History Main / HandOfDeath

* ''[[ThePinkPanther A Shot In The Dark]]'' does this with several botched attempts at killing Clouseau.

A particular shot commonly used in action flicks, gangster movies and murder mysteries. All that is shown is AnInsert of a pair of hands, and possibly the murder weapon itself. This gives a sense of building tension without revealing the murderer's identity. Sinister black gloves are optional.

Common in slasher films. Even more common in [[{{Giallo}} Giallo]].

* The movie ''Film/{{Clue}}'' is full of these. Everyone seems to wear black gloves at one point or another.

* Gloved in proper classic black in ''Radioland Murders'' before some (but not all) of the titular hits. Appropriate since this was a homage to the radio era.

* Also used frequently when showing the set-up to the murder in ''Whodunnit!''

* Often used when showing the murders in ''Series/WhodunnitUK''.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* ''[[Literature/TheGraveyardBook "There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife."]]''

* Parodied by ''PoliceSquad''. We repeatedly see the killer's shoes as he walks, and we see his glove and business suit sleeve as he sets up the bombs. When Drebin finally confronts the bomber, it turns out to be the suspect's wife, still wearing the glove, sleeve and shoes... and otherwise dressed like a housewife.

* ''TheUsualSuspects'' does a fair amount of this.

* Subverted masterfully in ''TheSting''. The audience knows that an assassin named "Salino" has been assigned to kill Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford). From that point on, there are numerous shots of a pair of hands in purple gloves doing various things. In the final shot they are loading a revolver. It turns out that they ''aren't'' Salino's hands at all. [[spoiler: They are the hands of the bodyguard that Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) hired to keep an eye on Hooker. He shoots Salino.]]

* Used in ''StrangeDays'', since we see the murders through a recording of the killer's perspective.

* A frequent occurrence in the BBC ''MissMarple'' adaptations.

* Not only did DarioArgento use this trope a lot, he frequently [[InsertCameo donned the killer's black gloves himself for the inserts]]. In Germany, his ''Film/TheBirdWithTheCrystalPlumage'' was even [[MarketBasedTitle retitled]] ''The Secret of the Black Gloves''.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': This how the killer is depicted in the first episode of "Black Orchid", allowing for a dramatic reveal of his face in the second.

* Modernized in ''RedDragon'' gloved in latex. Traces of talcum powder imply the murderer removed the gloves at the crime scene. Sure enough, a partial print is found.

Common in slasher films. Even more common in [[{{Giallo}} Gialli]],

* Used in ''{{Psycho}}'''s infamous shower scene. Anthony Perkins wasn't on the set while it was filmed; he had an engagement elsewhere.

* Not only did DarioArgento use this trope a lot, he frequently [[InsertCameo donned the killer's black gloves himself for the inserts]]. In Germany, his ''TheBirdWithTheCrystalPlumage'' was even [[MarketBasedTitle retitled]] ''The Secret of the Black Gloves''.

* Used for all the murders in the slasher parody ''StudentBodies''.

A particular shot commonly used in action flicks, gangster movies and murder mysteries. All that is shown is AnInsert of a pair of hands, and possibly the murder weapon itself. This gives a sense of building tension without revealing the murderer's identity.

Sinister black gloves are optional.

Bonus points if the intended victim is visible in the frame, and triple bonus for shooting the victim without ever showing the gunman.

* Common in slasher films. Even more common in [[{{Giallo}} Gialli]], which usually employ the black-gloved variant.
** Not only did DarioArgento use this trope a lot, he frequently [[InsertCameo donned the killer's black gloves himself for the inserts]].
*** In Germany, his ''TheBirdWithTheCrystalPlumage'' was even [[MarketBasedTitle retitled]] ''The Secret of the black Gloves''.

** This is mentioned in the book as well, if not the first version of the film ''Manhunter''.
* Justified in ''StrangeDays'', since we see the murders through a recording of the killer's perspective.

* The movie ''{{Clue}}'' is full of these. Everyone seems to wear black gloves at one point or another.

* ''TheUsualSuspects'' does a fair amount of this. Keyser Soze is portrayed by a total of five actors throughout the film.

*** In Germany, his ''Bird with the Crystal Plumage'' was even [[MarketBasedTitle retitled]] ''The Secret of the black Gloves''.

* ''[[TheGraveyardBook "There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife."]]''

* In ''TheCatAndTheCanary'', a hand twice emerges from a hidden panel, first to [[spoiler:throttle Mr. Crosby]] and then later to [[spoiler:steal the necklace]].

* Parodied by ''PoliceSquad!'' We repeatedly see the killer's shoes as he walks, and we see his glove and business suit sleeve as he sets up the bombs. When Drebin finally confronts the bomber, it turns out to be the suspect's wife, still wearing the glove, sleeve and shoes... and otherwise dressed like a housewife.

* Subverted masterfully in ''TheSting''. The audience knows that an assassin named "Salino" has been assigned to kill Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford). From that point on, there are numerous shots of a pair of hands in purple gloves doing various things. In the final shot they are loading a revolver. It turns out that they ''aren't'' Salino's hands at all. [[spoiler: They are the hands of the bodyguard that Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) hired to keep an eye on Hooker. He shoots Salino -- who turns out to be a woman.]]

* Gloved in proper classic black in ''RadiolandMurders'' before some (but not all) of the titular hits. Appropriate since this was a homage to the radio era.

* Also used frequently when showing the set-up to the murder in ''{{Whodunnit}}!''

* Subverted masterfully in ''TheSting''. The audience knows that an assassin named "Salino" has been assigned to kill Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford). From that point on, there are numerous shots of a pair of hands in purple gloves doing various things. In the final shot they are loading a revolver. It turns out that they ''aren't'' Salino's hands at all. [[spoiler: They are the hands of the bodyguard that Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) hired to keep an eye on Hooker. He shoots Salino. Note that originally this article said "hitman," but Salino is a woman so it's changed to "assasin".]]