The 20 best murder mysteries you can stream online, ranked by critics

Zac NtimSep 27, 2020, 15:35 IST

Daniel Craig and Lakeith Stanfield in Rian Johnson's "Knives Out."Claire Folger/Lionsgate

With classics such as "Rear Window," "Chinatown," and "The Fugitive" the murder mystery is one of cinema's most beloved and successful genres.
And with modern masterpieces such as Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" continuing to pull audiences to theatres across the world, it is clear that audiences still find joy in a crafty whodunit.
Here are the 20 best murder mystery films that you can stream online, ranked by critics.

Last year, Rian Johnson's thanksgiving smash "Knives Out" proved that audiences still find joy in the bowels of a well-crafted murder mystery. The salacious and unthinkable crime, the nifty investigation which ultimately falls short, and finally the director's clever reveal at the end.

And although some may argue that the murder mystery has been best executed as a literary device by the likes of Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and P.D. James, cinema also has a long and revered history with the genre.

Here are the 20 best murder mystery films that you can stream online, ranked by critics.

20. Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston's silly 'Murder Mystery.'

Netflix

19. 'Secret Window' is a lazy Stephen King adaptation.

Johnny Depp as Mort Rainey. Columbia Pictures

18. 'Oldboy,' a violent cult classic by South Korean director Park Chan-wook.

Choi Min-sik in "Oldboy." Tartan Films via YouTube

17. Blake Lively takes a murderous but stylish turn in 'A Simple Favor.'

Blake Lively as Emily in "A Simple Favor" alongside Anna Kendrick. Lionsgate Movies

16. Robert Altman puts the British aristocracy up for trial in 'Gosford Park.'

Cast members and director of the film "Gosford Park." John Stoddart/Popperfoto via Getty Images

15. David Fincher's dark thriller 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.'

Rooney Mara in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo." Sony Pictures Entertainment

14. David Lynch's cult TV epic 'Twin Peaks.'

Kyle MacLachlan as detective Dale Cooper alongside Sherilyn Fenn. Spelling Entertainment

13. 'Zodiac,' David Fincher's epic portrait of a 1970s serial killer.

Robert Downey Jr and Jake Gyllenhaal in "Zodiac." Paramount Pictures/Warner Bros. Pictures

12. Joaquin Phoenix provides a stellar performance in 'You Were Never Really Here.'

Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor at the Cannes film festival for his performance in "You Were Never Really Here." Alison Cohen Rosa/Amazon Studios

11. Christopher Nolan's first Hollywood time-bender 'Memento.'

Guy Pearce in Christopher Nolan's "Memento." Newmarket Films

10. 1963's 'Charade' is an unwieldy romp starring two of cinema's greats.

Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn on the set of "Charade." Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

9. 'Burning' is a mysterious thriller by South Korean master Lee Chang-dong.

Directed by Lee Chang-dong. CGV Arthouse

8. 'Mother' is one of Bong Joon-ho's early political hits.

Kim Hye-ja in Bong-Joon-Ho's "Mother." Magnolia Pictures

7. Harrison Ford is wrongfully accused of murdering his wife in 1993's 'The Fugitive.'

Harrison Ford as "The Fugitive." Warner Bros.

6. Anthony Hopkins is Hannibal Lecter in the classic 'Silence of the Lambs.'

Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for his murderous turn in "Silence of the Lambs." "Silence of the Lambs"

5. Daniel Craig gives a surprising vocal performance in Rian Johnson's 'Knives Out.'

Daniel Craig as the cunning Detective Benoit Blanc in "Knives Out." Lionsgate

4. 'The Wailing' is a supernatural mystery from South Korea.

Na Hong-jin writes and directors. Well Go USA Entertainment

3. 'Chinatown' Roman Polanski's LA classic.

Jack Nicholson leads the way in Roman Polanski's thriller. CBS via Getty Images

2. Alfred Hitchcock's 'North by Northwest.'

Cary Grant narrowly evades a plane in the classic scene from "North by Northwest." MGM

1. Grace Kelly and James Stewart in Hitchcock's 'Rear Window.'

James Stewart plays an injured newspaper photographer in Hitchcock's masterpiece. Paramount

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