Best Mystery Movies: Top Whodunnits
Last Updated: March 2026Keep guessing with our list of the best mystery and detective films.
Zootopia 2 (2025)
After cracking the biggest case in Zootopia's history, rookie cops Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde find themselves on the twisting trail of a great mystery when Gary De'Snake arrives and turns the animal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before.
The Wrecking Crew (2026)
Estranged half-brothers Jonny and James reunite after their father's mysterious death. As they search for the truth, buried secrets reveal a conspiracy threatening to tear their family apart.
The Housemaid (2025)
Trying to escape her past, Millie Calloway accepts a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Nina and Andrew Winchester. But what begins as a dream job quickly unravels into something far more dangerous—a sexy, seductive game of secrets, scandal, and power.
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Eccentric consulting detective Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson battle to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy England.
Weapons (2025)
When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.
Scream (2022)
Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, a new killer has donned the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.
The Devil's Advocate (1997)
Aspiring Florida defense lawyer Kevin Lomax accepts a job at a New York law firm. With the stakes getting higher every case, Kevin quickly learns that his boss has something far more evil planned.
Final Destination Bloodlines (2025)
Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.
Scream (1996)
A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
Se7en (1995)
Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Somerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case.
The Batman (2022)
In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.
Arrival (2016)
Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.
Oldboy (2003)
With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.
Gone Girl (2014)
With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.
The Woman in Cabin 10 (2025)
On a lavish yacht for an assignment, a journalist sees a passenger go overboard. But when no one believes her, she risks her life to uncover the truth.
About This List
Mystery films make an implicit promise to the viewer: all the information you need is in the movie, and the ending will be earned, not arbitrary. The genre lives or dies by that contract. When a mystery plays fair — when you can go back and see all the clues that were there all along, hiding in plain sight — the rewatchability is exceptional. When it cheats, the frustration is proportional.
The modern mystery film has been reinvigorated by the Rian Johnson approach: updating the Agatha Christie structure for contemporary sensibilities while sustaining the fundamental pleasures of the form. The Knives Out films demonstrated that a mystery can be both maximally entertaining on first viewing and endlessly interesting on repeat viewings, once you know what to look for.
This list covers the full range from classic whodunnits to neo-noir procedurals to puzzle-box films that obscure their genre identity until the final reveal. Whatever flavor of mystery engagement you prefer, there's something here worth investigating. See also our Best Thriller Movies for closely related territory.