40 Best Murder Mystery Movies Like 'Glass Onion: A Knives...

40 Best Murder Mystery Movies to Watch Like 'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery'

glass-onion-daniel-craig-social-featuredImage via Netflix

By Hannah Saab , Amanda Guarragi & Robert Lee III Updated 34 minutes ago Sign in to your Collider account follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread 1 Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Rian Johnson has made a name for himself as the director who is bringing back the whodunit. As of late, there haven't been many murder mysteries that have been entertaining, but Knives Out became something truly special. When the first film was released, it became a force because of how many people went to go watch it and then recommended it to others.

Following another murder mystery movie with a brand-new cast for the sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, fans rejoiced to learn about the already-confirmed Knives Out 3. There have been plenty of murder mysteries (and movies like Glass Onion) over the years that have shown the brilliant minds of the detectives, while also poking fun at how plans have been executed. These great murder mystery films showcase the complexity and thrill that come with these movies.

40 'The Usual Suspects' (1995)

The characters of 'The Usual Suspects' stand annoyed in a police line-up.Image via Gramercy Pictures

The identity of master criminal Keyser Söze was the central mystery at the heart of The Usual Suspects. An unspeakable massacre takes place on a shipping freighter, leaving only one of two survivors, a con artist named “Verbal” Kint (Kevin Spacey), to be questioned. Reluctantly, Verbal gives a detailed account of how he, along with a group of career criminals, was recruited to work for the elusive crime boss Keyser Söze.

The Usual Suspects is considered one of the greatest crime thrillers because of the way it uses the audience’s trust in the narrator against them. When we start the movie, the majority of the characters have died before we meet them, chopping up the structure of a murder mystery and increasing the intrigue before the story starts. Featuring outstanding performances and an iconic ending, The Usual Suspects still holds up 30 years later. —Brad LaCour

39 'Radioland Murders' (1994)

Brian Benben looks disheveled amongst a crowd in Radioland MurdersImage via Universal Pictures

A large ensemble cast all become suspects for a series of high-profile homicides in Radioland Murders. It’s 1939, and a new radio network needs to make a big impression in order to secure sponsorship. When a series of murders begins to throw the night into chaos, the police set their eyes on Roger (Brian Benben), a writer who has the unfortunate knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A loving throwback to the farcical comedies from the golden age of cinema, Radioland Murders is a broad murder mystery that runs at a relentless pace. The cast members, including the likes of Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, and Jeffrey Tambor, throw themselves into the high-energy affair where the only thing not moving is the deceased. The slapstick style may not be for everyone, but viewers who love the classic style will enjoy the comedic whodunit. —Brad LaCour

38 'A Shot in the Dark' (1964)

Peter Sellers as Inspector Jacques Clouseau looking surprised in 'A Shot in the Dark' (1964)Image via United Artists

Peter Sellers reprised his role as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau to solve a murder in A Shot in the Dark. The sequel to The Pink Panther followed Clouseau as he investigates the murder of a chauffeur on a rich Paris estate. Although Clouseua remains as hopelessly inept as ever, he gets closer to solving the crime, one disastrous accident at a time.

Of the many Pink Panther sequels that would be produced over the years, A Shot in the Dark is widely considered the best of them by critics. Where Blanc solves a murder using precise logic and reasoning, Clousea is a bull in a china shop, almost quite literally, breaking anything in his path while improbably finding the culprit. Sellers proves why Clouseau was one of his most iconic roles with a performance that fuses physical comedy mastery with a deadpan delivery that remains unwavering through the chaos. —Brad LaCour

37 'Brick' (2005)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 'Brick' sitting in the passenger seat of a car, face bloody, looking off to the side.Image via Focus Features

Before Rian Johnson introduced detective Benoit Blanc, the writer-director offered a fresh take on the mystery genre with the neo-noir Brick. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Brendan, a high-school loner on a quest to find out what led to his ex-girlfriend Emily’s (Emilie de Ravin) death. Each clue takes Brendan closer to the truth and the possibility of him sharing Emily’s fate.

Like an underage Philip Marlowe, Brendan fills the role of a hard-boiled detective, but the seedy bars and criminal hideouts are swapped out for high school hallways and house parties. Despite the opportunities for humor, Brick plays the entire narrative deathly serious, and it works incredibly well. Brick is a solid, traditional noir drama, with all the hallmarks of a private eye classic, and it deserves a revisit or a first-time watch for Glass Onion fans. —Brad LaCour

36 'Manhattan Murder Mystery' (1993)

Diane Keaton as Carol Lipton standing on the street in Manhattan Murder Mystery.Image via TriStar Pictures

In Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery, a couple find themselves becoming amateur sleuths after the death of their neighbor. Carol (Diane Keaton) thinks there’s something suspicious about the death of a neighbor, suspecting the deceased’s husband of foul play. Carol’s husband, Larry (Allen), initially dismisses the notion, but as the evidence begins to mount, he finds it hard to argue with the theory, and the two work together to solve a murder no one thinks exists.

Manhattan Murder Mystery was a return to form for Allen, reminiscent of the comedic strength of some of his earlier work. Keaton and Allen’s chemistry elevates the story, which combines Allen’s voice with a cozy murder mystery for satisfying results. Sitting at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, Manhattan Murder Mystery is one of the director’s crossover successes that has more general appeal than some of Allen’s more niche offerings. —Brad LaCour

35 'Crooked House' (2017)

Stefanie Martini, Glenn Close, and Max Irons in Crooked HouseImage Via Vertical Entertainment

Based on what is believed to be the most twisted of Agatha Christie’s works, Crooked House follows Charles Hayward (Max Irons), a former English diplomat-turned-investigator, who is tasked by his former lover, Sophia (Stefanie Martini), to investigate the mysterious death of her wealthy and much-hated grandfather. When Charles arrives at the family estate and starts digging into the mystery, he uncovers dark family secrets and sinister agendas of every family member and the house staff that point to the motive.

Boasting a star-studded cast featuring Glenn Close, Terence Stamp, Gillian Anderson, and Christina Hendricks, Crooked House is an intelligent, well-performed, and engaging modern screen adaptation of Christie’s classics. Unlike other modern adaptations of classic novels, this film is more subdued in its visuals and narrative style, which resonates with classic British mysteries. Despite its mixed reviews, the film’s excellent cast and their terrific performances make Crooked House a satisfying murder mystery. —Maddie P

34 'The Mirror Crack'd' (1980)

The British mystery film is an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1962 Miss Marple novel, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, and features an all-star cast led by Angela Lansbury as Miss Jane Marple, a crime-solving elderly spinster woman living in the fictional village of St. Mary’s Mead. The Mirror Crack’d follows Miss Marple, where two rival movie stars, Marina Rudd (Elizabeth Taylor) and Lola Brewster (Kim Novak), arrive for a new Hollywood production. But when Heather, a local woman and a fan of Marina, suddenly dies of poisoning, Marple is called upon to solve the murder of a local woman.

The Mirror Crack’d might not be one of the best screen adaptations of Agatha Christie’s novels, but it is a nostalgic throwback to the classic British murder mysteries of the 1950s. The film is highlighted by its sharp script and well-crafted interpersonal dynamics among the characters, solidified by the performances of Lansbury, Taylor, and Novak. —Maddie P

33 'Identity' (2003)

Ed and Paris looking confused outside a motel room in 'Identity' (2003)

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

A classic murder mystery premise with the tone and style of a psychological horror thriller, James Mangold's Identity sees a group of 10 strangers finding themselves stranded in a desert motel during a raging thunderstorm. The group soon finds their numbers slowly dwindling as a deranged murderer takes them down one by one, making it only a matter of time before the travelers begin turning on one another in search of the true identity of the killer.

Identity wears its parallels and inspirations from classic whodunit mysteries like And Then There Were None on its shoulder while finding a way to set itself apart with its implementation of modern horror movie tropes. The unexpected combination adds much more stakes and terror to the murder mystery at hand, staying engaging throughout and keeping audiences at the edge of their seats. While aspects of the filmmaking are certainly dated and emblematic of the trends of early 2000s filmmaking, it's still an effective murder mystery that stands out from other films in the genre.

32 'Non-Stop' (2014)

Liam Neeson reading a terrorist's text message in Non-Stop.

Image via Sony/Columbia

While Liam Neeson's modern career is most often defined by his style of man vs the world action films, Non-Stop takes a varied approach to this style of filmmaking by placing him at the center of a murder mystery whodunit. The film sees Neeson as Bill Marks, a burned-out Air Marshal who on a routine trip receives an ominous message demanding $150 million, or else a passenger on the plane dies every 20 minutes. Bill is forced to read between the lines and figure out who on the plane is responsible before the dastardly body count continues to rise.

While murder mystery and action are genres that rarely interact with one another, Non-Stop finds an effective balance between the two that doesn't prevent either aspect from delivering its full value. It certainly has the same style of hardened Liam Neeson action that was popular in the 2010s, with the whodunit premise further adding to the overall mystery and unpredictability of it all, allowing for exciting twists against conventions. The action helps the film stand out among other murder mysteries while the murder mystery helps the film greatly stand out among Neeson's action filmography.

31 'Werewolves Within' (2021)

The Cast Of Werewolves Within grouped and looking in the same direction.Image via IFC Films

Adapted from a virtual reality game version of the classic social deduction game, Werewolves Within follows a newly-arrived forest ranger as he attempts to keep the peace in a small town during a massive snowstorm. With nearly all the small town's residents stuck in an old lodge, it doesn't take long before a mysterious and terrifying werewolf begins picking them off one by one. It soon becomes up to the sheriff to not only keep the townspeople safe from the werewolf, but to also solve the identity of this killer fantasy creature.

While the original video game the film was based on was largely forgettable and underwhelming at best, Werewolves Within is a hilarious horror comedy thrill ride that takes full advantage of the original video game. Its wide cast of hilarious and memorable supporting characters, combined with the honest and rootable leading performance from Sam Richardson, immediately makes the film an underrated gem in the horror comedy space.

Movie
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Knives Out

Follow Followed Like Share Facebook X WhatsApp Threads Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit Flipboard Copy link Email Close Thread 1 Sign in to your Collider account

We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.

Reply / Post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.

Your comment has not been saved

Send confirmation email

Sort by: Popular Oldest Newest

CLMember CLMember CLMember #DR384697 Member since 2025-05-22 Following 0 Topics 0 Users Follow Followed 0 Followers View
I simply got here throughout this notable manner to get this opportunity just a simple gadget that all of us can observe. So can you!
Don't leave out out in this existence-changing opportunity.... 𝗪𝗪𝗪.𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝟰𝟰.𝗖𝗢𝗠
2025-05-22 02:19:16 Upvote Downvote Reply Copy