Whether it's a classic case of whodunit or a heist gone wrong, mystery movies have reigned as a favorite among film fans for decades. The rise of pulp fiction and detective novels in the 1930s by authors such as Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler led to the birth of the mystery film genre along with numerous subgenres, including film noir, psychological thrillers, and the police procedural.
The American Film Institute has been dedicated to honoring the heritage and art of motion pictures and celebrating monumental films for over fifty years. The American Film Institute is a credited source known for its exclusive lists of stars and films ranging from the Golden Age of Hollywood to today's current titles. From The Usual Suspects to the psychological murder mystery, Vertigo, these are the 10 best mystery movies of all time, according to the AFI.
10 'The Usual Suspects' (1995)
After a massive fire on a ship docked in Los Angeles, petty criminal Roger "Verbal" Kint (Kevin Spacey) is the only survivor of the massacre. He cooperates with police, recalling the events that led him and his partners to the boat and the mysterious crime lord known as Keyser Söze, who Verbal claims was the brains behind the whole operation.
The Usual Suspects is a slow-burning neo-noir widely known for its iconic finale and brilliant cast, consisting of Benicio del Toro, Chazz Palminteri, Gabriel Bryne, Kevin Pollack, and Stephen Baldwin. The story and the film's main action unfold through a series of detailed flashbacks and has been described as a cross between the classic film noir, Double Indemnity, and Akira Kurosawa's 1950 movie, Rashomon.
9 'Dial M for Murder' (1954)
A former tennis pro, Tony Wendice (Ray Milland), discovers that his wife, Margot (Grace Kelly), has been having an affair, and to collect her inheritance, he plans to have her murdered. He blackmails a former acquaintance into doing the job. He meticulously orchestrates every detail of the crime, but when Margot survives the attack, Wendice must quickly find a way to cover his tracks and keep the police from discovering the truth.
Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder has an intricate and in-depth ruse and a star-studded cast, making it one of the best mystery movies ever. While Milland and Kelly are the stars, actor John Williams, who plays Chief Inspector Hubbard, undoubtedly steals the movie as he keeps his cards close before revealing his winning hand at the final moment in the most fitting fashion.
8 'Blue Velvet' (1986)
When college student Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) discovers a severed ear in a vacant field, he teams up with a detective's daughter, Sandy (Laura Dern), to solve the mystery. They follow the clues to a lounge singer (Isabella Rossellini) who might be connected to the crime. As Jeffrey becomes more drawn to the beautiful woman, he enters a dark world where he meets a sinister, impulsive gangster named Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper).
Blue Velvet is an eccentric mystery written and directed by David Lynch and was also named one of the best movies of the year by film critic Gene Siskel. The movie earned Lynch his second Oscar nomination for Best Director. It was praised for the stunning performances by Rossellini and Hopper, who push the traditional boundaries of their craft in this disturbing but thrilling mystery.
7 'North by Northwest' (1959)
When New York executive Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is mistaken for an agent with the U.S. government, he's chased across the country by a group of unknown henchmen. He crosses paths with a young woman (Eva Marie Saint) who joins Thornhill on his journey, and as they try to clear the misunderstanding, Thornhill realizes he's just a pawn in someone else's game.
Hitchcock's classic mystery and espionage drama, North By Northwest, is noted for its ground-breaking action sequences and its major influence on the spy genre. It was the first film Hitchcock made with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and the third collaboration between Grant and Hitchcock, who originally wanted James Stewart, but he felt that Grant's boyish humor and charm would provide a bit of comic relief to the film's intensity.
6 'The Maltese Falcon' (1941)
When a troubled young woman (Mary Astor) hires private eye Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) to locate her missing sister, Spade's investigation leads him to several suspicious characters who are all in search of a priceless statue known as the Maltese Falcon. As Spade gets in over his head in the criminal underworld, he realizes that the only way to save himself is to find the statue before the others do.
John Huston made his directorial debut with the noir classic, The Maltese Falcon, which consists of an exceptional cast of stars led by Bogart, who the American Film Institute also named as the greatest screen legend of his time. Bogart and Huston led to them collaborating on several classic movies, including The Treasure of Sierra Madre, Key Largo, and The African Queen, starring legendary actress Katharine Hepburn.
5 'The Third Man' (1949)
Writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) arrives at the home of his childhood friend, Harry Lime (Orson Welles), in Austria only to discover that Lime's dead. When Martins learns that an unknown third man was present at the time of his friend's death, he believes there's a conspiracy going on. He conducts his own investigation while trying to steer clear of authorities who zero in on him as a potential suspect.
The Third Man is a British mystery and film noir that features frequent co-stars and longtime friends, Cotten and Welles, who appeared together in Welles' masterpiece, Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons. The movie is noted for its excessive use of Dutch angle shots, a unique musical score composed by Anton Karas, and expressionist cinematography by Robert Krasker, who won the film's only Academy Award for Best Black and White Cinematography.
4 'Laura' (1944)
New York City detective Mark McPhearson (Dana Andrews) is assigned to investigate the murder of a young executive, Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney), who was gunned down in her home. As McPhearson talks to Laura's friends, including her cad fiancé (Vincent Price) and her trusted mentor, Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb), the detective finds himself under Laura's spell and starts to fall in love with her.
Otto Preminger's Laura is an exceptional film noir with an arbitrary twist that ultimately sets it apart from other murder mysteries. While both Andrews and Tierney are flawless, Webb delivers a complex and unpredictable character performance that rightfully earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
3 'Rear Window' (1954)
Hitchcock's classic psychological thriller Rear Window features photographer Jeff (James Stewart) confined to his apartment in a wheelchair during a heatwave. He spies on his various neighbors through his courtyard-facing unit to pass the time. He gets to know the other tenants' lives and daily routines, but his harmless hobby turns sinister when he suspects a murder in the building.
Stewart stars alongside Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, and Raymond Burr. Compared to other mystery movies, Rear Window consists of binocular shots transporting audiences into Stewart's apartment as fellow accomplices in his investigation. The Master of Suspense enhances the film's intensity with numerous binocular shots that give audiences Stewart's same point of view, making it feel like they're fellow accomplices in his investigation.
2 'Chinatown' (1974)
Evelyn Mulwray hires Los Angeles private detective Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) to investigate her husband's activities. While he expects it to be just another case of infidelity, he realizes the investigation is anything but routine when he meets the real Mrs. Mulwray (Faye Dunaway). When Mr. Mulwray winds up dead, Gittes is tangled in a web of corruption and deception that reveals dark family secrets.
Nicholson stars in Roman Polanski's neo-noir film Chinatown, which earned over ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor, and went on to win for Best Original Screenplay.
1 'Vertigo' (1958)
Former San Francisco detective, John "Scottie" Ferguson (Stewart), is hired as a private eye by an acquaintance to follow his wife, Madeline (Kim Novak), who has been acting rather strange lately. As he starts to follow her every move, he struggles with his own personal demons that lead to his unplanned retirement and a growing obsession over the mysterious Madeline.
The American Film Institute named Hitchcock's classic film, Vertigo the best mystery film o the ninth-greatest American movie ever made. When the film was originally released, it earned mixed reviews specifically commenting on the film's slow pace and extensive length but was still hailed as a film that showcased the mastery style and vision of Hitchcock.