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The Best Mystery Movies of All Time

Whodunits, puzzles and investigations: the mystery canon ranked by our composite score across 20+ lists, awards and polls.

The mystery film runs on the oldest narrative contract — a question posed, an answer withheld — and cinema keeps finding new ways to break the contract brilliantly: Citizen Kane is a mystery whose answer is a sled, Rashomon made the unreliability of the answer the point, and Antonioni's Blow-Up refused to answer at all. Between those landmarks sit the classic detective pictures, Hitchcock's wrong-man machines, and Chinatown's bleak perfection.

Citizen Kane (1941) leads with a composite score of 9.21. Top 100 of 270 films in our library.

Masters of the genre

  1. 1
    Citizen Kane1941 · Orson Welles · United States · drama, biography, mystery
    9.21

    AFI 100 (2007) #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #2 · AFI 100 (1998) #1

  2. 2
    2001: A Space Odyssey1968 · Stanley Kubrick · United States / United Kingdom · adventure, mystery, sci-fi
    7.43

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #6 · AFI 100 (2007) #15

  3. 3
    The Third Man1949 · Carol Reed · United Kingdom · film-noir, mystery, drama
    6.08

    BFI Top 100 British films #1 · Palme d'Or winner 1949 · Cannes Grand Prix winner 1949

  4. 4
    The Godfather Part II1974 · Francis Ford Coppola · United States · drama, crime, thriller
    5.37

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1974 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #26 · Letterboxd Top 250 #8

  5. 5
    Vertigo1958 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · mystery, thriller, drama
    5.16

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #2 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #6 · AFI 100 (2007) #9

  6. 6
    Mulholland Drive2001 · David Lynch · United States · mystery, thriller, crime
    4.61

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2001 #1 · Film Comment year-end poll 2001 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #8

  7. 7
    Chinatown1974 · Roman Polanski · United States · film-noir, mystery, thriller
    4.33

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1974 · AFI 100 (2007) #21

  8. 8
    No Country for Old Men2007 · Ethan Coen, Joel Coen · United States · drama, thriller, western
    4.20

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2007 · Film Comment year-end poll 2007 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2008 #1

  9. 9
    Psycho1960 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · thriller, horror, mystery
    4.01

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #31 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #46 · AFI 100 (2007) #14

  10. 10
    Blowup1966 · Michelangelo Antonioni · United Kingdom / Italy · mystery, thriller, drama
    3.93

    Palme d'Or winner 1967 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1967 #2 · Sarris's annual top 10 1966 #1

  11. 11
    The Conversation1974 · Francis Ford Coppola · United States · thriller, drama, mystery
    3.76

    Palme d'Or winner 1974 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1974

  12. 12
    The French Connection1971 · William Friedkin · United States · crime, action, thriller
    3.44

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1971 · AFI 100 (2007) #93 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1972 #10

  13. 13
    The Departed2006 · Martin Scorsese · United States / Hong Kong, China · drama, thriller, crime
    3.41

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2006 · Film Comment year-end poll 2006 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 2006 #1

  14. 14
    Blue Velvet1986 · David Lynch · United States · mystery, thriller, drama
    3.13

    Hoberman's annual top 10 1986 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #85

  15. 15
    In the Heat of the Night1967 · Norman Jewison · United States · crime, drama, mystery
    3.12

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1967 · AFI 100 (2007) #75 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1967 #8

  16. 16
    A Clockwork Orange1971 · Stanley Kubrick · United Kingdom / United States · drama, crime, thriller
    3.06

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1971 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1972 #4 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #243

  17. 17
    Fargo1996 · Joel Coen, Ethan Coen · United States / United Kingdom · crime, drama, film-noir
    3.02

    Ebert's annual top 10 1996 #1 · Siskel's annual top 10 1996 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1996

  18. 18
    Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri2017 · Martin McDonagh · United States / United Kingdom · drama, comedy, mystery
    3.00

    BAFTA Best Film winner 2018 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2018 #1 · TIFF People's Choice winner 2017

  19. 19
    L.A. Confidential1997 · Curtis Hanson · United States · crime, film-noir, mystery
    2.82

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1998 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 1997 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1997

  20. 20
    Rear Window1954 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · crime, mystery, thriller
    2.79

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #38 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1955 #5 · AFI 100 (2007) #48

  21. 21
    The White Ribbon2009 · Michael Haneke · France / Germany / Austria · drama, mystery
    2.58

    Palme d'Or winner 2009 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2010 #4 · Film Comment year-end poll 2009 #12

  22. 22
    The Birds1963 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · adventure, horror, mystery
    2.58

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1963 #2 · Sarris's annual top 10 1963 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1963 #4

  23. 23
    Oldboy2003 · Park Chan-wook · South Korea / Japan · drama, thriller, mystery
    2.38

    Cannes Grand Prix winner 2004 · Kehr's annual top 10 2005 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2004 #6

  24. 24
    Rebecca1940 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · mystery, drama, romance
    2.35

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1940 · National Film Registry (inducted 2018) · Empire 500 (2008) #318

  25. 25
    A History of Violence2005 · David Cronenberg · Germany / United States · thriller, crime, drama
    2.24

    Film Comment year-end poll 2005 #1 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2005 #2 · Hoberman's annual top 10 2005 #1

  26. 26
    Get Out2017 · Jordan Peele · United States / Japan · horror, mystery, comedy
    2.21

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #95 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2017 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2017 #4

  27. 27
    North by Northwest1959 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · crime, thriller, mystery
    2.15

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #45 · AFI 100 (2007) #55 · AFI 100 (1998) #40

  28. 28
    Miller's Crossing1990 · Ethan Coen, Joel Coen · United States · film-noir, crime, drama
    2.13

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1991 #2 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1991 #3 · TIME All-TIME 100

  29. 29
    The Maltese Falcon1941 · John Huston · United States · crime, mystery, film-noir
    2.11

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1941 · AFI 100 (2007) #31 · AFI 100 (1998) #23

  30. 30
    Dog Day Afternoon1975 · Sidney Lumet · United States · crime, action, drama
    2.04

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1975 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1976 #5 · National Film Registry (inducted 2009)

  31. 31
    Chicago2002 · Rob Marshall · United States / Canada / Germany · musical, comedy, drama
    1.98

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2002 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2003 #8 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  32. 32
    Mystic River2003 · Clint Eastwood · United States / Australia · mystery, thriller, crime
    1.95

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2004 #1 · Film Comment year-end poll 2003 #2 · Kehr's annual top 10 2003 #1

  33. 33
    Gosford Park2001 · Robert Altman · United States / Italy / United Kingdom · crime, mystery, comedy
    1.89

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 2001 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2002 #7 · Sarris's annual top 10 2001 #2

  34. 34
    The Exorcist1973 · William Friedkin · United States · horror, mystery, drama
    1.87

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1973 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1974 #10 · Siskel's annual top 10 1973 #3

  35. 35
    JFK1991 · Oliver Stone · United States · drama, crime, mystery
    1.86

    Ebert's annual top 10 1991 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1991 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1992 #9

  36. 36
    Suspicion1941 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · mystery, romance, thriller
    1.84

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1947 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1941 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  37. 37
    Zodiac2007 · David Fincher · United States · thriller, crime, drama
    1.82

    Film Comment year-end poll 2007 #3 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2007 #5 · Rolling Stone 100 Best of the 21st Century #19

  38. 38
    Notorious1946 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · thriller, film-noir, drama
    1.81

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #133 · TIME All-TIME 100 · National Film Registry (inducted 2006)

  39. 39
    Eyes Wide Shut1999 · Stanley Kubrick · United Kingdom / United States · mystery, drama, thriller
    1.59

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1999 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1999 #8 · Criterion Collection spine #1290

  40. 40
    The Shining1980 · Stanley Kubrick · United Kingdom / United States · horror, drama, mystery
    1.59

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #88 · Empire 500 (2008) #52 · National Film Registry (inducted 2018)

  41. 41
    Dogville2003 · Lars von Trier · France / Germany / United Kingdom · drama, thriller, mystery
    1.51

    Hoberman's annual top 10 2004 #2 · Kehr's annual top 10 2004 #2 · Film Comment year-end poll 2004 #9

  42. 42
    Conclave2024 · Edward Berger · United Kingdom / United States · thriller, drama, mystery
    1.50

    BAFTA Best Film winner 2025 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2025 #3

  43. 43
    The Sixth Sense1999 · M. Night Shyamalan · United States · horror, thriller, drama
    1.48

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1999 · AFI 100 (2007) #89 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1999 #10

  44. 44
    Hugo2011 · Martin Scorsese · United States / United Kingdom · drama, adventure, mystery
    1.47

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2012 #3 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2011 · Film Comment year-end poll 2011 #9

  45. 45
    Eastern Promises2007 · David Cronenberg · Canada / United Kingdom / United States · crime, drama, mystery
    1.42

    TIFF People's Choice winner 2007 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2008 #6 · Film Comment year-end poll 2007 #8

  46. 46
    Dead Ringers1988 · David Cronenberg · Canada · drama, horror, thriller
    1.41

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1989 #3 · Hoberman's annual top 10 1988 #3 · Kehr's annual top 10 1988 #4

  47. 47
    Alien1979 · Ridley Scott · United States / United Kingdom · horror, sci-fi, thriller
    1.37

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #146 · Empire 500 (2008) #33 · National Film Registry (inducted 2002)

  48. 48
    The Godfather Part III1990 · Francis Ford Coppola · United States · crime, drama, thriller
    1.37

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1990 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1991 #4 · Empire 500 (2008) #282

  49. 49
    Mean Streets1973 · Martin Scorsese · United States · drama, crime, thriller
    1.33

    National Film Registry (inducted 1997) · Siskel's annual top 10 1974 #5 · Empire 500 (2008) #377

  50. 50
    Killers of the Flower Moon2023 · Martin Scorsese · United States · thriller, drama, crime
    1.29

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2023 #2 · Film Comment year-end poll 2023 #3 · Criterion Collection spine #1302

  51. 51
    Three Colours: Red1994 · Krzysztof Kieślowski · France / Poland / Switzerland · drama, romance, mystery
    1.29

    Empire 500 (2008) #69 · Letterboxd Top 250 #124 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  52. 52
    Spider2002 · David Cronenberg · Canada / United Kingdom / France · drama, thriller, mystery
    1.29

    Hoberman's annual top 10 2003 #1 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2002 #8 · Film Comment year-end poll 2003 #15

  53. 53
    The Thin Man1934 · W. S. Van Dyke, Lesley Selander · United States · comedy, thriller, drama
    1.26

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1934 · National Film Registry (inducted 1997) · Kurosawa's 100 favorite films

  54. 54
    Trenque Lauquen2022 · Laura Citarella · Argentina / Germany · drama, mystery, thriller
    1.26

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2023 #1 · Film Comment year-end poll 2023 #13

  55. 55
    Inception2010 · Christopher Nolan · United Kingdom / United States · crime, sci-fi, thriller
    1.25

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 2010 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2010 #10 · National Film Registry (inducted 2025)

  56. 56
    Inland Empire2006 · David Lynch · France / United States / Poland · horror, mystery, thriller
    1.23

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2007 #2 · Film Comment year-end poll 2006 #10 · Criterion Collection spine #1175

  57. 57
    Mother2009 · Bong Joon-ho · South Korea · drama, mystery
    1.20

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2009 #2 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2010 #10 · Film Comment year-end poll 2010 #11

  58. 58
    Body Heat1981 · Lawrence Kasdan · United States · film-noir, mystery, thriller
    1.20

    Sarris's annual top 10 1981 #2 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Criterion Collection spine #1308

  59. 59
    The Thing1982 · John Carpenter · United States / Canada · horror, sci-fi, mystery
    1.18

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #118 · National Film Registry (inducted 2025) · Letterboxd Top 250 #109

  60. 60
    Lone Star1996 · John Sayles · United States · crime, romance, drama
    1.17

    Sarris's annual top 10 1996 #3 · Ebert's annual top 10 1996 #4 · Siskel's annual top 10 1996 #5

  61. 61
    Memories of Murder2003 · Bong Joon-ho · South Korea · thriller, crime, mystery
    1.16

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2004 #2 · Letterboxd Top 250 #53 · Criterion Collection spine #1073

  62. 62
    Gangs of New York2002 · Martin Scorsese · United States / Italy / Netherlands · crime, drama, mystery
    1.16

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 2002 · Film Comment year-end poll 2002 #10 · Sarris's annual top 10 2002 #3

  63. 63
    Halloween1978 · John Carpenter · United States · horror, drama, thriller
    1.14

    National Film Registry (inducted 2006) · Empire 500 (2008) #461 · Ebert's annual top 10 1978 #7

  64. 64
    Shadow of a Doubt1943 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · thriller, film-noir, drama
    1.14

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1946 #3 · National Film Registry (inducted 1991) · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  65. 65
    Reservoir Dogs1992 · Quentin Tarantino · United States · crime, thriller, drama
    1.11

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1993 #6 · Kehr's annual top 10 1992 #3 · Empire 500 (2008) #97

  66. 66
    Memento2000 · Christopher Nolan · United States · film-noir, mystery, crime
    1.08

    Film Comment year-end poll 2001 #11 · Rolling Stone 100 Best of the 21st Century #54 · National Film Registry (inducted 2017)

  67. 67
    The Long Goodbye1973 · Robert Altman · United States · crime, film-noir, mystery
    1.07

    National Film Registry (inducted 2021) · Empire 500 (2008) #357 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  68. 68
    Night Moves1975 · Arthur Penn · United States · film-noir, mystery, thriller
    1.07

    Ebert's annual top 10 1975 #2 · Sarris's annual top 10 1975 #6 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  69. 69
    Seven1995 · David Fincher · United States · crime, horror, mystery
    1.04

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1996 #6 · Letterboxd Top 250 #89 · Empire 500 (2008) #134

  70. 70
    The Lady Vanishes1938 · Alfred Hitchcock · United Kingdom · thriller, comedy, crime
    1.03

    BFI Top 100 British films #35 · Empire 500 (2008) #268 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  71. 71
    Heat1995 · Michael Mann · United States · thriller, drama, crime
    1.01

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #169 · Empire 500 (2008) #38 · Letterboxd Top 250 #151

  72. 72
    The Texas Chain Saw Massacre1974 · Tobe Hooper · United States · horror, crime, mystery
    0.97

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #118 · National Film Registry (inducted 2024) · Empire 500 (2008) #199

  73. 73
    Michael Clayton2007 · Tony Gilroy · United States · thriller, drama, mystery
    0.95

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 2007 · Film Comment year-end poll 2007 #13 · Rolling Stone 100 Best of the 21st Century #73

  74. 74
    The 39 Steps1935 · Alfred Hitchcock · United Kingdom · thriller, mystery, crime
    0.92

    BFI Top 100 British films #4 · Criterion Collection spine #56 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

  75. 75
    The Big Heat1953 · Fritz Lang · United States · film-noir, drama, mystery
    0.91

    National Film Registry (inducted 2011) · NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Criterion Collection spine #1269

  76. 76
    Sin City2005 · Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino · United States · crime, film-noir, drama
    0.90

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2005 #8 · Sarris's annual top 10 2005 #4 · Film Comment year-end poll 2005 #41

  77. 77
    Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me1992 · David Lynch · United States / France · horror, mystery, drama
    0.88

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #211 · Letterboxd Top 250 #123 · Criterion Collection spine #898

  78. 78
    Casino1995 · Martin Scorsese · United States / France · crime, drama, biography
    0.87

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1996 #3 · Ebert's annual top 10 1995 #5 · Empire 500 (2008) #395

  79. 79
    The Usual Suspects1995 · Bryan Singer · United States · crime, film-noir, mystery
    0.86

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1996 #7 · Empire 500 (2008) #61 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  80. 80
    The Fugitive1993 · Andrew Davis · United States · crime, action, thriller
    0.84

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1993 · Ebert's annual top 10 1993 #4 · Siskel's annual top 10 1993 #6

  81. 81
    Night of the Living Dead1968 · George A. Romero · United States · horror, sci-fi, mystery
    0.84

    National Film Registry (inducted 1999) · Empire 500 (2008) #397 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  82. 82
    Russian Ark2002 · Alexander Sokurov · Russia / Germany / France · fantasy, drama, mystery
    0.84

    Film Comment year-end poll 2002 #9 · Hoberman's annual top 10 2002 #3 · Empire 500 (2008) #358

  83. 83
    Decision to Leave2022 · Park Chan-wook · South Korea · mystery, drama, romance
    0.83

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2023 #7 · Film Comment year-end poll 2022 #12 · Rolling Stone 100 Best of the 21st Century #89

  84. 84
    Foreign Correspondent1940 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · thriller, crime, film-noir
    0.83

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1940 · Criterion Collection spine #696 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies

  85. 85
    Nope2022 · Jordan Peele · United States / Japan / Canada · horror, thriller, mystery
    0.82

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2022 #3 · Film Comment year-end poll 2022 #8

  86. 86
    Naked Lunch1991 · David Cronenberg · Canada / United Kingdom / Japan · drama, horror, sci-fi
    0.81

    Kehr's annual top 10 1992 #5 · Hoberman's annual top 10 1991 #6 · Sarris's annual top 10 1991 #7

  87. 87
    Fatal Attraction1987 · Adrian Lyne · United States · thriller, mystery, drama
    0.80

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1987 · Empire 500 (2008) #345 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  88. 88
    Spellbound1945 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · mystery, film-noir, drama
    0.78

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1945 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Criterion Collection spine #136

  89. 89
    Incendies2010 · Denis Villeneuve · Canada / France · drama, mystery
    0.77

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2011 #9 · Letterboxd Top 250 #36 · Film Comment year-end poll 2011 #41

  90. 90
    The Naked City1948 · Jules Dassin · United States · crime, mystery, documentary
    0.77

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1949 #5 · National Film Registry (inducted 2007) · Criterion Collection spine #380

  91. 91
    Lost Highway1997 · David Lynch · United States / France · film-noir, mystery, thriller
    0.77

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1997 #3 · Criterion Collection spine #1152 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies

  92. 92
    White Heat1949 · Raoul Walsh · United States · crime, film-noir, mystery
    0.77

    TIME All-TIME 100 · National Film Registry (inducted 2003) · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  93. 93
    Family Plot1976 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · crime, mystery, comedy
    0.76

    Kehr's annual top 10 1976 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 1976 #9 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

  94. 94
    Charade1963 · Stanley Donen · United States · comedy, romance, thriller
    0.76

    TIME All-TIME 100 · National Film Registry (inducted 2022) · Criterion Collection spine #57

  95. 95
    The Late Show1977 · Robert Benton · United States · film-noir, comedy, thriller
    0.76

    Siskel's annual top 10 1977 #2 · Ebert's annual top 10 1977 #3 · Sarris's annual top 10 1977 #5

  96. 96
    Donnie Darko2001 · Richard Kelly · United States · comedy, drama, fantasy
    0.76

    Empire 500 (2008) #53 · Film Comment year-end poll 2001 #18 · Hoberman's annual top 10 2001 #9

  97. 97
    Frenzy1972 · Alfred Hitchcock · United Kingdom · thriller, crime, horror
    0.75

    Sarris's annual top 10 1972 #2 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Siskel's annual top 10 1972 #8

  98. 98
    And Then There Were None1945 · René Clair · United States · crime, mystery, drama
    0.75

    Locarno Golden Leopard winner 1946

  99. 99
    Mirage1965 · Edward Dmytryk · United States · mystery
    0.75

    San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 1965

  100. 100
    In the House2012 · François Ozon · France · thriller, mystery, comedy
    0.75

    San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 2012

Any ranking of the best mystery movies has to decide first what a mystery is, and our composite score returns a pointed verdict: the genre's summit is not a detective picture. Citizen Kane (1941) leads this page at #2 in the entire library — an investigation film whose answer, famously a sled, explains almost nothing about the man being investigated. The Third Man (1949) sits close behind at #9. The canon, it turns out, keeps the mystery's question and distrusts its answer.

From Sherlock to the studios

The genre is as old as the medium. Sherlock Holmes Baffled (1900) was among the first detective adaptations on film; by 1915 the trade press was already calling crime mysteries stock properties, and the silent era ran on serial sleuths. The studio 1930s industrialised the form — The Thin Man (1934) was one of its A-budget prestige entries — and in the 1940s the detective picture bled into film noir, a term French critics coined in 1946: The Maltese Falcon (1941) belongs to both histories at once. By the 1950s the series mystery had largely vanished from cinemas, migrating to television. Our list registers that history coolly: The Maltese Falcon sits at #349 and The Thin Man at #820, honoured but far from the top — the pure whodunit survives in the canon mostly as ancestry.

Hitchcock's genre, with guests

Alfred Hitchcock owns 15 of the 100 entries here, more than any other director — from Vertigo (1958) at #19, his highest, down to Frenzy (1972) at #1568. That dominance says something about what cinema did with the form: Hitchcock cared less about who did it than about how long the not-knowing can be made unbearable, and the genre followed him. The modern half of the list belongs to his heirs in ambiguity — David Lynch with five entries, peaking with Mulholland Drive (2001) at #31, a mystery whose solution is a mood; David Fincher, whose Zodiac (2007, #447) is arguably the great procedural about not solving anything; and Bong Joon-ho, whose Memories of Murder (2003, #914) stretched the police procedural into national tragedy.

How to read our list

Membership is a database judgment, not an editorial one: a film appears here because the genre labels attached to it in our data pipeline map into the mystery bucket, and the page then ranks those films by composite score across 20+ lists, awards and polls. The tag is capacious — 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, #3) qualifies, and Conclave (2024, #626) is the youngest entry — and it is also blunt: Rashomon, which the introduction above invokes as the genre's great philosophical landmark, is nowhere on the list, because its genre labels landed in other buckets. Treat the boundary as a lens, not a verdict. Inside it, the ordering rewards accumulated canonical weight rather than puzzle-craft, which is why The Conversation (1974, #71), Blowup (1966, #63) and Chinatown (1974, #37) — three films about the failure of investigation — outrank nearly every film in which the detective actually gets his man.