Craving for a good murder mystery movie on Amazon Prime Video but can’t zero in on a title, you’ve come to the right place. We have listed the best of the best, ranked according to their IMDb ratings. These films will keep you guessing until the very end and deliver twists and turns that will leave you breathless.
The murder mystery genre is enjoying something of a revival at the moment — a ‘killer’ comeback, if you can excuse the bad pun. After grittier crime dramas have dominated the big screen for decades, there has been a surge of murder mystery movies and shows in the market in the last few years that are both nostalgic and fresh interpretations.
Movies like Kenneth Branagh’s A Haunting in Venice (2023) and Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) channel the spirit of Agatha Christie’s cosy whodunits from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, complete with a stylish setting, a quirky detective and a group of suspicious characters, each harbouring secrets. Both these movies are sequels; so be sure to check out the previous films in their respective franchises too.
Check out our list of best murder mystery series on Prime Video
Additionally, audiences seem to love playing armchair detective, as proven by these movies’ box office (or viewership) figures. According to Box Office Mojo, Murder on the Orient Express (2017), the first film in Branagh’s series of Christie movies, for instance, racked up USD 352.7 million in box office receipts globally on a budget of USD 55 million. Meanwhile, Johnson’s Knives Out (2019), the prequel to Glass Onion also became a box office success, with a worldwide collection of USD 312.9 million on a budget of $40 million.
Play armchair detective with these best murder mystery movies on Amazon Prime Video now:
Jump To / Table of Contents
- Rememory (2017)
- A Haunting in Venice (2023)
- Seetharam Benoy: Case No. 18 (2021)
- Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
- Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)
- V1 Murder Case (2020)
- Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943)
- Ponmagal Vandhal (2020)
- Gumnaam (1965)
- The Stoneman Murders (2009)
- Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)
- Rahasya (2015)
- Anatomy Of A Fall (2023)
- Zodiac (2007)
- Mystic River (2003)
- Rear Window (1954)
- Se7en (1995)
1 /17
IMDb rating: 6.1
Directed by: Mark Palansky
Cast: Peter Dinklage, Matt Ellis, Jordana Largy, Martin Donovan
Synopsis: Gordon Dunn (Donovan), a visionary inventor, creates a machine that records memories. When he’s found dead, investigator Sam Bloom (Dinklage) uses the device to investigate, exploring painful memories in search of the truth, not just about Dunn but also his recently deceased brother.
IMDb rating: 6.5
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Riccardo Scamarcio, Michelle Yeoh
Synopsis: Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in Venice, Hercule Poirot (Branagh) reluctantly attends a seance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the former detective must once again find the killer, navigating a world of shadows and sinister secrets.
About the film: It is an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel Hallowe’en Party.
IMDb rating: 6.6
Directed by: Devi Prasad Shetty
Cast: Vijay Raghavendra, Sathwik Hebbar, Bindu Raxidi, Shreeharsha Ninasam
Synopsis: Renowned detective Seetharaam Benoy (Raghavendra) takes on a seemingly simple robbery case at his home. However, as he probes deeper, the investigation becomes intertwined with the unsolved ‘Case No.18,’ leading him down a twisting path of secrets and hidden dangers.
IMDb rating: 6.6
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Tom Bateman, Olivia Colman
Synopsis: While travelling aboard the luxurious Orient Express, world-renowned detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh) finds himself entangled in a complex murder investigation. A wealthy American businessman Ratchett (Depp) is found stabbed to death on the train and with all the passengers confined by a snowdrift, Poirot must interrogate a suspicious and secretive group of suspects before the killer strikes again.
About the film: It is an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1934 murder mystery novel of the same name.
IMDb rating: 6.7
Directed by: Scott Hicks
Cast: Ethan Hawke, James Cromwell, Rick Yune, Max von Sydow, Youki Kudoh
Synopsis: On a remote island in the Pacific Northwest in the aftermath of WWII, journalist Ishmael Chambers (Hawke) covers the murder trial of Kabuo Miyamoto (Yune), a Japanese-American fisherman accused of killing a respected white fisherman. Racial tensions, lost love and deep-seated community secrets come to the surface amidst the investigation.
About the film: Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by David Guterson.
6 /17
IMDb rating: 6.7
Directed by: Pavel Navageethan
Cast: Ram Arun Castro, Vishnupriya Pillai, Gayathrie, Lijeesh
Synopsis: Forensic officer Agni (Castro), who suffers from nyctophobia, investigates the murder of a young woman named Narmadha (Gayathrie). Joined by Inspector Luna (Pillai), he encounters several suspects but soon realises the case is far more complex than it seems.
IMDb rating: 6.7
Directed by: Roy William Neill
Cast: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Marjorie Lord, Henry Daniell
Synopsis: Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Bruce) are summoned to wartime Washington D.C. to safeguard a critical secret document. When a murder throws their mission into chaos, Holmes must unravel a deadly conspiracy involving enemy spies, stolen microfilm and a web of cryptic clues.
About the film: This is the fifth instalment in Universal Pictures’ series of Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories about the iconic fictional London detective.
8 /17
IMDb rating: 6.7
Directed by: J. J. Fredrick
Cast: Jyothika, Bhagyaraj, Parthiban, Thiagarajan
Synopsis: A determined young lawyer, Venba (Jyothika), takes on the controversial case of a woman labelled a serial killer and executed years earlier. Believing there was a miscarriage of justice, Venba fights to reopen the case and uncovers a dark conspiracy involving powerful figures and the abuse of children.
9 /17
IMDb rating: 6.9
Directed by: Raja Nawathe
Cast: Manoj Kumar, Nanda, Pran, Helen, Mehmood, Madan Puri
Synopsis: After winning a dubious contest, a group of strangers, including Anand (Kumar) and Asha (Nanda), find themselves stranded on a remote island. As a mysterious killer begins murdering them off one by one, tensions and suspicion rise within the group.
About the film: Loosely based on Agatha Christie’s novel And Then There Were None.
10 /17
IMDb rating: 7.3
Directed by: Manish Gupta
Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Arbaaz Khan, Rukhsar Rehman
Synopsis: In the 1980s Bombay, a serial killer known as ‘The Stoneman’ preys on the city’s homeless. Suspended police officer Sanjay Shelar (Menon) attempts to find the culprit amidst departmental politics.
IMDb rating: 7.3
Directed by: Woody Allen
Cast: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Alan Alda, Anjelica Huston
Synopsis: Middle-aged couple Larry (Allen) and Carol Lipton (Keaton) grow suspicious when their eccentric neighbour dies suddenly. Believing foul play is afoot, Carol, fuelled by detective fiction obsession, convinces a reluctant Larry to investigate.
12 /17
IMDb rating: 7.6
Directed by: Manish Gupta
Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Tisca Chopra, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mita Vashisht, Ashwini Kalsekar
Synopsis: When Sachin Mahajan (Vidyarthi) is accused of killing his daughter, CBI Officer Sunil Paraskar (Menon) begins a fresh investigation that leads him to disturbing truths and hidden suspects.
About the film: The film was inspired by the 2008 Noida double murder case.
13 /17
IMDb rating: 7.7
Directed by: Justine Triet
Cast: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner
Synopsis: After her wealthy husband, Samuel (Arlaud), dies in a suspicious fall from a balcony, Nina (Hüller) finds herself the prime suspect in his murder. As she fights for her freedom, secrets, hidden motives and the complicated nature of their relationship are revealed.
Awards won: Co-writers Triet and Arthur Harari won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay at the 96th Academy Awards on 10 March 2024.
14 /17
IMDb rating: 7.7
Directed by: David Fincher
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards
Synopsis: Journalists Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal) and Paul Avery (Downey Jr.) along with detectives Dave Toschi (Ruffalo) and Bill Armstrong (Edwards) obsessively track the infamous Zodiac Killer. The murderer terrorised San Francisco in the late 1960s and early 1970s, taunting authorities with cryptic messages and puzzles.
About the film: The film is based on two books — Zodiac, published in 1986 and Zodiac Unmasked, published in 2002 — by Robert Graysmith — Gyllenhaal’s character in the film.
15 /17
IMDb rating: 7.9
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne
Synopsis: Three childhood friends, Jimmy (Penn), Dave (Robbins) and Sean (Bacon), are reunited following the brutal murder of Jimmy’s daughter. Old wounds from a childhood trauma resurface, tearing their lives and families apart as Detective Sean Devine (Bacon) investigates the case.
16 /17
IMDb rating: 8.5
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr
Synopsis: Confined to his apartment with a broken leg, professional photographer L.B. Jefferies (Stewart) passes time by observing his neighbours. When he suspects that one of them, Thorwald (Burr), has committed murder, he enlists the help of his glamorous girlfriend, Lisa (Kelly) and his visiting nurse, Stella (Ritter), to gather evidence.
About the film: The film was adapted from the short story It Had to Be Murder by Cornell Woolrich.
17 /17
IMDb rating: 8.6
Directed by: David Fincher
Cast: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey
Synopsis: Two detectives, a veteran nearing retirement, William Somerset (Morgan Freeman), and a young hotshot, David Mills (Brad Pitt), partner on a horrifying case: a serial killer meticulously staging murders inspired by the seven deadly sins.
(Hero and featured image: Courtesy of IMDb)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-Which murder mystery movie is the best?
Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954) is often regarded as the greatest murder mystery ever made. Movies like Se7en (1995) and Murder On The Orient Express (1974) also regularly make it to the best murder mystery movies’ lists.
-What is the biggest murder mystery ever?
The biggest murder mysteries are often those that remain unsolved, such as the Jack the Ripper case of Victorian London or the Zodiac Killer of California in the 1960s. These cases have captured the public imagination for decades and their lack of a clear resolution adds to their mystique and intrigue.
-Is Crime Story on Amazon Prime Video?
No, Crime Story (1986–1988) is not available on Amazon Prime Video.
-Where can I watch a good mystery movie?
Major streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video often have a dedicated section for mysteries as well as thrillers. If you prefer physical discs, you can buy them either online on e-commerce sites like Amazon or from offline stores.
Kshitij is a journalism graduate who did not initially intend to become a film critic, but such are the vagaries of destiny. Now, Kshitij is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild, bringing expertise and experience in evaluating entertainment content with him. Additionally, he serves as a jury member on the Critics' Choice Awards in India. When he's not busy wielding words, catch him nose-deep in books or joyfully lost in the realms of gaming and photography.
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