This article contains mentions of suicide, rape, and domestic abuse.
Summary
Whenever a movie involves a mystery, I immediately start paying more attention, and I’m sure the same can be said for audiences all around the world. Sometimes, the filmmakers will solve the mystery for us. Other times, we have to solve the mystery ourselves. If a movie has a strong cult following (such asPulp Fiction), there will often be strong fan-led speculation about the answer.
However, in many cases,the movie mystery goes unsolved forever, and I’m often very happy about that. Some of the greatest movie mysteries are amazing simply because we will never know the true answer behind them. What’s more, these films can span a wide range of genres and locations, proving that any movie is capable of a good mystery.
10What Did The Menu’s Slowik Whisper To Tyler
A Suicidal Command Or A Self-Esteem Hit?
I loved it when the excellent performances of Ralph Fiennes and Nicholas Hoult came to a climax in one ofThe Menu’s most iconic scenes. After being commanded to cook by Chef Slowik (Fiennes), Tyler (Hoult) produces a meal that disgusts Slowik to such an extent that he publicly humiliates Tyler before whispering something in his ear that causes him to walk out of the kitchen. Later, the movie reveals that whatever Slowik whispered caused Tyler to die by suicide.
I was initially annoyed thatThe Menunever reveals what Slowik actually whispered to Tyler. However, I soon came to appreciate the ambiguity. Was it a command to end his life that Tyler felt obligated to follow since it came from his idol? Or was it just such a damaging blow to his self-esteem that Tyler felt he could no longer live with himself? The mystery surrounding the whisper is one of the most climactic and impressive parts ofThe Menu, as it demonstrates how easily even the most vain and confident person can crumble in the face of pressure and embarrassment.
The Menu
Cast
A darkly comedic horror-thriller, The Menu focuses on a group of diners invited to a high-end restaurant on a private island by one of the world’s greatest chefs. Shortly after arriving on the island, Margot Mills begins to realize something is strange beyond the perceived pompous nature of the menu. Her suspicions are confirmed when the night turns deadly as the restaurant staff begins to descend into a cult-like madness.
The Menu Ending Explained (In Detail)
The real meaning of Mark Mylod’s mind-bending drama explained in detail, including that cheeseburger moment.
9Who Murdered Angela Hayes In Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Crimes Aren’t Always Solved
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missourimay have earned Frances McDormand an Academy Award, but it never provides the answer to the crux of the film’s plotline. Mildred Hayes' (McDormand) daughter, Angela (Kathryn Newton), was raped and murdered, with the movie centering around her mother’s desperate attempts to find her killer. In the third act of the movie, both Mildred and ex-police officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) appear very close to solving the mystery, before it is revealed that their prime suspect was abroad at the time of the murder.
This unsolved movie mystery works so well for a number of reasons.It subverts the traditional audience expectations of crime movies, as many (myself included) would have expectedThree Billboardsto reveal Angela’s murderer. By the film flipping the script this way, I foundThree Billboardsa compelling narrative about the frequent inadequacies of murder investigations and the vigilantism of a mother seeking justice for her murdered daughter.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri tells the story of Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand), a mother of a murder victim who rents three billboards to call attention to her daughter’s unsolved murder. The film also stars Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell, and was released in 2017 to critical acclaim, earning nominations for seven Academy Awards.
Is It Sam, Bill, or Harry?
I loveMamma Mia!as a movie full of heart, soul, and most importantly, ABBA songs. However, one of the central mysteries of the plot is never answered – who is Sophie’s real dad? After reading her mom’s teenage diary, Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) realizes that her estranged dad could be one of three men: Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgård), or Harry Bright (Colin Firth). Without telling her mom, Donna (Meryl Streep), Sophie invites all three men to her wedding, leading to some of the funniest scenes in the movie.
By the end ofMamma Mia!,Sam, Bill, and Harry all agree that the paternity mystery is best left unsolvedand become one-third of a dad as a result. This unsolved movie mystery ends up providing one of the most heartwarming endings in recent rom-com history which wouldn’t have been possible ifMamma Mia!had chosen to reveal Sophie’s “real” dad. Personally, though, I’ve always believed that it’s Bill.
7Which Parts Of American Psycho Were Real
Was It Just All In Patrick Bateman’s Head?
American Psychoprovided one of the most iconic villains in movie history with Christian Bale’s excellent performance of Wall Street employee by day, serial killer by night, Patrick Bateman. To this day, I still don’t know whether to laugh or run in fear of his performance. During the movie, we witness Bateman’s killing of an unhoused man, his co-worker, and multiple sex workers. In a state of hysteria, Bateman confesses these crimes to his lawyer, Harold Carnes (Stephen Bogaert). Carnes laughs this confession off, stating that he recently met with Bateman’s murdered co-worker in London.
To me, Carnes' reaction implies thatBateman never killed his co-worker, and as a result, it may be assumed that he never killed anybody.American Psycho’s unsolved mystery about which crimes were real is nevertheless an excellent satirical criticism of the self-involved culture of Wall Street. It is possible that Carnes, like many other characters in the film, cannot differentiate his colleagues from one another because he is so intensely focused on himself.American Psycho’s endinghas stood the test of time quite unlike any other, and I often find myself rewatching it for a new interpretation of what it means.
American Psycho
Based on the book of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho follows Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) an investment banker in New York in 1987 who leads a double life as a serial killer. As investigators circle Bateman after the disappearance of a colleague, he finds himself trapped in a spiral of murder and excess, unable to stop himself from giving in to his increasingly dark urges. Also stars Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon.
6The Identity Of The Man With No Name In The Dollars Trilogy
Gunslinger, Criminal, Or Nobody?
Clint Eastwood’s performance of The Man With No Namein the Dollars Trilogy was a staple of my childhood. From his first appearance inA Fistful of Dollars, the iconic cowboy stole the spotlight whenever he was on-screen. Although he is colloquially known by various names throughout the Trilogy (Joe inA Fistful of Dollars, Manco inFor a Few Dollars More, and Blondie inThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly),The Man With No Name resonates with me the strongest.
The Man With No Name’s anonymity is what allows him to be such a commanding presence. Everything we know about Eastwood’s character is learned from what he does on screen. I found that the lack of exposition given to The Man With No Name made it impossible to predict his next move or estimate his abilities, making this character, and the mystery that surrounds him, one of the most iconic in movie history.
A Fistful of Dollars
A Fistful of Dollars is a spaghetti Western film from director Sergio Leone starring Clint Eastwood. A Fistful of Dollars is notable for being Clint Eastwood’s big break in Hollywood and also for being the beginning of the “Dollars Trilogy.” The film was followed by For a Few Dollars More in 1965 and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly in 1966.
5The Meaning Of The Photo In The Shining
Jack Could Be A Ghost Or A Re-Incarnation
Even though I foundThe Shiningunderwhelming at first, I must admit that it not only redefined horror movies and book-to-film adaptations but produced one of the greatest twist endings the genre has ever seen. After Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) has frozen to death and his wife and child have escaped his murderous rampage, the camera zooms in on a photo taken at the Overlook Hotel’s June 26, 2025 Ball.In the center of the photo is a man who looks exactly like Jack, and just as we have a chance to process what we are seeing, the movie cuts to black, and the credits roll.
I was dumbfounded when I first saw this. The appearance of Jack in a photo taken sixty years before the events ofThe Shiningasks far more questions than it answers. I think that Jack may be a reincarnation of one of the hotel’s earlier employees who was also afflicted by murderous thoughts; after all, Jack learns in the film’s opening scene that a previous winter caretaker killed his wife and daughters in the hotel. I have since come to terms with the fact that this mystery will remain unsolved, especially sinceThe Shining’s ending differs so greatlyfrom the original Stephen King novel.
4Who Is The Zodiac Killer
A Mystery Rooted in Real Events
David Fincher’s 2007 movieZodiactells the tale of the Zodiac Killer, a serial killer who murders at least five people in San Francisco in the 1960s and ’70s, and the detectives who are desperate to catch them. LikeThree Billboards,Zodiacsubverts the norm of solving the crime and never reveals who the true Zodiac Killer is. However, unlikeThree Billboards,Zodiacwas based upon real events.
Crime films based on real events have always terrified me, and the fact thatthe real Zodiac Killer was never caught or officially identifiedmakes this movie mystery all the more chilling. WhileZodiacdoes focus on Arthur Leigh Allen(John Carroll Lynch) as a prime suspect, it never states that he was the true killer. The reality of this mystery is what makes it truly terrifying to me, and it is bolstered further by some excellent pieces of film-making, such asZodiac’s iconic basement scene and standout performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr.
Zodiac
Zodiac is a crime thriller directed by David Fincher, detailing the true story of the unsolved Zodiac Killer case. Centered on journalist Paul Avery, detective David Toschi, and cartoonist Robert Graysmith, the narrative follows their intersecting paths as they attempt to uncover the identity of the elusive murderer.
3How The Dark Knight’s Joker Got His Scars
Abusive Father, Loving Gesture, Or Something Else?
I don’t need to say that Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker inThe Dark Knightis one of the finest pieces of acting of the last twenty years. However, I believe the life Ledger brought to the Clown Prince of Crime would have been far less impactful had it not been for one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the character - how did he get those scars? The Joker initially explains that the scars are a result of his drunken father wanting to “put a smile on [his] face” but later says they were self-inflicted to help his wife feel better after her face was cut by criminals.
I am always impressed by howthe mystery surrounding the Joker’s scarscompliments Ledger’s portrayal.The Dark Knight’s Joker is fully focused on being an “agent of chaos” looking to tear apart the very fabric of Gotham City itself, meaning thatthe ambiguity of the Joker’s scars is a manifestation of this chaosand represents the fact that we can’t trust a single word coming out of his mouth. The Joker is, at his core, an unpredictable and maniacal character, and the ever-changing story and mystery of his scars is the truest reflection of this chaotic nature.
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, is the second installment in the Batman trilogy starring Christian Bale as Batman. Released in 2008, the film follows Batman’s alliance with Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent as they combat the organized crime that threatens Gotham, facing the menacing Joker.
2What Was In Pulp Fiction’s Briefcase
And Why Is Everybody In Awe Of It?
I love a MacGuffin in movies, andPulp Fiction’s mysterious briefcaseis one of my favorites. When Vincent (John Travolta) opens the briefcase for the first time, he is mesmerized by its contents and the glowing gold light that can be seen. A similar situation happens when Pumpkin (Tim Roth) looks inside, and yet, the mystery of the briefcase is never explained.
Is that what I think it is? It’s beautiful.
The mysterious briefcase and its equally mysterious contents are one of the best parts ofPulp Fiction. For me, every rewatch prompts a new theory as to what is inside, from the soul of Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), the diamonds fromReservoir Dogs, to my very first, rather bland theory - gold bars. AsPulp Fictionis defined by how differently the briefcase’s contents can be interpreted,I believe the mystery is essential to the film’s success.
Pulp Fiction
Quentin Tarantino’s classic tale of violence and redemption follows the intertwining tales of three protagonists: hitman Vincent Vega, prizefighter Butch Coolidge, and Vincent’s business partner Jules Winnfield.
1Whether Cobb Was Still Dreaming At The End Of Inception
Does It Really Matter?
I think the best unsolved mystery ending in history came from Christopher Nolan’s 2010 movieInception.Inceptionendswith Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) leaving his totem on a table as he finally reunites with his children. Cobb does not wait to see if it will stop spinning, meaning the audience is left wondering whether he is still in a dream. Personally,I think Cobb is no longer dreaming. It would be a pretty sadistic way to end the film if he wasn’t.
Inception’s mystery works so well because of how it misguides the audience, myself included. There may be evidence in the scene, such as the presence of Professor Stephen Miles (Michael Caine) to suggest that Cobb is no longer dreaming, but, as Nolan himself has said, it doesn’t matter - Cobb is back with his children, so he doesn’t care. By providing such an ambiguous ending,Inceptionallows us to make our own assumptions before we realize that the true meaning of the ending has nothing to do with our,in Nolan’s words, “nihilistic” debates.
Inception
Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan, features a skilled thief who uses dream-sharing technology to steal corporate secrets. He is tasked with planting an idea into a CEO’s mind, while confronting his troubled past, which threatens the mission and his team.
