Whodunit backdrop

Whodunit movies

A closed question drives the plot—who did it? Built on clues, suspects, alibis, and a final reveal.

The Skin I Live In

31. The Skin I Live In

Drama Horror Mystery Thriller Body Horror
7.6

20112h

Spain

Director: Pedro Almodóvar

A brilliant plastic surgeon creates a synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.

Themes

Illegal medical experiments, Body autonomy and control, Identity and transformation, Captivity and confinement, Surveillance and secrecy, Adoption and kinship

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Summer of 84

32. Summer of 84

Drama Horror Mystery Whodunit Psychological Horror
6.7

20181h 46min

Canada, United States

Director: Yoann-Karl Whissell

After suspecting that their police officer neighbor is a serial killer, a group of teenage friends spend their summer spying on him and gathering evidence, but as they get closer to discovering the truth, things get dangerous.

Themes

Surveillance and intrusion, Suspicion toward authority, Youth friendship under pressure, Suburban paranoia and mystery, Trauma and vigilance after events, Evidence gathering under risk

Available on

Apple TV
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The White Ribbon

33. The White Ribbon

Drama Mystery Historical Drama Whodunit
7.8

20092h 24min

Italy, Germany

Director: Michael Haneke

An aged tailor recalls his life as the schoolteacher of a small village in Northern Germany that was struck by a series of strange events in the year leading up to WWI.

Themes

Abuse of power, Fear of the unknown, Gendered power dynamics, Puritanical authority, Landowner dominance, Village surveillance

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

In the House

34. In the House

Comedy Drama Mystery Thriller Coming-of-Age Drama
7.3

20121h 45min

France

Director: François Ozon

A sixteen-year-old boy insinuates himself into the house of a fellow student from his literature class and writes about it in essays for his French teacher. Faced with this gifted and unusual pupil, the teacher rediscovers his enthusiasm for his work, but the boy’s intrusion will unleash a series of uncontrollable events.

Themes

Coming of age pressures, Power dynamics in education, Writing as intrusion, Lgbt visibility, Secrecy and manipulation, Teacher student boundary

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Clovehitch Killer

35. The Clovehitch Killer

Drama Mystery Crime Whodunit Serial Killer Crime
6.5

20181h 49min

United States

Director: Duncan Skiles

A picture-perfect family is torn apart after Tyler finds a cache of disturbing images in his father's possession. He begins to suspect that the man he trusts most in the world may be responsible for the murder of 13 women ten years prior.

Themes

Family secrecy under pressure, Deception within families, Coming-of-age under scrutiny, Community surveillance and judgment, Manipulation of truth, Burden of evidence

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Hulu
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Happy Death Day

36. Happy Death Day

Comedy Horror Mystery Slasher Horror Whodunit
6.6

20171h 37min

United States

Director: Christopher Landon

The most important day in Teresa’s life — her birthday — ends with her being murdered by an unknown man in a mask. But instead of simply dying, she mysteriously ends up trapped in a time loop and is forced to relive the same day over and over again until she figures out who killed her and why.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, College social pressure, Affair and jealousy, Time loop persistence, Repeated danger and risk, Agency under constraint

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Adventures of Tintin

37. The Adventures of Tintin

Adventure Animation Mystery Treasure Hunt Whodunit
7.3

20111h 47min

New Zealand, United States

Director: Steven Spielberg

Intrepid young reporter, Tintin, and his loyal dog, Snowy, are thrust into a world of high adventure when they discover a ship carrying an explosive secret. As Tintin is drawn into a centuries-old mystery, Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine suspects him of stealing a priceless treasure. Tintin and Snowy, with the help of salty, cantankerous Captain Haddock and bumbling detectives, Thompson and Thomson, travel half the world, one step ahead of their enemies, as Tintin endeavors to find the Unicorn, a sunken ship that may hold a vast fortune, but also an ancient curse.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Rivalry and deception, Risk and resilience, Pursuit of treasure, Mutiny and power struggle, Memory and ancestry

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Sherlock Holmes

38. Sherlock Holmes

Action Adventure Crime Mystery City Adventure
7.5

20092h 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.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Secret power networks, Science versus superstition, Illusion and manipulation, Authority and secrecy, Ambition and conquest

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Murder on the Orient Express

39. Murder on the Orient Express

Mystery Drama Crime Whodunit Detective Mystery Crime
6.5

20171h 54min

United States

Director: Kenneth Branagh

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.

Themes

Class tension, Moral ambiguity, Deception and complicity, Collective guilt, Justice under constraint, Family tragedy

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Maze Runner

40. The Maze Runner

Action Mystery Science Fiction Thriller Dystopian Sci-Fi
6.8

20141h 53min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Wes Ball

One day, a young boy named Thomas wakes up among a group of other teenagers who have learned to survive in an enclosed space. He remembers nothing except his name. The teens have been living like this for years and are trying to find a way out of the maze that surrounds them.

Themes

Memory loss under pressure, Survival through cooperation, Group dynamics under stress, Authority versus rebellion, Isolation within confinement, Manipulation through experimentation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Peacock Premium
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.