Recently, Rian Johnson’s latest film, Knives Out (2019) has been met with a lot of critical and financial success. Thanks to its all-star cast and unique spin on the classic murder mystery, Johnson has managed to reinvent the genre so to speak.
However, the film still incorporates many classic elements of a murder mystery film, making it great for any fan of the genre. Despite the film’s success though, many other films have made their mark within the genre, be it for good or for bad. Looking closely at both ends of the spectrum, here is our list of the 5 best and 5 worst murder mystery films of all time.
Best: The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Some people consider The Maltese Falcon to be one of the greatest films ever made, period. Though that statement is, of course, debatable, there are still plenty of things about this film that arguably paved the way for cinema going forward. Not only is it a classic noir style story, but it is also a beautifully shot masterpiece in its own right.
Overall, the story is a must-watch for any fan of the murder mystery genre. While it is the oldest film on this list, there are still plenty of things in The Maltese Falcon that still hold up today. Furthermore, because of its place in cinema history, it is easy to see why it is also one of the best films ever made.
Worst: The Crimson Rivers (2000)
The Crimson Rivers is a French murder mystery film based on the popular novel by Jean Christoph Grange. While the film isn’t really the worst murder mystery out there, it is truly a shame that it didn’t live up to the same standard as the book, especially considering Grange’s involvement with the film.
Overall, the film is rather dull and, while fans of the book can still enjoy the movie, doesn’t translate some of the stronger elements of the book. In the end, The Crimson Rivers is an okay film at best, but not really worth one’s time considering the many other great murder mystery films out there.
Best: Memento (2000)
Directed by critically acclaimed filmmaker, Christopher Nolan, Memento succeeds in telling a very unique murder mystery. The entire story revolves around Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) as he tries to hunt down the man who killed his wife. The only problem is that Shelby suffers from short term memory loss, and must tattoo important details onto his body in order to remember things.
Throughout the film, it is very interesting to see how Shelby operates, as well as how others respond to him. Furthermore, considering how the story is told backwards, Memento becomes an incredibly unique and exciting way to let the narrative unfold. While it may not be the director’s most celebrated film ever, Memento is still one of the best murder mysteries ever to be told.
Worst: The Vanishing (1993)
The Vanishing had the potential to be a truly great film. In all honesty, some more suspenseful elements from it still hold up today. Unfortunately, those moments are few and far between, making the overall film far more boring than intended.
Likewise, audiences weren’t the most receptive to it as well, with the film earning mostly negative reviews. Despite being a remake of a rather successful version, The Vanishing still couldn’t capture the same thrills as the one prior. Perhaps if it hadn’t been so slow in the middle, things would have fared much better for the film.
Best: Gone Girl (2014)
Based on the novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl is an incredibly tense murder mystery centered around a husband and wife duo. Unlike most mystery-thrillers though, audiences soon come to learn that Gone Girl doesn’t even revolve around a murder, but rather a framing.
As the plot unfolds, the two main characters become more entangled in a game of cat and mouse that has audiences on the edge of their seats for the entire film. Likewise, with an incredibly strong cast at the helm, Gone Girl is easily one of the best murder mystery films of the decade. With an ending that is as frustrating as it is shocking, Gone Girl is well deserving of the praise it received upon its release.
Worst: Secret Window (2004)
Like with The Crimson Rivers, Secret Window just doesn’t measure up to the novelization. Based on the book Secret Window, Secret Garden by the great Stephen King, Secret Window is one of the less-inspired book-to-film adaptations the author has received. Starring Johnny Depp, the film had a lot of potential to be a great psychological thriller, but ultimately failed to capture a lot of the scarier elements of the novel.
Furthermore, the twist at the end felt almost overdone by the time the film released, making the “whodunit” reveal very underwhelming. Considering the many problems with the film, it is easy to see why it is one of the worst murder mysteries out there.
Best: Clue (1985)
Inspired by the classic board game, Clue was actually met with mixed reviews at the time of its initial release. Since then, however, the film has easily become a cult-classic, with many modern audiences holding it in very high regard. Starring Tim Curry, Clue is just as much suspenseful as it is fun and ridiculous. With many goofy elements within it, the murder mystery manages to captivate audiences through its entirety.
However, in one of the more impressive feats accomplished by the film, three different reveals were made by the end, all of which made sense with the rest of the story. This means that, depending on the audience, the killer could have been someone different depending on the showing. While it may not be the most serious film in the genre, Clue is still one of the best.
Worst: Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Unfortunately, despite the incredibly talented cast, the 2017 remake of Murder on the Orient Express failed to live up to the same wonder as the original. Overall, the film is watchable, but just doesn’t seem to capture the same sense of suspense as other murder mystery films.
Though there are some interesting and unique stylistic choices within the modern version, the overall film is fairly predictable and boring. Considering the amazing potential this film had thanks to the high standing of the original, it is truly disappointing that Murder on the Orient Express couldn’t capture the same success as it did before.
Best: Seven (1995)
Between Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt’s performances alone, Seven is easily one of the best mystery films out there. Centered around a serial killer who bases his crimes on the seven deadly sins, Seven is a very well-made film. Not only are the characters intriguing, but the entire story is very suspenseful.
Even going beyond the narrative, there are many aspects of the film that make it easy to see why it was nominated for an Academy Award. The film also draws on a lot of familiar elements that only add to the mystery and suspense, making it easy to see why it received such high praise.
Worst: Murder Mystery (2019)
Even regular fans of Adam Snadler have to admit that this is far from the actor’s strongest film. As a Netflix original, Murder Mystery is part of Sandler’s and Happy Madison’s partnership to produce original content for the streaming platform. Starring Jennifer Aniston as well, Murder Mystery feels like many other weaker Sandler movies, delivering few laughs among entirely ridiculous scenarios.
Due to the nature of the film in general, it is really difficult to even consider it among other films in the genre. However, it does meet all the same qualifications as the other films, just with a far more “comedic” spin. While the humor is very short within a story that is very shallow, it is easy to see why Muder Mystery is arguably the worst murder mystery film of all time.