5 Murder Mystery Movies Better Than Knives Out

by

Knives Out is a hugely popular murder mystery that kicked off a series of films featuring Daniel Craig as the detective Benoit Blanc. Each film in the series boasts a strong cast and presents a new mystery for Blanc to crack. While Knives Out is a favorite for many, there are other excellent murder mystery movies out there that some fans might even prefer.

Murder mysteries are becoming popular again. Recent hits like Knives Out, the new Hercule Poirot movies with Kenneth Branagh, and the Netflix adaptation of The Thursday Murder Club have helped bring the genre back, but there are even more fantastic murder mystery films out there.

Charade Is a Hilarious Mixture of Genres

Starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, Charade is a film that playfully mixes different genres. It’s both a funny romantic comedy and a clever send-up of various types of movies. The story begins with a shocking event – a man’s body is thrown from a train – and then moves to the beautiful setting of the French Alps.

Reggie Lampert is spending her holiday break in the French Alps with a friend, while also going through a divorce from her husband, Charles, as she’s realized she no longer loves him. While there, she meets Peter Joshua, and their witty, playful conversations quickly spark a romance. However, things aren’t as simple as they appear.

Returning to Paris from a trip to the Alps, intending to divorce her husband, Reggie finds their apartment completely empty and is met by a police officer. She soon discovers her husband has been murdered and had already sold all of their possessions. During questioning, Reggie realizes she didn’t know him as well as she thought.

After Charles’s funeral, several suspicious men appear, revealing he’d stolen money they now want. Reggie finds herself in a race against time to locate the stolen funds before she becomes a target, but when others start turning up dead, the situation quickly escalates into a funny and suspenseful murder mystery.

Murder on the Orient Express Is a Must-Watch for Murder Mystery Fans

No matter which version you see – whether it’s the one with Albert Finney or the 2017 film with Kenneth Branagh – Murder on the Orient Express is a classic Agatha Christie story that any fan of murder mysteries will enjoy. Each adaptation offers a unique take on this beloved novel.

In this story, famed detective Hercule Poirot is traveling from Istanbul to London on the Orient Express. However, true to Agatha Christie’s style, a murder quickly occurs, drawing Poirot into the investigation. The mystery begins when a man named Mr. Ratchett asks Poirot for help.

Ratchett had been getting threatening letters and asked Poirot for help, but Poirot turned him down. When Ratchett was found murdered in his train compartment on the Orient Express, Poirot felt obligated to investigate, realizing he should have listened to Ratchett’s concerns. The case proved difficult, and soon several passengers became potential suspects.

As a big movie fan, especially of mysteries, I totally get why people who loved Knives Out are being told to check out Murder on the Orient Express. Knives Out‘s detective, Benoit Blanc, feels like a clear nod to Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, so it makes perfect sense that one of Poirot’s most famous cases would be recommended to fans of the film. It just hits all the classic mystery beats you’d expect!

The Last of Sheila Sees a Husband Looking for the Truth

The story revolves around a limited group of suspects. Movie producer Clinton Greene hosts a week-long luxury cruise in the Mediterranean for a small number of guests. What’s unusual is that all of these guests were also present at Clinton’s house a year before, when his wife died in a hit-and-run accident.

Bill Clinton, known for enjoying games and puzzles, created a unique activity for his guests called “The Sheila Greene Memorial Gossip Game.” Sheila Greene had been a gossip columnist before she passed away. The game involves each person receiving a confidential secret and then trying to uncover everyone else’s while keeping their own hidden. However, the activity quickly feels like something more than just harmless fun.

Clinton’s guests are all hiding secrets – everything from petty theft to past criminal records. The situation gets even more complicated when another person is murdered, and it becomes clear that Clinton’s elaborate game was actually a way to uncover Sheila’s killer. However, some details still don’t quite make sense.

The story is full of surprising turns that will keep you hooked and guessing until the very end. New revelations constantly change everything you thought you knew. It’s a thrilling and entertaining murder mystery where you’re always on the edge of your seat, wondering what will happen next and who might be in danger.

Clue Is a Hilarious Cult Classic Murder Mystery

Inspired by the classic board game, the story follows six guests – including characters like Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, and Mrs. Peacock – who are invited to a remote mansion. They soon discover they’re all being blackmailed by the host, Mr. Boddy.

Wadsworth, the butler, contacted the police, but Mr. Boddy warned that everyone would be implicated if he was arrested. Instead, he armed each guest and suggested they kill Wadsworth. However, during a blackout, Mr. Boddy was found murdered. The guests then began to investigate, only to discover more victims were appearing.

The movie Clue cleverly incorporates iconic elements from the board game, including the classic weapons like the candlestick, rope, and lead pipe. It also features secret passages, just like in the game, and offers three different endings, mirroring the multiple ways each game can conclude.

The film Clue actually had three different endings created for its release on home video. However, when it played in theaters, each theater only showed one of these endings. This meant viewers in different locations had a different experience! While the movie wasn’t a hit when it first came out, it’s since gained a dedicated and passionate fanbase.

Witness for the Prosecution Is the Best Agatha Christie Adaptation

Agatha Christie is famous for her mystery novels, and many films based on her work are considered classics in the murder mystery genre. However, Witness for the Prosecution is particularly noteworthy, even though it’s also one of her most well-known adaptations.

The story centers around Sir Wilfrid Robarts, a lawyer nearing retirement, when Leonard Vole asks him to represent him in a legal case. Sir Wilfrid listens to Leonard’s account and assesses its truthfulness before deciding to take on the defense.

Leonard Vole is on trial for the murder of Emily French, a rich widow he knew well. Emily had recently changed her will to leave all her possessions to Leonard. While evidence places him at the scene of the crime and a witness claims to have heard him with Emily on the night she died, Leonard insists he didn’t do it.

Leonard claims his wife, Christine, is his only alibi, so Sir Wilfrid questioned her hoping she’d support his case. However, she seemed distant and unemotional, leading Sir Wilfrid to believe she wouldn’t be a helpful witness. Everyone was surprised, then, when Christine unexpectedly appeared in court to testify against Leonard for the prosecution.

During the release of ‘Witness for the Prosecution,’ theaters politely asked audiences to keep the ending a secret from those who hadn’t seen it yet, hoping to preserve the surprise for everyone. One theater even posted a message asking viewers not to reveal any plot details after the movie ended.

Read More

2025-12-29 02:09