Are you looking for some murder mystery movies to add to your movie night watch list? You’re lucky because this article will help you find what you’re looking for. In this article, we will list the 19 best murder mystery movies you can enjoy with your family and friends.
1. Happy Death Day (2017)
English 1h 36m IMDb
Director: Christopher Landon
Stars: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine
The first movie on our list is Happy Death Day, a movie released five years ago. It narrates the story of Tree Gelbman, who is stuck on a time loop of her birthday, the day she was murdered. She has to figure out who killed her to be free from the time loop. Will she be able to set herself free from it?
Happy Death Day is a light start to your murder mystery movie marathon since it involves romance and comedy. You can enjoy watching it without too much of a scare, but finding the lead’s killer will thrill you.
2. Gone Girl (2014)
English 2h 29m IMDb
Director: David Fincher
Stars: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris
Gone Girl is the next movie on our list. It’s a film that shows a caricature of modern relationships where a couple pretends to be as perfect as they can be even though they are really far from it.
The movie is centered on Nick Dunne, a concerned husband. He reports his wife’s disappearance on their fifth wedding anniversary. He becomes the main suspect behind it all, so watch as he tries to clear out any negative image the media has of him.
This film is so cynical and unsettling that every scene will leave you hanging for more.
3. A Simple Favor (2018)
English 1h 57m IMDb
Director: Paul Feig
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding
Do you want something light but still with a hint of mystery and crime? A Simple Favor is a film that you should go for. It’s a comedy thriller movie with crime and mystery for the perfect combination.
The movie follows the story of Stephanie Smothers, a widowed mother, played by Anna Kendrick. She befriends an upper class who has a son in the same grade as hers. Everything goes haywire when her friend suddenly goes missing, which Stephanie tries to investigate.
This film shows the excellent craft of mixing two completely different genres to create a movie worth watching.
4. Vertigo (1958)
English 2h 8m IMDb
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Stars: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes
Over here, we have one of the oldest movies on the list with Vertigo. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, this movie was bound to be as successful as his other films, and it did not disappoint.
The story focuses on John ‘Scottie’ Ferguson, a San Francisco Police Department detective, who becomes obsessed with two females. Throughout the movie, Scottie’s story will make you anticipate the next scene more than the one before.
This movie is such a timeless classic that you won’t be able to forget it after watching it. The superb acting, detailed scenes and complicated storyline makes this movie a masterpiece.
5. Se7en (1995)
English 2h 7m IMDb
Director:
David Fincher
Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey
Considered one of the most fantastic murder mystery movies of all time, Se7en depicts the story of two detectives who hunt desperately for a serial killer. The criminal described the Seven Deadly Sins as his murder’s motives.
These two detectives, played by Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, cannot be more different in their approach, but that is what makes the beauty of their hunt.
All the actors in this film have perfectly portrayed their characters to the point that you’ll be hooked with every scene. A movie with such horror of a killer truly makes it more interesting.
6. Dial M for Murder (1954)
English 1h 45m IMDb
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Stars: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings
The next movie on our list is undeniably the oldest movie on the list. Dial M for Murder is a murder mystery movie released in 1954 starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, and Robert Cummings. The film’s storyline starts with the wife having an affair with a writer while her husband is at a tennis tournament.
The husband retires early to focus on his wife but not long after finding out about the affair. He blackmails a college friend to murder his wife, and nothing goes according to plan. This magnificent murder mystery is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpieces.
7. Mystic River (2003)
English 2h 18m IMDb 
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon
Mystic River is a Clint Eastwood murder mystery film that is worth watching in every aspect. The movie revolves around the story of three childhood friends, Dave Boyle, Jimmy Markum, and Sean Devine.
Dave was abducted as a child, but he managed to escape. Years later, Jimmy’s daughter was murdered, and Dave became a prime suspect. At the same time, Sean investigates the case as a homicide detective.
If that alone has irked your interest, we suggest you watch the whole film to find the answers. The three main actors played their roles so well that you’ll get hooked on the story.
8. Primal Fear (1996)
English 2h 9m IMDb
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Stars: Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Edward Norton
Here at number eight, we have the 1996 film Primal Fear. The movie shows how an altar boy becomes a prime suspect in the death of a priest while a hot-shot lawyer takes his defense.
The lawyer believes that this altar boy is as innocent as he can. Still, things start to turn when the boy takes a psychological exam to show his other identity.
Edward Norton played a great deal while portraying the young boy’s character, as this was his debut in the motion picture. The thrill of guessing the answer to all the questions will keep you interested.
9. The Fugitive (1993)
English 2h 10m IMDb
Director: Andrew Davis
Stars: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward
If you’re looking for a movie that will make your heart race with thrill, consider watching the 1993 film The Fugitive. Starring Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble, this movie was a huge hit and considered a classic in murder mysteries.
It revolves around the story of this established surgeon who learns that his wife was brutally murdered in their own home. He becomes the prime suspect, but after being sentenced unjustly, he manages to escape as he tries to investigate for himself and find the true killer behind his wife’s murder.
10. Murder Mystery (2019)
English 1h 37m IMDb
Director: Kyle Newacheck
Stars: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Luke Evans
Another comedy- murder mystery movie on our list is a Netflix original movie entitled ‘Murder Mystery.’ ‘Starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, these two amazing actors play the roles of a married couple hoping to bring back the spark in their marriage by going on a European trip.
All hell breaks loose on them as they are chased after the police for a murder they did not commit.
Have a laugh and play detectives with Sandler and Aniston as you go through the movie, finding out who the real murderer is. Murder mystery can help you start off movie night on a lighter note.
11. Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
English (United Kingdom) 2h 8m IMDb
Director: Sidney Lumet
Stars: Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman
Murder on the Orient Express is one of the best classics when it comes to murder mystery movies. Adapted from Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel with the same title, this movie depicts the story of Hercule Poirot, a famed Belgian detective who rode the Orient Express in December 1935 from Istanbul to London.
As the train was delayed due to some circumstances, a murder was discovered in one of the staterooms.
Poirot starts his investigation where almost all of the first-class passengers have a motive for the murder. The characters’ acting adds excitement and complication to the film’s story.
12. Tell No One (2006)
French (France) 2h 11m IMDb
Director: Guillaume Canet
Stars: François Cluzet, Marie-Josée Croze, André Dussollier
Are you looking for a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat with every scene? We recommend that you watch the 2006 film Tell No One. This movie is centered on the life of Dr. Alexandre Beck, a pediatrician who lost her wife to a tragic murder.
It all starts when the police find two more bodies near the area where her wife’s body was found eight years ago, and Beck becomes a prime suspect. Things just got crazier when he received an e-mail that contained a video of her wife, alive and a few years older.
13. Scream (1996)
English 1h 51m IMDb
Director: Wes Craven
Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette
Considered one of the best teen slasher movies of the 90s, Scream is a movie you must watch if you want a thriller murder mystery.
It revolves around Sidney Prescott and her group of friends who have been receiving mysterious phone calls from a serial killer. There is always the same question throughout the calls, “What’s your favorite scary movie?”.
Join Sidney and her friends as they try to find out what the serial killer wants from them. Up to this date, there are five movies in the Scream franchise, with the most recent one released in 2022.
14. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
English 1h 58m IMDb
Director: Jonathan Demme
Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Lawrence A. Bonney
If you’re a big fan of FBI movies and searching for serial killers, then The Silence of the Lambs should be enough to satisfy you. The film centers on Clarice Starlingwho is played by Jodie Foster. She is an FBI trainee assigned to question a certain Dr. Hannibal Lecter.
This person is known to be a cannibalistic serial killer, and she was tasked to do so to figure out how to find out who the recent serial killer is who’s been skinning his victims.
If you’re not afraid of some gore and maybe some blood, you’ll probably enjoy this movie more than others.
15. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
English 2h 38m IMDb
Director: David Fincher
Stars: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer
Another murder mystery movie derived from a book is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Released in 2011, this film dives into the story of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander as they try to find answers to a person’s disappearance more than 40 years ago.
Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara portrayed their characters very well, and their chemistry was off the charts, making the movie a hundred times better. Mix that with David Fincher’s directing, and you’ll get a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. This movie does not disappoint Stieg Larsson’s books.
16. Last Night in Soho (2021)
English (United Kingdom) 1h 56m IMDb
Director: Edgar Wright
Stars: Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith
For people who are big fans of the 60s, Last Night in Soho is a great movie choice for you. This murder mystery film focuses on Eloise, an up-and-rising fashion designer.
She magically can travel back to the 60s and experience life back then. There she meets Sandie, a wannabe singer who was murdered eventually. They try to find the answers and figure out who murdered Sandie in this psychological horror.
Last Night in Soho is a visually pleasing movie with great production and casting but not much build-up into the ending.
17. Haunted Mansion (2003)
English 1h 39m IMDb
Director: Rob Minkoff
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Marsha Thomason, Jennifer Tilly
Haunted Mansion, in a sense, is a murder mystery movie that involves finding the truth about the haunting that surrounds a specific mansion. The movie starts when Jim and Sara Evers get a call from a certain Edward Gracey, who wants to sell his estate.
Feeling like this would be the big break in their realtor lives, they bring their two children to the mansion. They don’t know that the estate has a dark history that’s trying hard to remain buried. This movie is considered a comedy family movie that you can enjoy with your children.
18. Zodiac (2007)
English 2h 37m IMDb
Director: David Fincher
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo
If you want a movie based on true crime, you might want to look at Zodiac. This movie was released in 2007 and starred Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., and Mark Ruffalo, to name a few. It is a fictionalized story-telling of the Zodiac case from the 1970s.
What makes this movie really interesting is not only the fact that the three main characters are based on real people. These detectives handled the original case but perfectly expressed the frustration of trying to solve an issue with little information.
19. The Night Clerk (2020)
English 1h 30m IMDb
Director: Michael Cristofer
Stars: Tye Sheridan, Ana de Armas, Helen Hunt
The last movie on our list is a more recent film, The Night Clerk. The story centers on Bart Bromley, a hotel night clerk on the autism spectrum. A murder in one of the rooms in the hotel puts Bart as the prime suspect.
After making a romantic connection with one of the guests, Bart tries to figure out who the serial killer is before his partner becomes the next target.
The Night Clerk will undoubtedly keep you guessing throughout the movie with no chances of ever figuring out the correct answer because of all the twists.
Summary
By this point in the article, you should already have some movies picked out for murder mystery movie night. Get ready to be intrigued and thrilled as you review the 19 best murder mystery movies. Don’t forget to share this article with your friends to give them some ideas for their marathons.
