In our novel The Starlets, we drew upon our love of the movies by placing two feuding movie stars in the crosshairs of international criminals, sending them careening together through the Riviera of the late 1950s, desperate to get to Interpol before the baddies catch them.
It’s a tried and tested formula—a relatable hero becomes embroiled in intrigue, finds themselves in way over their head, then needs to hit the road to stay one step ahead of trouble, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Whether the catalyst is a case of mistaken identity, a treasure hunt, or actual criminal activity, these stories require their protagonists to rely upon their decidedly un-super powers to save the day, making it all the easier for us to see ourselves in those roles, along for the wild ride with them.
Here are six cat-and-mouse movies that influenced The Starlets, all of which will scratch that madcap caper itch.
North by Northwest
Poor old Roger Thornhill. The New York ad exec is simply trying to flag a waiter for a drink when goons confuse him for the spy they’ve been trailing. He’s kidnapped, nearly killed, doubted by the police and his own mother, framed for murder, left out to dry by the CIA, then forced to play the spy he was mistaken for in the first place, all with nary a second to catch his breath. But hey. At least he has the good fortune to look like Cary Grant. This classic film takes viewers away from the well-trod European settings of past spy thrillers, sending our hero across North America, from the famed Plaza Hotel through the wheat fields of Indiana to Chicago to an iconic final showdown on Mount Rushmore. National monuments never looked so deadly.
The Goonies
“This is our time,” says Mikey Walsh, the asthmatic kid-hero at the heart of this 1980s adventure story, a rallying cry to kids everywhere watching in frustration as the adults around them fall short of saving the day. When their homes are threatened by an encroaching luxury development, the ragtag band of young friends set off in search of three hundred year old pirate treasure. (Yes, in Oregon. Just go with it.) Ahead of them, a series of devious puzzles and booby traps. On their trail, a sinister crime family. The plot is as wild and candy-colored as a carnival ride, and that’s the joy of it all, along with the gratifying thrill of watching a band of determined youngsters get the job done.
The Fugitive
Based on the 1960s TV series, which is loosely inspired by real events, this thriller pits Harrison Ford’s doctor character, falsely accused of murder, against Tommy Lee Jones as the federal marshall tasked with bringing him in. The chase is on as Dr. Kimble desperately searches for the “one-armed man” who really killed his wife before the police close in. Exciting tropes abound to fantastic effect here, from the Valjean-Javert tension between the two leads to the DIY detective story, including quickchange disguises and escapes through busy Chicago streets. Released in 1993, this remains the quintessential “falsely accused” action movie today.
Game Night
In this 2018 comedy, a games-obsessed couple and their friends believe themselves to be taking part in an elaborate role-playing mystery game, only to learn via a very real gunshot wound that the inciting “kidnapping” was, in fact, an actual kidnapping (or was it?). Now caught up in a web of smugglers, spies, fight clubs, and federal agents, these incredibly ordinary people need to hunt down a heavy simply called “The Bulgarian” before they get taken off the game board permanently. Much of the fun of this one comes in the form of the fraught relationships among the group, and the way the central couple’s competitiveness proves both a liability and the all-too relatable quality that winds up ultimately saving the day.
Thelma and Louise
This classic feminist rallying cry is more of a drama than many of the others on this list, but no less wild a ride. What’s meant to be a gal pal weekend becomes an altogether different kind of getaway after Louise fatally shoots the rapist who attacks Thelma outside a roadhouse bar. What follows is a road trip like no other, complete with seduction, petty theft, armed robbery, and explosions both figurative and literal. In case you somehow don’t know what happens at the end of the movie, we won’t spoil it for you here, only say that it’s either tragic or triumphant, depending on your perspective, and while not exactly cheerful, memorably and indelibly defiant.
Some Like It Hot
No list of “on the run from trouble” movies would be complete without this Billy Wilder gem, in which the villains, romance, and comedy are all written as large as the Hollywood sign. After two everyman musicians witness a mob hit, they flee in the most bonkers way possible–by posing as members of an all-female band headed south to Miami. As movie luck would have it, the hotel where they’re performing is playing host to half the mobsters in North America. The heat is on indeed–and the presence of Marilyn Monroe as singer Sugar Kane amps up the temperature even more. Screwball crime capering at its finest.
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