Clue (1985) – 7.5/10 – 80s cult classic slapstick comedy mystery
Overall
CLUE is a comedy mystery based on the board game Clue, which I didn’t expect. It’s an ’80s classic that I’ve not seen before, but a friend suggested it. While I’ve never played Clue, I have an idea, and the film stays somewhat true to it. There aren’t many movies based on board games. The only ones I know of are Dungeons & Dragons, Battleship, Jumanji, and this. I didn’t pick up many details that were woven into the plot. After my first watch, I’m uncertain who killed whom, why, how, when, or in which room. Everything became scrambled in my brain. I don’t believe it’s predictable, even if you pick up the hints along the way. The story retold at the end left me as confused as ever. My rating is 7.5/10.
Plot (spoiler-free)
Anonymous letters invite seven guests to Mr. Boddy’s mansion, which has a butler, maid, and cook. The reason for their invitation is unknown, and they soon find Mr. Boddy dead. The guests must work together to figure out who among them murdered Mr. Boddy and why. Each of them has a motive, but only one could’ve done the murder. At least one of them is lying, but nobody knows who or why. They must evaluate the evidence to find the true killer.
Technicals
Clue is mostly a well-made film. The acting, pacing, the script’s attention to detail, location, 1950s atmosphere, dialogue, and sharp editing stood out to me. I recognized many actors from other films, and they fit their roles here. I won’t list them here, but their performance and delivery are fantastic. Tim Curry, who plays the Butler, is outstanding, especially when he retells the facts of the case at the end. The pacing is quick, with multiple events unfolding at once. Though considered a comedy, the humor didn’t always resonate with me. That left me missing the point of several moments. There were lots of clever, witty innuendos, double meanings, and one-liners, which often flew over my head. The mystery aspect wasn’t as thrilling as Agatha Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (to be fair, it wasn’t a comedy). By my account, CLUE is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none.
Interesting facts
When released in theaters, they showed three endings in different theaters, and they wrote a fourth ending but didn’t film it. I suspect it confused those who discussed the movie afterward. With different endings, the producer hoped people would see it multiple times in theaters, but it didn’t happen. Each character’s car’s color matches their game piece. The entire mansion was a set built just for this movie. In the game, the secret passages connect the same rooms as in the film. Even the rooms follow the same order, clockwise as in the game. CLUE didn’t do well in theaters and didn’t win any awards, but it became popular on VHS.
Would I recommend this?
Yes, it’s worth watching. CLUE is a rollercoaster ride that takes you through ups and downs, but never gets dull. Other similar films include AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (1945), MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (1974), KNIVES OUT (2019), DEATH ON THE NILE (1978), and MURDER BY DEATH (1976), from ones I have seen. If you liked any of those, check out CLUE. If you liked CLUE, you will probably enjoy the others as well.
*Obtained trivia facts from IMDb’s trivia page and plot/basic history/names information from Wiki
