After analyzing mystery film openings, I now feel that I need to learn more about what truly makes a mystery movie. I want to truly indulge myself and learn more about the genre so that I have full understanding of it.
The main thing that I have now found is that many mystery films revolve around a detective. Usually they aren’t an official detective but mostly just someone that is determined to solve the mystery that the film is about. For my own film, this is something that I would definitely like to include as it is a key part of the genre, I really want to work to make my detective stand out. It is important that they have a motive for solving the mystery, they need to have some type of drive. Since my film opening will only be about 2 minutes, it is very hard to fit many of these things in, so I have to work to make everything fit in and be cohesive.
Another key element in mystery films is the suspense. Suspense is a huge part of the genre and it is also something I need to focus on. Building suspense can be a little hard sometimes especially in the 2 minute timeframe, I need to make sure there is something that makes the audience interested in the film. Suspense is most often built by the audience knowing something the characters don’t know. For example, the main character is about to open a door, what they don’t know is that inside the door is their killer. Since the audience knows what is behind the door, there is a built suspense on what the character is going to do and what is going to happen to them once they open the door.
To be able to make my mystery film opening stand out, one essential part is to be able to have a good hook as well. The mystery that should surround my film needs to be eye catching, something unique and interesting. I don’t want it to be some regular old crime, it needs to be something that could appeal to my target audience (that will be soon determined).
Another important thing to note is that mystery is a genre that is often piled into many others, many thriller, crime, and many other film genres often contain mysteries that are added into their plot lines. When taking a look at one of the most famous mystery films/literature which is Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was the author of Sherlock Holmes, was able to create a character who has now been loved and known for decade’s .Through his books and films, Doyle created a detective with many redeeming qualities that allowed people to be inspired by both his flaws and strengths. The first mystery films are dated back to the silent era. Since their first appearance around the 1900s, there are many notable themes that take part in them. Things like suspense, drama, plot twists, as well as memorable characters all take a huge part in the genre. These are all points that I need to think about when developing my own film opening.
Sources:
Martin, Emily. “The Appeal of Sherlock Holmes.” Novel Suspects, 13 July 2021, https://www.novelsuspects.com/articles/the-appeal-of-sherlock-holmes/.
“Mystery Film.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Feb. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_film.
Class, Master. “What Is the Mystery Genre? Learn about Mystery and Crime Fiction, plus 6 Tips for Writing a Mystery Novel - 2023.” MasterClass, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-the-mystery-genre.
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