🩸 Top 10 Murder Mystery Movies: Stories, Reviews, and Ratings

Murder mystery movies keep viewers guessing with clever plots, colorful suspects, and shocking reveals. These films combine suspense, character drama, and intricate puzzles for some of cinema’s most beloved whodunits. Here are ten of the greatest murder mystery movies—each with a mini-story, review, and IMDb rating.

1. Knives Out (2019)

   Director: Rian Johnson
   Starring: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans

   Plot: Eccentric detective Benoit Blanc investigates the apparent suicide of a wealthy author—unraveling secrets and lies within a dysfunctional family.

   Review: Hilarious, sharp, and twisty—Rian Johnson’s whodunit is a modern classic, revitalizing the genre.

   IMDb Rating: 7.9/10

2. Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

   Director: Sidney Lumet
   Starring: Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman

   Plot: Poirot investigates a killing aboard a snowbound luxury train, uncovering a tangle of motives and identities.

   Review: Stylish, star-studded, and faithful to Agatha Christie—brilliant period mystery fun.

   IMDb Rating: 7.3/10

3. Gone Girl (2014)

   Director: David Fincher
   Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike

   Plot: When a woman vanishes, suspicion falls on her husband. The investigation exposes dark secrets and media manipulation.

   Review: Chilling, brilliant, and full of twists—Fincher’s adaptation is a haunting modern noir.

   IMDb Rating: 8.1/10

4. And Then There Were None (1945)

   Director: René Clair
   Starring: Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston

   Plot: Ten strangers are lured to an island, only to be killed one by one—each death more baffling than the last.

   Review: Suspenseful, iconic, and a template for all classic whodunits.

   IMDb Rating: 7.4/10

5. Memories of Murder (2003)

   Director: Bong Joon-ho
   Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung

   Plot: Two rural detectives hunt a serial killer in 1980s Korea—struggling with limited evidence and rising desperation.

   Review: Masterfully atmospheric, disturbing, and haunting—one of Korea’s greatest films.

   IMDb Rating: 8.1/10

6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

   Director: David Fincher
   Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara

   Plot: A disgraced journalist and a hacker team up to solve a decades-old disappearance in Sweden’s wintry north.

   Review: Dark, compelling, and visually stunning—Fincher’s adaptation is a gripping mystery thriller.

   IMDb Rating: 7.8/10

7. Prisoners (2013)

   Director: Denis Villeneuve
   Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal

   Plot: Two girls go missing in a small town, sending parents and police on a desperate, morally complex search.

   Review: Relentless, tense, and beautifully acted—Villeneuve’s thriller is unforgettable.

   IMDb Rating: 8.1/10

8. Death on the Nile (1978)

   Director: John Guillermin
   Starring: Peter Ustinov, Mia Farrow

   Plot: Poirot investigates a killing aboard a luxury steamer, surrounded by jealousies and old grudges.

   Review: Lush, witty, and star-filled—classic Christie on the Nile.

   IMDb Rating: 7.2/10

9. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

   Director: Billy Wilder
   Starring: Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich

   Plot: A famous lawyer defends a man accused of murder in a twisting courtroom battle full of shocking surprises.

   Review: Brilliantly plotted, witty, and thrilling—an all-time classic courtroom mystery.

   IMDb Rating: 8.4/10

10. Clue (1985)

    Director: Jonathan Lynn
    Starring: Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry

    Plot: Six strangers gather in a mansion, where murder and farce ensue in this comic take on the classic board game.

    Review: Hilarious, zany, and endlessly quotable—an affectionate parody and a satisfying whodunit.

    IMDb Rating: 7.2/10

Honorable Mentions: The Secret in Their Eyes, Mystic River, L.A. Confidential, Scream, The Bone Collector