The Whydunit Explained — 3 elements examined in one of Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat film genres, including The Detective, The Secret, and the Dark Turn.

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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to the Whydunit
02:10 - Save the Cat Goes to the Movies Genres
03:21 - Elements of the Whydunit
06:18 - Chapter 1: The Detective
05:47 - Chapter 2: The Secret
08:08 - Chapter 3: The Dark Turn
10:40 - Takeaways

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THE WHYDUNIT EXPLAINED

In many cases, detective movies are more concerned with collecting clues that will lead to the identity of the killer. This is your classic “Whodunit.” But in a slightly different form, the motive for the crime and the underlying psychology behind it takes center stage. This is what we call the “Whydunit.” In Save the Cat Goes to the Movies, author and screenwriter Blake Synder argues that there are three essential elements in the Whydunit. And in this video, we will explain each of those elements and how they play a part in some of the best detective movies.

TYPES OF THE WHYDUNIT

Snyder further breaks down this category into five distinct subcategories. The Film Noir Whydunit has the protagonist enter a shadow world only they can negotiate. The Political Whydunit uncovers the abuse of political or corporate power. Fantasy Whydunits are set in another world. The Cop Whydunit is as much about the lawman’s crime as it is about the criminal’s. And the Personal Whydunit follows a “civilian” on a case to save themselves or others. No matter the broad range of plots we find across these subtypes, they all exhibit three elements: the detective, the secret, and the dark turn.

THE DETECTIVE

But as Snyder explains, this doesn’t need to be a professional or private investigator — it could be anyone. In Brick, it is a high schooler searching for his ex-girlfriend’s murderer. The other quality Snyder finds in these detectives is a lack or complete absence of change. It is often not the detective who undergoes any significant change, but the audience might once they have explored the dark side of human behavior.

THE SECRET

That unknown question that drives the detective forward is the secret. It is a mystery so alluring that they might put themselves in great danger in order to solve it. In JFK, attorney Jim Garrison’s investigation into the JFK assassination puts a target on himself and his family. The secret may begin with a minor detail or insignificant clue, but its allure grows throughout the story.

THE DARK TURN

At some point, the detective in the Whydunit with make at least one dark turn, in which they willingly become part of the darkness. This turn will find them breaking their own rules because, as Snyder puts it, “the pull of the secret is too great.” In Blade Runner, Deckard falls in love with Rachel, a replicant like those he was hired to kill.

Not all detective movies follow the same Whydunit formula, but some of the best do. Now we know the three elements that go into a Whydunit, but this is just the beginning. It’s up to writers like you to find new ways to wrap us up in the mystery.


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