Detective movies are a staple among movie lovers because they captivate your attention and tasking your mind to find clues. The suspense has you glued to your screen as pieces of the puzzle align while you experience the satisfaction of seeing a crime solved.
From old movies like The Maltese Falcon(1941), Vertigo(1958), and Touch of Evil(1958) to newer flicks like Knives Out(2019), thousands of detective movies have been made, yet, we can’t help but select these favorites based on ratings.
Best Detective Movies
1. Memories of Murder(2003)
- Director: Bong Joon Ho
- Ratings-Rotten Tomatoes 95%, IMDB 8.1/10
Nothing grabs one’s attention like depicting past events in a well-told tale.
Memories of Murder is one such detective movie based on true-life events that happened in a small Korean province back in the 80s. Two detectives are given the task of uncovering the murders of many young women who have also been raped.
Like the struggling detectives, the intensity and gruesomeness make the viewer also think of all the clues to find the culprit.
2. Vertigo(1958)
- Director: Alfred Hitchcock
- Ratings-Rotten Tomatoes: 93%, IMDB: 8.3/10
Despite being over 6 decades since the release of this detective movie, it still maintains a great appeal for anyone interested in solving crime. Understandably, it is highly rated by sites like Rotten Tomatoes due to the suspense, intrigue, and mystery.
The 1958 classic stars James Stewart as detective John Scottie Ferguson.
He suffers from an occupational hazard that leads to his retirement, fear of heights, and vertigo.
The unfolding events in the movie have been described as a tragedy as Ferguson becomes obsessed with two women. The first woman is his friend’s wife, suspected of being possessed by a demon while the second is a woman he meets on the street.
3. Murder on the Orient Express(2017)
- Director: Kenneth Branagh
- Rating-Rotten TomatoesL 60%, IMDB: 6.5
A criminal has to be smart in committing and hiding crime and this is one of the interesting things in the plot of the 2017 movie. But even more interesting are the smart and clever minds that piece the puzzle to catch them.
Detective Hercule Poirot is saddled with catching the murderer of American tycoon, Samuel Ratchet who was found stabbed and dead in his compartment.
Poirot can do this while stealing our admiration with his cleverness. No wonder, we get to see another depiction of detection Poirot in Kenneth Branagh’s Death on the Nile(2022)
4. Blade Runner(1982)
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Ratings-Rotten Tomatoes: 89%, IMDB: 8.1/10
Blade Runner is loved by detective movie lovers for its production and its futuristic plot. Many consider it one of the greatest movies in this genre due to how it inspired many futuristic films, video games, and television series.
Not to digress, on-screen in the futuristic movie, one is intrigued by Rick Deckard’s mission of tracking down rogue replicants( artificially manufactured people) as well as protecting his love interest.
5. Knives Out(2019)
- Director: Rian Johnson
- Ratings-Rotten Tomatoes: 97%, IMDB: 7.9/10
The director, Rian Johnson was inspired by Agatha Christie’s books he read as a child and he put all these into this 2019 movie.
Thankfully, the suspense and intrigue matched Christie’s work as we follow the tragedy around Harlan Trombey’s death.
Though it was declared suicide, Detective Benoit Blanc(Daniel Craig) investigates and finds out that all is not as portrayed by Trombey’s family.
6. The Fugitive(1993)
- Director: Andrew Davis
- Ratings-Rotten Tomatoes: 96%, IMDB: 7.8/10
Nothing spells suspense like a man fighting for his life after being wrongly accused of murdering his wife.
Dr. Richard Kimble has been sentenced to death for this but he escapes from custody to find the real killer and clear his name.
7. The Long Goodbye(1973)
- Director: Renny Harlin
- Ratings-Rotten Tomatoes: 68%, IMDB: 6.8/10
A dark conspiracy looms as Detective Mitch Hennesy attempts to help Geena Davis, a high school teacher regain her identity.
The viewer is shocked by the findings of her past as a government assassin who went missing after suffering from amnesia.
8. Chinatown(1974)
- Director: Roman Polanski
- Ratings-Rotten Tomatoes: 98%, IMDB: 8.1/10
Understandably, this is one of the most-rated detective movies due to its plot in 1930s Los Angeles. A detective finds himself entangled in corruption, deceit, and murder as he tries to expose an adulterer.
9. The Maltese Falcon(1941)
- Director: John Huston
- Ratings-Rotten Tomatoes: 99%, IMDB: 8/10
Adventure is the thrill that those willing to step out of their comfort zone can get.
Until things turn for the worse for three mindless adventurers looking for a jewel-encrusted falcon statuette.
Detective Sam Spade must use his skills to find the ‘Maltese Falcon’ that all three are looking for as he adjusts to the murder of his partner.
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10. Touch of Evil(1958)
- Director: Orson Welles
- Ratings-Rotten Tomatoes: 95%, IMDB: 8/10
This is another old must-see detective flick. This time, Detective Ramon Miguel is pushed to cut short his honeymoon due to a murder case.
With each unfolding scene one thing becomes clear: the more a person is involved in evil, the more likely they do more evil.
Miguel is committed to his work but he is faced with the challenge of treason, kidnapping, and corruption within the police force.
11. Inherent Vice(2014)
- Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
- Ratings-Rotten Tomatoes: 74%, IMDB: 6.6/10
Based on Thomas Pynchon’s book of the same name, the 2014 movie follows Larry Sportello who has to unravel three murders linked to the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.
12. Seven(1995)
- Director: David Fincher
- Ratings- Rotten Tomatoes: 83%, IMDB: 8.6/10
This 1995 detective movie is a crime thriller that never goes out of stock. It stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Freeman who acted as detective William Somerset is an about-to-retire law enforcer while David Mills(Pitt) is his newly transferred partner.
Together, they try to stop a serial killer bent on executing murders based on the seven deadly sins.
13. The Silence of the Lambs(1991)
- Director: Jonathan Demme
- Ratings- Rotten Tomatoes: 95%, IMDB: 8.6/10
Best described as frightening, it is worth mentioning among the best detective movies ever made.
Once more, cleverness must be used in trapping a criminal and this time around, a young FBI cadet, Clarice Starling(Jodie Foster) must use the help of an incarcerated cannibal killer to catch another terrible killer who skins his victims.
14. Zodiac(2007)
- Director: David Fincher
- Ratings-Rotten Tomatoes: 90%, IMDB: 7.7/10
Back in the 60s and 70s, a serial killer also known as the Zodiac killer terrorized the San Francisco Bay area and to stop him, a manhunt was organized.
The killer who addressed himself as Zodiac left clues like bloodied clothes, letters, and encrypted mail to newspapers.
The movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr.
15. High and Low(1963)
- Director: Akira Kurosawa
- Ratings-Rotten Tomatoes: 96%, IMDB: 8.4/10
The 1963 Japanese movie is one of the best made and to remove any doubt, the thrill will hold your attention till the end credits start rolling.
Based on Ed McBain’s book Kings Ransom, the movie follows gang activities in a fictitious area known as S.W.O.R.D. As they fight for their pride and glory, bodies start dropping.
