A Haunting In Venice

 

Murder is one of humanity’s oldest crimes, and figuring out who did a given deadly deed makes for some of humanity’s most compelling stories. Join us as we look at some of the best whodunnits, howdunnits and whydunnits to grace the silver screen, starting with a favorite character making a return to the movie theater.

 

Hercule Poirot Movies

 

A Haunting In Venice (2023)

 

Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot is one of literature’s most fascinating detectives. In his third go-round as Poirot, Kenneth Branagh picks up the story with a jaded Hercule retired in Venice. He’s pulled back into action by his friend Ariadne (Tina Fey), who asks him to accompany her to a séance so that they can sleuth out the con. When a guest is murdered, Poirot turns  his skills to figuring out which of the other people in the room was the culprit. As with his other Poirot films, Branagh has drawn a stellar supporting cast, including notables such as Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan and Camille Cottin. An atmospheric murder mystery, just in time for Spooky Season? Sign us up!

Buy tickets for 'A Haunting in Venice' right now at Fandango.

.

Kenneth Branagh in A Haunting In Venice

More Poirot

 

Death on the Nile (2022) – with Kenneth Branagh
Murder on the Orient Express (2017) – with Kenneth Branagh
Evil Under the Sun (1982) – with Peter Ustinov
Death on the Nile (1978) – with Peter Ustinov
Murder on the Orient Express (1974) – with Albert Finney

 

Ensemble Murder Mysteries

 

Knives Out (2019)

 

The ensemble murder mystery is a venerable Hollywood tradition, and Rian Johnson's intricately-plotted Knives Out is a classic example. Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans and Toni Collette lead a group of A-list stars who leave no piece of scenery unchewed – and clearly have a blast doing it. You’ll never look at doughnut holes in quite the same way again.
 

More ensemble mysteries

 

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Gosford Park (2001)
Murder by Death (1976)
The Last of Sheila (1974)

 

Dramatic Mysteries

 

Wind River (2017)

 

In Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River, a newly-minted FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) travels to a Native American reservation in Wyoming to solve a brutal murder. She’s joined by the park warden (Jeremy Renner) who discovered the young woman’s body. Two things become apparent quickly: Renner’s character has a deeper connection to the case than he wants to let on, and there’s someone who will go to great lengths to stop them from solving the murder. Wind River centers on a real-world issue that's often overlooked by outsiders, and the story will stay with you for a long time.

 

 

More dramatic mysteries

 

 
 
 

Comedy Mysteries

 

Clue (1985)

 

Of course, murder is no laughing matter – but the act of solving one sure can be. Based on the classic board game, Clue brings together a cast that features Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd and Lesley Ann Warren at the top of their comic games. Full of quotable lines and featuring three potential endings, Clue will keep you laughing and guessing for hours.

 

 

More comedy mysteries

 

 

Thriller Mysteries

 

Rear Window (1954)

 

A good thriller keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, trying to figure out just what's going on – and no one did thrillers quite like Alfred Hitchcock. On paper, it doesn’t sound like “guy watches neighbors through window” would be much of a story – but in reality, Rear Window slowly ratchets up the anxiety. Temporarily homebound, photographer Jeff (James Stewart) has a limited view of the outside world. Are the neighbors he watches through his window innocently going about their business, or is something more sinister afoot? Rear Window was released in 1954, but it’s taken on new relevance in recent years. For another riff on the theme, try Disturbia.

 

 

More thrillers

 

 
 
 
 

Serial Killer Mysteries

 

Seven (1995)

 

Investigating a serial killer requires a specialized set of cinematic tools. It's often easy enough to determine that multiple murders were carried out by one person, what with the average cinematic serial killer's tendency to leave some sort of calling card. The challenge is in understanding the killer’s pattern so you can beat them to their next victim. In David Fincher’s Seven, two detectives (Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman) are on the trail of a serial killer who bases his murders on the seven deadly sins. The killer leads the detectives right to him... and right to an iconic film climax.

 

 

More serial killer mysteries

 
 
 
 

Classic Film Noir Mysteries

 

The Big Sleep (1946)

 
If the cinematography is shadowy, the lead character is a hard-boiled private detective investigating a murder, the female lead is alluring but a little shady, and the release date is in the 1940s, you probably have a classic film noir on your hands. Take The Big Sleep: Humphrey Bogart plays Philip Marlowe, who takes on what seems like a straightforward blackmail case. He quickly finds himself enmeshed in a web of drugs, illicit gambling, pornography and multiple killings. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall’s legendary chemistry brings sparkle to this otherwise dark procedural. Fun fact: Legendary writer William Faulkner is one of the credited screenwriters on the script adapted from Raymond Chandler’s novel.
 

 

More classic noir

Out of the Past (1947)
Lady in the Lake (1946)
Laura (1944)
Phantom Lady (1944)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)

 
 

Neo-Noir Mysteries

 

Brick (2006)

 
The tradition of classic noir lives on in neo-noir films, albeit with brighter color. In Brick, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Brendan, a high school student drawn into the detective role when an ex-girlfriend disappears. With a few nudges from femme fatale Laura (Nora Zehetner), Brendan’s impromptu investigation leads him into an underworld of heroin dealers, betrayal and murder.
 

 

More neo-noir

 

Motherless Brooklyn (2019)
Veronica Mars (2014)
Shutter Island (2010)
Mulholland Drive (2001)
LA Confidential (1997)
Primal Fear (1996)
Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)
Chinatown (1974)
The Long Goodbye (1973)
Blow-Up (1966)