There’s nothing quite like a good murder mystery to get the mind racing and the pulse pounding. Whodunit movies, with their tantalizing puzzles, labyrinthine plots, and shocking revelations, have captivated audiences for generations. The best examples of the genre combine suspense, clever storytelling, memorable characters, and a satisfying payoff when the culprit is finally unmasked.
In this article, we’ll count down the 25 greatest whodunit movies ever made. Spanning over 80 years of cinema history, from monochrome classics to modern blockbusters, these films represent the pinnacle of the murder mystery genre. Whether you fancy yourself an armchair detective or just love a good thriller, these movies are sure to keep you guessing until the very end. Let’s dive in and examine these unforgettable whodunits in detail.
25. Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Based on the famous Agatha Christie novel, this stylish mystery assembles an all-star cast of suspects aboard the luxurious Orient Express train. When an American tycoon is found stabbed to death in his compartment, fastidious Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) must solve the case before the killer strikes again. With an ingenious plot and an unforgettable finale, Murder on the Orient Express set the standard for lavish, star-studded whodunits.
24. Gosford Park (2001)
Director Robert Altman brings his trademark wit and sprawling ensemble casts to the whodunit genre in this Oscar-winning upstairs/downstairs mystery. Set in an English country house in the 1930s, the film follows the aristocratic hosts, their servants, and assorted guests as a weekend shooting party turns deadly. Boasting a top-notch British cast (including Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, and Clive Owen), Gosford Park is a clever, biting satire of class and a cracking good murder mystery to boot.
23. Clue (1985)
Clue has the distinction of being one of the few board game adaptations that actually works as a movie. Largely thanks to a sparkling cast that includes Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, and Christopher Lloyd, this energetic farce successfully translates the deduction gameplay of Clue into a madcap comic whodunit. The film’s most famous gimmick was its triple ending, with different theaters receiving one of three possible solutions to the mystery. Whichever ending you get, Clue is a riot from start to finish.
22. Shutter Island (2010)
Martin Scorsese brings his virtuoso filmmaking to the psychological thriller genre in this adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s novel. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as a U.S. Marshal investigating a disappearance at an isolated hospital for the criminally insane. As he delves deeper into the mystery, reality and fantasy begin to blur in unsettling ways. With its Gothic atmosphere, shocking twists and turns, and knockout performances, Shutter Island is a haunting exploration of guilt, trauma, and the human psyche.
21. The Last of Sheila (1973)
This fiendishly clever puzzler was cowritten by Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim and Psycho star Anthony Perkins. The film follows a movie producer who invites six friends to his yacht for a week of twisted games revolving around a dark secret. But what begins as a lark turns deadly serious as the bodies start piling up. Dripping with acidic wit and boasting a diabolically constructed mystery, The Last of Sheila is an unsung gem of the whodunit genre that will keep you guessing.
20. Brick (2005)
Filmmaker Rian Johnson made his feature debut with this remarkably assured neo-noir that transplants the hard-boiled detective stories of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler to a modern-day California high school. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a teenage loner investigating the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend, plunging him into a seedy criminal underworld. With its stylized dialogue, intricate plotting, and striking visual style, Brick both honors and subverts the classic detective movie traditions.
19. The Thin Man (1934)
Sophisticated sleuths Nick and Nora Charles, along with their wire-haired fox terrier Asta, made their debut in this sparkling adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s novel. William Powell and Myrna Loy bring effortless charm and chemistry to the bantering couple as they sift through clues and suspects to solve the disappearance of an eccentric inventor. Buoyed by its witty dialogue and charismatic leads, The Thin Man launched a franchise of sequels and became the template for husband-and-wife detective teams.
18. Deathtrap (1982)
Deathtrap has more twists than a Slinky as it gleefully plays with the audience’s expectations. Michael Caine stars as a once-successful playwright who sees a chance to revive his career when one of his students shares a brilliant new script. But that’s just the first of many narrative rug-pulls in this wickedly funny thriller based on Ira Levin’s hit Broadway play. It’s best to know as little as possible going in – just sit back and enjoy the ride as Deathtrap cons you again and again.
17. Knives Out (2019)
Writer-director Rian Johnson’s affectionate homage to the classic whodunit was a critical and commercial smash hit. When a wealthy mystery novelist (Christopher Plummer) dies under suspicious circumstances, it’s up to the famous detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to deduce which of the dysfunctional family members is responsible. Featuring an all-star ensemble clearly having a ball and a satisfyingly complex mystery, Knives Out proves there’s still plenty of life left in the whodunit formula.
16. Memento (2000)
Christopher Nolan announced himself as a major filmmaking talent with this mind-bending neo-noir. Guy Pearce stars as a man with anterograde amnesia who’s searching for his wife’s killer using an intricate system of Polaroids and tattoos. The film’s brilliantly disorienting structure, which moves backwards in time scene by scene, puts the audience in the protagonist’s headspace as he tries to make sense of a fractured reality. Endlessly rewatchable and open to interpretation, Memento is a true original.
15. And Then There Were None (1945)
Of the many screen versions of Agatha Christie’s classic novel, this one remains definitive. The story, about ten strangers lured to an isolated island where they’re killed off one by one, is the ultimate closed-circle mystery. Director René Clair brings a shadowy elegance to the material, gradually tightening the screws as the body count rises and paranoia sets in among the dwindling survivors. Nearly 80 years later, And Then There Were None still has the power to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
14. The Usual Suspects (1995)
The Usual Suspects has one of the most famous twist endings in movie history, but even knowing the payoff doesn’t diminish the pleasures of this labyrinthine neo-noir. Told largely in flashback as a con man (Kevin Spacey) recounts the events that led to a massacre, the film keeps piling on unreliable narrators, red herrings, and double-crosses until the viewer isn’t sure what’s real anymore. With its intricate plotting and stellar cast, The Usual Suspects earns its status as a ’90s crime classic.
13. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Billy Wilder brings his caustic wit and impeccable craftsmanship to this adaptation of Agatha Christie’s play. Charles Laughton is brilliant as a veteran barrister who takes on the defense of a man (Tyrone Power) accused of murdering a rich widow. But the case takes some shocking turns as the defendant’s wife (Marlene Dietrich) takes the stand. Boasting memorable performances and a series of staggering revelations, Witness for the Prosecution is one of the sharpest courtroom dramas ever made.
12. The Third Man (1949)
Set among the rubble and shadows of postwar Vienna, Carol Reed’s masterpiece stars Joseph Cotten as a pulp novelist drawn into a web of deceit and murder while investigating the death of an old friend (Orson Welles). With its expressionistic cinematography, Dutch-angle shots, and zither score, the film conjures an atmosphere of suffocating paranoia and moral decay. Welles is magnetic in his brief but pivotal role, and the finale in the sewers of Vienna is one of the most iconic sequences in film noir history.
11. L.A. Confidential (1997)
Curtis Hanson’s Oscar-winning adaptation of James Ellroy’s sprawling crime novel is a rare example of a movie that improves on its source material. Set in the seedy underbelly of 1950s Los Angeles, the film follows three very different cops (Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, and Guy Pearce) as they investigate a shocking massacre at a coffee shop. As they peel back layers of corruption and betrayal, the seemingly disparate plot threads coalesce into a devastating bigger picture. Smart, stylish, and packing an emotional wallop, L.A. Confidential is a neo-noir knockout.
10. Charade (1963)
Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn make for one of the most effervescent screen pairings in this Hitchcockian romantic thriller. Hepburn plays a woman pursued by sinister men who believe her murdered husband stole a fortune. Grant is the mysterious stranger who may or may not be helping her. Stanley Donen keeps the plot twisting merrily along, but it’s the sparkling chemistry between the two leads that makes Charade such a gem. It’s the cinematic equivalent of champagne – bubbly, intoxicating, and pure class.
9. Memories of Murder (2003)
Before he wowed international audiences with Parasite, South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho made this haunting true crime drama about the hunt for a serial killer. Set in a small town in the 1980s, the film follows the local cops as they resort to increasingly desperate and unethical measures to catch the culprit. Blending police procedural, social commentary, and black comedy, Memories of Murder builds to a shattering finale that lingers long after the credits roll. It’s a true crime masterpiece.
8. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
John Huston made one of the most assured directorial debuts in history with this adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s novel. Humphrey Bogart became a star as Sam Spade, the hard-boiled private eye who becomes embroiled in the hunt for a priceless statuette. The labyrinthine plot is less important than the film’s crackling dialogue, indelible performances, and evocative shadowy visuals. The Maltese Falcon set the template for the film noir detective story and remains the standard by which all others are judged.
7. Chinatown (1974)
Roman Polanski’s neo-noir masterpiece stars Jack Nicholson as a 1930s private eye whose investigation of an adultery case leads him into a sinister conspiracy involving murder, corruption, and the future of Los Angeles. Featuring an Oscar-winning script by Robert Towne and a devastating performance by Faye Dunaway as the femme fatale, Chinatown is a rare revisionist mystery that actually surpasses its classic models. The film’s haunting final line sums up its despairing worldview: “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.”
6. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Jonathan Demme’s Oscar-sweeping thriller follows an FBI trainee (Jodie Foster) who seeks the help of an imprisoned cannibal psychiatrist (Anthony Hopkins) to catch a serial killer. The taut script, unsettling visuals, and career-defining performances combine to create an unforgettably disturbing experience. The Silence of the Lambs transcends the police procedural to become a chilling exploration of evil and the lengths we’ll go to stop it. It’s a true masterpiece of suspense.
5. Vertigo (1958)
Hitchcock’s deeply personal masterpiece stars Jimmy Stewart as a retired detective hired to follow a friend’s wife (Kim Novak) who’s been behaving strangely. To say more would spoil the film’s dark, dreamlike spell as it spirals into a vortex of romantic obsession, doppelgangers, and dizzying plot twists. With its lush visuals, Bernard Herrmann score, and haunting exploration of guilt and fantasy, Vertigo represents the pinnacle of Hitchcock’s art. Once seen, it’s never forgotten.
4. Se7en (1995)
David Fincher’s breakthrough thriller follows two detectives (Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman) on the trail of a serial killer who’s staging his crimes around the seven deadly sins. Relentlessly grim and grimy, the film builds an overwhelming sense of dread as it moves towards its shattering conclusion. The oppressive atmosphere, biblical references, and iconic “What’s in the box?” ending have made Se7en hugely influential on the serial killer genre. But few films have matched its gut-punch impact.
3. Rear Window (1954)
One of Hitchcock’s most purely enjoyable films, Rear Window stars Jimmy Stewart as a photographer confined to his apartment with a broken leg. To pass the time, he starts spying on his neighbors – and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder. Grace Kelly costars as his fashion model girlfriend who gets drawn into the mystery. Hitchcock uses the single set to create a sense of claustrophobia and voyeuristic unease, slowly tightening the suspense until the unforgettable finale. It’s a masterclass in pure visual storytelling.
2. The Usual Suspects (1995)
This Oscar-winning neo-noir pulls off a magic trick of a movie, dazzling the audience with flashy visuals and an unreliable narrator while sneakily constructing a puzzle box of a plot. The less said about the specifics the better, but the film follows the interrogation of a con man (Kevin Spacey) as he recounts the twisty events that led to a bloody massacre. With endlessly quotable dialogue, red herrings galore, and a humdinger of a twist, The Usual Suspects earns its status as a ’90s crime classic.
1. Psycho (1960)
The granddaddy of all shock endings, Hitchcock’s low-budget horror film changed cinema forever. The story of a secretary (Janet Leigh) on the run who checks into the worst motel ever has been parodied and homaged so many times that it’s easy to forget how revolutionary it was. Hitchcock gleefully manipulates the audience, pulling the rug out from under us multiple times as he ratchets up the queasy suspense. Over 60 years later, Psycho has lost none of its power to get under your skin and stay there. Accept no substitutes: this is the greatest whodunit of all time.
So there you have it – the 25 best whodunit movies ever made, ranked. These films represent the cream of the crop when it comes to fiendishly clever murder mysteries that keep audiences guessing until the final shocking revelations. Whether you’re a hardcore mystery buff or just looking for a good thriller, you can’t go wrong with any of the movies on this list. They’re the
