Polanski’s post-noir thriller follows J.J. Gittes, a private eye who begins investigating another cheating husband case but ends up drawn into a conspiracy that he can’t hope to beat.

It’s often held up as an example of a perfectly structured screenplay, and the carefully considered reveal of character and plot throughout makes it easy to see why. It’s also packed with imagery and subtext for those who want it, but if that’s not your thing it still makes for a darn good thriller with a few neat twists.