Murder on the Orient Express backdrop

Films like Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Published: Mar 7, 2026

This collection features films similar to Murder on the Orient Express: atmospheric detective stories centered on the mystery of who the killer is, with ensemble casts, closed circles of suspects, family secrets, motives of revenge, and intricate investigations. It includes both classic stories in the spirit of Agatha Christie and more modern detective films where the suspense lasts until the very end. Some of the films in this selection have a wittier, more comedic tone, while others lean closer to a darker thriller.

Knives Out

1. Knives Out

Comedy Crime Mystery
7.9

2019 · 2h 11min

United States

Director: Rian Johnson

On the morning after a famous writer’s 85th birthday celebration, he is found dead in his own room. At first glance, it appears to be a suicide, but a mysterious stranger hires a renowned detective to conduct his own investigation.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Tension, Complexity, Pacing, Tropes, Tone

Notable differences: Darkness (-15%), Humor (+45%)

Shared keywords

Family, Investigation, Mystery, Whodunit

Style

Tension
70%
Complexity
70%
Pacing
65%

Gosford Park

2. Gosford Park

Drama Mystery Thriller
7.2

2001 · 2h 17min

United States, Italy

Director: Robert Altman

A group of wealthy people and celebrities gathers to unwind at a country hunting estate. Suddenly, the owner of the estate, Sir William, is found dead—and everything suggests that someone among the guests is involved.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Complexity, Darkness, Tropes, Tone

Notable differences: Tension (-15%)

Shared keywords

Family, Mystery

Style

Complexity
65%
Humor
55%
Tension
55%

The Thursday Murder Club

3. The Thursday Murder Club

Comedy Mystery Crime
6.5

2025 · 1h 58min

United States

Director: Chris Columbus

A group of retirees spends their time for fun investigating unsolved murders. But one day they find themselves at the center of a real investigation—and have to use all their skills to crack the case.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Tone, Tropes

Notable differences: Darkness (-40%), Tension (-40%), Humor (+65%), Complexity (-25%)

Shared keywords

Investigation, Mystery, Whodunit

Style

Humor
80%
Pacing
50%
Complexity
40%

Crooked House

4. Crooked House

Mystery Crime Thriller
6.3

2017 · 1h 55min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Tropes, Conflict


Manhattan Murder Mystery

5. Manhattan Murder Mystery

Comedy Mystery
7.3

1993 · 1h 44min

United States

Director: Woody Allen

After the sudden death of a neighbor, a curious New York woman begins to suspect that a cleverly disguised murder lies behind the official version of events, especially when the widower seems unusually calm. Together with her husband, she becomes increasingly drawn into an amateur investigation to uncover what really happened.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Tension, Complexity, Tropes, Themes

Notable differences: Darkness (-25%), Humor (+55%)

Shared keywords

Slow burn, Investigation, Mystery

Style

Humor
70%
Tension
65%
Pacing
55%

8 Women

6. 8 Women

Comedy Thriller Mystery
7.0

2002 · 1h 51min

France, Italy

Director: François Ozon

In a remote estate, a family gathers to celebrate Christmas, but the master of the house is found murdered. Eight women living on the property fall under suspicion—each of them has her own motives and hidden secrets.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Darkness, Tension, Pacing, Tone, Conflict

Notable differences: Humor (+55%)

Shared keywords

Slow burn, Mystery

Style

Humor
70%
Tension
65%
Pacing
60%

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

7. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Thriller Mystery Comedy
7.4

2025 · 2h 25min

United States

Director: Rian Johnson

A senior priest is murdered in a church utility room in the middle of a service. The room has only one entrance and solid walls, and at the moment of the crime no one else was inside. Benoit Blanc takes on the investigation of this unbelievable case, helped by the priest’s young assistant.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Tension, Darkness, Pacing, Tropes, Tone

Shared keywords

Investigation, Mystery, Whodunit

Style

Complexity
75%
Tension
70%
Pacing
60%

See How They Run

8. See How They Run

Mystery Comedy Crime
6.5

2022 · 1h 39min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Tom George

Plans to adapt a popular play for the screen suddenly fall apart after the murder of a key member of the film crew. A seasoned Inspector Stoppard and his young assistant, Constable Stalker, take on the investigation.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Pacing, Complexity, Conflict, Tropes

Notable differences: Darkness (-25%), Tension (-25%), Humor (+55%)

Style

Humor
70%
Pacing
65%
Complexity
55%

Identity

9. Identity

Mystery Thriller
7.3

2003 · 1h 30min

United States

Director: James Mangold

During a fierce storm, ten strangers end up in a small motel in Nevada. After someone starts killing them one by one, they realize this meeting wasn’t a coincidence.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Complexity, Tropes, Tone

Notable differences: Bleakness (+17%), Darkness (+18%), Tension (+14%), Pacing (+13%)

Shared keywords

Mystery, Whodunit

Style

Tension
84%
Darkness
78%
Complexity
74%

Sherlock Holmes

10. Sherlock Holmes

Action Adventure Crime Mystery
7.5

2009 · 2h 9min

United States, Germany

Director: Guy Ritchie

After a series of ritual murders, the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson track down Lord Blackwood. The criminal is captured and later executed, but the case does not end there, and the mystery is only beginning to gain momentum.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Darkness, Tension, Complexity, Tropes, Themes

Notable differences: Pacing (+20%), Action (+45%)

Shared keywords

Investigation, Mystery

Style

Pacing
75%
Action
70%
Tension
65%

The Invisible Guest

11. The Invisible Guest

Drama Mystery Thriller
8.0

2017 · 1h 47min

Spain

Director: Oriol Paulo

A young businessman wakes up in a hotel room locked from the inside, beside the body of his lover. To prove his innocence and understand what really happened in that room, he turns to one of the city’s best lawyers for help.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Tropes, Tone

Notable differences: Bleakness (+15%), Darkness (+15%), Tension (+15%), Pacing (+17%), Complexity (+13%)

Style

Tension
85%
Complexity
78%
Darkness
75%

About the movie Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Murder on the Orient Express plot: During an urgent journey aboard the Orient Express, the famous detective Hercule Poirot becomes involved in the mysterious murder of one of the passengers. The investigation is complicated by the fact that almost everyone on the train has a motive for the crime.

Keywords: Suspenseful, Family, Revenge, Slow burn, Identity, Investigation, Mystery, Whodunit

Style characteristics: Tension, Complexity, Darkness