Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

Harry Lockhart narrates Kiss Kiss Bang Bang so badly that he stops the film, rewinds it and apologizes for leaving a scene out. He’s still easier to follow than the mystery. Shane Black stacks up a missing heiress, a shady clinic, a rich man’s secrets and a car rolled into a lake until the plot is a knot you stop trying to untie, and the last act is a long, loud scramble. The talking matters more. Robert Downey Jr. plays Harry as a small-time thief who knows he’s in over his head and won’t stop commenting on it. Val Kilmer’s Perry is a deadpan private eye who treats Harry like a student he never wanted, and his sighs are funnier than most punchlines. Michelle Monaghan makes Harmony quick, funny and a little sad. It made $15.8 million worldwide on a reported $15M, which is criminal. An 8.0 because the dialogue is a gift even when the plot is a pile of string. $75.71 says you narrate your commute tomorrow and backtrack every time you skip a detail.

What works: Downey and Kilmer have some of the best comic chemistry of the decade, and Harry’s self-aware narration pokes holes in the genre on purpose.

What doesn’t: The mystery gets so tangled that it stops mattering, and the final stretch is noisier and longer than the clever setup deserves.

Who it’s for: Fans of fast, wordy buddy comedies who would rather hear a great comeback than follow a clue.