Did You Solve 'Clue?' The Solution to the Hill House Murders

Check out our Opening Article on The Hill House Murders First if you want to play along. Otherwise, for those who've already done their homework, below is the solution.

The Solution to the Hill House Murders

In our Cold Case Cinema investigation, readers were asked to examine the strange events that unfolded during a stormy night at Hill House.

Six guests arrived under assumed names.

A blackmailer revealed their secrets.

The lights went out.

Gunshots echoed through the mansion.

And bodies began to appear in nearly every room.

By the end of the night the victims included a cook, a maid, a police officer, a mysterious singing telegram girl, and the blackmailer himself.

The question was simple.

Who committed the murders?

The answer is… complicated.

The case is inspired by the 1985 cult comedy mystery Clue, and the film contains one of the most unusual storytelling gimmicks in movie history.

Instead of offering a single solution to the mystery, the movie presents three different endings.

Each ending rewinds the events of the evening and proposes a different explanation for the murders.

Solution One: Miss Scarlet

In the first version of events, Miss Scarlet emerges as the mastermind behind the crimes.

Scarlet operates a secret Washington escort service and has connections to powerful clients throughout the government.

If Mr. Boddy’s blackmail scheme were exposed, her entire operation could collapse.

In this ending, Scarlet manipulates the chaos of the evening to eliminate witnesses and silence anyone who could threaten her.

Her calm demeanor throughout the evening suddenly takes on a much darker meaning.

Solution Two: Mrs. Peacock

The second ending shifts suspicion to Mrs. Peacock, the seemingly fragile wife of a U.S. senator.

Throughout the evening Peacock appears nervous, overwhelmed, and frequently on the verge of fainting.

But the final revelation flips that perception entirely.

In this version she is responsible for the murders, driven by fear that her political scandals will destroy her husband’s career.

The nervous behavior that seemed like comic relief suddenly reads like panic from someone trying to keep her crimes hidden.

Solution Three: Everyone Did It

The film’s most famous ending offers a much more outrageous explanation.

Instead of a single killer, every guest committed one of the murders.

Each character had a personal motive tied to the blackmail scheme run by Mr. Boddy.

As the night spiraled into chaos, each suspect seized an opportunity to eliminate someone connected to the scandal.

The murders become a collective conspiracy.

No one in the room is innocent.

The Butler’s Secret

In the final twist, the butler Wadsworth reveals that he has been orchestrating the investigation in order to expose the blackmail ring.

He claims to be working with the FBI.

Whether justice is actually served depends on which ending the audience chooses to believe.

Why Clue Became a Cult Classic

When Clue was released in 1985, the multiple endings confused audiences.

Different theaters were initially given different versions of the film, meaning viewers might see entirely different solutions depending on where they watched it.

Later home video releases included all three endings, turning the gimmick into one of the movie’s most beloved features.

The film itself plays like a farcical tribute to classic mystery stories.

Characters sprint through hidden passages, doors slam open and closed, and bodies appear and disappear as the investigation spirals into absurdity.

The rapid-fire dialogue and physical comedy give the movie a chaotic energy that feels closer to a stage farce than a traditional detective story.

Over time that energy helped transform the film into a cult favorite.

Did You Solve the Case?

Because the movie presents multiple solutions, there is no single correct answer to the Hill House mystery.

But that’s exactly what makes it fun.

Every clue can point in more than one direction.

Every suspect has both motive and opportunity.

And the final answer depends entirely on which version of events you believe.

If you haven’t seen the film yet, watch Clue and see how your theory holds up.

You might discover that solving a movie mystery is harder than it looks.