Skyscrapers, with their towering heights and labyrinthine interiors, offer the perfect backdrop for thrilling detective stories. These films not only showcase the architectural marvels but also delve into the intricate plots of crime, mystery, and suspense. Whether it's a high-stakes heist, a locked-room mystery, or a psychological thriller, these movies utilize the verticality and isolation of skyscrapers to create tension and intrigue. Here's a curated list of 10 detective films where the skyscraper isn't just a setting, but a character in its own right.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
Description: While not set entirely in a skyscraper, the film's climax involves a tense standoff in a high-rise building, making it a fitting addition to this list.
Fact: The film's title refers to the train's radio code, which is central to the plot involving a hijacked subway train.
Watch Now The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
Description: While not set entirely in a skyscraper, the film's climax involves a tense standoff in a high-rise building, making it a fitting addition to this list.
Fact: The film's title refers to the train's radio code, which is central to the plot involving a hijacked subway train.
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The Towering Inferno (1974)
Description: A classic disaster film that also features a detective subplot, where a fire chief and an architect must navigate through a burning skyscraper to solve a series of mysterious events.
Fact: This film was one of the first to combine elements of disaster and detective genres, and it was nominated for eight Academy Awards.
Watch Now The Towering Inferno (1974)
Description: A classic disaster film that also features a detective subplot, where a fire chief and an architect must navigate through a burning skyscraper to solve a series of mysterious events.
Fact: This film was one of the first to combine elements of disaster and detective genres, and it was nominated for eight Academy Awards.
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The Sentinel (1977)
Description: A detective story with supernatural elements, where a model moves into an apartment in a Brooklyn brownstone, which is actually a gateway to Hell, but the climax takes place in a skyscraper.
Fact: The film features a cameo by Burgess Meredith, who plays a character that's part of the building's eerie history.
Watch Now The Sentinel (1977)
Description: A detective story with supernatural elements, where a model moves into an apartment in a Brooklyn brownstone, which is actually a gateway to Hell, but the climax takes place in a skyscraper.
Fact: The film features a cameo by Burgess Meredith, who plays a character that's part of the building's eerie history.
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Die Hard (1988)
Description: Although primarily an action film, it includes detective elements as John McClane, a New York cop, must outwit terrorists in a Los Angeles skyscraper.
Fact: The film was initially pitched as a sequel to "Commando" but was turned into an original story when that idea fell through.
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The Tower (2012)
Description: A South Korean film where a detective must solve a series of mysterious fires in a luxury skyscraper, uncovering a conspiracy in the process.
Fact: This film was inspired by the real-life event of the Grenfell Tower fire in London.
Watch Now The Tower (2012)
Description: A South Korean film where a detective must solve a series of mysterious fires in a luxury skyscraper, uncovering a conspiracy in the process.
Fact: This film was inspired by the real-life event of the Grenfell Tower fire in London.
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The Glass House (1972)
Description: A psychological thriller where a young woman becomes trapped in a glass skyscraper with her malevolent uncle, turning the building into a literal and metaphorical prison.
Fact: The film was remade in 2001 with a different plot but kept the theme of confinement in a glass house.
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