6 Of The Best Mystery Movies (And Where To Stream Them)

6. Knives Out - 93/100 - Rent 

When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's untimely death.

Knives Out was super impressive for a few reasons. The obvious reasons are that it is super sharp, really well acted and VERY funny. The less obvious is that Rian Johnson dove headfirst into the dead genre of Whodunnits and single-handedly revived them. Other people have tried to imitate, but nobody has come close. 

5. 3 Days of the Condor - 94/100 - Prime Video, Paramount+ 

A bookish CIA researcher finds all his co-workers dead, and must outwit those responsible until he figures out who he can really trust.

 This is one of my favorite older movies and a fantastic example of well done espionage. The mystery is strung along brilliantly, it's exceptionaly well acted by Robert Redford and the action is actually pretty solid considering the era this was made. 

4. Chinatown - 94/100 - HBO Max 

Private eye Jake Gittes lives off of the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-World War II Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together.

This movie is basically the defining piece of Noir in the modern age of movies. It's one of Jack Nicholson's best roles and it is an absolutely killer mystery that unravels at the perfect pace. It is a big time cinema-head movie which usually means it will be boring as shit like Citizen Kane, but this one is an exception. Don't look up the director. 

3. Seven - 92/100 - Netflix

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. Sommerset 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.

I watched this movie at wayyyyyy too young an age and it fucked me up. Especially the scene with the druggie in the room filled with air fresheners. Regardless, it is a fucking incredible movie. Coincidentally enough, Spacey always excels when he is playing a villian and the Pitt/Freeman combo was perfection. And, obviously, what a perfect ending. 

2. Memories of a Murder - 94/100 - Hulu 

1986 Gyunggi Province. The body of a young woman is found brutally raped and murdered. Two months later, a series of rapes and murders commences under similar circumstances. And in a country that had never known such crimes, the dark whispers about a serial murderer grow louder. A special task force is set up in the area, with two local detectives Park Doo-Man and Jo Young-Goo joined by a detective from Seoul who requested to be assigned to the case.

This one is definitely the most under-the-radar one for anyone reading this blog. It is from the director of Parasite and has the same star as well in Song Kang-ho. As far as gritty detective stories go, you'd be hard pressed to find many better ones. It's an extremely well-paced and acted movie that is based on an creepy true story. 

1. Memento - 96/100 - HBO Max 

Leonard Shelby is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife's killer, however, is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of short-term memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he's going, or why.

This is a rare movie that I feel is very well-respected by the people who have seen it and yet, i feel like not enough people have watched. Guy Pearce gives the performance of his life and Christopher Nolan weaves arguably his most difficult mystery to unravel. Really interesting watch that will get your head turning. 

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