Sure, the popularity of true crime series has become a phenomenon in recent years, but murder mystery movies will always have a place in our hearts. It turns out there could even be a psychological reason we’re drawn to mystery films and crime stories in general: They may serve as a kind of “fairy tale for adults,” where we can experience things that scare us at an arm's length, which in turn helps us to become less afraid of them. Also? Murder mysteries are exciting to watch, leave you guessing until the end, and feature gripping performances, which is why some are among the best films of all time.
The list below features the best murder mystery movies ever made, emphasizing Old Hollywood classics, like the original noirs and horror movies, neo-noirs from the '70s to today, and more recent psychological-thriller additions to the genre. From quirky whodunnits to crime dramas about police investigations and eerie serial killer movies, below find the best murder mystery movies of all time.
Best Classic Murder Mystery Films
'The Big Sleep' (1946)
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Martha Vickers, John Ridgely, and Charles Waldron
The mystery: Private investigator Philip Marlowe (Bogart) is hired by General Sternwood (Waldron) to help fix his daughter, Carmen's (Vickers), gambling debts. Marlowe turns to the general's older daughter, Vivian (Bacall), who reveals that the situation is much more complicated. The film really dives into how a crime is solved. The story has aged well, thanks to literary legend William Faulkner's cowriting on the screenplay.
'Charade' (1963)
Starring: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, James Coburn, and George Kennedy
The mystery: Sometimes deemed "The best Hitchcock movie Hitchcock never made," this is a mystery, comedy, and romance all wrapped into one movie. Never fear, the premise is intensely interesting: A woman's (Hepburn) husband dies unexpectedly and mysterious men come after her too. A handsome stranger (Grant) wants to help...or does he?
'Chinatown' (1974)
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Hillerman, Perry Lopez, Burt Young, and John Huston
The mystery: L.A. private eye J.J. "Jake" Gittes (Nicholson) is hired by Evelyn Mulwray to investigate her husband's suspected infidelity. The case takes a turn when Jake meets the real Mrs. Mulwray (this one played by Dunaway) and finds himself investigating Mr. Mulwray's sudden death. It's a multilayered story about corruption, cruelty, and deception at every level of society. Do be warned, though, that there's sexual violence, and it's an intense story.
'Death on the Nile' (1978)
Starring: Peter Ustinov, Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, David Niven, George Kennedy, and Jack Warden
The mystery: This film has since been remade, but we suggest you catch this original book-to-movie adaptation of this Agatha Christie classic. A woman steals her best friend's husband and ends up dead—only her BFF couldn't possibly have done it. So who did? Mia Farrow (playing the best friend) is quite good in this, channeling the perfect balance of intense and hysterical. But the cast is also packed with unbelievable talent, including a gloriously young Maggie Smith and Angela Lansbury.
'Diabolique' (1955)
Starring: Simone Signoret, Véra Clouzot, Paul Meurisse, and Charles Vanel
The mystery: An inspiration for Psycho, this film starts with two women at their wits' end: One, the wife of an abusive husband, and the other, his mistress. As the two conspire to murder him, the plot goes horribly awry when his body disappears and they become tormented by eerie, seemingly otherworldly hauntings. The true victim, what happened, and why builds to an ending you won't see coming.
'Dial M for Murder' (1954)
Starring: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, Anthony Dawson, and John Williams
The mystery: A man (Milland) plots the perfect murder to get rid of his adulterous wife (Kelly), but is backed into a corner when his wife fights back and kills her assassin (Anthony Dawson) in self-defense. Another Alfred Hitchcock classic, the plot starts twisty and only gets twistier.
'Laura' (1944)
Starring: Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, and Judith Anderson
The mystery: Named one of the top murder mysteries of all time by the AFI, this hauntingly gorgeous noir film centers around the murder of ad exec Laura (Tierney). As the detective (Andrews) gets close to the people in her life, he becomes obsessed with the dead woman's story. The story still holds up over 75 years later.
'The Long Goodbye' (1973)
Starring: Elliott Gould, Sterling Hayden, Nina Van Pallandt, Jim Bouton, and Mark Rydell
The mystery: A private detective (Gould) gives his friend (Hayden) a lift to Mexico, then said friend's wife (Van Pallandt) turns up dead. Then so does the friend. It's a perfect picture of '70s-era L.A., and all the seediness of the city, as the private detective sets out to learn what happened.
'The Maltese Falcon' (1954)
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, and Sydney Greenstreet
The mystery: Detective Sam Spade (Bogart) takes on a case that turns out to be more than he bargained for when his partner ends up murdered. Sam is threatened and told he must find the valuable statue at the center of the crime spree.
'Murder on the Orient Express' (1974)
Starring: Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Rachel Roberts, Richard Widmark, and Michael York
The mystery: The original screen adaptation of The Murder on the Orient Express channels Agatha Christie's vision perfectly. A billionaire is murdered on a trip on a luxurious train while famed detective Hercule Poirot (Finney) happens to be on board. He sets about trying to solve the mystery, with everyone in the car proving to be a suspect.
'North by Northwest' (1959)
Starring: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason
The mystery: If you're a fan of the modern mystery, spy thriller, or adventure film, this Alfred Hitchcock film provides the blueprint for all three. Framed for a murder he didn't commit, mistaken for a criminal, and on the run with a mystery woman, Roger (Grant) must try to simultaneously solve the mystery and not be murdered himself. It's just as twisty and compelling as it sounds—and it's aged well, considering it's over five decades old.
'Psycho' (1960)
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, John Gavin, Vera Miles, and Martin Balsam
The mystery: This horror film is also the ultimate murder mystery, in part because of who the murderer is...(no spoilers, even though you've probably seen that pivotal scene). Alfred Hitchcock's insistence on an unconventional narrative structure shoots the story forward. And he leaves red herrings throughout the film to make the ending feel genuinely surprising, even now.
'Rear Window' (1954)
Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter, and Raymond Burr
The mystery: A newspaper photographer (Stewart) with a broken leg passes the time during his recovery by observing his neighbors through his window. When he witnesses what he believes to be a murder, he goes to work solving the crime himself.
'Rebecca' (1940)
Starring: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, George Sanders, and Gladys Cooper
The mystery: The precursor to his classic murder mysteries, Alfred Hitchcock takes on the (notoriously hard to adapt) mystery book to great effect. It's about a young bride (Fontaine) whose husband's (Olivier) first wife died under mysterious circumstances. Who killed her? And why?
'The Third Man' (1949)
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, Ernst Deutsch, and Paul Hoerbiger
The mystery: Holly Martins (Cotten), an American novelist, moves to postwar Vienna to work for his friend Harry Lime, only to discover that Lime has died. He sets out to discover what happened to Lime, questioning the people in his late friend's life, including his girl Anna (Valli).
Best Murder Mystery Movies With a Twist
'Bad Times at the El Royale' (2018)
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman, and Chris Hemsworth.
The mystery: In 1959, a man arrives at the El Royale, a hotel on the border between California and Nevada, and hides a bag of money beneath the floorboards of one of the rooms—only to be killed immediately after. 10 years later, a group of strangers arrive at the hotel, each with secrets and mysterious motives of their own. Delightfully star-studded and twisty, it's a modern take on a Clue-type story.
'Brick' (2005)
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lukas Haas, Emilie de Ravin, and Nora Zehetner
The mystery: It's a neo-noir starring high schoolers, and an absolute cult classic. Rian Johnson pre-Knives Out takes us into the murder of Emily (de Ravin), and the search to determine what happened to her and why. It's basically like Chinatown but with teenagers.
'The Fugitive' (1993)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward, Joe Pantoliano, Andreas Katsulas, and Jeroen Krabbé
The mystery: Ford plays a doctor who is wrongly convicted of murdering his wife—so, as you do, he escapes and sets out to investigate the crime himself. Jones is the U.S. Marshall who comes after him, reluctantly starting to realize the man he's chasing might be innocent after all. It's not the typical "10 people in a room—figure out who the killer is" story, but the modified format works incredibly well. Having the man convicted of the crime investigate the crime is a brilliant framework, and Ford carries it off perfectly.
'The Girl on the Train' (2016)
Starring: Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Allison Janney, Édgar Ramírez, and Lisa Kudrow
The mystery: Rachel, a woman with an alcohol addiction, aimlessly rides the train to the city from the suburbs every day after losing her job and her marriage. One day Rachel gets off the train and, after a confrontation, wakes up covered in blood and learns that a woman has disappeared. Can she trust her unreliable memory?
'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' (2011)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen, and Joely Richardson
The mystery: A disgraced financial reporter (Craig) and a genius hacker (Mara) team up to investigate a 40-year-old murder case. Fair warning: It gets violent, including sexual violence throughout. But if you've got the stomach for it, this remake and book adaptation from the popular Millennium series by Stieg Larsson channels the depth and horror of the subject matter.
'Memento' (2000)
Starring: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Jorja Fox
The mystery: This film, Christopher Nolan's early smash hit, is most well-known for playing in reverse order. But core to the conceit is the central question: "Who killed Leonard's (Pearce) wife? And will he get revenge?" The stakes matter and the twists are as shocking as they come.
'Memories of Murder' (2003)
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung, Kim Roi-ha, and Song Jae-ho
The mystery: Bong Joon-ho may be best known for his Oscar-winning domestic thriller Parasite, but he’s made some of the best murder mysteries to hail from Korea. Memories of Murder dramatizes the search for the perpetrator responsible for several murders in rural Korea, marking the nation’s first serial killer. The case’s tragedy and the confounding developments unfold may not provide resolve, but it is a masterclass of a crime drama.
'Mystic River' (2003)
Starring: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney
The mystery: The daughter of a former Massachusetts conman (Sean Penn) is murdered, leading him to take matters of the investigation into his own hands. Her death also trudges old wounds, as he suspects one of his childhood friends is involved (Tim Robbins) and another is on the case as a detective (Kevin Bacon). Adapted from Dennis Lehane’s novel of the same name and directed by Clint Eastwood in one of his very best, it’s a dark tale of violence and trauma’s vicious cycles.
'Primal Fear' (1996)
Starring: Richard Gere, Edward Norton, Laura Linney, John Mahoney, Alfre Woodard, and Frances McDormand
The mystery: When the Archbishop of Chicago is murdered, a media-hungry attorney (Gere) takes on the case, defending the alter boy who is the prime suspect in the case. Norton (only 27 at the time and in his film debut) gives a star-making performance as a young man who's more than meets the eye.
'Red Rooms' (2024)
Starring: Juliette Gariépy, Laurie Babin, Elisabeth Locas, and Maxwell McCabe-Lokos
The mystery: A man (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos) is on trial in a highly publicized case for the violent murders of three middle-school-aged girls and heinously publishing footage of their killings online, or in what is known as “red rooms.” Considering his identity is mostly concealed by the videos, most of the evidence is shoddy—making his guilt the obsession of many true crime fans, including a young model/online poker player (Juliette Gariépy) who attends the trial every day. Her unsettling fascination soon expands beyond the courtroom, making this one of the eeriest films about the lengths of the dark web.
'Seven' (1995)
Starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, John C. McGinley, and Kevin Spacey
The mystery: A serial killer starts a Seven Deadly Sins-themed murder spree, and two detectives (Freeman and Pitt) have to try to solve the case before he strikes again. The film's now known for a few key scenes, but the plot's underrated and very tense. Watch out if you're squeamish, though.
'Silence of the Lambs' (1991)
Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and Ted Levine
The mystery: Silence of the Lambs is a bit more of an unconventional murder mystery, considering FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) knows she’s hunting for serial killer Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), and filmmaker Jonathan Demme intersperses her investigation with shots of him and his crimes. It’s how she goes about finding him, however, that makes this one of the best psychological thrillers of all time and the only horror movie in history to win Best Picture. Much of her investigation involves interviewing infamous, cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) and leveraging what information he offers. Prepare to feel all the heeby-jeebies.
'A Simple Favor' (2018)
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Linda Cardellini, Rupert Friend, and Jean Smart
The mystery: Two moms (Kendrick and Lively) become friends, and then one goes missing. The hunt to figure out what's happened (and who the woman really is) begins. No spoilers on who dies—yes, it's included on a murder mystery list for a reason—or why the mystery's so compelling. But trust us on this one: It's actually kind of brilliant. Don't sleep on this one.
'Zodiac' (2007)
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, Charles Fleischer, Zach Grenier, Philip Baker Hall, Elias Koteas, James LeGros, Donal Logue, John Carroll Lynch, Dermot Mulroney, Candy Clark, and Chloë Sevigny.
The mystery: Filmmaker David Fincher's 2007 film took on the still officially unsolved murders of the Zodiac Killer. The film is long and complex but doesn't feel it. If the lack of closure makes you wary of seeing it, don't let that deter you. This film's as riveting as it gets.
Best Comedy Murder Mystery Movies
'Clue' (1985)
Starring: Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, and Lesley Ann Warren
The mystery: This comedy, based on the iconic board game, follows a group of guests at a dinner party who all suspect each other when their host is murdered. It's one of the rare instances in which a game adaptation works, and the original theatrical release had multiple endings distributed randomly to audiences. (The version you'll watch will have all three, one after the other.)
'Fargo' (1996)
Starring: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare, and Harve Presnell
The mystery: What starts as a simple kidnapping ends in murder. We the audience get early insight into who dies and why, but the joy of the movie is Marge frickin' Gunderson (McDormand), who uses her brains and creativity to track down the killers. It's a blacker-than-black comedy, too.
'Gone Girl' (2014)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Carrie Coon, and Tyler Perry
The mystery: A man (Affleck) is the prime suspect in his wife's disappearance and apparent murder, but things are definitely not what they seem. David Fincher really understands what made the book so powerful, and structuring it similarly means multiple jaw-dropping twists throughout the windy story while keeping the pitch-black comedy element intact.
'Gosford Park' (2001)
Starring: Maggie Smith, Ryan Phillippe, Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Camilla Rutherford, Charles Dance, Tom Hollander, and Bob Balaban
The mystery: The McCordle family, a group of 1930s aristocrats, and their guests converge on an English country estate for a hunting weekend. When one of the group. When the body of the patriarch, Sir William McCordle (Gambon), is found and secrets are revealed, it turns out most of the guests have a motive to kill.
'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' (2005)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, and Corbin Bernsen
The mystery: Harry Lockhart (Downey Jr.) is a thief who gets mistaken for an actor. He's subsequently thrown into the glamorous, murder-y world of Hollywood, complete with a mystery involving his childhood crush. Director Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Iron Man 3) somehow manages to make all of that funny and heralded the triumphant return of Downey Jr. as one of the best actors of our time.
'Knives Out' (2019)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Christopher Plummer, and Katherine Langford
The mystery: Harlan Thrombey (Plummer), a famous author and aging patriarch of a needy, pissed-off family, dies by suicide. Or does he? Detective Benoit Blanc (Craig) is hired to investigate—but everyone in this family has a motive. As the story unwinds, the plot takes an unusual turn that pays off. This is a terrific example of a modern spin on the classic genre. Director Rian Johnson really gets the murder mystery.
'The Nice Guys' (2016)
Starring: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Margaret Qualley, Keith David, and Kim Basinger
The mystery: Remember how we mentioned our love for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang? Shane Black came back with another witty, highly quotable '70s-era mystery. Two detectives (Crowe and Gosling), who initially can't stand each other, must team up to investigate a suspicious death by suicide—and find a vast, city-wide conspiracy instead. An homage to L.A. Confidential, both Crowe and Basinger are back in the genre and clearly enjoying themselves. The real treat, though, is watching Crowe and Gosling try to out-banter each other as the twists keep coming.
'Scream' (1996)
Starring: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich, and Drew Barrymore
The mystery: This classic '90s movie is a meta-slasher film combined with a whodunit that asks, "Who's the terrifying Ghostface?" Besides, that iconic first scene with Barrymore is one of the finest bait-and-switches in movie history and the perfect setup for what follows.
'See How They Run' (2022)
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, Ruth Wilson, Reece Shearsmith, Harris Dickinson, Charlie Cooper, David Oyelowo, Tim Key, and Shirley Henderson
The mystery: While many of the films on this list are adaptations of Agatha Christie classics, this 2022 comedic whodunit takes a somewhat meta approach to the Queen of Crime’s work, with a string of murders occurring around a production of Christie’s long-running play The Mousetrap. Rockwell and Ronan make for a great mismatched detective duo tasked with tracking down the murderer. Their climactic confrontation with said criminal occurs in a comedy of errors that just so happens to take place at the home of Christie herself (played by Henderson). You’ll find no spoilers here: Paying homage to the original stage play, Rockwell closes the film by swearing the audience to secrecy about the identity of the killer.
'Sherlock Holmes' (2009)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, and Eddie Marsan
The mystery: Sherlock Holmes is the original detective, and some of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories are the best whodunits. Many films have been made about the super-sleuth, but this one (directed by Guy Ritchie) gives it a much-needed shot of adrenaline. Ritualistic killings are going on in London, and it seems like the culprit's obvious. Then shit gets weird, and more bodies start piling up.
'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' (1988)
Starring: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Charles Fleischer, Stubby Kaye, and Joanna Cassidy
The mystery: Not every murder mystery has to be super-serious. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a family-friendly take on classic noirs. In it, a detective works to find out, well, who framed Roger Rabbit—and who really committed the murder the cartoon is accused of. The effects have aged a little, but the story's still a memorable one.
