As our days get darker and our nights get shorter, the winter is the perfect time to cosy up at home and get stuck into a perfect mystery movie. Murder mysteries and whodunits have been around for a lifetime, but the past decade has presented us with some fantastic films that reinvent the genre. Whether you want spine-chilling horror and gore, something action-packed that will leave you on the edge of your seat, or a comedy movie with a twist of mystery, the 2010s has delivered it all.
Shutter Island (2010)
This psychological thriller is different to the usual gangster films that Martin Scorsese usually directs. He teamed up with Leonardo DiCaprio yet again, alongside Mark Ruffalo, to create a chilling murder mystery set in a psychiatric facility on an isolated island. The perfect film to watch on a dark and stormy night, Shutter Island is guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Based on the Swedish novel of the same name, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo stars Daniel Craig as intuitive journalist and Rooney Mara as punky internet hacker. This unlikely match eventually teams up to try and find out what happened to a woman who disappeared forty years ago. Known for his mind-boggling psychological thrillers, you will not be disappointed by this David Fincher adaptation.
Prisoners (2013)
This Denis Villeneuve flick features an all-star ensemble cast, including Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Terrence Howard and Paul Dano. Guaranteed to have you sobbing at one point during this tense, action packed thriller, the story follows two families searching for their missing daughters and shows the extent that people will go to protect their families.
Gone Girl (2014)
Another David Fincher psychological thriller, and based on a novel again, this time the 2012 Gillian Flynn novel of the same name. Starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike and Neil Patrick Harris, Gone Girl follows the breakdown of a marriage, as Nick Dunne is suspected of murdering his wife after she disappears. Rosamund Pike was praised for her performance as Amy Dunne, earning her an Academy Award for Best Actress.
The Nice Guys (2016)
The Nice Guys, directed by Shane Black, amalgamates murder mystery and action-comedy. Starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as incompatible private detectives, helped by one of their gutsy teenage daughters. Not to mention, this genre-bender is set in 1970s Los Angeles, with all the garish outfits and decor included.
Happy Death Day (2017)
If you’re looking for a more light-hearted murder mystery, this is definitely the film to watch. An American black comedy movie with a refreshing spin on the plotline made famous by Groundhog Day, Happy Death Day follows a student murdered on her own birthday. She lives the same day over again, always to be murdered by the end of it. She can only stop this repetition when she eventually discovers who her killer is. There has now been a sequel to this comedy slasher, Happy Death Day 2U, released in 2019.
Game Night (2018)
Another movie that mixes murder, mystery and comedy, Game Night stars Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman as a couple who love to organise game nights with their friends. However, this one game night takes a turn for the worse when the host actually gets kidnapped, but the rest of them still believe this is part of the game. Game Night is an underrated comedy that will unite family, friends and any competitive gamers out there.
Knives Out (2019)
Knives Out is praised for its cosy sweaters as much as it is for its suspenseful mystery. It features Daniel Craig, again, as the wholesome detective, and an ensemble cast with the likes of Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Shannon as the wealthy Thrombey family. When the patriarch of the family dies mysteriously, detectives must interview all of his untrustworthy offspring, whilst his seemingly wholesome nurse must avoid suspicion.
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