There's a special thrill in seeing your reality reflected back to you on a giant screen, as The Fugitive, The Blues Brothers, A League of Their Own, and so many other Chicago movies have done for me as a lifelong Chicagoan.

How the 1993 Harrison Ford film overcame production troubles to become a well-made and deeply satisfying thriller that remains beloved over 30 years later.

Chicago is second to none for welcoming the most colorful movie characters, including the fugitive doctors, future presidents, and truant teenagers that fill out our list.

Whether with a doctor on the run, a Bay Area serial killer, or a shady rear-window neighbor, the best whodunits draw us in through compelling characters and the irresistible mysteries that entangle them.