Clue (1985)
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Six strangers must identify a killer among them after a series of murders unfolds in a secluded mansion.
The story
In 1954, six strangers are invited to a secluded New England mansion. They are greeted by the butler Wadsworth and the maid Yvette. Each is assigned a pseudonym to maintain confidentiality: "Colonel Mustard", "Mrs. White", "Mrs. Peacock", "Mr. Green", "Professor Plum", and "Miss Scarlet". During dinner, they discover that they all have ties to the United States government, and are joined by a seventh guest, Mr. Boddy. Wadsworth reveals that Boddy is responsible for blackmailing each guest by threatening to expose their un-American activities. When Boddy is found apparently dead after a gunshot, the group must navigate the mystery of who among them is the true killer.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1954, six strangers with government ties are gathered at a New England mansion by a man named Mr. Boddy who is blackmailing them. After Boddy is found 'dead' following a gunshot, the group discovers several others—including the cook and a motorist—have been murdered. The plot features three different endings: one where Yvette and Miss Scarlet are the killers, one where Mrs. Peacock is the sole murderer, and a third 'true' ending where multiple characters are responsible for different deaths. In the final version, Wadsworth is revealed to be the real Mr. Boddy, but he is ultimately confronted and defeated by Mr. Green, who is revealed as an undercover FBI agent.
- First release year
- 1985
- Runtime (minutes)
- 86
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jonathan Lynn
- Writers
- Jonathan Lynn · screenplay; John Landis · story; Jonathan Lynn · story
- Cast and characters
- Eileen Brennan · Mrs. Peacock; Tim Curry · Wadsworth; Madeline Kahn · Mrs. White; Christopher Lloyd · Professor Plum; Michael McKean · Mr. Green; Martin Mull · Colonel Mustard; Lesley Ann Warren · Miss Scarlet
- Genres
- comedy; mystery
- Themes
- identity; paranoia
- Tone and mood
- farce; mystery
- Premise and plot tags
- multiple endings; whodunit
- Source material / true-story basis
- the board game Cluedo
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but developed a cult following and an improved critical reception over time due to its ensemble cast.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 73% · scale: percentage · review count: 40; Metacritic · score: 41 · scale: 100 · review count: 17
- Production trivia
- The film featured three different endings in theaters.; The set was later used for the TV show Dynasty.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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