The 1960s were full of great mystery films–including some of the most suspenseful and thrilling movies of that era. Here are some of the best:
Blow-Up (1966)
Thomas, played by David Hemmings, is a London photographer who spends his time photographing fashion models. But he believes he may have captured something far more sinister than that: a murder. After taking photographs in the park, Thomas is startled to find an ambiguous image lurking on the edge of one of his photos: is it a man with a gun, or merely a tree branch? Michelangelo Antonioni's Blow-Up remains one of the most enigmatic films ever made, and its title has become synonymous with "ambiguity."
Harakiri (1962)
Hanshiro Tsugumo (Tatsuya Nakadai), an aging samurai, comes to the home of Kageyu Saito (Rentarô Mikuni) and asks to perform a suicide ceremony on the premises, which Saito imagines is a ruse to win compassion and employment. Motome Chijiiwa (Yoshio Inaba), a young retainer, is dispatched to dissuade Hanshiro, but he only succeeds in angering him. The calm and collected Saito tries to diffuse the situation, but when Hanshiro reveals the true reason for his visit, all three men are forced to confront the cruelty of their pasts. Director Masaki Kobayashi's Harakiri is a beautifully photographed, deeply moving film that condemns the pointless violence of the samurai class.
Charade (1963)
When Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) falls for dashing Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she learns upon her return to Paris that her spouse has been murdered. Soon, she and Peter are pursuing three of her late husband's World War II companions, Tex (James Coburn), Scobie (George Kennedy), and Gideon (Walter Matthau), in an attempt to recover $250,000 that was stolen by the quartet during the war. But as they close in on the thieves, Regina and Peter realize that they may be targets as well. Stanley Donen's Charade is a chic, stylish thriller with a stellar cast that includes Audrey Hepburn in one of her finest performances.
Mirage (1965)
When an electrical outage in his office complex prevents him from recollecting the previous two years of his life, accountant David Stillwell (Gregory Peck) is forced to re-examine his existence. Discovering that a rich humanitarian died after falling from the same building as himself and that shady gunmen are out to get him, Stillwell must reconstruct the events of the past in order to save his future. Mirage is a taut, suspenseful thriller from director Edward Dmytryk that features a stand-out performance by Gregory Peck.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
In this enigmatic adaptation of a short story by renowned sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke, an enormous black structure bridges the past and the future. When Dr. Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) and other astronauts are sent on a mysterious journey, their spacecraft's computer system, HAL, begins to act increasingly erratically, culminating in a terrifying confrontation. Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is a cinematic masterpiece that is as enigmatic as it is unforgettable.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Scout Finch (Mary Badham) and her older brother, Jem (Phillip Alford), reside in Maycomb, Ala., where they spend much of their time with their buddy Dill (John Megna) observing their reclusive and mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley (Robert Duvall). The youngsters are introduced to racism and prejudice when Atticus Finch (Greg Peck), their moral and upright father, defends a black man, Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), against false rape charges. Despite the mounting evidence against Robinson, Atticus is convinced of his innocence and takes on the legal establishment in this adaptation of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
Watch a Live Murder Mystery Set in the 1960s
If you love these 1960s mystery films, don't miss your opportunity to catch a live performance of an original murder mystery set in the 1960s. Lady Killer revolves around a plan to take out the heiress of a prominent advertising agency. Showing now through Sunday, September 11th, grab your tickets here or call 239-275-8487.