Title Design Research: The Worst Crime - Beyond Redemption

Hi-yah! I’ll be progressing in my opening sequence analysis of The Worst Crime (2022), sourced from Prime Video. 

What titles are displayed during the opening sequence?

The opening sequence showcased the title of the film in a monotonous white font. No titles or names are showcased. This is quite odd considering it is a key element of a film in total. This makes me question if there was even a title designer involved in the production of this film because there is a clear lack of artistry. Despite that there is one other title that says “The Signal to Noise Project presents”. This at least gives the movie a link with an existing organization . 

What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?

The images prioritized in the opening sequence are composed of several B-roll shots. It starts by dissolving into the clouds and panning the sky. Then the clouds dissolve out to a blank black screen before dissolving into a tilt displaying a court, presumably the courthouse the hearings took place within. Then there is a pan of someone’s backyard, a close-up shot of a tree covered in cobwebs. All of these shots contain some sort of smooth continuous movement as a voiceover narrates the introductory story. Alas, this voice is revals in a medium close up shot of them in an interview-like setting. They are backlit so they are unidentifiable, you can only see the outline of this male figure. This is a technique of chiaroscuro. Following these clips, there is a timelapse of the nighttime sky turning into daylight through a pungent orange sunrise. In final TV static ensues and dissolves in desolated black screen with the title of the film displayed. 

What connotations do these images carry? 

The motive behind this series of images doesn’t seem to have any overarching meaning from the connotations alone. The clouds usually perceive lone peace which contradicts the appalling crime at hand. The court clearly is a significant place in the grand scheme of this story. The backyard could be of the victim or aggressor but has no clear negative or positive connotation. The trees covered with cobwebs empahsize how the victim underwent torture for a long time due to the pretense of cobwebs which take time to be cultivated. The smooth movements and dissolving in out maintain fluidity which is also contradictory to a rigid story. The silhouette renders a puzzling, dark, cryptic undertone to the overall piece which could remain for the rest of the film. The timelapse relate back to the prolonged torture as the time is being sped up to the viewers but without the effect it is a harrowingly long time. The sunrise is made up of an orange color. The connotation with orange is danger which evokes danger in the story. And the TV static reinforced that mysterious idea that is manifesting. In the end, there is not defined correlation or clear tone emerging from the prioritized images in the opening. 

How does the film establish a feeling of the genre from the outset?

The film relies on the human psyche picking up the hints of mystery in hopes of maintaining an audience. Audience maintenance in this film can also occur from the sheer wonder of how these random shots are connected to a large gripping crime. Unlike Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case (2023) there is not a preliminary introduction but the use of a voiceover to introduce case details is similar. It’s clear that sound narrates the viewer through the story. The visuals alone are confusing but when paired with an auditory element they can contextualize to a degree. Importantly, this opening sequence was much shorter than the norm at 2-3 minutes, this was around 1-2 minutes. However, I don't think the duration retracted from the effectiveness of opening. 

The Worst Crime (2022) for sure takes into account mystery with crime documentaries for its genre classification. The opening sequence of this movie gave me a chilling effect due to the lack of information given right off the bat and plainness of editing, sound, visuals, and overall composition. The lack of these elements actually creates a hair-raising opening since it makes the viewer wonder why it is so basic.