Rian Johnson has made a name for himself as the director who is bringing back the whodunit. As of late, there haven't been many murder mysteries that have been entertaining, but Knives Out became something truly special. When the first film was released, it became a force because of how many people went to go watch it and then recommended it to others.
Following another murder mystery movie with a brand-new cast for the sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, fans rejoiced to learn about the already-confirmed Knives Out 3. There have been plenty of murder mysteries (and movies like Glass Onion) over the years that have shown the brilliant minds of the detectives, while also poking fun at how plans have been executed. These great murder mystery films showcase the complexity and thrill that come with these movies.
15 'The Pink Panther' (2006)
Director: Shawn Levy
Like any other remake or revival, people were apprehensive about this version of The Pink Panther. After audiences saw how incredibly funny Steve Martin looked as Inspector Jacques Clouseau and how obscure his accent was, this easily became one of the most memorable comedies of the early 2000s. It follows the events following a French soccer coach's death and the mysterious missing ring with a Pink Panther diamond on it.
Even though it sounds simple, the way The Pink Panther's is executed makes for a very engaging murder mystery with some hilarious moments. Director Shawn Levy brought a wonderful cast together, and they all bring their own comedic background which just adds to the film as a whole.
14 'Murder Mystery' (2019)
Director: Kyle Newacheck
When a New York cop and his wife go on a European vacation to reinvigorate the spark in their marriage, they end up getting framed, and they're on the run for the death of an elderly billionaire. This fun Netflix original film brings Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston back together again in this funny murder mystery that also brings back slapstick comedy.
The script written by James Vanderbilt makes for one of the good murder mystery movies as an American cop uses his instincts and training to become a detective in his own right, but there's a certain disconnect. This is what makes the mystery so fun to solve and the humor pretty sharp, especially between Aniston and Sandler. There are many people involved in Murder Mystery, and it becomes pure chaos in order to find out who the murderer is.
Murder Mystery
- Release Date
- May 25, 2019
- Director
- Kyle Newacheck
- Cast
- Adam Sandler , Jennifer Aniston , Luke Evans , Terence Stamp , Gemma Arterton , David Walliams
- Runtime
- 97
13 'Death on the Nile' (2022)
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Death on the Nile is a star-studded mystery thriller based on the eponymous 1937 novel by Agatha Christie. Directed, co-produced by, and starring Kenneth Branagh as the fictional detective Hercule Poirot, the sequel to 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express follows Poirot as he investigates the murder of the wealthy heiress Linnet Doyle (Gal Gadot) during her honeymoon.
The film focuses on Poirot's winding journey as he interrogates the passengers and crew on board the cruise ship, S.S. Karnak. Things get murky when he realizes that several of them have clear motives to murder the victim, but one hides the darkest secret of them all. While it's undoubtedly a flawed adaptation of the classic novel and a weak follow-up to the first film, fans of the genre will likely still enjoy its twists and turns.
Death on the Nile
- Release Date
- February 9, 2022
- Director
- Kenneth Branagh
- Cast
- Kenneth Branagh , Armie Hammer , Gal Gadot , Letitia Wright , Rose Leslie , Emma Mackey
- Runtime
- 126
12 'Murder on the Orient Express' (2017)
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Another film that adapts one of Agatha Christie's acclaimed novels, Murder on the Orient Express takes place on the titular train, on which the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) happens to be on when a passenger is murdered. The detective embarks on the tedious quest of interrogating the passengers on board the train, most of whom have their own shady pasts and shocking motives.
What Murder on the Orient Express lacks in suspense, it more than makes up for with stellar performances from its talented cast members, which include Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Daisy Ridley. It's a fun whodunit that doesn't take itself too seriously, and audiences looking for a great recent example of the genre can start with this.
Murder on the Orient Express
- Release Date
- November 3, 2017
- Director
- Kenneth Branagh
- Cast
- Johnny Depp , Daisy Ridley , Michelle Pfeiffer , Penelope Cruz , Josh Gad , Kenneth Branagh
- Runtime
- 114
11 'See How They Run' (2022)
Director: Tom George
Thanks to Rian Johnson and Sir Kenneth Branagh, the brilliant mind of Agatha Christie is reworked and brought to the big screen with a fun cast of characters in See How They Run. In 1950s London, plans for a movie version of a smash-hit play come to an abrupt halt after a pivotal member of the crew is murdered. When a world-weary inspector and an eager rookie constable take on the case, they find themselves thrown into a puzzling whodunit.
This underrated whodunit has many layers to it and See How They Run's twist is placed in a different spot than audiences are used to. The reveal is incredibly well done and stays true to the story within a story narrative that is being presented as the play is being reworked into a movie.
See How They Run
- Release Date
- September 16, 2022
- Director
- Tom George
- Cast
- Sam Rockwell , Saoirse Ronan , Adrien Brody , Ruth Wilson , Reece Shearsmith
- Runtime
- 98 minutes
10 'Fletch' (1985)
Director: Michael Ritchie
In Fletch, investigative reporter Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher (Chevy Chase) might drive his editor (Richard Libertini) up the wall, but he always produces great pieces for the newspaper. When his next story is about the drug trade taking place on the beach, Fletch goes undercover as a homeless man. Unaware of Fletch's true identity, businessman Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson) offers Fletch $50,000 to kill him.
It is considered a novel story about what happens on the receiving end as an investigator, and it's interesting to watch Fletch battle with the idea. It's a darker comedy, but the mystery of Alan Stanwyk is compelling enough to make this a fun blend of crime and comedy.
Fletch
- Release Date
- May 31, 1985
- Director
- Michael Ritchie
- Cast
- Chevy Chase , Joe Don Baker , Dana Wheeler-Nicholson , Richard Libertini , Tim Matheson , M. Emmet Walsh
- Runtime
- 98
9 'Bad Times at the El Royale' (2018)
Director: Drew Goddard
In order for a murder mystery to work, it needs to have a dynamic cast, and Bad Times at the El Royale has an unconventional one with some standout performances. The El Royale is a run-down hotel that sits on the border between California and Nevada. It soon becomes a seedy battleground when seven strangers – a cleric, a soul singer, a traveling salesman, two sisters, the manager, and the mysterious Billy Lee (Chris Hemsworth) – converge on a fateful night for one last shot at redemption before everything goes wrong.
First and foremost, this film is written and directed by Drew Goddard, so not only is the story compelling with rich dialogue and intriguing characters, but it's also visually stunning thanks to director of photography Seamus McGarvey. Each character has their moment to shine as their stories begin to interweave leaving the audience to question all of them and why they've all come to the same place.
Bad Times at the El Royale
- Release Date
- October 4, 2018
- Director
- Drew Goddard
- Cast
- Chris Hemsworth , Dakota Johnson , Jon Hamm , Jeff Bridges , Nick Offerman , Katharine Isabelle
- Runtime
- 141
8 'Clue' (1985)
Director: Jonathan Lynn
Clue is an American black comedy based on the board game of the same name, and is directed by Jonathan Lynn, who also collaborated on the script with John Landis. There are six blackmail victims who are invited to an isolated mansion by a man who knows a dark secret from each of their pasts. On arrival, each is given a pseudonym drawn from Cluedo before being introduced to the blackmailer.
Each is handed a weapon, at which point the lights are switched off and the blackmailer is killed. Clue is a classic whodunit that truly adapts the best aspects of the game and that's why the concept is well-done. It has a wonderful cast who overplay their characters and make it campy and fun.
Clue
- Release Date
- December 13, 1985
- Director
- Jonathan Lynn
- Cast
- Eileen Brennan , Tim Curry , Madeline Kahn , Christopher Lloyd
- Runtime
- 94 minutes
7 'The Nice Guys' (2016)
Director: Shane Black
If you ever wanted to watch Ryan Gosling's best performance, The Nice Guys is the movie to see. In this adventurous murder mystery directed by Shane Black, Holland March (Gosling) is a down-on-his-luck private eye in 1977 Los Angeles. Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) is a hired enforcer who hurts people for a living.
Fate turns them into unlikely partners after a young woman named Amelia (Margaret Qualley) mysteriously disappears. The script was well-written and highlighted what happened to many young women vying to become the next starlet when adult films were all the rage.
The Nice Guys
- Release Date
- May 15, 2016
- Director
- Shane Black
- Cast
- Russell Crowe , Ryan Gosling , Angourie Rice , Matthew Bomer , Margaret Qualley , Yaya DaCosta
- Runtime
- 116
6 'Scream' (1996)
Director: Wes Craven
Even though Scream is in the horror genre, Wes Craven expertly blends genre conventions to make a unique murder mystery. There are many layers to Scream, and it is one of the best murder mysteries, especially once you know who the killer is.
A year after the murder of her other, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is terrorized by a new killer, who targets the girl and her friends by using horror films as part of a deadly game. It has become a classic horror film that many others reference because of how it changed the genre.
Scream
A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
- Release Date
- December 20, 1996
- Director
- Wes Craven
- Cast
- Drew Barrymore , Neve Campbell , Skeet Ulrich , Matthew Lillard , Jamie Kennedy , Rose McGowan
- Runtime
- 111 minutes
5 'Sherlock Holmes' (2009)
Director: Guy Ritchie
Apart from being Iron Man in the same year, Robert Downey Jr. also played Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie's adaptation. In this film, there is a string of brutal murders that terrorize London, and it doesn't take long for Holmes and Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) to investigate. The suspect in question was Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) – who plays an incredible villain – as he is a devotee of the dark arts and has a bigger scheme in mind.
The game is naturally afoot once Blackwood rises from the grave, plunging Holmes and Watson into the world of the occult. Any iteration of Sherlock Holmes has been incredible because of the way writers and directors meticulously execute the investigation of the murder. They get into his mind for it to be broken down visually for audiences to understand his thought process.
Sherlock Holmes
- Release Date
- January 1, 2009
- Director
- Guy Ritchie
- Cast
- Robert Downey Jr. , Jude Law , Rachel McAdams , Mark Strong , Eddie Marsan , Robert Maillet
- Runtime
- 128
4 'Memories of Murder' (2003)
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Before Parasite, director Bong Joon-ho gave audiences powerful social commentary through the black comedy crime film, Memories of Murder. Based on a true story, the film is centered on detectives Park Doo-man (Song Kang-ho) and Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung), who are investigating mysterious murders in a rural part of the country. Things spiral out of control as the pressure to solve these cases rises, and the detectives soon begin to question established methods.
Memories of Murder's intense yet darkly comedic atmosphere perfectly complements its hard-hitting commentary on inequality (a common theme in the director's works), police violence, and class struggles. It also manages to raise questions about the justice system in an impactful and memorable way.
Memories of Murder
In a small Korean province in 1986, two detectives struggle with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.
- Release Date
- May 2, 2003
- Director
- Bong Joon-ho
- Cast
- Kang-ho Song , Sang-kyung Kim , Roe-ha Kim , Jae-ho Song , Hie-bong Byeon , Seo-hie Ko
- Runtime
- 129
3 'Gone Girl' (2014)
Director: David Fincher
A movie about a missing person that turns into a murder mystery film that turns into a mind-bending story full of lies, Gone Girl is a twisty psychological thriller that takes viewers on a wild ride. Directed by David Fincher and written by Gillian Flynn based on her eponymous 2012 novel, the film is centered on the bizarre disappearance of Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike), with the clues soon pointing to the prime suspect, her husband Nick (Ben Affleck).
The award-winning movie has a huge plot twist that most fans of the genre may know by now, but those who have never seen or heard of it should go into this viewing experience knowing as little as possible. It's an exhilarating and genuinely unpredictable film that's worth seeing at least once.
Gone Girl
- Release Date
- October 3, 2014
- Director
- David Fincher
- Cast
- Ben Affleck , Rosamund Pike , Neil Patrick Harris , Tyler Perry , Carrie Coon , Kim Dickens
- Runtime
- 149 minutes
2 'Rear Window' (1954)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window is one of the great classics of the mystery genre. It follows L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart), the protagonist forced to stay in his apartment because of an injury. To avoid inevitable feelings of boredom, he picks up the camera and starts spying on his neighbors across the courtyard. Before he realizes what he's watching one day, one of his neighbors has seemingly committed murder right before his eyes.
A timeless rewatchable classic by Hitchcock that's still just as entertaining today, audiences can expect to feel just as trapped and desperate as the main character as he grapples with what to do about the murder mystery. More than this, the renowned film is known for its then-groundbreaking message about voyeurism, and the twisty, suspenseful, and innovative way it delivers this to viewers.
Rear Window
A photographer in a wheelchair spies on his neighbors from his Greenwich Village courtyard apartment window, and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder, despite the skepticism of his fashion-model girlfriend.
- Release Date
- September 1, 1954
- Director
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Cast
- James Stewart , Grace Kelly , Wendell Corey , Thelma Ritter , Raymond Burr
- Runtime
- 112 minutes
1 'Knives Out' (2019)
Director: Rian Johnson
Writer-director Rian Johnson revived the genre in 2019 with the cinematic masterpiece Knives Out. It is the definition of a crowd-pleaser, and he even got nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. It takes a very special mind to reinvent the whodunit, but Johnson had a key player that the others did not, and that is Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc. This has Benoit Blanc investigating the death of Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) as his combative family all become suspects in his murder.
Once the murderer is revealed, it comes as such a shock because of how obvious the red herring was. But Johnson made all the pieces fit a certain way, so the anticipation would build, and the twist in the middle made an impact. This film made Chris Evans an incredibly fun supporting actor and Ana de Armas a star.
Knives Out
- Release Date
- November 27, 2019
- Director
- Rian Johnson
- Cast
- Toni Collette , Ana De Armas , Chris Evans , Katherine Langford , Jaeden Martell , Edi Patterson , Daniel Craig
- Runtime
- 130 minutes