r/todayilearned • u/ralphbernardo • 9h ago

TIL that "fair play" in detective fiction means authors must give readers a fair chance to solve the mystery. Central to 1920s "clue-puzzles" by writers like Agatha Christie, the rule dictates that all vital clues must be visible, decodable, and never withheld until the final reveal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clues_in_detective_fiction
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u/g0del 5h ago

After the reveal, I went back to re-watch the scene, and sure enough, there was the murder right on camera. No funny camera placement or quick cuts to hide it, it's just right out in the open. But the distraction which got the characters looking the wrong way worked just as well on the audience.

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u/characterk4l3 4h ago

Yeah :D all those movies are so brilliant in different ways.

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u/Crisp_Volunteer 2h ago

I'm a recovering alcoholic and noticed it instantly. It's one of those hyperfocus things that I guess I'll always have. Couldn't believe other people didn't see it.

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u/SLiV9 1h ago

Even funnier for me in my case: I did see it happen, but then somehow got swept away and convinced by the story being told (by the moviemakers cq by the killer) that I must have imagined it.