Cannes Film Festival: 20 Best Palme D'Or Winners Ever
8. The Third Man (1949)
On a surface level, Carol Reed's The Third Man is a mystery, as an author (Joseph Cotten) arrives in Vienna on an invitation from a friend (Orson Welles), only to find his friend dead and his death dripping with suspicion.
But one level deeper, it's a snapshot into post-World War II Vienna, a city split between governments and cultures and trapped in a sort of unsure limbo following the end of the war.
Brought to life by Reed's unconventional directing style and its incredibly atmospheric musical score, The Third Man is as unflinching as a Hitchcock classic. A strange, alluring and menacing dive into a death that's more than meets the eye, it comes complete with constant plot twists, dark humour and riveting tension.
Even if you know the basics of the story but have never seen the film, The Third Man is sure to trip you up at every turn, and keep you guessing right until the final frame.