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With the full-scale rise of true crime media, from “There’s Only Murder in the Building” to “Tiger King,” it’s safe to say that the popularity of the murder mystery genre is back in vogue as well.From creative story formats, to many questionable characters, to shocking plot twists and unpredictable endings, murder mysteries always grab your attention at the last minute.What’s not to like about a movie that asks us to help solve a case?
From classic detective novels to modern interpretations across genres, ELLE.com has rounded up 20 of the best murder mystery movies available right now to help satisfy your inner detective.
Based on the first installment of Stieg Larsson’s best-selling Millennium series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo centers on Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), a disgraced journalist , who is tasked with investigating the disappearance and presumed murder of a wealthy industrialist’s niece 40 years ago, with the help of extraordinary hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara).From the thrilling soundtrack of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to the chilling transformation of Mara, every aspect of this David Fincher film brings together the perfect slow murder mystery.
Sean Black’s 1970s comedy-thriller follows unlikely partners Holland March (Ryan Gosling), a hapless private investigator and Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe), A hired muscle man, they work to solve the case of a missing girl (Margaret Cooley) and the death of a porn star, but eventually uncover a massive conspiracy in the process.Perfectly balancing the humor of the sidekick cop comedy with the captivating development of a typical crime movie, The Good Guys got so much more love than they did when they came out, and in a perfect world, they would have received a sequel.Plus, it’s a prime example of why Ryan Gosling should be in more comedy.
Following the mysterious death of famed crime novelist Harlan Sloane (Christopher Plummer), detective Benoit Blank (Daniel Craig) comes into the picture to place Harlan’s greedy family members on the scene. under a magnifying glass and piece together the crime.Rian Johnson’s modern whodunit has everything from star-studded suits to many gorgeous cable-knit sweaters.We can’t wait for Netflix’s upcoming sequel that’s equally stacked, and Benoit will crack another case with a brand new ensemble.
Based on the iconic board game of the same name, Clue follows a group of six strangers to a dinner party, all of whom become suspects after one of them is murdered.Due to the night’s events leading to an ever-increasing number of people, this film makes sure you’re always on your toes.It’s a silly and thought-provoking murder mystery that includes three different endings.If things couldn’t get better, it would also be the perfect dual feature with Knives Out.
Alfred Hitchcock directed some of the greatest murder mysteries of all time, and 1954′s classic Rear Window is considered his best.A news photographer (James Stewart) sits in a wheelchair with a broken leg, watching his neighbors through a window to pass the time.When he’s convinced he’s witnessed a murder in a nearby apartment, he calls in his girlfriend (played by the stylish Grace Kelly) and his housekeeper to help him find the killer.As expected from a Hitchcock film, Rear Window is gripping, creepy, and full of suspense.
David Fincher is the genius behind some modern murder mysteries, and his string of work in the genre began with 1995′s Se7en.The film stars Brad Pitt as a rookie detective and Morgan Freeman as a retiring homicide detective who is on the hunt for a serial killer targeting seven deadly crimes.It’s a disturbing and creepy crime story that will keep you hooked until the final creepy moment.
Christopher Nolan is certainly no stranger to puzzling films (Interstellar, Tenet), and his sophomore film, Souvenir, marked the beginning of the trend.The innovative plot tells the story of a man, played by Guy Pearce, who sets out to find his wife’s killer.The point is that he has short-term memory loss that prevents him from remembering anything that happened in the first 15 minutes, so he tattoos clues on his body to keep track of them.It’s a great movie told in reverse chronological order, full of shocking twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat.
Long before Kenneth Branagh’s 2017 remake of Murder on the Orient Express, Sidney Lumet’s 1974 remake of Agatha Christie An excellent adaptation of the popular novel of the same name.It centers on detective Hercule Poirot, who is investigating the murder of an American businessman on the Orient Express that he also happens to be on.With the train stopped on the tracks due to a snowstorm, each passenger is considered a suspect until proven otherwise.The film boasts an all-star cast — including Ingrid Bergman, Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Sean Connery and Anthony Perkins — and has been nominated for six Academy Awards and a Berkshire Hathaway German’s victory.
In this Shane Black comedy crime film, Marvel’s former Robert Downey Jr. plays thief Harry Lockhart, who becomes entangled in Hollywood after being mistaken for an actor and having to follow private detective Gay Perry (Val Kilmer) for a role Murder.Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a poignant and entertaining neo-noir that explores the underworld of Hollywood’s seemingly glamorous world.
Based on the real, unsolved murder of a Zodiac killer terrorizing the San Francisco area in the late 1960s, David Fincher’s take on a true crime story is as engaging and detail-oriented as possible.It follows reporters and investigators played by Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo as they get busy tracking down an elusive serial killer after he sends multiple letters to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Horror can also be mysterious!Wes Craven’s 1996 “Scream,” the first of a major franchise, centers on a group of California high school students who are terrorized by a ghost-masked serial killer .This scary and clever movie with meta-reviews doubles as a killer (pun intended) movie and a murder mystery.
If you’re a Downton Abbey fan, you’ll love Gosford Park by Julian Fellowes, the show’s creator.Set in a 1930s English country estate, Robert Altman’s murder mystery revolves around the aristocratic McCordre family and their guests when a body is discovered during a hunting weekend.All of a sudden, every man and woman was thinking of themselves after everyone at the party was thought to have a motive to kill.
Before “Knives Out” took the world by storm, director Rian Johnson debuted with Brick, who also happens to be an equally smart detective.The film follows high school student Brendan Fry (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) as he sets out to find the killer of his ex-girlfriend, Emily.The decision to change the neo-noir genre by setting it up in high school is genius, and Brick is a great entry into Johnson’s work in the murder mystery genre.
Harrison Ford plays Richard Kimble, a doctor wrongly convicted of murdering his wife in this remake of the original 1960s TV series.Naturally, he escapes from prison and sets out to find the real killer and clear his name while avoiding the police and an American Marshall (Tommy Lee Jones) who slowly begins to realize that the man he intends to catch may actually be is innocent.Mid-budget thrillers like The Fugitive are rare these days, so it’s a gem worth checking out.
Tired of Finch movies?His latest murder mystery genre film based on Gillian Flynn’s best-selling novel may not follow the traditional detective novel formula, but it’s certainly full of one big mystery.When Amy Dunn (Rosamond Pike) goes missing, her aimless husband Nick (Ben Affleck) becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance and presumptive murder.Gone Girl is a thrilling tale that explores marriage, love, obsessions, and more, and gives us the iconic, highly-quoted “cool girl” monologue.
A captivating Hitchcock classic, Charade is the perfect blend of murder mystery, romance and comedy.Audrey Hepburn stars as a woman who returns to her Paris home after having an affair with Cary Grant’s charming Peter while on holiday, to discover that her husband has been murdered.Afterwards, she was thrown into the chaos of his financial problems, with several men chasing her.Hepburn and Grant are a match made in heaven, and Charade’s witty and exciting script makes the journey fun.
Stephen Soderbergh’s latest cast stars Zoë Kravitz as a blue-haired phobic tech worker who listens to audio streams from users whose requests aren’t echoed by Alexa-like gadgets. Kimi, the virtual home assistant, understands and tries to resolve communication errors.One day, she hears disturbing footage of a woman and realizes that she (and Kimi) may have witnessed the crime.It’s a modern version of the rear window, putting technology at the forefront of the narrative.While the murder mystery isn’t the heart of the plot, it’s the foundation of a thoughtful exploration of isolation and privacy.
The late great Sidney Poitier stars as Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs, who is involved in a murder investigation in a small Mississippi town and joins forces with Rod Steiger’s stubborn cop The chief forges an unlikely partnership.Winning five Oscars, including best picture, In the Heat of Night is a riveting murder mystery that offers a complex look at racism in 1960s America.
Robert Altman’s 1973 adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s classic novel adds a touch of interest to this murder mystery.Private investigator Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) takes his old friend Terry Lennox (Jim Boughton) for a ride to Mexico, and when he returns, Terry’s wife is already there. died, and Marlowe was involved in the murder.Telled through the lens of post-1970s hippie Los Angeles, The Long Goodbye balances the heavy murder mystery genre with the playfulness that is perfectly captured in the opening sequence of Marlowe buying cat food.
If you’re looking for a silly murder mystery, then Robert Zemeckis’ 1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit is the movie to watch.This dark comedy, a mix of reality and animation, follows private investigator Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) as he investigates a murder at a corrupt cartoon studio and turns to the toon community to help catch the culprit.It perfectly blends the lines between family-friendly and grown-up humor to create a fun movie where all the beloved cartoon characters — from Bugs Bunny to Mickey Mouse — are packed into one movie.