Ultimate Murder Mystery Movie List
by Cine-Maniacal | created - 19 Mar 2018 | updated - 21 Aug 2018 | PublicAn aggregate, unranked list of the best Murder Mystery movies. Ever. Period.
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1. In the Cut (2003)
R | 119 min | Mystery, Thriller
New York City writing professor, Frannie Avery, has an affair with a police detective who is investigating the murder of a beautiful young woman in her neighborhood.
Director: Jane Campion | Stars: Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Nuccio
Votes: 26,476 | Gross: $4.75M
2. Blood Simple (1984)
R | 99 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies, and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, M. Emmet Walsh
Votes: 105,333 | Gross: $2.15M
3. Fargo (1996)
R | 98 min | Crime, Thriller
Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare
Votes: 727,112 | Gross: $24.61M
4. A Perfect Murder (1998)
R | 107 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A wealthy Wall Street speculator discovers that his wife has a lover. He investigates him and uses the carrot and stick to make him murder his wife. Planned to detail, it seems like a perfect murder.
Director: Andrew Davis | Stars: Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Viggo Mortensen, David Suchet
Votes: 92,263 | Gross: $67.64M
5. Basic Instinct (1992)
R | 127 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A violent police detective investigates a brutal murder that might involve a manipulative and seductive novelist.
Director: Paul Verhoeven | Stars: Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn
Votes: 219,289 | Gross: $117.73M
6. Sliver (1993)
R | 107 min | Drama, Thriller
A woman moves into an exclusive New York City apartment building that she soon discovers houses tenants with all manner of shocking secrets.
Director: Phillip Noyce | Stars: Sharon Stone, William Baldwin, Tom Berenger, Polly Walker
Votes: 34,057 | Gross: $36.30M
7. Red Corner (1997)
R | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
An American attorney on business in China is wrongfully arrested and put on trial for murder, with a female defense lawyer from the country the only key to proving his innocence.
Director: Jon Avnet | Stars: Richard Gere, Bai Ling, Bradley Whitford, Byron Mann
Votes: 18,315 | Gross: $22.42M
8. Nadine (1987)
PG | 83 min | Comedy, Mystery, Romance
In 1950s Texas, a woman trying to recover sexy photos of herself and divorce her husband witnesses a murder and uncovers corrupt land dealings.
Director: Robert Benton | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Kim Basinger, Rip Torn, Gwen Verdon
Votes: 4,487 | Gross: $5.67M
9. Jagged Edge (1985)
R | 108 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A wealthy woman is murdered in her beach house. The husband is allegedly knocked out first. He inherits all. He has a female ex criminal prosecutor represent him in court.
Director: Richard Marquand | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Glenn Close, Peter Coyote, Robert Loggia
Votes: 16,830 | Gross: $40.50M
10. The Morning After (1986)
R | 103 min | Crime, Mystery, Romance
A washed up, alcoholic actress who is prone to blackouts wakes up next to a murdered man. Did she kill him and, if not, is she in danger?
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Jane Fonda, Jeff Bridges, Raul Julia, Diane Salinger
Votes: 7,437 | Gross: $25.15M
11. Suspect (1987)
R | 121 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When a homeless man is accused of murdering a Justice Department file clerk, a public defender is tasked with mounting his legal defense.
Director: Peter Yates | Stars: Cher, Dennis Quaid, Liam Neeson, John Mahoney
Votes: 11,693 | Gross: $18.78M
12. Witness (1985)
R | 112 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
While protecting an Amish boy - who is the sole witness to a brutal murder - and his mother, a detective is forced to seek refuge within their community when his own life is threatened.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas, Josef Sommer
Votes: 104,734 | Gross: $68.71M
13. Presumed Innocent (1990)
R | 127 min | Mystery, Thriller
As a lawyer investigates the murder of a colleague, he finds himself more connected to the crime than anyone else.
Director: Alan J. Pakula | Stars: Harrison Ford, Raul Julia, Greta Scacchi, Brian Dennehy
Votes: 45,825 | Gross: $86.30M
14. The Fugitive (1993)
PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Dr. Richard Kimble, unjustly accused of murdering his wife, must find the real killer while being the target of a nationwide manhunt led by a seasoned U.S. Marshal.
Director: Andrew Davis | Stars: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward, Julianne Moore
Votes: 318,885 | Gross: $183.88M
15. Sea of Love (1989)
R | 113 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A detective investigating a series of murders becomes involved with a woman who may be the culprit.
Director: Harold Becker | Stars: Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, John Goodman, Michael Rooker
Votes: 44,921 | Gross: $58.57M
16. Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
PG | 128 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In December 1935, when his transcontinental luxury train is stranded by deep snow, detective Hercule Poirot is called on to solve a murder that occurred in his car the night before, with a multitude of suspects.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery
Votes: 69,180 | Gross: $0.07M
17. Evil Under the Sun (1982)
PG | 117 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Trying to find how a millionaire wound up with a phony diamond brings Hercule Poirot to an exclusive island resort frequented by the rich and famous. When a murder is committed, everyone has an alibi.
Director: Guy Hamilton | Stars: Peter Ustinov, James Mason, Maggie Smith, Colin Blakely
Votes: 20,202 | Gross: $6.11M
18. Death on the Nile (1978)
PG | 140 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
As Hercule Poirot enjoys a luxurious cruise down the Nile, a newlywed heiress is found murdered on board. Can Poirot identify the killer before the ship reaches the end of its journey?
Director: John Guillermin | Stars: Peter Ustinov, Mia Farrow, Simon MacCorkindale, Jane Birkin
Votes: 39,862
19. Appointment with Death (1988)
PG | 102 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When a former prison wardress who dominates the lives of her three adult stepchildren and her daughter is found dead at an archaeological dig near the Dead Sea, there are a great many suspects.
Director: Michael Winner | Stars: Peter Ustinov, Lauren Bacall, Carrie Fisher, John Gielgud
Votes: 6,056 | Gross: $0.96M
20. The Mirror Crack'd (1980)
PG | 105 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Miss Jane Marple comes to solve the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim.
Director: Guy Hamilton | Stars: Angela Lansbury, Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson, Geraldine Chaplin
Votes: 9,442
21. Murder by Death (1976)
PG | 95 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Five famous literary detective characters and their sidekicks are invited to a bizarre mansion to solve an even stranger mystery.
Director: Robert Moore | Stars: Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Eileen Brennan
Votes: 41,704
22. Murder She Said (1961)
Unrated | 87 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
When Miss Jane Marple reports witnessing a murder through the window of a passing train, the police dismiss her as a dotty spinster when no trace of the crime can be found.
Director: George Pollock | Stars: Margaret Rutherford, Arthur Kennedy, Muriel Pavlow, James Robertson Justice
Votes: 8,572
23. Sisters (1972)
R | 93 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A small-time reporter tries to convince the police she saw a murder in the apartment across from hers.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Margot Kidder, Jennifer Salt, Charles Durning, William Finley
Votes: 20,711 | Gross: $0.35M
24. Body Double (1984)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A young actor's obsession with spying on a beautiful woman who lives nearby leads to a baffling series of events with drastic consequences.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, Gregg Henry, Deborah Shelton
Votes: 38,262 | Gross: $8.80M
25. Dressed to Kill (1980)
R | 104 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A mysterious blonde woman kills one of a psychiatrist's patients, and then goes after the high-class call girl who witnessed the murder.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon
Votes: 48,268 | Gross: $31.90M
26. Blow Out (1981)
R | 108 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A movie sound recordist accidentally records the evidence that proves that a car accident was actually murder and consequently finds himself in danger.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz
Votes: 63,370 | Gross: $13.75M
27. Snake Eyes (1998)
R | 98 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A shady police detective finds himself in the middle of a murder conspiracy at an important boxing match in an Atlantic City casino.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Gary Sinise, John Heard, Carla Gugino
Votes: 86,795 | Gross: $55.59M
28. 8MM (1999)
R | 123 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A private investigator is hired to discover if a "snuff film" is authentic or not.
Director: Joel Schumacher | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, James Gandolfini, Peter Stormare
Votes: 142,791 | Gross: $36.66M
29. The Black Dahlia (2006)
R | 121 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two policemen see their personal and professional lives fall apart in the wake of the "Black Dahlia" Elizabeth Short murder investigation.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank
Votes: 77,045 | Gross: $22.52M
30. Passion (2012)
R | 102 min | Adventure, Drama, Horror
The rivalry between the manipulative boss of an advertising agency and her talented protégée escalates from stealing credit to public humiliation to murder.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Rachel McAdams, Noomi Rapace, Karoline Herfurth, Paul Anderson
Votes: 24,266 | Gross: $0.09M
31. The Big Easy (1986)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A corrupt lieutenant in the homicide division is threatened by the righteous DA while trying to solve a string of mysterious murders.
Director: Jim McBride | Stars: Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin, Ned Beatty, John Goodman
Votes: 13,992 | Gross: $17.69M
32. Perfect Stranger (2007)
R | 109 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A journalist goes undercover to ferret out businessman Harrison Hill as her childhood friend's killer. Posing as one of his temps, she enters into a game of online cat-and-mouse.
Director: James Foley | Stars: Halle Berry, Bruce Willis, Giovanni Ribisi, Richard Portnow
Votes: 51,174 | Gross: $23.98M
33. Color of Night (1994)
R | 121 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
A color-blind psychoanalyst is stalked by an unknown killer after taking over his murdered friend's therapy group, all of whom have a connection to a mysterious young woman that he begins having intense sexual encounters with.
Director: Richard Rush | Stars: Bruce Willis, Jane March, Rubén Blades, Lesley Ann Warren
Votes: 25,760 | Gross: $19.72M
34. Mortal Thoughts (1991)
R | 103 min | Mystery, Thriller
Two detectives interrogate a hairdresser on two homicides she may or may not have been involved in.
Director: Alan Rudolph | Stars: Demi Moore, Glenne Headly, Bruce Willis, John Pankow
Votes: 9,675 | Gross: $19.02M
35. The Last Boy Scout (1991)
R | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A private detective's protected female witness is murdered, prompting him and the victim's boyfriend to investigate the crime that leads to a corrupt politician and a crooked football team owner.
Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans, Chelsea Field, Noble Willingham
Votes: 112,111 | Gross: $59.51M
36. The Rich Man's Wife (1996)
R | 95 min | Thriller
A rich man's wife goes on a trip to a cabin with her husband. He's preoccupied with business and leaves early. A man she meets offers to kill her husband. He's crazy and she leaves. He later tracks down the couple.
Director: Amy Holden Jones | Stars: Halle Berry, Christopher McDonald, Peter Greene, Clive Owen
Votes: 3,484 | Gross: $8.54M
37. Play Misty for Me (1971)
R | 102 min | Drama, Thriller
The life of a disc jockey is turned upside down after a romantic encounter with an obsessed fan.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Clint Eastwood, Jessica Walter, Donna Mills, John Larch
Votes: 31,931 | Gross: $11.80M
38. V.I. Warshawski (1991)
R | 89 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A female PI babysitting for a boyfriend gets stuck with his daughter and the case of her murdered father.
Director: Jeff Kanew | Stars: Kathleen Turner, Jay O. Sanders, Charles Durning, Angela Goethals
Votes: 5,511 | Gross: $11.13M
39. Burglar (1987)
R | 103 min | Comedy, Crime
A corrupt cop blackmails former burglar Bernice, forcing her into her most ambitious job yet: a dentist hires her to break into her ex-husband's house and steal back her jewelry. But when the ex is murdered, Bernice is the only suspect.
Director: Hugh Wilson | Stars: Whoopi Goldberg, Bobcat Goldthwait, G.W. Bailey, Lesley Ann Warren
Votes: 4,735 | Gross: $16.34M
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