Revisit the role of the detective through the lens of the Golden Age of fiction, including the hard-boiled crime fiction of the early 20th century. Examine how social influences such as prohibition and the mafia impacted this subgenre. Explore how the element of theater and empowering the audience to solve the mysteries made a lasting mark on the role of the protagonist in crime novels.

A real life story of murder, secrets and sexuality, set in the art world of the 50's and 60's, Theme: Murder takes the viewer on an immersive journey into the struggles and frustrations of living with an unsolved homicide. The filmmaker was nine years old in 1968 when her father, the Boston art dealer Hyman Swetzoff, was beaten and left to die in his home. Martha's search to make sense of her father's unsolved murder frames an wide-ranging inquiry...

Mystery 101 (2019 ; 84 min.): When a college student is found dead, English professor Amy uses her crime fiction expertise to unravel the case faster than detective Travis, who ends up working with Amy to catch the killer. Playing dead (2019 ; 84 min.): The local theater is producing a mystery that crime fiction expert Amy unearthed. When an actress's life is threatened, Amy and Travis must uncover which character is playing for keeps. Words can...

Death at La Fenice : After a famous conductor dies from cyanide poisoning during the intermission of his concert, Brunetti probes into the maestro's past, and uncovers a shocking picture of immorality and ruthlessness, as well as a legion of bitter enemies, some of whom have held a grudge for many decades. Based on Donna Leon's first Comissarrion Brunetti novel which introduced Guido Brunetti to crime fiction fans worldwide.--Container. Friends in...

"There are eight million stories in the Naked City," as the narrator immortally states at the close of this breathtakingly vivid film, and this is one of them. Master noir craftsman Jules Dassin and newspaperman-cum-producer Mark Hellinger's dazzling police procedural was shot entirely on location in New York. Influenced as much by Italian neorealism as it is by American crime fiction, this double Academy Award winner remains a benchmark for naturalism...

New Jersey Drive: Two teens get involved in carjacking in Newark and the local police get tough in a way they didn't bargain for. Empire: An ambitious Bronx drug dealer tries to hook up with a Wall Street banker on a complicated investment scheme that becomes more dangerous than his day-to-day life on the streets. Mobsters: Follows the daring and violent exploits of four men growing up in the 1920's: charming "Lucky" Luciano, skilled negotiator...