Movies are magical. Movies give us a story and make us a part of it. One genre of movies that never fails to grab the audience’s attention is mystery movies. Moreover, mystery movies of Hollywood have the ingredients and qualities to make the best movies. As a result of this, the audience around the world gets absorbed into these stories.
A good mystery movie is the one that keeps us on the case throughout. We all love to find clues, murderers and the real reason behind the crisis before the detectives in movies do. After all, what is better than a sense of having a brain as sharp as the FBI agents or should I say the murders sometimes? Hollywood has given us some of the best mystery movies over the years. Here are 15 best mystery movies of Hollywood that are sure to boggle the audience’s mind.
1. You Go To My Head
Cast: Delfine Bafort, Svetozar Cvetkovic, and Arend Pinoy
Director: Dimitri de Clercq
Release Date: 14 February 2020
Mystery: The story revolves around a mysterious car accident that causes a woman to suffer from post-traumatic amnesia. She meets a stranger Jake who convinces her that she is his husband. The movie moves forward with the question: will his lie last?
Why It Made To The List: This engaging movie is one of the best mystery movies of Hollywood and goes beyond being an art film that no one gets. Therefore, it is a festival film that needs to be watched.
Memorable moment: The scene towards the end when Kitty is walking across a stranger and there is a mysterious air of familiarity.
2. Graves End
Cast: Eric Roberts, Steven Williams, and Daniel Roebuck
Director: James Marlowe
Box Office: $1,930,000
Release Date: 22 April 2005
Mystery: Four ex-cons ostracized by society are welcomed into the town of Graves end only to go missing. The movie tracks the story of a policeman who follows the stories of these felons only to unravel more mysteries.
Why It Made To The List: So, this is one of the best mystery movies in English which takes the audience on a journey. What makes it more special is the slight element of horror with mystery.
3. Zodiac
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr
Director: David Fincher
Box Office: $84.8 million
Release Date: March 2, 2007
Mystery: This is a mystery thriller film based on a non-fiction book of the same name written by Robert Graysmith. It takes us through the story of the Zodiac killer who was infamous in the San Francisco Bay Area throughout the 1960s and 70s. It tries to trace the steps of this ingenious killer by the mystery still remains unsolved.
Why It Made To The List: The amazing writing and direction make this one of the best mystery movies in Hollywood.
Memorable moment: The basement scene where Robert Graysmith interviews Bob Vaughn is so suspenseful and mysterious that it makes the audience question everything.
4. Mullholland Drive
Cast: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Ann Miller, Mark Pellegrino, and Robert Forster
Director: David Lynch
Box Office: $20.1 million
Release date: October 12, 2001
Mystery: Mulholland Drive is a psychological thriller that follows the journey of an aspiring actress who befriends an amnesiac woman.
Why It Made To The List: It is enriched with characters who are riddled with mysteries and have a lot of depth. The film leaves itself open to interpretation. In Spite of its narrative that leaves the audience questioning this movie establishes itself as one of the best mystery movies in Hollywood.
Memorable moment: The club Silencio scene is one of the most mysterious and gripping scenes of the movie.
5. Se7en
Cast: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey and John C. McGinley
Director: David Fincher
Box Office: $327 million
Release date: September 22, 1995
Mystery: A serial killer plagues New York City with his ruthless murders. The only link is the motif, the seven deadly sins. The narrative follows a soon-to-retire detective working this case. Its interesting narrative keeps the watcher engaged.
Why It Made To The List: It is one of the best Hollywood mystery movies that you should watch. But what makes it different is that the director keeps the movie in the dark with somber colors. The use of flashlights shows the slowly unraveling mystery in the darkness.
Memorable Moment: This movie has one of the best and most genius chase scenes. It is a cat-and-mouse chase through a fairly down-at-heel apartment block and out into the street outside.
6. Rear Window
Cast: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter, and Raymond Burr
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Box office: $36.8 million
Release date: September 1, 1954
Mystery: Rear Window is based on Cornel Woolrich’s “It had to be murder”. It is created by the mystery king himself, Alfred Hitchcock. The movie revolves around a professional photographer with a broken leg who starts spying on his neighbors. It is one of the best and most important mystery movies in Hollywood.
Why It Made To The List: This is an English mystery film. It is shot in technicolor and was one of the initial movies to employ the technology.
Memorable moment: The scene where Lisa breaks and enters the apartment and Jeffries is watching is one of the best and tense scenes. And Only a genius like Hitchcock can grip the audience’s attention the way this scene does. A scene that will stay with you for years.
7. Gone Girl
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, and Tyler Perry
Director: David Fincher
Box Office: $369.3 million
Release Date: October 3, 2014
Mystery: Nick’s wife Amy disappears and he is one of the prime suspects. Set in Missouri, the events leading up to the disappearance point towards Nick but is it that straightforward. Based on the novel of the same name this movie is a must-watch for all movie lovers.
Why It Made To The List: As a result of its interesting narrative, it is one of the best mystery movies on Netflix. This movie shows how much difference inherent bias can make in a story. This sick tale shows the brilliance of the character and is brave enough to explore the psychotic nature of the same.
Memorable moment: The scene where Amy is in Desi’s house is one of the most intense scenes that will haunt you even after the movie.
8. The Usual Suspects
Cast: Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite, and Kevin Spacey
Director: Bryan Singer
Box Office: $34.4 million
Release Date: August 16, 1995
Mystery: The movie follows the interrogation of Roger “Verbal” Kint who is a small-time con man. He is one of the only two survivors of a massacre and fire on a ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles.
Why It Made To The List: The film follows the creative narrative interspersed with flashbacks. Although Kint tells the interrogator many stories it is filled with lies and twists. This is a must-watch for movie lovers and is also, one of the best mystery movies of Hollywood.
Memorable moment: The last interrogation scene is one of the best twists in all cinematic history.
9. The Others
Cast: Nicole Kidman and Fionnula Flanagan
Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Box Office: $209.9 million
Release Date: August 2, 2001
Mystery: It is a Gothic psychological mystery film. The protagonist Grace moves into a house with her two photosensitive children. A series of almost paranormal events occur that Grace starts believing that her house is haunted.
Why It Made To The List: The movie is a spellbinding thriller that is bound to leave the audience in awe. The elusive and mysterious events of the house keep the audience on the edges of their seats throughout. This mystery movie in English is a must-watch.
Memorable Moment: The piano scene is one that is sure to give even the bravest of hearts jitters.
10. The Number 23
Cast: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, and Logan Lerman
Director: Joel Schumacher
Box Office: $77.6 million
Release Date: February 23, 2007
Mystery: There are times in our lives when we relate to stories to a great extent. But what happens when relatability becomes an obsession. This thriller revolves around a man, Walter Sparrow who becomes obsessed with a book that he insists is written about him. Follow the story of this man to find out the so-called coincidental similarities.
Why It Made To The List: This mystery movie is one of the best in English. The conspiracy thriller goes through many holes but leaves the audience completely satiated.
Memorable Moment: Walter’s nightmare scene in this movie is a beautiful and complicated scene that stays with one after the movie.
11. Memento
Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano
Director: Christopher Nolan
Box Office: $39.7 million
Release Date: March 16, 2001
Mystery: It is a neo-noir psych mystery thriller that is bound to leave you puzzled. It follows the story of a man who, as a result of an injury, has anterograde amnesia (the inability to form new memories) and has short-term memory loss approximately every fifteen minutes. He is looking for his wife’s killers. He does this using Polaroid photographs and tattoos to track information he cannot remember.
Why It Made To The List: The film follows two narratives, one in color and one in black and white. The chronological order of both the sequences is opposing and only, in the end, come together to form a cohesive picture. This is one of the most interesting mystery movies’ new version in Hollywood right now.
Memorable Moment: The last scene where all the loose ends are tied together to finally form a legible picture. But is the mystery really solved?
12. Mystic River
Cast: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney
Director: Clint Eastwood
Box Office: $156.8 million
Release Date: October 15, 2003
Mystery: Sean, a police officer, investigates the murder of the death of Katie. This leads him to a crime that took place twenty-five years ago. The film is a dark, menacing brooding about a murder in the present that is emotionally linked to a crime in the past. It is based on the novel by Dennis Lehane.
Why It Made To The List: It is one of the best movies on Netflix and follows a very creative storyline. This film directed by Clint Eastwood is a masterpiece and is one of the best mystery movies in English.
Memorable moment: The best scene of the movie is when Katie’s body is found and we experience some of the best actings in Hollywood.
13. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Cast: Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara
Director: David Fincher
Box Office: 23.26 crores USD
Release Date: 12 December 2011
Mystery: This film follows the story of a journalist who is trying to uncover the truth of a woman from a rich family who has been missing for 40 years.
Why It Made To The List: It is based on the book of the same name by Steig Larrson. And is one of the best movies with an adapted screenplay and has a very investigative narrative. It is a very good mystery movie in English and is a must-watch.
Memorable Moment: This movie does not shy back from scenes that are graphic and to the point’ One particularly controversial scene is one where the girl goes to get paid. One can argue that it was a little too graphic.
14. Exam
Cast: Colin Salmon, Chris Carey, Jimi Mistry, Luke Mably, and Gemma Chan
Director: Stuart Hazeldine
Box Office: No theatrical release
Mystery: This is a psychological thriller film that revolves around eight different characters who work together in order to place a job in a prestigious company. There is only one question. The answer to which seems unachievable. Can teamwork be the answer?
Why It Made To The List: Watch this mind-blogging thriller to find out. Moreover, it is one of the best mystery movies in English based on a basic and simple premise.
Memorable Moment: The most memorable scene in this English mystery movie is the last scene when “the answer” is revealed.
15. The Silence Of The Lambs
Cast: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, and Anthony Heald
Director: Jonathan Demme
Box Office: $272.7 million
Release date: February 14, 1991
Mystery: Clarice Starling who is a young FBI trainee. He goes to the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter looking for advice. The brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer help to apprehend another serial killer, known only as “Buffalo Bill”, who skins the corpses of his female victims. It is one of the best movies to be made in Hollywood. And is based on Thomas Harris’ novel of the same name.
Why It Made To The List: It is named as one of the greatest and most influential films of all time. Hannibal Lecter of this movie is named as one of the best films of all times. There were also sequels to this movie that were released. This mystery movie of Hollywood is a must-watch for all mystery lovers.
Memorable moment: The scene between Jame “Buffalo Bill” Gum and Catherine Martin. “It rubs lotion on the skin” is such an iconic and easily one of the creepiest scenes in movie history.
Some Frequently Asked Questions :
What is the all-time best mystery movie of Hollywood?
There can never be one best thing in the entertainment industry even the underrated ones turn out to be great discoveries later. So probably this list is your answer.
What is a mystery movie?
A mystery movie is a movie in the genre of mystery. A film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It involves the efforts of the detective, private investigator or protagonist to solve the mysterious circumstances by using clues, and further investigation and clever deduction. Spy Films are a subgenre of mystery movies.
Which is the best thriller movie on Netflix?
There are loads, you can choose yours according to the ratings given. Also, other than the movies mentioned in the above list you can try a few others such as Brick, Burning, Fracture, Sherlock Holmes, I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House Under The Skin, Green Room, Brick, The Invisible Guest, and No Country For Old Men.
What makes a good mystery movie?
A good mystery movie is the one that keeps you on the edge throughout, and the one where you can’t guess the plot till the end. But the best are those which give the most unexpected twist at the end leaving your brain boggled even after the credits.
