Showdowns of brains, not brawn
August 10, 2013 4:47 PM Subscribe
Recommend me fiction (or perhaps nonfiction) where clever people cat-and-mouse each other
I've realized I can't get enough of tv shows, books, and movies where clever people cat-and-mouse or face off with each other in a subtle, tension filled way. Examples of where this has really worked for me are:
-Luther (Luther and Alice Morgan)
-Homeland (Carrie and Brody)
-Sherlock BBC (Sherlock and Moriarty)
-Damages (Patty and post-assassination attempt Ellen)
-The Night Circus (Prospero and Mr. A.H.)
-The Fall (Stella and Paul)
-Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
Doesn't necessarily need to be crime-drama or thriller. What I really like is when both sides are matched in intelligence and you aren't quite sure who will win or lose- or if "winning" or "losing" are even part of the equation.
Help me continue to feed this addiction, askme..!
I've realized I can't get enough of tv shows, books, and movies where clever people cat-and-mouse or face off with each other in a subtle, tension filled way. Examples of where this has really worked for me are:
-Luther (Luther and Alice Morgan)
-Homeland (Carrie and Brody)
-Sherlock BBC (Sherlock and Moriarty)
-Damages (Patty and post-assassination attempt Ellen)
-The Night Circus (Prospero and Mr. A.H.)
-The Fall (Stella and Paul)
-Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
Doesn't necessarily need to be crime-drama or thriller. What I really like is when both sides are matched in intelligence and you aren't quite sure who will win or lose- or if "winning" or "losing" are even part of the equation.
Help me continue to feed this addiction, askme..!
The Prisoner has many episodes where #6 matches wits with #2, with lots of clipped polite verbal sparring, some not so polite yelling, and even less polite full blown psychological assault. It is excellent.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 5:00 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Jon Mitchell at 5:00 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
The Prestige does this wonderfully.
Sleuth (1972) is worth watching. Sleuth (2007) is not. (Well, it's fun to see Michael Caine take on the other role some 35 years later, and Jude Law in eyeliner is surprisingly appealing, but otherwise, no.)
posted by mochapickle at 5:01 PM on August 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
Sleuth (1972) is worth watching. Sleuth (2007) is not. (Well, it's fun to see Michael Caine take on the other role some 35 years later, and Jude Law in eyeliner is surprisingly appealing, but otherwise, no.)
posted by mochapickle at 5:01 PM on August 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
Dorothy Dunnett's House of Niccolo series of books features a lot of cat-and-mouse games via commerce in 15th century Europe. Sometimes these games venture into physical fights/battles, but they're largely in the arena of trade and politics.
posted by yasaman at 5:04 PM on August 10, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by yasaman at 5:04 PM on August 10, 2013 [5 favorites]
Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris is exactly this. And seconding The Prestige.
posted by entropyiswinning at 5:13 PM on August 10, 2013
posted by entropyiswinning at 5:13 PM on August 10, 2013
Response by poster: Prestige and Gone Girl, both of which I've watched/seen, are also right on the money for what I'm looking for. Excited to check out the recs so far!!
posted by raw sugar at 5:25 PM on August 10, 2013
posted by raw sugar at 5:25 PM on August 10, 2013
Christopher Nolan plays with this a lot, actually, in terms of power struggles. He did The Prestige, but you might also enjoy his first film, The Following, which does a power struggle story in a very subtle, clever way.
posted by mochapickle at 5:38 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by mochapickle at 5:38 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Ted Chiang's short story Understand. The manga/anime series Death Note.
posted by mshrike at 5:44 PM on August 10, 2013 [6 favorites]
posted by mshrike at 5:44 PM on August 10, 2013 [6 favorites]
I asked a similar question post Gone Girl, some great twisty rabbit holes to run down in there.
posted by yellowbinder at 5:44 PM on August 10, 2013
posted by yellowbinder at 5:44 PM on August 10, 2013
Maybe London Fields by Martin Amis, in that some of the characters are evenly matched, though not all.
posted by onlyconnect at 5:46 PM on August 10, 2013
posted by onlyconnect at 5:46 PM on August 10, 2013
The Secret Art of Stealing by Christopher Brookmyre
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (original only)
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 5:48 PM on August 10, 2013
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (original only)
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 5:48 PM on August 10, 2013
In addition to the The Le Carre novel mentioned above, his Tinker Tailor Solider Spy is a cerebral sort of cat & mouse game between George Smiley and the unknown mole. The novel is great, and the Alec Guinness adapation is good, though slowly paced - it was a miniseries on the BBC. I have not seen the recent remake with Gary Oldman.
posted by jquinby at 5:50 PM on August 10, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by jquinby at 5:50 PM on August 10, 2013 [3 favorites]
Day of the Jackal is really excellent, although there are some moments of creepy bigotry.
Definitely Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs, however the other two books do not match the awesomeness of their predecessors.
posted by elizardbits at 6:07 PM on August 10, 2013
Definitely Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs, however the other two books do not match the awesomeness of their predecessors.
posted by elizardbits at 6:07 PM on August 10, 2013
Veronica Mars is great for this.
The Game of Thrones books and TV show.
posted by lunasol at 6:29 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
The Game of Thrones books and TV show.
posted by lunasol at 6:29 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Ditto mochapickle on Sleuth. Never saw the remake, but the original was fantastic and probably right up your alley.
The British series House of Cards (on which the American series is based) has some of the greatest political triangulation and strategic conniving tactics you'll find on television. However, the first season mostly consists of one great mind overpowering a series of pretenders, rather than a "cat and mouse" game among equals. The second season has more of the "equal minds battling it out" stuff.
posted by duffell at 6:50 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
The British series House of Cards (on which the American series is based) has some of the greatest political triangulation and strategic conniving tactics you'll find on television. However, the first season mostly consists of one great mind overpowering a series of pretenders, rather than a "cat and mouse" game among equals. The second season has more of the "equal minds battling it out" stuff.
posted by duffell at 6:50 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Two things come to mind:
In the Horatio Hornblower book Hornblower and the Hotspur there's a sailing duel that's edge-of-your-seat tense, as the two Captains desperately try to out-think each other: it's archetypal cat-and-mouse, as the protagonist is overmatched and has to compensate with pure skill.
And the climax of the movie Rob Roy has the best cinematic swordfight of all time as Liam Neeson(!) and Tim Roth(!) attempt to use their wildly different fighting techniques (rapier vs. broadsword) against each other. It's beautifully filmed, as the audience is given the chance to see them calculating their next moves.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 7:02 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
In the Horatio Hornblower book Hornblower and the Hotspur there's a sailing duel that's edge-of-your-seat tense, as the two Captains desperately try to out-think each other: it's archetypal cat-and-mouse, as the protagonist is overmatched and has to compensate with pure skill.
And the climax of the movie Rob Roy has the best cinematic swordfight of all time as Liam Neeson(!) and Tim Roth(!) attempt to use their wildly different fighting techniques (rapier vs. broadsword) against each other. It's beautifully filmed, as the audience is given the chance to see them calculating their next moves.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 7:02 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
The two that come to my mind are "Inside Man" and "The Thomas Crown Affair".
posted by forthright at 7:05 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by forthright at 7:05 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Are you looking for strictly Western films/tv shows? Because I can think of a handful of Korean tv shows that perfectly fit this "cat and mouse" genre:
A Man's Story
White Christmas (one of my all-time favorite dramas -- but I don't think it's easy to find)
Incarnation of Money
Ghost
Sign
City Hunter
Gaksital
Heartless City
I'm trying to think of ones that aren't necessarily crime/thriller, but I'm drawing a blank. Maybe Arang and the Magistrate? More supernatural cat-and-mouse, though. Possibly King 2 Hearts -- less so for the villain (who's a bit laughable, really), and more so for the romantic tension. Tree With Deep Roots has a few awesome moments with the king, if you don't mind historical mysteries.
posted by paisley sheep at 7:30 PM on August 10, 2013
A Man's Story
White Christmas (one of my all-time favorite dramas -- but I don't think it's easy to find)
Incarnation of Money
Ghost
Sign
City Hunter
Gaksital
Heartless City
I'm trying to think of ones that aren't necessarily crime/thriller, but I'm drawing a blank. Maybe Arang and the Magistrate? More supernatural cat-and-mouse, though. Possibly King 2 Hearts -- less so for the villain (who's a bit laughable, really), and more so for the romantic tension. Tree With Deep Roots has a few awesome moments with the king, if you don't mind historical mysteries.
posted by paisley sheep at 7:30 PM on August 10, 2013
The Expats by Chris Pavone.
Guilt By Degrees (second book in series) by Marcia Clark.
posted by mlle valentine at 7:32 PM on August 10, 2013
Guilt By Degrees (second book in series) by Marcia Clark.
posted by mlle valentine at 7:32 PM on August 10, 2013
It's not super subtle-- there are no masterminds in this show-- but it still deserves a mention: The Wire. If you have not yet seen it, I envy your opportunity to see it for the first time. Excellent series with developed characters on the police force, in the projects, fighting crime, selling drugs, dock workers, politicians, students, journalists. It all still amounts to cops who applied analysis of crime and engaged the problem of crime, the culture of crime, and the problems that induce crime, in novel ways. In response, the drug pushers, the corrupt pols, the crooks, adapt and innovate in their own ways.
Regarding last year's movie version of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," the movie is challenged to fit such a story in its length (even though it's long for a movie) and some of the richer parts of the movie lose for it. But, it's definitely worth seeing anyway; the cast is a who's who of A-list British Actors, from Hurt to Cumberbatch. I recommend it, especially after you've seen and digested the book or the Alec Guinness miniseries. There are 3 other novels featuring George Smiley. A short novel called "A Call from the Dead," and the second and third novels in the Smiley Trilogy after TTSS, "Smiley's People," and "The Honourable Schoolboy."
posted by Sunburnt at 8:18 PM on August 10, 2013
Regarding last year's movie version of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," the movie is challenged to fit such a story in its length (even though it's long for a movie) and some of the richer parts of the movie lose for it. But, it's definitely worth seeing anyway; the cast is a who's who of A-list British Actors, from Hurt to Cumberbatch. I recommend it, especially after you've seen and digested the book or the Alec Guinness miniseries. There are 3 other novels featuring George Smiley. A short novel called "A Call from the Dead," and the second and third novels in the Smiley Trilogy after TTSS, "Smiley's People," and "The Honourable Schoolboy."
posted by Sunburnt at 8:18 PM on August 10, 2013
Might be a little dense and nerdy, but The Cuckoo's Egg (and hey, it's a true account). Even though you never see the antagonist directly.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:14 PM on August 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:14 PM on August 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
Have you seen The Shield? Season 5 and the beginning of Season 6 is all a cat and mouse game. Whole series is worth watching, too.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 11:22 PM on August 10, 2013
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 11:22 PM on August 10, 2013
Suits on USA is like this. Very clever lawyers continually outmaneuvering each other. It's fascinating to watch.
posted by katyggls at 1:20 AM on August 11, 2013
posted by katyggls at 1:20 AM on August 11, 2013
It's not exactly what you asked for, but if you haven't seen 12 Angry Men (1957) yet, you'll probably love it.
posted by mbrock at 4:31 AM on August 11, 2013
posted by mbrock at 4:31 AM on August 11, 2013
Regarding last year's movie version of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," the movie is challenged to fit such a story in its length (even though it's long for a movie) and some of the richer parts of the movie lose for it. But, it's definitely worth seeing anyway; the cast is a who's who of A-list British Actors, from Hurt to Cumberbatch. I recommend it, especially after you've seen and digested the book or the Alec Guinness miniseries. There are 3 other novels featuring George Smiley. A short novel called "A Call from the Dead," and the second and third novels in the Smiley Trilogy after TTSS, "Smiley's People," and "The Honourable Schoolboy."
I came in here exactly to recommend the Smiley trilogy. TTSS and Smiley's People are fantastic; The Honourable Schoolboy is just above average but still worth reading for continuity and because it's really good, just not great.
As for the recent Tinker Tailor movie, I agree with the assessment above, but it's still one of my favorite movies of all time. It does an absolutely incredible job creating a mood and feeling and the slow, deliberate, methodical pacing is just perfect. Add the acting on top of that and it's just a spectacular film.
I'll also recommend The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen), about a Stasi agent monitoring an East German dissident playwright in 1984 East Berlin. Super great.
posted by The Michael The at 5:39 AM on August 11, 2013
I came in here exactly to recommend the Smiley trilogy. TTSS and Smiley's People are fantastic; The Honourable Schoolboy is just above average but still worth reading for continuity and because it's really good, just not great.
As for the recent Tinker Tailor movie, I agree with the assessment above, but it's still one of my favorite movies of all time. It does an absolutely incredible job creating a mood and feeling and the slow, deliberate, methodical pacing is just perfect. Add the acting on top of that and it's just a spectacular film.
I'll also recommend The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen), about a Stasi agent monitoring an East German dissident playwright in 1984 East Berlin. Super great.
posted by The Michael The at 5:39 AM on August 11, 2013
Maybe NBC's Hannibal? So far it's mostly been Hannibal outsmarting everyone by a mile, but that's liable to change as the plot evolves. Also, it's great, though it needs some serious gore warnings.
posted by you're a kitty! at 6:04 PM on August 11, 2013
posted by you're a kitty! at 6:04 PM on August 11, 2013
You might like White Collar. There's some brawn on occasion, of the law enforcement (FBI) variety, but the majority of the show is about the cat and mouse between the main two characters (along with "is there even a cat and mouse game going on?"). The weekly cases themselves are generally investigations into white collar, frequently non-violent crimes. The tension between the two main characters is fantastic.
posted by ashirys at 7:08 AM on August 12, 2013
posted by ashirys at 7:08 AM on August 12, 2013
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posted by zeri at 4:55 PM on August 10, 2013 [3 favorites]