‘The Third Key’: A Subtly Constructed British Whodunit

This police procedural takes you through the clues to find the criminal.

Detective Superintendent Tom Halliday (Jack Hawkins, L) and new partner Detective Sergeant Ward (John Stratton) studying clues together, in “The Third Key.” Ealing Studios

NR | 1h 36m | Crime, Drama, Mystery | 1957 

When it comes to crime dramas that focus on police procedurals, the British have mastered the subgenre. They use subtlety and ever-twisting narratives; their stories leave opportunities for speculation, since you never quite know who the perpetrator is until the climactic third act.