A good mystery movie will keep the audience guessing right up until the credits roll. However, it can be difficult to construct a well-made mystery story that makes sense and yet doesn't give away the big reveal too early. Not every movie in the genre is so effective at pulling this off.
In some cases, the type of story that is being told makes it hard to catch the audience by surprise. In other cases, the tropes of the genre help the audience work things out well before the characters in the movie. And when everyone can connect the dots before the final act, it does kill a lot of the suspense.
Zodiac (2007)
David Fincher has made a number of movies about killers, but Zodiac was his first time tackling a real-life serial killer. It tells the story of the police and journalists who investigated the infamous Zodiac Killer case for decades in the San Francisco area.
It is somewhat unfair to single this movie out as predictable since it is based on a true story. But it is actually a testament to how excellent Zodiac is. Everyone knows the movie is going to end without the killer being identified, but it still manages to be a compelling story.
The Irishman (2019)
This is another movie that is based on a true story, but unlike Zodiac, The Irishman does not hesitate to come to its own conclusions about who the killer is. The mob movie from Martin Scorsese tells the story of Robert De Niro's Frank, a low-level mobster who befriends powerful criminal figure Jimmy Hoffa, played by Al Pacino.
The mystery is not about if Hoffa will be killed, but rather the circumstances of his death. However, it is made very apparent early on that, despite their friendship and despite there being no historical proof, it will ultimately be Frank who pulls the trigger.
Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm (1993)
Though the live-action Batman movies get all the attention, the animated adventure Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, is still one of the most thrilling stories of the Caped Crusader. It also introduces a great new villain, Phantasm, who seeks revenge on Gotham's crime bosses.
The movie is a great look at Batman's origins and his psychology as a hero, but the mystery of who is under the Phantasm's mask is not as compelling. Though the audience is meant to think it is Carl Beaumont, it is actually his daughter, Andrea, which was pretty obvious as she returned to Gotham just as the murders began.
Taking Lives (2004)
Despite having some talented actors involved, most people will likely have forgotten about the mystery thriller Taking Lives, for good reason. Angelina Jolie plays a detective investigating a killer who takes the identities of his victims. Ethan Hawke plays an eyewitness who helps with the case.
Kiefer Sutherland plays the man audiences are supposed to think is the killer. But given the fact that Sutherland has virtually no screen time, it becomes clear he is a red herring and Hawke is the real killer.
Phone Booth (2002)
The underrated thriller Phone Booth manages to tell an intense story all from a single setting. Colin Farrell plays an arrogant agent who picks up a ringing phone booth and is told by the voice on the other end that he will be shot if he leaves the booth.
At the end of the movie, the police locate the sniper who has apparently killed himself. It is revealed he is a pizza delivery man Farrell was rude to earlier. But the majority of fans didn't buy that for a second and it is soon revealed that the real sniper got away.
The Woman In The Window (2021)
The recent Netflix thriller The Woman in the Window features an all-star cast of incredible actors like Amy Adams and Julianne Moore, most of whom are wasted on a dull story. Adams plays a woman with agoraphobia who thinks she witnesses her neighbor get murdered only for her own sanity to be called into question.
While there is meant to be the question of whether or not this troubled woman imagined the whole thing, the movie never really leans into that as a possibility and it's obvious there is a ruse in the works. The fact that they cast an actor in his 20s to play the teenage neighbor also makes it obvious he's the killer.
Shutter Island (2010)
Shutter Island is one of the most popular of Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese's many collaborations together. DiCaprio plays a U.S. Marshal assigned to a case involving a patient who went missing from a psychiatric facility.
The movie is a compelling and well-acted thriller, so it doesn't really matter that the answer to it all is staring the audience in the face from the beginning. With the story set exclusively at a psychiatric facility and the lead character showing that he doesn't have a strong grasp on reality, it doesn't take long to see that DiCaprio is actually a patient there.
Red Dragon (2002)
Though not as iconic as The Silence of the Lambs, the prequel Red Dragon is a fairly entertaining early mystery featuring Anthony Hopkins's Hannibal Lecter. Alongside Hopkins, Edward Norton plays Will Graham, an FBI agent investigating a dangerous killer named Dolarhyde, played by Ralph Fiennes.
At the climax, Dolarhyde apparently kills himself after setting fire to his house. But when the death of the main villain happens off-screen with no confirmation, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what's coming. Indeed, Dolarhyde survived and he attempts to kill Will before being put down for good.
Salt (2010)
Salt is another Angelina Jolie mystery, though one that is actually rather underrated. She plays a CIA agent who is identified as a Russian spy and goes on the run. She then looks to be preparing to carry out an attack on the United States.
The movie plays out as if Salt really is a villain, but nothing is given about her own motivation or what is behind this plot. It makes the audience think there is more going on and that she is likely playing bad for some reason. Sure enough, she is actually attempting to expose other spies working within the government.
Knives Out (2019)
Rian Johnson's extremely entertaining whodunnit movie Knives Out takes inspiration from a number of mystery movies like Clue and Gosford Park while putting its own spin on this kind of story. In fact, the truth behind the murder is apparently revealed in the first act, which is odd for a mystery movie.
This is a great way of throwing the audience off early on, but it also makes them starting thinking there is another twist yet to come. So even though the audience is told the murder was just an accident done by the kindly Marta, it's hard to not suspect that the jerk Ransom, played by Chris Evans, is actually behind it all.