There is a tremendous fascination with mysteries. Many cannot get enough of these types of stories, whether it be mysterious deaths, disappearances, or unexplained happenings. Anyone who listens to murder podcasts or watches Dateline understands.
That interest can also be in fictional mysteries, a genre that is one of my favorites. There is a multitude of tremendous mystery films to discover. An online forum discusses these types of movies and some of their fine qualities, such as an intelligent (and often attractive) main character and the compelling nature of solving the case or problem in the story.
1. Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
One of Agatha Christie’s greatest stories featuring the brilliant and intrepid detective Hercule Poirot gets the remake treatment in this 2017 film from star/director Kenneth Branagh. Aboard the glamorous Orient Express, which travels through the snowy mountains of Europe, a man is murdered in his cabin during the night.
1. Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Poirot takes it upon himself to solve the crime with challenging clues, suspects, and misdirection at every turn. This film is well-acted and directed, with a genuinely surprising and unexpected resolution to the mystery.
2. Clue (1985)
The family board game featuring characters Colonel Mustard and Professor Plum seems like something other than apt source material for a classic movie. And yet Clue works so well because it features the game’s basic mystery tropes and elements and adds a healthy dose of zaniness.
2. Clue (1985)
In this story, a group of individuals receives invitations to a grand mansion on a stormy evening, utterly unaware that their host, Mr. Body, holds incriminating secrets over each of them. When Mr. Body meets an untimely demise, they find themselves entangled in a comical quest to unravel the mystery of his death. This hilarious film promises plenty of laughs along the way.
Clue is unique in that, much like the game, there are many possible suspects, murder weapons, and locations in the house. Multiple endings were filmed, and you can choose to watch a single conclusion or all the various ones. It’s raucous fun.
3. Rear Window (1954)
Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, which stars James Stewart and Grace Kelly, is one of the most unique and riveting mysteries ever. And that is because it takes place in one small location with the mystery playing out right in front of the characters.
3. Rear Window (1954)
The movie follows a photographer named Jeff, who has a broken leg and uses a wheelchair until it heals. With little to do to pass the time, Jeff spends his days looking out his rear window at the courtyard and apartments across from his.
Upon witnessing his neighbor’s peculiar behavior, he begins to suspect that the man may have killed his wife. Before long, Jeff’s girlfriend, Lisa, and housekeeper, Stella, also become convinced of this unsettling possibility. As they unite to uncover the truth, the unfolding events on-screen deliver some of the most heart-pounding and suspenseful moments ever captured.
4. Knives Out: A Glass Onion Mystery (2022)
The sequel to the original Knives Out movie by writer/director Rian Johnson once again features detective Benoit Blanc and his unique demeanor and deductive skills on full display. Blanc is invited to join in a weekend at the private estate of a tech billionaire, along with a group of their steadfast friends.
4. Knives Out: A Glass Onion Mystery (2022)
They may or may not all be terrible people, as multiple crimes must be solved, and the truth is very complicated. This film’s plot is even more mysterious than the first, with surprising twists and an exceptionally entertaining cast.
5. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
One of the best depictions of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic detective Sherlock Holmes is this Guy Richie-directed gem that stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. The movie has a gorgeous moody atmosphere and stylish direction, with Downey and Law proving formidable on-screen.
5. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
The film’s riveting mystery involves a sadistic man named Lord Blackwood, his unexplained return from the grave, and a plot against the British parliament. Holmes and Watson are thrust into this dark plot, and it plays out with fun, tension, and excitement.
6. Death on the Nile (2022)
Kenneth Branagh’s second turn at the Hercule Poirot character is just as entertaining and captivating. This story follows a group of friends and family aboard a small steamboat to celebrate a wedding. The awkward moment is when the groom’s former love arrives with the intent to spoil the fun.
6. Death on the Nile (2022)
When the bride ends up murdered, the suspect feels obvious. But things are not what they seem, making this one of the most mind-boggling cases for Poirot. Chances are, the audience will also be guessing until the end.
7. The Fugitive (1993)
The Fugitive may not be the most obvious choice when considering mystery films, but it certainly counts. Harrison Ford stars as Dr. Richard Kimble, a man falsely accused and convicted of murdering his wife. When an accident allows him to escape, Kimble goes on the run, determined to find the real culprit, while a curt U.S. Marshall relentlessly pursues him.
7. The Fugitive (1993)
The Fugitive is a fantastic thriller, but the mystery of who killed Kimble’s wife is just as compelling. Led by Ford’s exceptional performance, the audience is rooting for him as the truth unfolds.
8. Enola Holmes (2020)
The Sherlock Holmes story gets a fresh new take on the characters with Enola Holmes, Sherlock’s feisty and equally brilliant younger sister. Enola is reaching the age where society, and her brothers, expect her to “act like a proper young lady.” But Enola has no desire to do so, having been raised by her mother, who taught fencing and martial arts alongside literature and history.
8. Enola Holmes (2020)
Enola sets out to find her when her mother mysteriously disappears and stumbles upon an assassination plot targeting a young Duke. This film is fantastic, especially the fun, tongue-in-cheek way Enola breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the audience. And it’s great fun watching the two mysteries unfold and begin to intertwine.
9. The Forgotten (2004)
The mystery of The Forgotten is a chilling one. The film’s protagonist, played by Julianne Moore, is a mother grieving the loss of her son, who, along with a group of other children, inexplicably vanished on a flight. She is not giving up hope. But one day, her world changes when everyone around her denies her son exists.
9. The Forgotten (2004)
Her tireless effort to discover the truth and find her son makes for a thrilling but poignant film showcasing the depth of a mother’s love. The ending is wild but wholly satisfying.
10. Unknown (2011)
If you are looking for a different kind of mystery with an exceptional leading man, Unknown is the way to go. Liam Neeson had carved out a niche in the film industry with action thrillers. Unknown is one of the greatest because it offers not just action but also entirely unexpected twists.
10. Unknown (2011)
The mystery laid before Neeson is one of identity. After a car accident leaves him in a coma, he wakes to find another man claiming to be him. However, his wife, nor anyone else, seems to know him. As he attempts to regain his identity, the race is on to thwart an even more sinister plot. This layered and engrossing film is a must-see for mystery fans.
Source: Reddit.
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