3 mystery thrillers to binge in the new year

MANILA, Philippines — There is something about mystery movies that makes them so attractive to film lovers across generations.

They have a unique ability to engage audiences, keep them guessing until the end, involve them in the thought process, allow them to delve into the complexities of human nature, and explore the motives and psychology behind criminal acts and of the people trying to solve them.

Given how enticing all that sounds, what about a whodunit marathon? Let the deductions begin!

1. The Rising

"The Rising" is a British supernatural mystery series with a unique voice because the story is told from the murder victim’s point of view.

In this innovative mystery, an adaptation of the Belgian thriller "Hotel Beau Sejour," Neve Kelly (played by Clara Rugaard, whose films include "Press Play" and "I Am Mother") discovers she is dead.

Now invisible to people she knows, Neve witnesses her own autopsy and finds a potential ally to discover who her killer is.

As the first season progresses, Neve wants to find if there are others like her and investigates a local myth with terrifying consequences and new evidence.

The story plays on the darker aspects of the human psyche and the themes of justice, jealousy, revenge, and obsession.

"She's the hero of her own story, which is what I think makes this show so interesting," Rugaard said of her character. "It's also a show jam-packed with brilliantly complex characters, badass action motocross sequences, stunning scenery from the North of England, covering themes of love, family, self-discovery, and adolescence, with a cool and bold aesthetic and a supernatural twist."

2. One Ranger

British Intelligence meets Texas Justice in this 2023 film starring Thomas Jane ("The Punisher," "Deep Blue Sea"), John Malkovich ("Red," "Con Air"), and Dominique Tipper ("The Expanse").

"One Ranger" is a white-knuckle action-thriller featuring a highly skilled, gun-slinging Texas ranger who tracks a bank robber across the desert and discovers he's an international terrorist set on detonating a bomb in the heart of London.

When the lawman's partner is killed, he is recruited by a British intelligence agent and her boss to bring the outlaw to justice.

"With characters that are grounded in a sense of reality and real life, you sense that these people are walking around with us, breathing the same air as we do, the same worries, the same emotional challenges and yet at the end of the day, they would never call themselves heroes. They are the first ones there and the last ones to leave," Jane said in an interview with Movie Web.

He adds, "I hope they leave knowing the world is a slightly better place because the Texas Rangers are in it."

3. Gray

"Gray" stars Rupert Everett ("My Best Friend’s Wedding") and Patricia Clarkson ("Sharp Objects," "The Maze Runner"), the latter as the titular CIA spy who comes in from the cold after 20 years in hiding and discovers a new mole within her old spy network.

Espionage stories are often loosely based on real-world events and historical figures in politics and global conflicts. They never fail to deliver an adrenaline rush from the high-stakes intrigue in the secret world of spies.

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