Investigation Suspense backdrop

Investigation Suspense movies

A mystery unfolds while danger escalates: clues matter, but so does staying ahead of the threat.

181. Sleepless

Sleepless
Mystery Thriller Horror Investigation Mystery Investigation Suspense
6.2
20011h 57minItaly
Director: Dario Argento

Overview

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.

182. Nine Queens

Nine Queens
Crime Thriller Drama Con Artist Crime Investigation Suspense
7.9
20001h 54minArgentina
Director: Fabián Bielinsky

Overview

Two con artists try to swindle a stamp collector by selling him a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps, the "nine queens".

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Family inheritance pressures, Counterfeit economy and scams, Fragile justice system, Social mobility through crime, Risk and improvisation in crime

Available on

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

183. Under Suspicion

Under Suspicion
Thriller Crime Drama Investigation Suspense Police Procedural
6.4
20001h 50minUnited States
Director: Stephen Hopkins

Overview

A lawyer is asked to come to the police station to clear up a few loose ends in his witness report of a foul murder. "This will only take ten minutes", they say, but it turns out to be one loose end after another, and the ten minutes he is away from his speech become longer and longer.

Themes

Betrayal and loyalty, Moral ambiguity in justice, Family secrets and scandal, Deception under interrogation, Public scrutiny and rumor, Fabricating stories under pressure

Available on

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

184. Space Cowboys

Space Cowboys
Action Adventure Thriller Epic Action Exploration Adventure
6.5
20002h 10minUnited States
Director: Clint Eastwood

Overview

Frank Corvin, ‘Hawk’ Hawkins, Jerry O'Neill and ‘Tank’ Sullivan were hotdog members of Project Daedalus, the Air Force's test program for space travel, but their hopes were dashed in 1958 with the formation of NASA and the use of trained chimps. They blackmail their way into orbit when Russia's mysterious ‘Ikon’ communications satellite's orbit begins to degrade and threatens to crash to Earth.

Themes

Intergenerational mentorship and risk, Aging veterans vs young recruits, Publicity-driven mission decisions, Reliance on human skill over computers, External control breach and threat, Legacy through sacrifice

Available on

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

185. Shaft

Shaft
Action Adventure Crime Thriller Organized Crime
6.0
20001h 39minGermany, United States
Director: John Singleton

Overview

New York police detective John Shaft arrests Walter Wade Jr. for a racially motivated slaying. But the only eyewitness disappears, and Wade jumps bail for Switzerland. Two years later Wade returns to face trial, confident his money and influence will get him acquitted -- especially since he's paid a drug kingpin to kill the witness.

Themes

Racially motivated violence, Wealth and influence, Corruption and power dynamics, Vigilantism vs justice, Witness manipulation, Organized crime networks

Available on

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

186. Frequency

Frequency
Science Fiction Thriller Family Crime Time Travel Sci-Fi
7.4
20001h 58minUnited States
Director: Gregory Hoblit

Overview

When a rare phenomenon gives police officer John Sullivan the chance to speak to his father, 30 years in the past, he takes the opportunity to prevent his dad's tragic death. After his actions inadvertently give rise to a series of brutal murders he and his father must find a way to fix the consequences of altering time.

Themes

Deception and framing, Altering history consequences, Cross-generational communication, Family bonds across time, Unintended collateral damage, Duty under danger

Available on

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

187. The Yards

The Yards
Crime Drama Thriller Organized Crime Investigation Suspense
6.4
20001h 55minUnited States
Director: James Gray

Overview

In the rail yards of Queens, contractors repair and rebuild the city's subway cars. These contracts are lucrative, so graft and corruption are rife. When Leo Handler gets out of prison, he finds his aunt married to Frank Olchin, one of the big contractors; he's battling with a minority-owned firm for contracts.

Themes

Deception under pressure, Urban contract corruption, Competition with minority firms, Power struggles in business, Crime in infrastructure, Betrayal within alliances

Available on

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

188. Anatomy

Anatomy
Horror Thriller Body Horror Investigation Suspense
6.0
20001h 43minGermany
Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky

Overview

Medical student Paula wins a place at an exclusive Heidelberg medical school. When the body of a young man she met on the train turns up on her dissection table, she begins to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death.

Themes

Secrecy enabling manipulation, Prestige-driven exploitation, Ethics erosion in science, Control over bodies, Deception within institutions, Violence as discipline

Available on

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

189. Donnie Brasco

Donnie Brasco
Crime Drama Thriller Undercover Sting Crime Investigation Suspense
7.7
19972h 7minUnited States
Director: Mike Newell

Overview

An FBI undercover agent infiltrates the mob and identifies more with the mafia life at the expense of his regular one.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Undercover deception, Family strain under crime, Trust versus obligation, Illicit networks and control, Risk and retaliation

Available on

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

190. Die Hard: With a Vengeance

Die Hard: With a Vengeance
Action Thriller Buddy Action Investigation Suspense
7.6
19952h 8minUnited States
Director: John McTiernan

Overview

New York detective John McClane is back and kicking bad-guy butt in the third installment of this action-packed series, which finds him teaming with civilian Zeus Carver to prevent the loss of innocent lives. McClane thought he'd seen it all, until a genius named Simon engages McClane, his new "partner" -- and his beloved city -- in a deadly game that demands their concentration.

Themes

Deception and misdirection, Urban siege pressures, Time-based coercion, Loyalties tested under stress, Economic destabilization, Collaboration across strangers

Available on

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