Marie Claire's 42 Murder Mystery Movies That Will Satisfy Your Inner Detective
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We're living in a golden age of true crime content, from documentaries to podcasts to TV shows and books. Which means, no surprise, that the murder mystery film is also seeing a resurgence in popularity. The classic genre has had some major standouts over the last several decades, and the typical whodunit setup—several people in a house, one dies, a detective has to solve the crime—has expanded to include truly unique settings and stories. That's a good thing: It means that a lot of these mysteries can play with form and framing while still giving you a perfect twist ending. There are horror films, action movies, and dramas on this list (not to mention a couple comedies!). From Alfred Hitchcock to the Coen brothers to David Fincher to Rian Johnson, some of the best directors in history have tried their hand at this iconic genre. The one thing these movies have in common? A killer mystery—pun absolutely intended.
What's also great is that fictional whodunits can satisfy your crime-solving, clue-finding itch without the sad (and, if we're being honest, somewhat problematic) true-life aspects of those true crime shows you love. Here are 42 murder mystery movies that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. No major spoilers lie ahead for any of these mind-bending films, particularly the whodunit part. But if you don't want to know ANYTHING about the plot, go watch before you read.
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42 new
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
1988, in 16 top lists Check -
41 new
Primal Fear
1996, in 0 top lists Check -
40 new
The Maltese Falcon
1941, in 27 top lists Check -
39 new
Dial M for Murder
1954, in 9 top lists Check -
38 new
Gone Girl
2014, in 12 top lists Check -
37 new
Les diaboliques
1955 — a.k.a. Diabolique, in 21 top lists Check -
36 new
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2011, in 1 top list Check -
35 new
Rear Window
1954, in 31 top lists Check -
34 new
Mystic River
2003, in 7 top lists Check -
33 new
Zodiac
2007, in 14 top lists Check -
32 new
The Big Sleep
1946, in 22 top lists Check -
31 new
Clue
1985, in 2 top lists Check -
30 new
Psycho
1960, in 39 top lists Check -
29 new
Murder on the Orient Express
1974, in 1 top list Check -
28 new
A Simple Favor
2018, in 0 top lists -
27 new
Laura
1944, in 21 top lists Check -
26 new
The Fugitive
1993, in 8 top lists Check -
25 new
Sherlock Holmes
2009, in 3 top lists Check -
24 new
Chinatown
1974, in 31 top lists Check -
23 new
The Usual Suspects
1995, in 24 top lists Check -
22 new
Happy Death Day
2017, in 1 top list -
21 new
Charade
1963, in 5 top lists Check -
20 new
The Nice Guys
2016, in 1 top list Check -
19 new
North by Northwest
1959, in 30 top lists Check -
18 new
L.A. Confidential
1997, in 27 top lists Check -
17 new
Fargo
1996, in 27 top lists Check -
16 new
Game Night
2018, in 0 top lists -
15 new
The Long Goodbye
1973, in 15 top lists Check -
14 new
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
2005, in 4 top lists Check -
13 new
Us
2019, in 7 top lists -
12 new
Death on the Nile
1978, in 0 top lists Check -
11 new
Scream
1996, in 8 top lists Check -
10 new
Rebecca
1940, in 23 top lists Check -
9 new
Get Out
2017, in 16 top lists Check -
8 new
Knives Out
2019, in 4 top lists -
7 new
Dark Places
2015, in 0 top lists Check -
6 new
Memento
2000, in 27 top lists Check -
5 new
The Girl on the Train
2016, in 0 top lists Check -
4 new
The Lovebirds
2020, in 0 top lists -
3 new
Brick
2005, in 8 top lists Check -
2 new
Bad Times at the El Royale
2018, in 0 top lists -
1 new
Se7en
1995, in 29 top lists Check
Last updated on May 15, 2021; source