Clue

"It's not just a game anymore."

1985 1h 34m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 2,082

ComedyCrimeMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Clue finds six colorful dinner guests gathered at the mansion of their host, Mr. Boddy -- who turns up dead after his secret is exposed: He was blackmailing all of them. With the killer among them, the guests and Boddy's chatty butler must suss out the culprit before the body count rises.

“It's not just a game anymore.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Tim Curry
Wadsworth
Eileen Brennan
Mrs. Peacock
Madeline Kahn
Mrs. White
Christopher Lloyd
Professor Plum
Michael McKean
Mr. Green
Martin Mull
Colonel Mustard
Lesley Ann Warren
Miss Scarlet
Colleen Camp
Yvette

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jonathan Lynn
Writers: Jonathan Lynn, John Landis, Jonathan Lynn
Languages: French, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 98% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

41 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jonathan Lynn, shot by Victor J. Kemper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Morris. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor David Bretherton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Tim Curry and Eileen Brennan and Madeline Kahn carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It's not just a game anymore.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jonathan Lynn directs. Victor J. Kemper behind the camera. John Morris scores. David Bretherton cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in French, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 98% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
241 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.
4Directed by Jonathan Lynn, shot by Victor J. Kemper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by John Morris. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor David Bretherton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Tim Curry and Eileen Brennan and Madeline Kahn carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "It's not just a game anymore.".
9IMDB entry: tt0088930 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 16 themes, including "blackmail", "butler", "board game", "mansion".

The technical file

Cinematography: Victor J. Kemper
Original score: John Morris
Editing: David Bretherton
Production design: John Robert Lloyd
Costume design: Michael Kaplan
Makeup / hair: Kaye Pownall
Sound: Gregg Landaker
Stunt coordinator: Terry Leonard
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $15,000,000
Box office: $14,647,963
Return: 98% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Clue (1985)

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Jonathan Lynn

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2018-03-28
★ 6/10
An amusing take on “And Then There Were None” and “Murder by Death” RELEASED IN 1985 and directed by Jonathan Lynn, "Clue" is a comedic murder mystery based on the board game featuring an “all-star” cast (Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Eileen Brennan, Lesley Ann Warren, etc.). This is a good movie if you’re in the mood for an amusing mystery that takes place during the McCarthy era (1954) almost entirely within a vast gothic mansion on a stormy night. It combines movies like “Ten Little Indians” (1965) and “The Beast Must Die” (1974) with the goofiness of “The Private Eyes” (1980). I was skeptical at how Lynn & the cast could pull off the challenge of making such a confined story entertaining, but I have to admit that I busted out laughing several times (e.g. the scenes of making out with corpses). And the cast is a pleasure to behold with Colleen Camp a highlight as the stereotypical (hot) French maid. The climax with its several murder scenarios is kinda tedious, however. THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 34 minutes and was shot in Paramount Studios, Hollywood, and Max Busch House, Pasadena, California. WRITERS: Jonathan Lynn and John Landis. GRADE: B-/C+
John Chard2019-09-20
★ 7/10
Cluedo Chaos. Clue is directed by Jonathan Lynn and he co-writes with John Landis and Anthony E. Pratt. It stars Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Colleen Camp and Lee Ving. Music is by John Morris and cinematography by Victor J. Kemper. Based on the board game Cluedo, plot finds six guests anonymously invited to a large mansion for dinner. All of them have something in common and when their host is killed, they must work with the household staff to identify the murderer because the bodies are starting to pile up. A sort of madcap "And Then There Were None", Clue has ebullience in spades and a cast revelling in the nutty play. The mystery element is actually secondary to the interactions of this splendid array of characters, where physical and vocal humour is the twin driving force. The shifts between pure mania and deadpannery ensure the pace, even during close quarter chattings in the group, never sags. It's on the surface silly but taking a closer look it's rejoicing in its own humility, the class distinctions shredded for comedic worth. It's definitely a mood piece, I mean you have to be in a good move to go with its flow. For to be down and blue it's more likely to irritate than to cheer one up. The makers are on form, in front of and behind the camera, while Morris' musical score is proper perky. A flop on release, and mauled in serious critic circles, Clue has garnered a cult fanbase over the decades. So much so it sits with a healthy rating on the main movie data base. It's hard to recommend with great confidence, for it is an acquired taste. But it's a one of a kind from the 1980s, a pic that you should try just in case you do become a fan for life. 7/10
Peter89Spencer2020-05-06
★ 7/10
Those three alternate endings were still very confusing. But it was still humorous nonetheless.