporaries Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Éric Rohmer and Jacques Rivette, Chabrol was a critic for the influential film magazine Cahiers du cinéma before beginning his career as a film maker.
Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1928 by the American detective fiction writers Frederic Dannay (1905–1982) and Manfred Bennington Lee (1905–1971). It is also the name of their main fictional detective, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve baffling murder cases. From 1929 to 1971, Dannay and Lee wrote around forty novels and short story collections in which Ellery Queen appears as a character.
The police procedural, police show, or police crime drama is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasises the investigative procedure of police officers, police detectives, or law enforcement agencies as the protagonists, as contrasted with other genres that focus on non-police investigators such as private investigators (PIs).
Beverly Hills Cop is a 1984 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Martin Brest, with a screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr., and story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr. It stars Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street-smart Detroit detective who visits Beverly Hills, California, to solve the murder of his best friend. Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Ronny Cox, Lisa Eilbacher, Steven Berkoff, Paul Reiser, and Jonathan Banks appear in supporting roles.
The Unfaithful Wife is a 1969 French–Italian crime drama film written and directed by Claude Chabrol and starring Stéphane Audran and Michel Bouquet. The story follows a businessman who discovers his wife has been unfaithful.
Sister My Sister is a 1994 film starring British actresses Julie Walters, Joely Richardson, and Jodhi May. The film was directed by Nancy Meckler and written by Wendy Kesselman, based on her own play, My Sister in This House.
The Cry of the Owl is a 1987 French-Italian psychological thriller film, adapted from the 1962 novel The Cry of the Owl by Patricia Highsmith. The film was directed by Claude Chabrol and stars Christophe Malavoy, Mathilda May and Virginie Thévenet.
Jean Poiret, born Jean Poiré, was a French actor, director, and screenwriter. He is primarily known as the author of the original play La Cage aux Folles.
The Glass Shield is a 1994 American crime drama film co-written and directed by Charles Burnett. It stars Michael Boatman and Lori Petty as rookie Deputy Sheriffs who uncover a conspiracy around the arrest of a suspect. After a festival run, it was released in the United States on June 2, 1995, and grossed $3.3 million.
Le Bouchera.k.a.The Butcher is a 1970 French psychological thriller film written and directed by Claude Chabrol and starring Stéphane Audran and Jean Yanne. Set in the village of Trémolat, it tells the story of butcher Popaul who falls in love with Hélène, the head teacher of the school, while a murder spree is taking place in the area.
One Tough Cop is a 1998 American action crime film. It was directed by Bruno Barreto and written by Jeremy Iacone. The movie stars Stephen Baldwin as the protagonist and first-person narrator Bo Dietl, a real-life New York City detective who wrote the book that the film is based on. Chris Penn costars as Dietl's partner. Gina Gershon, Mike McGlone and Paul Guilfoyle also play key roles.
Cop au Vin is a 1985 French crime film directed by Claude Chabrol. It was entered into the 1985 Cannes Film Festival. The original French title is a pun: it literally means "vinegar chicken," but "poulet" is also French slang for "cop." The English title is also a pun on coq au vin. Chabrol made a sequel in 1986 titled Inspecteur Lavardin.
Les Bonnes Femmes is a 1960 French nouvelle vague comedy drama film directed by Claude Chabrol. It follows four young Parisian women and their very different encounters with men. Though unsuccessful upon its initial release in France, it was subject to critical reevaluation, and is now regarded as one of the best of Chabrol's early films.
Bellamy — known as Inspector Bellamy in the U.S. — is a French murder mystery film released in 2009. It is the last film of celebrated French director Claude Chabrol, who died the following year, and the only time he worked with star Gérard Depardieu. Chabrol said in an interview that the film is like a "novel that Simenon never wrote", a kind of "Maigret on vacation".
The Color of Lies is a 1999 psychological mystery film co-written and directed by Claude Chabrol. The film was entered into the 49th Berlin International Film Festival.
Jean Rabier was a French cinematographer who frequently worked with director Claude Chabrol. He had almost 70 film credits spanning a career from 1961 to 1991.
The Dark Man is a 1951 British black and white film-noir thriller film written and directed by Jeffrey Dell and starring Edward Underdown, Maxwell Reed and Natasha Parry. It was produced by Julian WIntle for Rank Studios.
Detective vs Sleuths is a 2022 Hong Kong action thriller film directed, co-written and co-produced by Wai Ka-fai, starring Sean Lau, Charlene Choi, Raymond Lam and Carman Lee. The film follows a former police with a mental disorder (Lau), who works with an elite inspector (Choi) in a series of murders which are seemingly connected to past cases they've once inspected. They find themselves in a race against time to find out the truth and the mastermind behind these murders.
Crime at the Concert Mayol is a 1954 French-Italian crime drama film directed by Pierre Méré and starring Claude Godard, Jean-Pierre Kérien and Daniel Clérice. It is set at the Concert Mayol in Paris, a cabaret that became known for its striptease shows after the Second World War. The film intercuts between musical numbers in the venue and the investigations of the detectives offstage.
