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

the pink panther image steve martin
Image via Columbia Pictures

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.

Watch on Showtime

14 'Murder Mystery' (2019)

Director: Kyle Newacheck

Audrey and Nick from Murder Mystery standing shocked
Image via Netflix

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
PG-13
Release Date
May 25, 2019
Director
Kyle Newacheck
Cast
Adam Sandler , Jennifer Aniston , Luke Evans , Terence Stamp , Gemma Arterton , David Walliams
Runtime
97

Watch on Netflix

13 'Death on the Nile' (2022)

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Gal Gadot as Linnet walking into a club wearing a gray dress in Death on the Nile

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
Runtime
126

Watch on Hulu

12 'Murder on the Orient Express' (2017)

Director: Kenneth Branagh

murder-on-the-orient-express
Image Via 20th Century Fox

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
PG-13
Release Date
November 3, 2017
Director
Kenneth Branagh
Runtime
114

Watch on Hulu

11 'See How They Run' (2022)

Director: Tom George

Sam Rockwell and Saiorse Ronan looking for clues in See How They Run
Image via Searchlight Pictures

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
PG-13
Release Date
September 16, 2022
Director
Tom George
Cast
Sam Rockwell , Saoirse Ronan , Adrien Brody , Ruth Wilson , Reece Shearsmith
Runtime
98 minutes

Watch on Max

10 'Fletch' (1985)

Director: Michael Ritchie

Chevy Chase as Fletch

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
PG
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

Rent on Apple TV

9 'Bad Times at the El Royale' (2018)

Director: Drew Goddard

The cult leader in Bad Times at the El Royale

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
R

Release Date
October 4, 2018
Director
Drew Goddard
Runtime
141

Watch on Amazon Prime

8 'Clue' (1985)

Director: Jonathan Lynn

A man in a brown suit aims a pistol at a man in a black suit as a woman in a blue dress stands between them
Image via Paramount Pictures

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
PG
Release Date
December 13, 1985
Director
Jonathan Lynn
Cast
Eileen Brennan , Tim Curry , Madeline Kahn , Christopher Lloyd
Runtime
94 minutes

Watch on Amazon Prime

7 'The Nice Guys' (2016)

Director: Shane Black

 Holland and Jackson looking in the same direction in The Nice Guys.
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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
R

Release Date
May 15, 2016
Director
Shane Black
Cast
Russell Crowe , Ryan Gosling , Angourie Rice , Matthew Bomer , Margaret Qualley , Yaya DaCosta
Runtime
116

Watch on Netflix

6 'Scream' (1996)

Director: Wes Craven

Jamie Kennedy giving a lecture in Scream
Image Via Miramax

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
R

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

Watch on Max

5 'Sherlock Holmes' (2009)

Director: Guy Ritchie

Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and John Watson (Jude Law) inspecting a pocket watch while walking down a busy dock Sherlock Holmes

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
PG-13
Release Date
January 1, 2009
Director
Guy Ritchie
Cast
Robert Downey Jr. , Jude Law , Rachel McAdams , Mark Strong , Eddie Marsan , Robert Maillet
Runtime
128

Rent on Apple TV

4 'Memories of Murder' (2003)

Director: Bong Joon-ho

Song Kang-ho and Kim Sang Kyung looking at the camera in Memories of Murder
Image via CJ Entertainment

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
NONE

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

Rent on Apple TV

3 'Gone Girl' (2014)

Director: David Fincher

Rothman-Gone-Girl1

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
R

Release Date
October 3, 2014
Director
David Fincher
Runtime
149 minutes

Watch on Max

2 'Rear Window' (1954)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Jeff Jefferies using a camera to look at something off-camera in Rear Window.

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
PG

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

Rent on Apple TV

1 'Knives Out' (2019)

Director: Rian Johnson

Daniel Craig sitting in a chair in front of a wheel of knives

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
PG-13
Release Date
November 27, 2019
Director
Rian Johnson
Runtime
130 minutes

Watch on Pluto

NEXT: The Best Whodunits Of The 21st Century