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.

20 'Werewolves Within' (2021)

Director: Josh Ruben

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. – Robert Lee

19 'Vengeance' (2022)

Director: B.J. Novak

Directed, written by, and starring B.J. Novak, Vengeance sees Novak as Ben Manalowitz, a journalist and podcaster who is looking for a genuine and hard-hitting story to break into the industry. He soon finds himself the unexpected story of a lifetime as he travels from safe and comfortable New York City to West Texas to investigate the death of a girl that he previously hooked up with. While logging and recording his investigation for a murder mystery podcast, he quickly gets a better sense of the community and begins to have second thoughts about his motives.

Especially considering the massive explosion and popularity of true crime podcasts in the digital era, it's a shock that it took as long as it did for a film to truly understand and examine the ethical conundrum of the industry. Vengeance perfectly balances Novak's style of humor with its genuine and effective messaging and themes surrounding the ethics and conundrums of his own story. The murder mystery at the center of it all is also highly engaging, with multiple brilliant layers revealed throughout the story to make it much more complex than simply finding the killer. – Robert Lee

Watch on Starz

18 'Bodies Bodies Bodies' (2022)

Director: Halina Reijn

A wildly hilarious and unpredictable whodunnit and Gen Z satire, Bodies Bodies Bodies follows a group of young 20-somethings as they get trapped in a remote mansion during a hurricane. After a murder mystery party game goes wrong, a dead body on the premise quickly transforms their friend group against each other, with each one of them quick to blame one another for the murder. As the night continues and more bodies begin to pop up, it becomes a mad dash to figure out the culprit behind the murders.

Bodies Bodies Bodies fully embraces its satirical and comedic angle as a complete takedown of the privileged, rich kids of the digital era. The murder mystery at the center of it all, while deeply hilarious in its own right when fully revealed, only acts as the catalyst for all of these hilarious characters and archetypes to go at each other's throats. Rachel Sennott especially gives an instantly iconic performance that steals the show as the comedic highlight in an already hilarious film. – Robert Lee

17 'Gosford Park' (2001)

Director: Robert Altman

One of the last great films from the late legendary director Robert Altman, Gosford Park follows a large group of pretentious high-class guests at a luxurious weekend at a hunting resort in 1930s England. However, after a dastardly murder occurs, nearly all of the eclectic and interesting characters at the party become suspects, as they attempt to figure out the true identity of the killer as well as their dastardly motive.

It's a shame that Gosford Park isn't talked about nearly as much as Altman's other masterpieces since it is chock-full of the same signature humor and wide-casting satirical lens. Gosford Park features a lot of the same strengths as Glass Onion, being a hilarious takedown of the rich while also featuring a gargantuan and highly memorable supporting cast of characters. Even if the film itself is mostly forgotten, it still has a surprisingly powerful legacy, as even the massively popular Downton Abbey was originally a spinoff of Gosford Park. – Robert Lee

Rent on Apple TV

16 'The Kid Detective' (2020)

Director: Evan Morgan

The Kid Detective follows the story of Adam Brody's Abe Applebaum who is a former kid-detective who used to be celebrated in his community for solving quirky, trivial mysteries. However, after being forced to solve a horrific real mystery of a missing young girl, he failed to solve the case and ended up falling into a pit of self-pity. Now, as a 31-year-old, a naive young teenage girl enters his offices and gives him a chance at redemption, asking him to find out who murdered her boyfriend.

The Kid Detective is a great, dark comedy twist on classic kid detective stories like Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown, fully encapsulated in Brody's terrific and self-deprecating performance. Even outside its ingenious premise, the core mystery and dynamic between Brody and co-star Sophie Nélisse make for a viewing experience that is as equally hilarious as it is engaging and unpredictable. It's easily one of the most underrated murder mystery movies in recent memory, acting as a wholly original spin on the genre as a whole. – Robert Lee

Watch on Starz

15 'The Pink Panther' (2006)

Director: Shawn Levy