Chinatown (1974)

Los Angeles looks handsome enough to sell you a future while control of its water makes that future someone else's property. The dry landscapes and immaculate lawns turn brightness into evidence of unequal power. Jack Nicholson's detective can inspect almost everything and still misunderstand what matters. Come for the accessible mystery, then notice how the sunny visibility increases the humiliation of being unable to see through corruption. Its disturbing family material is integral, not decorative.