Can You Solve the Hill House Murders Before Watching Clue (1985)?

A Movie Mystery You Can Solve

What if you approached a movie like a real unsolved case?

That’s the challenge behind Cold Case Cinema — examining fictional crimes as if they were real investigations.

Clue was released on December 13th, 1985.

Starring Tim Curry, Martin Mull, Madeleine Kahn, Leslie Ann Warren, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Colleen Camp, Eileen Brennan

Directed by Jonathan Lynn

From a Story by John Landis.

Clue began life as a board game mystery with numerous outcomes. One person is assigned the role of the killer and must obfuscate their fellow players to cast suspicion on someone other than them. Each round someone will make a guess about the killer, the murder weapon and the room where the murder occurred.

If you've never played Clue, you're missing out. It's a great way to learn which of your closest friends or family members are the best liars. Watching a friend try and hide the fact that they are a murderer can be so much fun, almost as fun as you throwing suspicion away from yourself on to a beloved friend who must go hilariously on the defensive, if you're playing a good game.

So, we thought it might be fun to see if people who haven't seen or watched the moviue Clue might be able to solve the case before the movie rolls out its own conclusion. It's a fun way to get ready for a Clue screening, come up with. your theory and then enjoy this terrifically dark and funny classic to see if you got it right. Or, you can wait for our next post to see the answer.

Trust us, you will have much more fun if you watch the movie after going through our movie mystery case file.

Clue is our First entry in this series and we've got several more mystery movies of the 1980s that we are turning into case files for the future of this little game of ours. Share your theories in the comments and if you've seen Clue, play along and don't ruin the fun for those who are preparing to watch for the first time.

Today’s case file:

The Hill House Murders.

Inspired by the classic comedy mystery Clue (1985).

But before you watch the film, see if you can solve the crime.

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The Setup

Six strangers receive dinner invitations to a remote New England mansion.

Each is assigned a false name:

Colonel Mustard

Mrs. White

Mrs. Peacock

Mr. Green

Professor Plum

Miss Scarlet

They soon discover the man who invited them — Mr. Boddy — has been blackmailing them for years.

Moments later, the lights go out.

And someone dies.

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The Evidence

Six possible weapons appear during the evening:

• Candlestick

• Dagger

• Lead pipe

• Revolver

• Rope

• Wrench

Each guest had motive.

Each had opportunity.

And the mansion itself contains secret passages.

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The Victims

As the night unfolds, bodies begin to appear:

• Mr. Boddy

• The cook

• The maid Yvette

• A visiting police officer

• A singing telegram girl

But who killed them?

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The Suspects

Each guest arrived with a dangerous secret.

Colonel Mustard — suspected war profiteer.

Mrs. White — widow with a suspicious past.

Mrs. Peacock — tied to political corruption.

Mr. Green — blackmailed over his personal life.

Professor Plum — disgraced psychiatrist.

Miss Scarlet — runs a questionable business.

Any of them could be the killer.

Or killers.

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Can You Solve the Case?

Before watching **Clue, ask yourself:

Who did it?

Which weapon was used?

And what room did the murder take place in?

The film famously offers three different endings, meaning the solution may not be as simple as it seems.

Watch the movie and see if your theory holds up.

⸻

Your move, detective.