TimeOut's 40 Best Murder Mysteries

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It’s safe to say that the murder-mystery is back. After decades of being woefully out of fashion, the classic whodunnit has returned to cultural prominence, thanks in large part to the leftfield success of 2019’s Knives Out and its even bigger follow-up, Glass Onion. Now, it seems like you can’t look through a magnifying glass without seeing a dead body that’s turned up under suspicious circumstances, either in cinemas (the recent remakes of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile) or on television (Only Murders in the Building, Poker Face).

It’s a welcome return for many reasons. For one thing, murder-mystery movies are one of cinema’s foundational genres, and having them back in style has a way of reconnecting viewers with film history. Also, in the age of streaming, when most of us struggle to pay full attention to whatever’s on television while doomscrolling on Twitter, movies that force us to engage, follow clues and essentially become a participation serve as an ideal antidote to distracted viewing. With a renaissance now in full swing, we felt it was time to round up some of the genre’s classics, along with its hidden gems. Here are 40 of the best.

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  1. 1 new

    The Hound of the Baskervilles

    1959, in 1 top list Check
  2. 2 new

    Salinui chueok

    2003 — a.k.a. Memories of Murder, in 17 top lists Check
  3. 3 new

    Rear Window

    1954, in 31 top lists Check
  4. 4 new

    Cure

    1997 — a.k.a. The Cure, in 7 top lists Check
  5. 5 new

    Laura

    1944, in 21 top lists Check
  6. 6 new

    Zodiac

    2007, in 14 top lists Check
  7. 7 new

    The Fallen Idol

    1948, in 10 top lists Check
  8. 8 new

    The Thin Man

    1934, in 14 top lists Check
  9. 9 new

    Knives Out

    2019, in 4 top lists
    Check
  10. 10 new

    Murder She Said

    1961, in 0 top lists Check
  11. 11 new

    Farewell, My Lovely

    1975, in 2 top lists Check
  12. 12 new

    Fargo

    1996, in 27 top lists Check
  13. 13 new

    Memento

    2000, in 27 top lists Check
  14. 14 new

    Murder by Decree

    1979, in 0 top lists Check
  15. 15 new

    Clue

    1985, in 2 top lists Check
  16. 16 new

    Death on the Nile

    1978, in 0 top lists Check
  17. 17 new

    Se7en

    1995, in 29 top lists Check
  18. 18 new

    Young Sherlock Holmes

    1985, in 0 top lists Check
  19. 19 new

    Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse

    1933 — a.k.a. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, in 13 top lists Check
  20. 20 new

    Brick

    2005, in 8 top lists Check
  21. 21 new

    The Nice Guys

    2016, in 1 top list Check
  22. 22 new

    The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

    1939, in 0 top lists Check
  23. 23 new

    The Last of Sheila

    1973, in 1 top list Check
  24. 24 new

    Without a Clue

    1988 — a.k.a. Sherlock and Me, in 0 top lists Check
  25. 25 new

    Gosford Park

    2001, in 6 top lists Check
  26. 26 new

    Mystic River

    2003, in 7 top lists Check
  27. 27 new

    Crossfire

    1947, in 7 top lists Check
  28. 28 new

    The Great Mouse Detective

    1986, in 1 top list Check
  29. 29 new

    A Shot in the Dark

    1964, in 2 top lists Check
  30. 30 new

    Sleuth

    1972, in 4 top lists Check
  31. 31 new

    D.O.A.

    1949, in 5 top lists Check
  32. 32 new

    Detective Byomkesh Bakshy

    2015, in 0 top lists Check
  33. 33 new

    Blow Out

    1981, in 8 top lists Check
  34. 34 new

    Sapphire

    1959, in 3 top lists Check
  35. 35 new

    And Then There Were None

    1945, in 2 top lists Check
  36. 36 new

    Missing

    1982, in 5 top lists Check
  37. 37 new

    The Long Goodbye

    1973, in 15 top lists Check
  38. 38 new

    Green for Danger

    1946, in 4 top lists Check
  39. 39 new

    The Canary Murder Case

    1929, in 0 top lists Check
  40. 40 new

    Electra Glide in Blue

    1973, in 2 top lists Check
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Last updated on Jun 17, 2023 by Tasselfoot; source