When it’s dark and cold outside, one of the best things to do is to watch murder mystery movies. Discover from the list of suspense thrillers to awaken that your inner detective.
Remember the satisfying feeling of achievement you get when you find out who’s been taking the last cookie from the jar or the last scoop of ice cream from the freezer? Yeah, me neither. I’m almost always the culprit. Or am I? Maybe I was set up to finish the last dash of ice cream so that we could go buy a new one. Could it possibly be that the last cookie never belonged in the jar in the first place? The suspense.
Either way both treats killed my hunger and got away with it.
Another thing that leaves me hungry is a gory, sophisticated and unsolved crime. One in which the detective is bewildered while finding clues to lead him to a culprit who knows better than to leave any trails, but the killer’s wit is never up to par with the detective’s determination.
A classic murder mystery movie is what I’m talking about. One that will keep you tormented with intrigue throughout the whole movie. Top it off with a tinge of action and a sprinkle of horror and you have yourself the perfect murder mystery movie to watch when it’s dark out.
Related: 10 Psychological Thriller Movies on Netflix That Will Keep You Spellbound
Here Are 15+ Suspenseful Murder Mystery Movies To Watch
1. Fargo (1996)
Jerry Lundegaard, a car salesman in Minneapolis who has become so indebted that he hires two thugs to abduct his own wife. Jerry will collect the ransom from her affluent father, giving a portion to the goons and keeping the remaining to cover his debts. When the thugs shoot a state trooper, problems arise.
2. The Girl on the Train (2016)
Rachel Watson sees a perfectly ideal pair, Scott and Megan, through the window of her train on a daily basis. One day, Watson watches something horrific happen in the strangers’ backyard. She informs authorities of what she believes she witnessed after discovering that Megan is now missing and presumed dead. Unsure of her recollections she begins her own investigation
3. Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
The El Royale is a run-down hotel on the border between California and Nevada. When seven strangers — a preacher, a soul singer, a salesman, two sisters, the manager, and the enigmatic Billy Lee — meet on a tragic night for one final chance at atonement before everything goes wrong, it quickly turns into a nasty battleground.
4. Primal Fear (1996)
Martin Vail, a defense attorney, takes on cases for money or status rather than for the good of people. His most recent case concerns an altar boy accused of brutally killing Chicago’s archbishop. Vail is pitted against his ex-pupil and ex-lover, but as the case proceeds and the Church’s dark secrets are uncovered, Vail discovers that what looked to be a straightforward case has taken on a deeper, more deadly tone.
5. Gone Girl (2014)
Former New York writer Nick Dunne and his wife Amy paint an image of a happy marriage for the rest of the world to see. When Amy goes missing on their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick is the prime suspect. Resulting in the scrutiny of the police and media buzz, shattering Dunne’s image, calling their happy marriage into question and instilling questions about their true identities.
6. The Usual Suspects (1995)
During a standard police line-up, five criminals meet. Following their release, they decide to carry out a high-risk crime involving multi-million dollars and valuable emeralds.
7. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)
A journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, hires computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to uncover the mystery of a lady who has been missing for forty years. The two discover mysterious events that have happened in the past.
8. Mystic River (2003)
Jimmy Marcus an ex-con’s daughter is murdered, two of his childhood neighborhood friends are suspected. Dave, a blue-collar worker, was the last person to see her alive, and Sean, a homicide investigator, who is in charge of the investigation. While Sean conducts his inquiry, Jimmy conducts his own using neighborhood connections. Eventually, suspects Dave is the perpetrator and contemplates enforcing the law himself.
9. Zodiac (2007)
Fear pervades in San Francisco around the late 1960s and early 1970s as a serial killer known as the Zodiac killer pursues people. Investigators and reporters get preoccupied with figuring out who the culprit. Meanwhile, Zodiac continues to claim victims and challenges police with cryptic letters, codes, and frightening phone calls.
10. Seven (1995)
When detective William Somerset takes on one last investigation before retiring with the help of newly transferred David Mills, they uncover a series of complex and gruesome murders. They quickly learn they are dealing with a serial killer who is hunting out people who he believes represents one of the seven deadly sins.
11. A Simple Favor (2018)
Stephanie, a vlogger in Connecticut who is a widowed single mother. Emily, her best friend, appears to have everything: a good career, a happy family, and a lavish lifestyle. When she inexplicably vanishes one day, Stephanie begins her own inquiry, delving into her friend’s background – and uncovering a few twists along the line.
12. The Fugitive (1993)
Richard Kimble, falsely accused of murdering his wife, flees to discover the perpetrator and clear his name. A squad of US marshals commanded by Deputy Samuel Gerard, a dedicated detective who will not rest until Richard is arrested, is pursuing him. As Richard leads the squad through a series of complicated pursuits, he uncovers the truth about his wife’s death and battles to catch the culprit.
13. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
When a series of gruesome murders terrorizes London, it doesn’t take long for Sherlock Holmes and his crime-solving partner, Dr. Watson, to track down the culprit, Lord Blackwood. Blackwood, a practitioner of the black arts, has a larger plan in mind, and his execution fits exactly into it.
Related: Ultimate List of Movies/Tv Shows To Watch Online.
14. Gosford Park (2001)
“Gosford Park,” set in the 1930s, draws together a group of pompous, wealthy and successful for a weekend of leisure at a hunting paradise. However, when a murder happens, each of these intriguing personalities become a suspect.
15. Happy Death Day (2017)
Tree Gelbman a collegian who wakes up in the bed of a student called Carter on her birthday. As the morning unfolds, Tree has the unsettling impression that she has witnessed the events of the day before. When a masked assassin ends up killing her in a brutal attack, she inexplicably awakens in Carter’s dorm room unhurt. Now, the traumatized young woman must repeat the same day over and over again until she discovers who murdered her.
16. Knives Out (2019)
Do you find thriller movies fascinating? Here’s Knives Out about the details surrounding the murder of mystery author Harlan Thrombey are unknown, but legendary Detective Benoit Blanc knows one thing for certain: everyone in the highly dysfunctional Thrombey family is a suspect.
17. Charade (1963)
Regina Lampert falls for the dashing Peter Joshua on a skiing vacation in the French Alps, only to return to Paris to learn that her husband has been killed. Soon, Peter and her are on the pursuit of finding three of her late husband’s WWII friends, who are on a look out for a quarter-million dollars that they stole.
18. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
While on the run from the authorities, two-bit crook Harry Lockhart stumbles into an audition for a mystery film. After getting the job, he’s thrown into a complex, homicidal scheme with his childhood sweetheart, Harmony Lane.
OK Sherlock, looks like maybe you’ve figured out that some of your favorite murder mystery movies aren’t on this list. Make sure to let us know in the comments your list of the best murder mystery movies.
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