Sure, the popularity of true crime series has become a phenomenon in recent years, but murder mystery movies will always have a place in our hearts. It turns out there could even be a psychological reason we’re drawn to mystery films and crime stories in general: They may serve as a kind of “fairy tale for adults,” where we can experience things that scare us at an arm's length, which in turn helps us to become less afraid of them. Also? Murder mysteries are exciting to watch, leave you guessing until the end, and feature gripping performances, which is why some are among the best films of all time.
The list below features the best murder mystery movies ever made, emphasizing Old Hollywood classics, like the original noirs and horror movies, neo-noirs from the '70s to today, and more recent psychological-thriller additions to the genre. From quirky whodunnits to crime dramas about police investigations and eerie serial killer movies, below find the best murder mystery movies of all time.
