The name sounds complicated, but whodunnit is a very popular storytelling style in literature and cinema that has gained new airs with the debut of Glass Onion
Glass onion: a knife-edged mystery closed 2022 with a golden key, not only being one of the big premieres of Netflix in December like all last year. And part of this success around the detective story is precisely the fact that this is a type of film that is somewhat forgotten in Hollywood and, as we have seen, is still loved by the public. After all, who doesn’t love a good whodunnit?
- 15 great movies for anyone who loves solving mysteries
- Top 10 crime investigation series to watch on Netflix
The term may sound strange, but it’s nothing from another world. In fact, it’s quite familiar and it’s highly likely that you’ve already seen a few feature films like this one and even read a few books that follow this formula. After all, some of the classics of Agatha Christie are based entirely on this structure, as are some Sherlock Holmes novels and, of course, the franchise itself. Knives out.
It’s a good old-fashioned detective story, more precisely one in which the protagonist has to find out who has been guilty of a crime – almost always a murder – and is surrounded by suspects. And, as basic as the idea is, it remains hugely popular and yields great puzzles, such as Glass Onion well it tasted.
Who was?
the name whodunnit it may not be the friendliest for Brazilian audiences, but there is no exact translation that sums up what this subgenre of crime thrillers is all about. The term is a corruption of the phrase “who did it“, which means nothing more than a “who did it”.
And although we treat it here as a style, it originated as a narrative structure used in literature, being popularized mainly in the works of Agatha Christie. From Hercule Poirot to her isolated novels, the author has built her fame exploring this idea of uncovering the identity of a murderer.
There really isn’t a rule for what is or isn’t inside the whodunnit, only that there must be a victim, suspects and someone willing to uncover that crime. And a good story is one that manages to weave it all together in such a way that the resolution is apparent but not obvious. For this reason, the text plays with the perception of the reader/spectator to make him follow false tracks until he is surprised at the end.
The most famous example of this style is the Murder on the espressoby Christie. In both the book and its various adaptations, Hercule Poirot needs to find out who is responsible for the death of a passenger on a train. And since the vehicle is still moving, no one got in or out, which makes everyone suspicious.
This formula is quite popular because it already lays out all the pieces at once, meaning the perpetrator is placed in a group where everyone has good reason for the murder. It is such a functional structure that the author herself has repeated it a few times, as in Death on the Nile.
And as you may have noticed, the logic behind the whodunnit It’s so simple you may have played it as a kid. Remember the board game Detectives – or Trace, in the most recent issues – where did you need to solve a murder? Or even that card game where there is a bandit among the victims.
In the Glass Onion, the film plays a bit with the popularity of the style showing how it is rooted in pop culture, both with these classic games and also with modern reinterpretations. the popular game Between usplayed by Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), is a prime example of how style works across different media without losing its essence and engaging potential.
Whodunnit at Cinema
But it is clear that in cinema that the whodunnit the more it excites and intrigues the public. And Glass onion: a knife-edged mystery it was just the latest in a series of features that keep the tradition alive that started in the books. And if you’re fascinated by this kind of story, there’s a universe of great mysteries waiting for you.
Starting with the adaptations of Agatha Christie. Even if some of yours older series are not as accessiblenew versions of their greatest classics have recently hit the screens with Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot in both Murder on the Orient Express how much inside Death on the Nile.
Enola Holmes is another recent representative of the sub-genre and with a more teenage vibe which makes it great to introduce to a younger audience. but if you’re a little older, you might want to revisit the ever-great Who Framed Roger Rabbitwhich takes the whodunnit so much for the almost noir side of yellows with all the madness of cartoons.
And there is, of course, the classic The seven suspectswhich is nothing but the adaptation of the game Detectives – or Trace, if you prefer. Not to mention the former Between Knives and Secretswho introduced Benoit Blanc to the world and helped renew interest in the formula.
Trending on Canaltech:
- The 28,000-year-old cave lion is so well preserved you can see his whiskers
- The metal alloy is 100 times stronger than graphene even in extreme temperatures
- Scientists are concerned with the ethics of eternal life and the endless accumulation of wealth
- BBB 23 | What’s new in the program?
- The solar-powered car enters the Guinness Book of Records
- 13 delayed movies that will be released in 2023
+The best content in your email for free. Choose your favorite Terra newsletter. Click here!
Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
