Movie Convention Research: Murder Mystery

To investigate the genre of mystery even further, we watched a couple of mystery films. We specifically looked into the film, "Murder Mystery." The movies follows a New York police officer and his wife as they travel together to Europe to rekindle their romance. However, on what was supposed to be a relaxing getaway, they are accused of killing a billionaire after a casual encounter. It is up to them to figure out who actually killed the billionaire in order to save themselves. 

This movie displayed many of the general conventions of a typical mystery film. For example, in the scene of the murder, there is a total of ten people in the room as the billionaire signs his will, disinheriting his family. There is tense music as the family hears this betrayal, which makes the environment uneasy. Then all of a sudden, the lights abruptly go off and the screen turns black. The music completely stops, catching the audience's attention and giving them thoughts like, "what just happened?" In the moments of the black screen, the sound of a bullet going off and people screaming is heard. The voices of the screaming and bullets are all apart of diegetic sound elements that contribute to the intensity of the scene. This transition from slower paced editing to quick, fast, cuts, typically in mystery films, leaves the audience tense and on their toes. Then, the lights turn back on, revealing the death of the billionaire. Since this had all happened in a matter of seconds, the group quickly concludes that one of them had murdered the billionaire as the lights were off. 

 Additionally, I also liked the elements present in the solution scene, when the couple solves the mystery and figures out the murderer. As the couple puts the piece together and figures out the mystery, the music (non diegetic) intensifies, increasing the tension. When they finally get their answer, the music pauses, adding to the dramatic effect of the scene. The couple quickly runs out as the murderer tries to escape. They end up having a car chase in order to catch the murderer. During this entire car chase scene, the music is intense and loud, giving the audience a spike of adrenaline. There are many quick cuts, as they alternate flashing the couple in one car and the murderer in the other. These quick cuts also adds adrenaline and gives the audience a rush of excitement and nervousness. The intensity is increased and hooks the audience to keep watching to find out what happens.

I liked how the movie included many quick cuts and montages. I enjoyed how these specific scenes give off feelings of anxiousness and excitement towards the audience and they are eager to find out what happens next. I think this is very crucial in a mystery film, since they center around solving an issue or committing a crime. The efforts of the detective slowing unraveling the mystery through hints, clues, and research keeps the audience in suspicion.

Generally, the costumes and makeup were all relatively normal clothing that people would wear. Since the couple was on vacation, they were seen wearing relaxed, comfortable clothing such as sun dresses, shorts, and T-shirts. However, the family of the billionaire were seen wearing more expensive, designer wear clothings, like suits and formal dresses. I liked this costuming because it makes it relatable to the audience as something they could see in themselves in this situation.

However, although I really liked the quick cuts and montages, I also think it will be difficult to create. Since we are all relatively on the younger side, we do not have access to many thrilling or intense objects or means of transportation. For example, a car chase would be very difficult for us to create since most of us do not have our licenses.