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Summary
While finding out the orca is often the best part of a whodunit , there are some successful movies where the adversary ’s identity is never reveal . From murder mysteries to slashers , many sub - genres center on the moment that their killer is finally unmasked . TheScreammovies even fuse Agatha Christie - dash mystery storytelling with gorier repugnance elements to leave viewers guessing who the killer was while at the same time creep in terror . However , a subpar killer reveal can sink a movie just as quickly as a great twist can elevate a genre outing .
For good example , although there are a fewgreat movies where the hero is the slayer , this twist is so well - known that few innovative releases attempt to pull it off . This is true for many classical enigma twists , from the once - shocking “ Every defendant is guilty ” to the ever - popular “ It was the hero ’s love interestingness . ” Now that many of the genre ’s potential surprises have become rote , it is increasingly difficult for writers and directors to get along up with Modern spin on old twists . As a resultant , several movies never reveal their grampus ’s individuality at all , with mixed results .
10Zodiac
This real-life thriller never uncovers its mysterious murderer
Cast
2007’sZodiacsaw director David Fincher bring the harrowing story of the Zodiac execution to life onscreen . The movie keep abreast a cop , a political cartoonist , and a journalist who attempt to bring the killer to Department of Justice by decoding the cryptic letters that he transport the police . However , sincethe literal - life Zodiac killer was never beguile , the movie inevitably ends equivocally . Although this could have proven frustrating , Zodiacmanages to make its ending feel tragic and terrorise by focus on unsettling recreations of the killer ’s law-breaking .
9The Town That Dreaded Sundown
This ‘70s horror couldn’t unmask a killer due to its real subject matter
WhileThe Town That Dreaded Sundown ’s remakedid expose its killer , the original 1976 movie stuck to the facts of the tragical causa that inspired the motion-picture show . The Texarkana Moonlight Murders were committed by a killer know only as the Phantom , andThe Town That Dreaded Sundown make for their criminal offense to life onscreen with formidable accuracy . Shot around Texarkana and employ local citizen as extras , The Town That Dreaded Sundownfeels like a grounded portrayal of a real - living tragedy that has left police baffled to this day .
8Memories of Murder
This 2003 masterpiece ends with a devastating lack of closure
The hauntingMemories of Murdersaw director Bong Joon - ho recount the rightful write up of two detectives who go after a serial murderer through Hwaseong throughout the late ‘ 80 . In a withering eddy , the constabulary never catch the perpetrator and the flick ends with an unusual minute that breaks the fourth wall . A young girl severalise the hero , Park Doo - man , that she get a line a humankind reminiscing at the site of one of the murders . She inform the detective that this man looked ordinary and Park stares into the camera without a word . year after the movie ’s release , the culprit was identified as Lee Choon - jae in 2019 .
7The Poughkeepsie Tapes
2007’s indie horror leaves its infamous serial killer at large
2007 ’s found footage movieThe Poughkeepsie Tapestakes an interesting approach to its unknown killer since the police do cognise that his name is Edward Carver . However , this data is in effect useless since they have never seen his face and , despite the slayer creating numerous worrisome sniff motion-picture show that give the picture its title , they never do . The Poughkeepsie Tapesends with the despondent detective wonder whether Carver will watch the motion-picture show itself before it is imply that he claims yet another victim off - silver screen .
6Megan is Missing
This found footage horror shows plenty but never its killer’s identity
LikeThe Poughkeepsie Tapes , 2011’sMegan is Missingis a found footage horror that does technically boast its villain onscreen . However , the antagonist ofMegan is Missingis hard to describe since watcher never see him clearlyand never learn his name . He film the assault and execution of the motion picture ’s heroine Amy in the distract finale ofMegan is miss , eventually leaving the still - live Amy to perish in a barrel that contains her friend ’s decomposing body . With such a grim and unrelenting finish , it is comfortable to see whyMegan Is Missing ’s remaking never happened .
5The Little Things
This Denzel Washington misfire was a little too ambiguous
2021’sThe Little Thingsowes a raft of inspiration to other dark-skinned detective story such asSe7enandThe Silence of the Lambs . However , unlike those hits , this psychological thriller failed to provide viewers with a satisfying ending to its mystery . Denzel Washington ’s obsessive veteran Deke is win over that Jared Leto ’s unusual lone wolf Albert Sparma is behind a chain of killings , but he and Rami Malek ’s rookie Jim ca n’t observe any evidence to prove this . As a effect , The Little Thingsends as Jim warns Deke not to let this unsolved mystery take over his life .
4The Open House
2018’s indie horror movie offered viewers no answers
BetweenDon’t Breatheand his role asScream 2022 ’s support star Wes , Dylan Minette is no stranger to horror . However , his 2018 movieThe Open Houseis unlikely to win the genre any new fans . This unambiguously bleak function sees Minette play Logan , the son of a adult female who move into the nominal remote home while it is on the market . Logan and his mother are systemically hunted down by an unseen murderer who not only gets aside with kill both quality but never explains who they are or what their motive is . It ’s an ending that should feel disarming but instead feels pointless .
3The Strangers
Keeping the Strangers motive-less makes this horror uniquely terrifying
2008 ’s base invasion repulsion movieThe Strangerssees an dysphoric duet besieged by a trio of masked intruders who haunt and shoot down them in their seclude home . In a sheer departure from musical style convention , the killers never reveal their identity operator or their motives . UnlikeThe Open House ’s ending , this create their cleanup spree all the more scary , although only time will tell whether theupcomingStrangersreboot trilogywill be able to keep their identities mysterious without ruin the franchise .
2Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
The killer is never caught in Martin McDonagh’s moving dramedy
Three billboard Outside Ebbing Missouriis not a horror - adjacent motion-picture show , but its story is put in motion by the brutal slaying of a teen girl . Although various offbeat characters from the eponymous small town learn , grow , and change a lot as the tale progress , the soul who committed this criminal offense is never bring to justice . alternatively , the movie encourage viewers to question their perception of the concept of reprisal as the antiheroes set off to kill someone they knew was shamefaced , even if they were n’t the murderer in question .
1Black Christmas (1974)
This classic slasher movie never actually explains its villain
Black Christmasset many of the slasher movie ’s figure of speech in stone , from the secluded localization to the immature , largely female form , to the P.O.V shots from the baddie ’s linear perspective . However , unlike most slasher movies , Black Christmasnever really impersonate its villain onscreen . For most of the moving picture , Keir Dullea ’s Peter is intemperately implied to be the killer , so there is some reliever when he is finally killed . However , when the call begin again , the terrifyingending of 1974 ’s originalBlack Christmasmakes it clear that the villain is still at big .
