Brain exercises should occur often. What better way to work your brain than watching murder mystery movies? The best movies will have you playing detective, twisting your thinking cap, attempting to stay one step ahead of the filmmaker’s breadcrumb trail.
If you fancy yourself a cinema sleuther, there’s few genres as titillating as murder mysteries. The format seems to turn most thrillers on their head. From the age of black-and-white film noirs to modern hits like Knives Out, the murder mystery canon is cunning, inventive and entertaining.And, lucky for you, we’ve done some digging to track down the best murder mystery movies to keep you on your toes and the edge of your seat.
Bad Times at the El Royale
A thief on the run stumbles upon an audition for a role as a detective in an upcoming film—and gets mistaken for an actor. The lines resemble his reality a little too closely and the thief nails the delivery. To prepare him for the role, the casting directors pair him up with a private detective. Antics ensue!
A bounty hunter and a wanted fugitive are dashing through a blizzard in post-Civil War Wyoming when they encounter another bounty hunter and a man who identifies himself as a sheriff. Seeking refuge from the winter storm, they find shelter and meet four other travelers… but not everyone seems like they can be trusted.
It doesn’t take much investigating into Rear Window’s IMDb to understand that this film is a classic. Direct by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Hollywood heavyweights James Stewart and Gene Kelly, Rear Window provides a masterclass on psychological thrillers. Stewart stars as a newspaper photographer who believes he’s witnessed a murder while spying on his neighbors through his window. Confined to his apartment after an injury, he must get to the bottom of things using the only vantage point he has.
A relationship on the rocks is forced to go on the run after the couple, played by Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani, happen to witness a murder. Determined to clear their name after being potentially framed, the duo’s detective skills, and communication skills, are put to the test.
A murder mystery that opens with Audrey Hepburn having a love affair with Cary Grant in Aspen before returning home to Paris—can you say glamorous? Well, the glitz stops a bit there as she soon returns home to find her husband dead and herself embroiled in the consequences of his stolen wealth. Charade offers a perfect combination of thrills and rom-com, as well as another stellar soundtrack from renowned composer Henry Mancini.
Director Rian Johnson and his all-star ensemble cast (Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Daniel Craig) revive the Agatha Christie-style murder mystery in this whodunit about a wealthy family whose crime novelist patriarch has suspiciously died. It’s a delightful, winding story combining elements of Succession and Clue, where millions of dollars are at stake and everyone is a suspect.
A murder mystery party quickly turns real when its host, Brooks (Kyle Chandler), is kidnapped. Max (Jason Bateman), Annie (Rachel McAdams), and their friends must follow the clues to save Brooks before it’s too late, embarking on a wild adventure that involves underground fight clubs, Fabergé eggs, and their creepy neighbor, Gary (Jesse Plemons).
Part Groundhog Day time loop, part mystery thriller, Blumhouse hit Happy Death Day is an inventive twist on the classic genre. After a masked killer murders her on her birthday, college student Tree must relive the day again and again until she can find the identity of her killer and save her life.
Based on Gillian Flynn’s bestselling novel, Gone Girl is the kind of film that leaves you utterly stunned once it’s over. Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, a college professor and writer whose seemingly-perfect marriage with his beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), begins to unravel when Amy mysteriously disappears. Nick quickly becomes a suspect, and as perspectives shift throughout the narrative, you won’t know what to believe. It’s a dark and thrilling tale about love, respect, sex, violence, and modern American marriage.
The original film in Wes Craven’s iconic 1990s slasher franchise, Scream follows a high school girl, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), and her friends as a masked killer terrorizes their small California town. Clever dialogue and frequent meta-references make Scream more than your garden-variety bloody slasher film. Even dedicated students of the horror movie genre will find themselves falling prey to jump scares and speculation over who could be hiding beneath the ghostface mask.
Robert Altman’s 1973 take on the Raymond Chandler classic mystery novel is a total Los Angeles ‘stoner-noir’ trip. Private investigator Philip Marlowe does a favor for a friend and finds himself entangled in an intertwining web of suspicious deaths. Featuring a jazzy soundtrack, naked yogi-hippie neighbors, a finicky orange cat, and an early uncredited Arnold Schwarzenegger cameo The Long Goodbye is a worthy addition to your watchlist.
Long before Knives Out, Rian Johnson tried his hand at neo-noir in the 2005 cult classic Brick, starring a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt as high school student-turned-detective Brendan. After a troubling call with his terrified ex-girlfriend Emily, Brendan follows a trail of strange clues throughout his suburban California neighborhood to get to the bottom of Emily’s case.
Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman star as detectives following the twisted trail of a serial killer who targets his victims based on the seven deadly sins. Featuring Pitt in one of his most iconic roles as the short-fused rookie detective, Se7en is a dark, brutal, and exciting crime tale.
Shane Black’s neo-noir comedy thriller follows struggling private investigator Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and hired muscle Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) as unlikely partners working together on the case of a missing girl (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s Margaret Qualley) and the death of a porn star. As everyone involved in the case is killed off one by one, March and Healy realize they may be in over their heads.
Based on the board game, this 1985 black comedy follows a group of seven strangers who become suspects after one of them is murdered. As the body count rises, you’re invited to play the game and figure out just who’s responsible—Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick? The film features three different endings, just to keep you on your toes.
Set in 1950s Los Angeles, L.A. Confidential is a neo-noir about three police officers (Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, and Kevin Spacey) whose investigation of a series of murders unravels into a mysterious web of corruption and lies. It all makes for an award-winning film about corrupt cops, the Hollywood scene, and the crime hidden beneath the surface of sunny California.
Frances McDormand gives an Oscar-winning performance as a pregnant Minnesota cop hot on the trail of two murderers in this classic Coen brothers dark comedy. If you don’t immediately think of Fargo when you see a woodchipper or hear “You betcha,” you should give it a watch right now. With its strong cast (Steve Buscemi, William H. Macy) and icy white backdrop, Fargo is an apt movie to cozy up to.
Is Ted Cruz the Zodiac killer? Maybe. This film doesn’t address it. Nonetheless, director David Fincher’s 2007 film is a gripping take on the story of the infamous serial killer who terrorized San Francisco in the late 1960s and ’70s, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., and Mark Ruffalo.
The 1941 film noir stars Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, a private investigator who takes on a case after his partner is murdered. From the dangerous and beautiful femme fatale (Mary Astor) to the a valuable falcon statuette at the center of the mystery, The Maltese Falcon is a Hollywood classic well worth a watch.
Murder on the Orient Express
In this award-winning adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel, Detective Hercule Poirot is on a journey home when a wealthy American businessman is murdered aboard his train. Halted on the track by a snowstorm with an unknown killer hiding aboard in plain sight, every eclectic passenger is a suspect and Poirot must solve the mystery.
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Daniel Craig is Mikael Blomkvist, a financial journalist with his career on the rocks in this psychological thriller. Along with the help of a young computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander (Roony Mara) he is tasked with solving the murder of a wealthy girl who went missing 40 years prior. Her uncle believes the murder was made by a member of the family and seeks Mikael’s help to finally get some answers.
Based on the stories of the fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes is as pure of a murder mystery as they come. In the first of the trilogy starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, Sherlock Holmes is determined to find who is behind a string of murders in 19th century London. Soon after the genius detective and his partner Watson find the killer, they begin to realize that there is so much more at play here than they thought.
Emily Blunt stars in this thriller about Rachel Watson, a recent divorcee who watches the life of a seemingly perfect couple from the train every day on her way to work. One day, after witnessing something shocking, she becomes caught up in a missing person investigation.
In this psychological thriller directed by Martin Scorsese U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner (Mark Ruffalo) find themselves at Ashecliffe Hospital, an institution for the criminally insane. They are there to investigate the death of a patient, but soon find themselves wrapped up in so much more.
Based on the 1938 Gothic novel by Daphne du Maurier, this story follows a young newlywed who arrives at her husband’s estate only to find that though the legacy of his late wife, Rebecca, is still very much alive and in charge. As she tries to emerge from Rebecca’s shadow, the details surrounding Rebecca’s mysterious accidental death begin to take center stage.
Following the same premise as the new Netflix show of the same name, this 20111 movie stars Matthew McConaughey as Mick Haller, a charming defense attorney who runs his practice from the back of his Lincoln Town Car. When Mick is tagged with defending a the son of a wealthy Beverly Hills business woman in an attempted murder case. He soon finds that this case isa lot more complicated than he had expected. This film also features a star studded cast that includes: Ryan Phillipe, Marisa Tomei, William H Macy, Bryan Cranston and more.
In the latest adaptation of the classic Agatha Christie Novel and sequel to Murder On The orient Express, Hercule Poirot is a Belgian detective just trying to finally enjoy a a well-deserved vacation in Egypt. However, after bumping into an old friend, he ends up swept up in a murder mystery case involving love, betrayal, jealousy and a whole lot of glamour.
If what you’re looking for is a murder mystery mixed in with some goofy comedic relief, look no further. This 2006 film stars Steve Martin as inspector Clouseau, an idiot French detective who is determined to find the murderer of a famous soccer coach as well as the missing Pink Panther diamond. If that hasn’t all sold you, it also features Beyoncé.
In this film, Amy Adams is Dr. Anna Fox, an agoraphobic woman who keeps herself busy by spying on her new neighbors. Dr. Fox ends up witnessing a horrible crime that sends her into a spiral. As the story develops, more secrets arise and nothing appears just as it seems.
This psychological thriller based on the 1957 novel of the same name, Ben Affleck is once again playing a sulky husband with a complicated wife and a messed up marriage (see: Gone Girl). This story deals is of Vic and Melinda Van Allen, a married couple with their share of problems. The couple have an arrangement where Vic allows Melinda to have as many affairs as she likes, so long as she does not turn to divorce. When her lovers start turning up dead, Vic becomes murder suspect no. 1. But, did he do it?
Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler play a goofy married couple in this mystery comedy. The couple take a European holiday to reignite a spark back in their marriage, but they soon find themselves involved in the murder investigation of a billionaire.
The politics of race plays center stage in this horror-mystery starring Daniel Kaluuya. Kaluuya plays Chris, a black man who travels to upstate New York to spend the weekend with his white girlfriend and her family. Nervous about her parents’ reactions to their interracial relationship, Chris feels uneasy during his time. But, he later finds that his instincts are correct as he uncovers a sinister plot beyond his imaginations.
When the fabulous friend of a widowed single mother goes missing, she chooses to take on the investigation herself. Throughout the process, she is met with startling details about her friend’s life that causes her to question if she ever really knew her at all.
This film is inspired by the infamous unsolved case of The Black Dahlia and adapted from the novel of the same name by James Ellroy. Two cops in the 1940s work to solve the mysterious case, finding themselves obsessing over it and developing stronger ties to it.
In this Hitchcock classic, starring James Stuart, Grace Kelly and more, a news reporter who is confined to a wheelchair due to breaking his leg spends his time recovering at home. While idle he begins to watch his neighbors through his window and in time, he is convinced he has witnessed a murder.
In this comedic adaption of the Sherlock Holmes tale, Sherlock Holmes and his trusty partner Watson are entrusted with investigating a murder at Buckingham Palace. After encountering several twists and surprises, can the duo keep the Queen from becoming the next victim?
Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant star in this 1963 romantic mystery movie about a married woman who falls for a stranger while on a ski trip and returns home to find her husband murdered. She then finds herself target to several men who seek the fortune her husband had stolen from them. This Hitchcock classic is often described as some of his best work.
Following Get Out as the second ever movie written and directed by Jordan Peele, Us is quite the experience. The film follows a family of four who are attacked by mysterious strangers on their trip. Soon enough, they discover that the strangers carry an uncanny resemblance to them.
In this late 80s flick, Cher stars across Dennis Quaid as Kathleen Riley, a public defender tasked with representing a homeless man, Carl Wayne Anderson (Liam Neeson), who has been accused of murdering a Supreme Court judge. Believing her client to be innocent, Kathleen must then must figure out just who the real killer is in the hopes of keeping him out of jail.
Sure, you’ve heard of Sherlock Holmes, but have you ever heard of his teen sister Enola? If not, you should probably educate yourself. Millie Bobby Brown plays the teen sleuth who works to solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance while evading her genius detective of a brother through the streets of London.
Anna Grace Lee
Anna Grace Lee is an editorial fellow at Esquire, where she covers pop culture, music, and entertainment.
Ammal Hassan
Ammal Hassan is a writer and Esquire’s Snapchat Editor.
Chantal Vaca
Chantal Vaca is a writer living in New York City.
