Investigation Mystery backdrop

Investigation Mystery movies

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

161. Cracks

Cracks
Drama Mystery Thriller Relationship Drama Investigation Mystery
6.6
20091h 44minFrance, Ireland
Director: Jordan Scott

Overview

Jealousy flares after the headmistress of an elite boarding school for girls becomes obsessed with a new student.

Themes

Class and status pressure, Power abuse and control, Reputation vs truth, Gendered dynamics, Peer group pressure, Mentor-student boundaries

Available on

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

162. Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars

Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars
Horror Science Fiction Drama Mystery Adventure
8.8
20091h 2minUnited Kingdom
Director: Graeme Harper

Overview

In a Mars base, the inhabitants are being infected by a mysterious water creature which takes over its victims. The Doctor is thrust into the middle of this catastrophe, knowing a larger one is waiting around the corner.

Themes

Duty vs autonomy, Resilience in crisis, Fixed-point fate, Ethical consequences of intervention, Altruism under pressure, Leadership under existential threat

Available on

Hoopla
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

163. The Girl Who Played with Fire

The Girl Who Played with Fire
Drama Action Thriller Crime Mystery
7.1
20092h 9minDenmark, Germany
Director: Daniel Alfredson

Overview

Mikael Blomkvist, publisher of Millennium magazine, has made his living exposing the crooked and corrupt practices of establishment Swedish figures. So when a young journalist approaches him with a meticulously researched thesis about sex trafficking in Sweden and those in high office who abuse underage girls, Blomkvist immediately throws himself into the investigation.

Themes

Power dynamics, Investigative persistence, Institutional corruption, Sex trafficking exposure, Surveillance and privacy, Domestic abuse aftermath

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

164. The Secret in Their Eyes

The Secret in Their Eyes
Mystery Thriller Drama Investigation Mystery Investigation Suspense
8.2
20092h 10minArgentina, Spain
Director: Juan José Campanella

Overview

Hoping to put to rest years of unease concerning a past case, retired criminal investigator Benjamín begins writing a novel based on the unsolved mystery of a newlywed’s rape and murder. With the help of a former colleague, judge Irene, he attempts to make sense of the past.

Themes

Deception and loyalty, Coercive power dynamics, Revenge and consequence, Unresolved past, Justice under pressure, Political faction influence

Available on

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

165. Mother

Mother
Crime Drama Mystery Serial Killer Crime Psychological Drama
7.7
20092h 9minSouth Korea
Director: Bong Joon Ho

Overview

A mother lives quietly with her son. One day, a girl is brutally killed, and the boy is charged with the murder. Now, it's his mother's mission to prove him innocent.

Themes

Maternal protection under social pressure, Rumor vs evidence in town, Memory manipulation as coping, Disability stigma and misperception, Debt and moral risk, Family loyalty vs public judgment, Small-town justice flaws

Available on

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

166. Angels & Demons

Angels & Demons
Thriller Mystery Investigation Suspense Investigation Mystery
6.7
20092h 19minItaly, United States
Director: Ron Howard

Overview

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is recruited by the Vatican to investigate the apparent return of the Illuminati – a secret, underground organization – after four cardinals are kidnapped on the night of the papal conclave.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Institutional secrecy, Science vs religion, Secret power manipulation, Symbolism and ancient orders, Ethics of leadership

Available on

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

167. Watchmen

Watchmen
Mystery Action Science Fiction Superhero Action Investigation Mystery
7.6
20092h 43minUnited States
Director: Zack Snyder

Overview

In a gritty and alternate 1985, the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown. But after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered, an investigation into the killer is initiated. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so they uncover a sinister plot that puts all of humanity in grave danger.

Themes

Secret identity tension, Mistrust of authority, Conspiracy and manipulation, Doomsday clock anxiety, Military political brinkmanship, Cynical vigilante culture, Retirement and disillusionment

Available on

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

168. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Drama Thriller Crime Mystery Investigation Suspense
7.8
20092h 32minDenmark, Germany
Director: Niels Arden Oplev

Overview

Swedish thriller based on Stieg Larsson's novel about a male journalist and a young female hacker. In the opening of the movie, Mikael Blomkvist, a middle-aged publisher for the magazine Millennium, loses a libel case brought by corrupt Swedish industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerström. Nevertheless, he is hired by Henrik Vanger in order to solve a cold case, the disappearance of Vanger's niece

Themes

Female empowerment, Abuse and guardianship, Legacy and accountability, Antisemitism and family secrecy, Corruption and exposure, Investigative collaboration under pressure

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

169. Changeling

Changeling
Crime Drama Mystery Narcotics Crime Psychological Drama
7.7
20082h 21minUnited States
Director: Clint Eastwood

Overview

Los Angeles, 1928. When single mother Christine Collins leaves for work, her son vanishes without a trace. Five months later, the police reunite mother and son. But when Christine suspects that the boy returned to her isn't her child, her quest for truth exposes a world of corruption.

Themes

Police corruption, Gendered stigma and confinement, Media influence on justice, Institutional power and reform, Child vulnerability and parental resolve, Deception and impersonation

Available on

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

170. Awake

Awake
Thriller Crime Mystery Mind Game Thriller Investigation Mystery
6.5
20071h 24minUnited States
Director: Joby Harold

Overview

While undergoing heart surgery, a man experiences a phenomenon called ‘anesthetic awareness’, which leaves him awake but paralyzed throughout the operation. As various obstacles present themselves, his wife must make life-altering decisions while wrestling with her own personal drama.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Memory shaping identity, Parental control versus autonomy, Trust in professionals, Wealth influencing relationships, Ethical risk in transplantation

Available on

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