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.
25 ‘Identity’ (2003)
Directed by James Mangold
A classic murder mystery premise with the tone and style of a psychological horror thriller, James Mangold‘s Identity sees a group of 10 strangers finding themselves stranded in a desert motel during a raging thunderstorm. The group soon finds their numbers slowly dwindling as a deranged murderer takes them down one by one, making it only a matter of time before the travelers begin turning on one another in search of the true identity of the killer.
Identity wears its parallels and inspirations from classic whodunit mysteries like And Then There Were None on its shoulder while finding a way to set itself apart with its implementation of modern horror movie tropes. The unexpected combination adds much more stakes and terror to the murder mystery at hand, staying engaging throughout and keeping audiences at the edge of their seats. While aspects of the filmmaking are certainly dated and emblematic of the trends of early 2000s filmmaking, it’s still an effective murder mystery that stands out from other films in the genre.
24 ‘Non-Stop’ (2014)
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra
While Liam Neeson‘s modern career is most often defined by his style of man vs the world action films, Non-Stop takes a varied approach to this style of filmmaking by placing him at the center of a murder mystery whodunit. The film sees Neeson as Bill Marks, a burned-out Air Marshal who on a routine trip receives an ominous message demanding $150 million, or else a passenger on the plane dies every 20 minutes. Bill is forced to read between the lines and figure out who on the plane is responsible before the dastardly body count continues to rise.
While murder mystery and action are genres that rarely interact with one another, Non-Stop finds an effective balance between the two that doesn’t prevent either aspect from delivering its full value. It certainly has the same style of hardened Liam Neeson action that was popular in the 2010s, with the whodunit premise further adding to the overall mystery and unpredictability of it all, allowing for exciting twists against conventions. The action helps the film stand out among other murder mysteries while the murder mystery helps the film greatly stand out among Neeson’s action filmography.
23 ‘Werewolves Within’ (2021)
Directed by Josh Ruben
Adapted from a virtual reality game version of the classic social deduction game, Werewolves Within follows a newly-arrived forest ranger as he attempts to keep the peace in a small town during a massive snowstorm. With nearly all the small town’s residents stuck in an old lodge, it doesn’t take long before a mysterious and terrifying werewolf begins picking them off one by one. It soon becomes up to the sheriff to not only keep the townspeople safe from the werewolf, but to also solve the identity of this killer fantasy creature.
While the original video game the film was based on was largely forgettable and underwhelming at best, Werewolves Within is a hilarious horror comedy thrill ride that takes full advantage of the original video game. Its wide cast of hilarious and memorable supporting characters, combined with the honest and rootable leading performance from Sam Richardson, immediately makes the film an underrated gem in the horror comedy space.
22 ‘Vengeance’ (2022)
Directed by B.J. Novak
Directed, written by, and starring B.J. Novak, Vengeance sees Novak as Ben Manalowitz, a journalist and podcaster who is looking for a genuine and hard-hitting story to break into the industry. He soon finds himself the unexpected story of a lifetime as he travels from safe and comfortable New York City to West Texas to investigate the death of a girl that he previously hooked up with. While logging and recording his investigation for a murder mystery podcast, he quickly gets a better sense of the community and begins to have second thoughts about his motives.
Especially considering the massive explosion and popularity of true crime podcasts in the digital era, it’s a shock that it took as long as it did for a film to truly understand and examine the ethical conundrum of the industry. Vengeance perfectly balances Novak’s style of humor with its genuine and effective messaging and themes surrounding the ethics and conundrums of his own story. The murder mystery at the center of it all is also highly engaging, with multiple brilliant layers revealed throughout the story to make it much more complex than simply finding the killer.
Watch on Starz
21 ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ (2022)
Directed by Halina Reijn
A wildly hilarious and unpredictable whodunnit and Gen Z satire, Bodies Bodies Bodies follows a group of young 20-somethings as they get trapped in a remote mansion during a hurricane. After a murder mystery party game goes wrong, a dead body on the premise quickly transforms their friend group against each other, with each one of them quick to blame one another for the murder. As the night continues and more bodies begin to pop up, it becomes a mad dash to figure out the culprit behind the murders.
Bodies Bodies Bodies fully embraces its satirical and comedic angle as a complete takedown of the privileged, rich kids of the digital era. The murder mystery at the center of it all, while deeply hilarious in its own right when fully revealed, only acts as the catalyst for all of these hilarious characters and archetypes to go at each other’s throats. Rachel Sennott especially gives an instantly iconic performance that steals the show as the comedic highlight in an already hilarious film.
20 ‘Gosford Park’ (2001)
Directed by Robert Altman
One of the last great films from the late legendary director Robert Altman, Gosford Park follows a large group of pretentious high-class guests at a luxurious weekend at a hunting resort in 1930s England. However, after a dastardly murder occurs, nearly all of the eclectic and interesting characters at the party become suspects, as they attempt to figure out the true identity of the killer as well as their dastardly motive.
It’s a shame that Gosford Park isn’t talked about nearly as much as Altman’s other masterpieces since it is chock-full of the same signature humor and wide-casting satirical lens. Gosford Park features a lot of the same strengths as Glass Onion, being a hilarious takedown of the rich while also featuring a gargantuan and highly memorable supporting cast of characters. Even if the film itself is mostly forgotten, it still has a surprisingly powerful legacy, as even the massively popular Downton Abbey was originally a spinoff of Gosford Park.
Rent on Apple TV
19 ‘The Kid Detective’ (2020)
Directed by Evan Morgan
The Kid Detective follows the story of Adam Brody‘s Abe Applebaum who is a former kid-detective who used to be celebrated in his community for solving quirky, trivial mysteries. However, after being forced to solve a horrific real mystery of a missing young girl, he failed to solve the case and ended up falling into a pit of self-pity. Now, as a 31-year-old, a naive young teenage girl enters his offices and gives him a chance at redemption, asking him to find out who murdered her boyfriend.
The Kid Detective is a great, dark comedy twist on classic kid detective stories like Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown, fully encapsulated in Brody’s terrific and self-deprecating performance. Even outside its ingenious premise, the core mystery and dynamic between Brody and co-star Sophie Nélisse make for a viewing experience that is as equally hilarious as it is engaging and unpredictable. It’s easily one of the most underrated murder mystery movies in recent memory, acting as a wholly original spin on the genre as a whole.
Watch on Starz
18 ‘The Pink Panther’ (2006)
Directed by 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 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.
17 ‘Murder Mystery’ (2019)
Directed by 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.
16 ‘Death on the Nile’ (2022)
Directed by 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.
15 ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ (2017)
Directed by 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.
Rent on Amazon
14 ‘See How They Run’ (2022)
Directed by 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.
13 ‘Fletch’ (1985)
Directed by 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.
12 ‘A Haunting in Venice’ (2023)
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
The third and currently final film in Branagh’s Hercule Poirot trilogy of whodunit, A Haunting in Venice takes a supernatural horror twist on a classic Poirot murder mystery. The film follows a now-retired Poirot living in a self-imposed exile in Venice, where he reluctantly attends a Halloween seance at a mysterious, supposedly haunted palazzo. However, after one of the guests is murdered, Poirot cannot help but spring back into action to find the terrifying truth behind the murder, whether someone at the party was responsible or if it truly was a spirit from beyond.
A Haunting in Venice does the most work to stand out compared to Branagh’s other Poirot films, with the flair and tone of a horror film going to great lengths to let Branagh experiment from a filmmaking angle. It has a sense of style and energy that greatly elevates the film compared to the previous outings, not only making for a more exciting and enthralling experience, but simply having more to say about Poirot as a character and his relation to solving mysteries.
11 ‘Bad Times at the El Royale’ (2018)
Directed by 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.
10 ‘The Wolf of Snow Hollow’ (2020)
Directed by Jim Cummings
Folk legends like werewolves have always been synonymous with murder mysteries, with The Wolf of Snow Hollow using the iconic werewolf murder mystery as the jumping-off point for its hilarious commentary on power and self-destruction. The film follows stressed-out police officer John Marshall (Jim Cummings) as he finds himself at the center of a town-wide nightmare as numerous bodies continue to appear after each full moon. Believing there to be a real werewolf affecting the town, John finds himself deeply dedicated to putting a stop to the murders, even at the cost of everyone else around him.
The best type of murder mystery films are the ones that are as much about the people affected by the murders as it is about the murders themselves, with the story and crumbling of John Marshall making for an exceptional parallel to the murders at hand. Cummings finds the perfect balance between dark comedy, gripping mystery, and compelling dramatic characters to make a truly exceptional winter horror-comedy experience. It plays out similarly to a Coen Brothers film like Fargo with its usage of darker comedy as a tool for the greater story and themes at hand.
9 ‘Clue’ (1985)
Directed by 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.
8 ‘The Nice Guys’ (2016)
Directed by 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.
7 ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ (2023)
Directed by Justine Triet
One of the most critically acclaimed and beloved court procedural films in recent memory, Anatomy of a Fall destroys the very notions and structure of murder mystery films with its brilliant flipping of focus and attention. The film follows a court trial surrounding the death of a man who fell from his attic window, but the discovery that he could have been pushed out of the window places suspicion upon his wife, Sandra. The only witness to the incident is the duo’s blind son, who faces a painful moral dilemma as he proves to be a pivotal part of finding the truth.
Anatomy of a Fall is a deeply inspiring and unique take on a murder mystery film, thanks greatly in part to its understanding that the actual death and murder itself is the least interesting part of the film. The film gets much more mileage out of placing a focus upon the impact and pain that comes as a result of this trial, with destructive truths and painful recollections of the past bringing out the worst of an already painful situation. It has one of the most poignant and powerful endings of a mystery film to date, with Anatomy of a Fall‘s final scenes going against conventions with its lack of a true answer to its mystery, yet still amplified by meaning and impact.Watch on Hulu
6 ‘Scream’ (1996)
Directed by 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, and is still a fan-favorite pick for the spooky season thanks to how rewatchabl it is.
