Investigation Mystery backdrop

Investigation Mystery movies

Process-driven mystery: leads, interviews, contradictions, and evidence pressure solved through reasoning.

Along Came a Spider

211. Along Came a Spider

Crime Mystery Thriller Action Undercover Sting Crime
6.4

20011h 44min

Canada, United States

Director: Lee Tamahori

After the harrowing death of his partner, forensic psychologist and best-selling author Alex Cross cannot forgive himself and has retreated to the peace of retirement. But when a brilliant criminal kidnaps a senator's young daughter, he is lured back into action as the kidnapper wants to deal with Alex personally. Teamed with Jezzie Flanigan, the Secret Service agent assigned to protect the missing girl, Alex follows a serpentine trail of clues that leads him to a stunning discovery - the kidnapper wants more than just ransom.

Themes

Betrayal and manipulation, Duty after retirement, Desire for notoriety, Investigation under pressure, Ransom and coercion, Power and fame dynamics

Available on

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

From Hell

212. From Hell

Horror Mystery Thriller Psychological Horror Investigation Mystery
6.7

20012h 2min

United States

Director: Albert Hughes

London, 1888: Detective Fred Abberline follows the trail of one of the most infamous and terrifying serial killers — Jack the Ripper.

Themes

High-society conspiracy, Freemason influence, Opium addiction, Institutional concealment, Grief and loss, Investigative pressure

Available on

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

The Pledge

213. The Pledge

Crime Drama Mystery Thriller Serial Killer Crime
6.7

20012h 4min

United States

Director: Sean Penn

Retired veteran detective Jerry Black takes on the search for the killer of a little girl. After promising her parents he will find the murderer, he begins a hunt that draws him into the town’s dirty secrets—and will change his own life forever.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Duty under retirement pressure, Investigative persistence under doubt, Protective guardianship dynamics, Community suspicion and fear, Ethics in pursuit

Available on

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

An elderly and retired police detective and a young amateur sleuth team up to find a serial killer whom has resumed a killing spree in Turin, Italy after a 17-year hiatus.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Trauma and memory, Intergenerational violence, Ambiguous justice system, Crime obsession and detection, Nursery rhyme motif

Available on

Kanopy
Fandango At Home
Fandango at Home Free
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Unbreakable

215. Unbreakable

Thriller Drama Mystery Mind Game Thriller Investigation Mystery
7.3

20001h 46min

United States

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

An ordinary man makes an extraordinary discovery when a train accident leaves his fellow passengers dead — and him unscathed. The answer to this mystery could lie with the mysterious Elijah Price, a man who suffers from a disease that renders his bones as fragile as glass.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Obsession with power and control, Hidden perceptual abilities and ethics, Frailty and invulnerability, Moral ambiguity under threat, Hidden identities and trust

Available on

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

A series of terrifying ritual crimes sweeps the country, seemingly unrelated at first. The investigation leads a young detective and a seasoned police commissioner into the mountains, where they soon realize it’s all part of a single sinister plan.

Themes

Graveyard desecration, Skinhead violence, Intellectual elitism vs village, Mountain isolation, Inbreeding consequences, Ritual murder motifs

Available on

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

What Lies Beneath

217. What Lies Beneath

Drama Horror Mystery Thriller Psychological Horror
6.6

20002h 10min

United States

Director: Robert Zemeckis

When Claire Spencer starts hearing ghostly voices and seeing spooky images, she wonders if an otherworldly spirit is trying to contact her. All the while, her husband tries to reassure her by telling her it's all in her head. But as Claire investigates, she discovers that the man she loves might know more than he's letting on.

Themes

Marital strain suspicion, Haunting lake ghost, Therapist intervention, Seance possession, New neighbor secret, Missing child investigation, Car accident echoes

Available on

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

Ju-on: The Curse

218. Ju-on: The Curse

Horror Mystery Haunting Horror Investigation Mystery
6.9

20001h 10min

Japan

Director: Takashi Shimizu

When elementary school teacher Kobayashi investigates the absence of one of his young pupils from the classroom, he finds himself at the doorstep of an anonymous suburban house that harbours a horrible secret, and into which all who enter are doomed.

Themes

Family fracture, Violence and aftermath, Haunted space anxiety, Possession and control, Deception and infidelity, Secrecy and obligation

Available on

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

Sleepy Hollow

219. Sleepy Hollow

Fantasy Thriller Mystery Horror Supernatural Fantasy
7.3

19991h 45min

United States

Director: Tim Burton

Skeptical young detective Ichabod Crane gets transferred to the hamlet of Sleepy Hollow, New York, where he is tasked with investigating the decapitations of three people – murders the townsfolk attribute to a legendary specter, The Headless Horseman.

Themes

Appearances vs reality, Inheritance and estate power, Skepticism vs superstition, Conspiracy within a household, Deception and concealment, Communal paranoia

Available on

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

The Devil's Advocate

220. The Devil's Advocate

Drama Mystery Horror Legal Drama Investigation Mystery
7.5

19972h 24min

Germany, United States

Director: Taylor Hackford

Aspiring Florida defense lawyer Kevin Lomax accepts a job at a New York law firm. With the stakes getting higher every case, Kevin quickly learns that his boss has something far more evil planned.

Themes

Ambition versus ethics, Pact with the devil, Legal ethics under pressure, Deception in court, Family ties corruption, Perjury and manipulation, Temptation and ambition

Available on

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