Sunday, July 25: The A.D.D. Detective
EROTIC MYSTERY THRILLERS
by Leigh Lundin
I found myself in a conversation with friends about erotic mystery thrillers. As we chatted, I realized we had the makings for another John Floyd Movie List™, including several nominated for Edgar Allan Poe awards, the Edgar.
Not a lot of introduction is necessary. Perhaps because of our American penchant to mentally package together sex-n-violence, virtually all of these fall into the noir genre involving dark motives and lots of betrayal. Nobody seems to make a cops ‘n’ robbers show where our hero simply has a bangin’ good home life.
Inclusion in my list requires (a) the mystery be good and (b) sex be non-gratuitous. It seems to me this subgenre can be divided into a couple of different categories– those that take place in New Orleans, and those that don’t, or those with John Goodman and Ellen Barkin and those without. My list, in release order includes:
| 1981 | Body Heat | |
| directors | Lawrence Kasdan | |
| producers | Fred Gallo, Robert Grand, George Lucas (uncredited) | |
| writers | Lawrence Kasdan | |
| starring | William Hurt, Kathleen Turner | |
| music | John Barry | |
| awards | nominated: Edgar Allan Poe Award | |
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New York Times: Tuner in her ""jaw-dropping movie debut … built a career on adventurousness and frank sexuality born of robust physicality." That’s the plot. Sex. Somebody gets killed. Sex. Somebody gets blamed. Sex. Watch the ending carefully. | |
| 1984 | Tightrope | |
| directors | Richard Tuggle | |
| producers | Clint Eastwood, Fritz Manes | |
| writers | Richard Tuggle | |
| starring | Clint Eastwood, Geneviève Bujold | |
| music | Lennie Niehaus | |
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A sexual killer threatens the daughters and girlfriend of a flawed detective. Despite positive reviews, audiences hated seeing Eastwood portraying a vulnerable, imperfect man in this dark but satisfying noir thriller. | |
| 1986 | The Big Easy | |
| director | Jim McBride | |
| producers | Mort Engelberg, Stephen J. Friedman | |
| writers | Daniel Petrie Jr. | |
| starring | Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin | |
| music | Brad Fiedel | |
| awards | nominated: Edgar Allan Poe Award | |
 |
Straight-laced DA and tainted cop combine forces to solve a mobster’s murder while steaming up the screen. Good story and satisfying, even romantic ending. | |
| 1987 | Angel Heart | |
| directors | Alan Parker | |
| producers | Elliott Kastner, Alan Marshall | |
| writers | William Hjortsberg, Alan Parker | |
| starring | Mickey Rourke, Lisa Bonet | |
| music | Trevor Jones | |
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A mysterious client hires a seedy private eye to determine what happened to a crooner badly injured during World War II. This disturbing noir film has voodoo, sex, violence, and a devilishly tricky plot. | |
| 1987 | Black Widow | |
| directors | Bob Rafelson | |
| producers | Laurence Mark, Harold Schneider | |
| writers | Ronald Bass | |
| starring | Debra Winger, Theresa Russell | |
| music | Michael Small | |
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Two smart women– one good, one evil (a serial husband killer)– battle wits. Less sex, more brains. | |
| 1989 | Sea of Love | |
| directors | Harold Becker | |
| producers | Martin Bregman | |
| writers | Richard Price | |
| starring | Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin | |
| music | Trevor Jones | |
| awards | nominated: Edgar Allan Poe Award | |
 |
NYC detectives investigate the deaths of three guys who placed ads in a singles column by placing their own ad. Great premise and one of them gets the man… and the girl. | |
| 1990 | Presumed Innocent | |
| directors | Alan J. Pakula | |
| producers | Sydney Pollack, Mark Rosenberg | |
| writers | Scott Turow, Frank Pierson, Alan Pakula | |
| starring | Harrison Ford, Greta Scacchi | |
| music | John Williams | |
| awards | nominated: Edgar Allan Poe Award | |
 |
As a prosecutor investigates the murder of a colleague he had an affair with, the net closes around him. One of the best mysteries ever written, it’s a great novel and film (with a sequel, Innocent). | |
| 1992 | Final Analysis | |
| directors | Phil Joanou | |
| producers | R. Gere, M. Wilde, PJ Witt, C. Roven, T. Thomas | |
| writers | Wesley Strick, Robert H. Berger, Wesley Strick | |
| starring | Richard Gere, Kim Basinger | |
| music | George Fenton | |
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Femme fatale kills husband and seduces shrink to get her off. In a period of several similar movies, this one stands out for its smart plot, although the story arc peaks much too soon. | |
| 1994 | The Last Seduction | |
| directors | John Dahl | |
| producers | Jonathan Shestack | |
| writers | Steve Barancik | |
| starring | Linda Fiorentino, Bill Pullman | |
| music | Joseph Vitarelli | |
| awards | nominated: Edgar Allan Poe Award | |
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Sociopathic femme fatale black widow manipulates naive boyfriend to kill her husband. This isn’t top of my list and nightmares will probably ruin this as a date movie. | |
| 1994 | Disclosure | |
| directors | Barry Levinson | |
| producers | Michael Crichton, Barry Levinson | |
| writers | Michael Crichton, Paul Attanasio | |
| starring | Michael Douglas, Demi Moore | |
| music | Ennio Morricone | |
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This mystery and thriller without a murder (although you’ll probably want to kill a participant) features several smart women and one smart but clueless guy. | |
| 1995 | Devil in a Blue Dress | |
| directors | Carl Franklin | |
| producers | J. Demme, Ed Saxon, J. Beaton, G. Goetzman | |
| writers | Walter Mosley, Carl Franklin | |
| starring | Denzel Washington, Jennifer Beals | |
| music | Elmer Bernstein | |
| awards | nominated: Edgar Allan Poe Award | |
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Set against a post-WW-II political backdrop, a black man is hired to find a white woman. What could go wrong? Good characterization and atmosphere, which reminded me for some reason of Cannery Row. | |
| 1999 | Eyes Wide Shut | |
| directors | Stanley Kubrick | |
| producers | Stanley Kubrick | |
| writers | Arthur Schnitzler, Stanley Kubrick, Frederic Raphael | |
| starring | Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman | |
| music | Jocelyn Pook | |
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Man investigates secret cult, provokes murders, barely survives. Almost everyone can find something here to dislike. A painful marriage and a dark theme against a Christmas background disturbed me, and the costume shop scene failed to move the story forward. But, the oblique, well-told plot rewards an attentive viewer. | |
No Basic Instinct?
Readers may ask why I didn’t round out the list with Basic Instinct (1992). Writer A.C. Law cast it as number one in his Arts & Entertainment list of top erotic thrillers and it certainly caused a lot of box office chatter, but not all of us were fans. This Sharon Stone movie grabbed considerable attention but snatched no major awards, save for music.
Sometimes studios manage to hype a film to a kind of audience hysteria. A matter of opinion, of course, but the movie and characters seemed dull to me. Even A.C. Law commented the movie was "no stunning feat of cinema and it’s got some questionable plot twists that make it seem implausible." To me, a movie plot with gaping holes isn’t a mystery and not even a good movie. It had sex but no soul.
Foreign Entries
Blockbuster provides their own erotic thriller list, although their definition is broad, delving into science fiction and other genres.
I hadn’t intended to focus solely on Hollywood. Upon prompting (see comments below), I’ve added a list of foreign erotic mystery/thrillers compiled by Chris Pence, a Break Studios contributor for MadeMan, the on-line magazine. His list has become my new to-see list.
| year | film | origin | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Girl | Sweden-Italy | ||
| 1992 | Husbands and Lovers | Italy | ||
| 2000 | O Fantasma | Portugal | ||
| 2001 | Read My Lips | France | ||
| 2003 | Swimming Pool | France-UK | ||
| 2003 | Nathalie | France | ||
| 2005 | Dot the I | Spain | ||
| 2005 | Next Door | Norway | ||
| 2008 | The Underneath | Poland | ||
| 2009 | Bandaged | Germany |
More Information
Premier’s Glenn Kenny compiled a list of twenty steamiest movies, not necessarily mystery thrillers. His list includes some of ours and did not include Basic Instinct, but his has a couple of surprises, such as Blowup (1966) and Walkabout (1971). I would have thought Walkabout too subtle and Blowup the opposite, but that’s the point…
The beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
What’s on your list?
Fine list though Body Heat didn’t work for me and Basic Instinct nil. I agree Tightrope is underrated and not understood, but its one of his best.
I now have food for my netflix list, though I might skip Last Seduction. How about foreign films?
Can’t say we don’t listen!
With my movie star-challenged mental database, it took me far too much time to come up with the above list. (Seriously: set in New Orleans, one word, starts with the letter T…) For more than two hours, Final Analysis resisted efforts to wrest loose its name. (Woman murders husband, woman and sister use shrink to beat murder rap, tries to kill him atop a lighthouse… it defies googling.)
My challenge would be coming up with foreign films with feet planted solidly in both genres. We’ve mentioned foreign thrillers before (Diva, De Zaak Alzheimer) and I can think of classic erotic/romantic films (Belle du Jour, Camille 2000, Bette Bleu) but not the two together. However, a quick google turns up a fellow named Chris Pence at MadeMan magazine has assembled a list, which I updated the post to include. If anyone has a good source of links for the list, I’ll be happy to include them.
Thank you for the suggestion.
Hi Leigh,
Just wanted to let you know “Sea of Love” is one of my all-time favorite films, which I still watch regularly when my mood is down. Also, fourth Callie is coming out the end of November.
fran
Looks like I am in the minority here, but I think Basic Instinct is one heck of a movie, and I mean that in a positive way. And not just because of Sharon Stone, but also because of the great setting San Francisco and (for me) the late Jerry Goldsmith’s outstanding musical score. The main theme alone expresses so much: sensuality, lust, paranoia, obsession, and danger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqOfl2w9Vqk
Also, Presumed Innocent (directed by Alan J. Pakula and skillfully scored by John Williams) is a great mystery movie with several steamy sex scenes. I prefer this one over Disclosure any day.
Hi Fran! Congratulations! One more winner! What’s the title?
You’re right, Josh, people who didn’t care for Basic Instinct liked the music.
Presumed Innocent (novel and film) is one of the all-time most ingenious mysteries, near the top on my favorites list. It crossed my mind to include it (and I could still be persuaded), but I mentally classified it as primarily a mystery as opposed to an erotic thriller.
What does everyone think? Should Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent be in the erotica list?
Never mind, Yoshinori is right. I like this story so much I included it in my list.
Also, be sure to check the excellent French thriller with Harrison Ford, Frantic.
There goes my brilliantly subtle heading of 9-1/2 Works.
Unless we slip ‘im a Mickey.
I’ve seen all those on your list, including Basic Instinct, and I liked ’em all. (I was a little disappointed in Disclosure because I don’t think it lived up to the book, and Eyes Wide Shut and Angel Heart were a bit too creepy, even for me.) My favorite will always be Body Heat, partly because of John Barry’s fantastic music.
And yes, I loved Presumed Innocent.
Great list!
Devil in a Blue Dress, novel by Walter Mosley, starring Denzel Washington.
I remember that! I hadn’t thought of it. Thanks, Elizabeth.
I’ll second Josh’s favorable remarks on BASIC INSTINCT. Thanks for the kind words about EYES WIDE SHUT, which may well share the fate of some of Kubrick’s other films: denigrated when they came out, celebrated as classics later.
And I almost forgot my favorite, A Murder of Crows, written & directed by Rowdy Herrington, starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. It was in the $4 DVD bin at Walmart.
Jon, while I was researching, I came across notes to the effect that days before he died, Kubrick told his brother-in-law and a colleague that Eyes Wide Shut was his best work. I do love a clever plot.
Elizabeth, I never heard of the film. Did A Murder of Crows go directly to DVD? I couldn’t find it formally reviewed, yet viewers largely like it, about 2 out of 3. One called it a “Criminally overlooked, highly original thriller.” The main complaints contend it was “under-budgeted”! I’m checking my WalMart $4 bin!
If we count t.v. and historicals then we have to mention “I Claudius,” from the ’70’s. A bunch of crimes people in power get away with and plenty of offstage sex…
Leigh, another point about A Murder of Crows: its protagonist is an aspiring writer who steals another man’s novel, and then . . . well, I shouldn’t say more. There are plenty of surprises. AMOC is a very good movie, one I’d forgotten about until I saw Elizabeth’s note. You’d enjoy it.
Leigh: Yeah, Presumed Innocent is definitely one of the very best. Great story, and one of the best surprise endings I’ve ever come across–when I first saw the movie I remember being totally shocked. I’d never suspected that person!
Just a small point. You listed Richard Wolf as one of the composers, but in actual fact John Williams is solely responsible for the subtly brilliant score. Richard Wolf wrote just one (negligible) pop song, I believe, which is heard briefly at some point during the movie.
Okay, buddy, it’s a sign of my faith in you!
The great thing about Presumed Innocent is that it plays totally fair with the reader (and the audience) and still manages to fool almost everyone, the mark of a superb mystery.
….attention but snatched no major awards,…
Leigh, LOVE your choice of wording there, you li’l punner you…..
Surprised Caligua isn’t on your list….touts many (what I call) intellectual and snobby but excellent actors and quite the film for 1979…..not for everyone I suppose.
Out of your list, I like The Big Easy……..
At the time that Angel Heart was being filmed in Louisiana, my Mom lived there and decided to audition for a part. She tells great stories about the making of the movie. She swears she was in the movie and had the check stub to prove it, but I never saw her on screen. Must have been those minutes they cut when the ratings were so risque.