Mystery films revolve around the suspense and investigation of the unknown, often within a Crime setting and revolving around the deduction of the crime in question. The latter is often found within Whodunit films, with a detective acting as the protagonist. The plot in mystery films focuses around solving an overarching puzzle or problem, with suspense (or impending threat) constituting a key element that allows for climax and dramatic resolution. This is achieved in numerous ways, from the film score to drawn-out pacing and even through an unreliable narrator.
Whilst crime cinema generally features the most immediate elements of mystery, there are various additional subsets of mystery cinema. Traits around a "missing person" and/or "locked-room" scenarios are common. Certain films involve an element of supernatural mystery, such as a haunting or uncovering of an inexpiable supernatural force. Amnesia or other forms of memory loss are another common central plot device.
