Movie lovers have always enjoyed watching crime and thriller movies, especially those with intelligent detectives. Who wouldn’t want the satisfaction of experiencing the thrill of the characters, guessing what’s happening at each step, and feeling satisfied with a good ending? However, it’s tricky to loop in all the twists and provide a solution that’s worth it all.
Of course, movies based on Agatha Christie’s bestselling books have to be here. After all, she is dubbed the “Queen of Crime”. But who else makes the cut? Let’s see.
10. Prisoners (2013)
‘Prisoners‘ revolves around the kidnapping of two young girls in Pennsylvania and the search for the kidnapper. As Detective Loki investigates the crime, he arrests a suspect, Alex Jones, but due to lack of evidence, Jones is released. The father of the girl takes the matter into his own hands. He is just the kind of desperate man who doesn’t care if the case hits a dead end; vengeance will be his. And Loki, too, gets invested.
9. The French Connection (1971)
If you like to watch the gritty crime thrillers of the 1970s, ‘The French Connection‘ is not to be missed. Gene Hackman won an Oscar for his performance, but the story of violence in New York at the behest of a seedy underworld and the suspense that haunted the authorities set the benchmark for neo-noirs for the decade.
8. The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
‘The Silence Of The Lambs‘ is a psychological horror movie that is adapted from Thomas Harris’s novel of the same name. The story revolves around a young FBI agent trainee named Clarice Starling who is searching for a serial killer. Agent Starling isn’t a detective but manages to solve the case through her observation skills. The movie has become a classic, and the courage and perseverance of Starling as a cool and composed woman sets her apart from her hot-headed male counterparts.
7. Zodiac (2007)
‘Zodiac‘ is a knockout when it comes to movies based on true-crime stories. It traces the horrific crimes of the Zodiac Killer in the late 1960s and early 70s in San Francisco. It wasn’t just a case that perplexed the authorities but many became obsessed with solving it. The chase ensued for decades and David Fincher captures that in the film. Of course, he is a master of this genre, so ‘Zodiac‘ unsettles viewers yet makes them feel content.
6. Memories of Murder (2003)
This neo-noir crime thriller did not quite get its due worldwide, but it’s a Bong Joon-ho creation you absolutely need to watch. Released a decade before ‘Parasite‘, the film showcases the atrocities of a serial rapist and murderer in Hwaseong who was active during the late ’80s. Despite the most intelligent minds on the case, the criminal remains elusive. It’s one of those films that makes you question the truth.
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5. The Big Sleep (1946)
Based on the hard-boiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, ‘The Big Sleep‘ follows a private detective, Phillip Marlowe. He is hired by a wealthy family to resolve the gambling issues of their daughter. But nothing is as it seems, and the plot gets more tangled each passing minute. Marlowe has to witness murders and more bad things before he can close the case. Yet, he remains subdued, reflective, and philosophical, which makes his character one of the best and beguiling.
4. Knives Out (2019)
This murder mystery relies on some classic tropes wrapped around the question of who murdered the family patriarch—cue: Agatha Christie style. Of course, it’s not just any other money-trumps-blood story. There are twists and comedy, all elevated by the brilliant performance of Daniel Craig as the calm, yet sarcastic Detective Benoit Blanc. After the success of 2019’s ‘Knives Out‘, the makers released ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, in 2022, which is worth the watch too.
3. Murder On The Orient Express (1974)
There’s a bevy of Agatha Christie adaptations, at the centre of which appears her beloved Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, but if you are looking for the golden standard of her story on screen, the 1974 version of ‘Murder On The Orient Express‘ starring Albert Finney takes the cake. We have a mind-boggling whodunit in the confines of a train, secretive characters, and all come to heel as Poirot pieces together the mystery of the killing with panache.
2. Chinatown (1974)
After the golden age of cinema translated detective fiction to the screen, Roman Polanski’s ‘Chinatown‘ became a game-changer for neo-noir mystery in the 70s. The story follows a private detective who is hired to catch an adulterer but gets himself entangled in a web of lies, corruption, and murder. Yes, we have seen filmmakers trying to replicate this trope, but the original is the best. The movie delves into the complexities of power, greed, and deception, so much so that skilled detectives also find it difficult to navigate their way.
1. Se7en (1995)
David Fincher’s ‘Se7en‘ follows a disillusioned investigator named William Somerset, played by Morgan Freeman, who is nearing his retirement. He goes on a last case with a new colleague, David Mills, portrayed by Brad Pitt. The task at hand is to catch a serial killer who is making a show of the seven deadly sins with his victims. It’s gruesome, mysterious and just the kind of “didn’t-see-that-coming” kind of thriller you’ll remember for a long time.
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