35 best detectives who will make you puzzle

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

You will speculate, but the finale of these pictures will surprise you anyway.

Lifehacker has collected the best detective stories from different eras: from classics of the genre to neo-noir films. They all received high marks from critics and audiences. Many have received prestigious awards and nominations.

1.12 angry men

• Drama, detective.
• USA, 1956.
• Duration: 96 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 9.

A slum boy is accused of killing his own father. The teenager faces the death penalty, and it seems that everything is obvious. But in the deliberation room, one of the 12 jurors allowed himself to question the circumstances of the case. A long discussion ensues, which grows into disputes and investigation.

This film is more of a great legal drama than a full-fledged detective story, but it also has room for unexpected plot twists. The picture has repeatedly hit the ratings of the best creations of cinema in history.

2. Suspicious persons

• Thriller, drama, detective.
• USA, Germany, 1995.
• Duration: 106 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 5.

The explosion on the ship carrying cocaine injured several dozen people. The police are trying to find out the cause of the incident and interrogate the only survivor - a cripple nicknamed Chatterbox. And he talks about a large-scale conspiracy, in the center of which is the elusive mafia boss.

The British Academy awarded the picture with a statuette for Best Picture, and Kevin Spacey received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. In addition, the film glorified the director Brian Singer - the future creator of the X-Men franchise.

3. Heaven and Hell

• Thriller, drama, detective.
• Japan, 1963.
• Duration: 143 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 5.

The film by the famous author of "Seven Samurai" Akira Kurosawa tells about the kidnapping. The attackers planned to take the son of a successful businessman Gondo hostage, but by mistake they captured the child of his personal driver. And now Gondo must choose: spend the money on developing the business and let the boy die, or pay the ransom and go bankrupt.

4. Window to the courtyard

• Thriller, detective.
• USA, 1954.
• Duration: 112 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

The film by the legendary Alfred Hitchcock is dedicated to a photographer who was locked at home after a broken leg. Out of boredom, he constantly watches the neighbors from the window. And gradually it begins to seem to him that a murder has taken place in the apartment opposite.

5. Prosecution witness

• Thriller, drama, detective.
• USA, 1957.
• Duration: 116 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

Lawyer Wilfrid Robarts left his job in court due to illness. But one day a very complex criminal case attracted his attention. Leonard Vole is accused of the murder of a close and very wealthy friend because of an inheritance. Vole's wife is the only witness for the defense. Despite the prohibitions of doctors, the lawyer takes on this losing case.

6. Citizen Kane

• Drama, detective.
• United States, 1941.
• Duration: 119 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

Newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane dies in his home while uttering the word rosebud. The death of such a famous person causes a violent reaction from the public, and the journalist Thompson is tasked with sorting out his past.

The legendary work of director Orson Welles is one of the first examples of non-linear storytelling in cinema. The film is filled with flashbacks that gradually reveal the protagonist's past. The film won nine Oscar nominations, and its contribution to cinema is invaluable. The American Film Institute in 1998 compiled the AFI's 100 GREATEST AMERICAN MOVIES OF ALL TIME list of the best American films, in which Citizen Kane came first.

7. Secrets of Los Angeles

• Thriller, drama, detective.
• USA, 1997.
• Duration: 138 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

In the early 1950s, three Los Angeles police officers are trying to sort out a chain of murders. The investigation leads them to a network of call girls blackmailing officials. And then it turns out that the police themselves are involved.

This picture primarily attracts with a bright cast. Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey and Kim Basinger are gathered here.

8. Rashomon

• Drama, detective.
• Japan, 1950.
• Duration: 88 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

The plot of the picture is set in Japan in the 11th century. Fleeing from a thunderstorm, several people discuss a recent event - the murder of a samurai and the rape of his wife. There are several points of view on what happened, and it seems that each hero is telling the truth. But their stories contradict each other.

9. Chinatown

• Thriller, drama, detective.
• USA, 1974.
• Duration: 130 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

Jack Nicholson plays private detective Jake Gitts in the film by Roman Polanski. A rich lady asks the hero to follow her husband, whom she suspects of treason. But soon the usual investigation turns into a series of intrigues and exposure of corruption.

The film received 11 Oscar nominations and was very warmly received by the audience. Therefore, in 1990, Nicholson himself decided to direct the sequel "Two Jakes". But the sequel failed to replicate the success of the original.

10. In case of murder, dial "M"

• Thriller, detective.
• USA, 1954.
• Duration: 105 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

A former tennis player married to a wealthy heiress suspects his wife of infidelity. Fearing a divorce, he decides to kill his wife and comes up with the perfect crime that will provide him with one hundred percent alibi. But he did not take into account that even such a plan could fail.

11. Third person

• Thriller, detective.
• Great Britain, 1949.
• Duration: 104 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

The tabloid writer Holly Martins comes to Vienna at the invitation of her friend Harry Lyme. Soon, the hero finds out that a friend recently died in an accident, and the police considered him a racketeer. Then Martins decides to conduct his own investigation in order to restore Lyme's good name and prove that it was a murder.

12. Island of the damned

• Thriller, detective.
• USA, 2010.
• Duration: 138 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

The bailiffs are sent to a psychiatric hospital on a closed island. They need to understand the circumstances of the patient's disappearance, but it seems that the hospital staff themselves are trying to hide the evidence from them. On top of that, a hurricane hits the island that cuts off the heroes from the rest of the world.

13. Prisoners

• Thriller, drama, detective.
• USA, 2013.
• Duration: 153 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

Denis Villeneuve made a very intense detective thriller, clearly imitating the style of David Fincher. Keller Dover's daughter goes for a walk with a friend and disappears. The first suspect - the feeble-minded Alex - is caught very quickly, but the police do not have enough evidence to arrest him. And then the girl's father decides to rule the court himself.

14. Memories of a murder

• Detective, drama, thriller.
• South Korea, 2003.
• Duration: 131 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

In the Korean province, there is a serial killer who rapes and kills his victims. Two detectives try to catch him, often using inhuman interrogation methods. After their failure, a more experienced investigator from Seoul is sent to help the police.

15. Maltese falcon

• Noir, detective.
• United States, 1941.
• Duration: 100 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

The detective office of Miles Archer and Sam Spade is approached by the customer with a request to track a certain mysterious person. But soon both the target and Archer himself are killed. Then Spade tries to understand the circumstances of the crime, while simultaneously receiving an order to search for a priceless statuette of a Maltese falcon.

16. Thin man

• Comedy, detective.
• USA, 1934.
• Duration: 91 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

On Christmas Eve, the secretary of the famous inventor Clyde Winant is found dead. It was because of this girl that he divorced his wife, but then learned about her infidelity and criminal plans. At that time, Vinant himself went on a business trip, and no one can find him. Therefore, the police begin to suspect him of murder.

17. Laura

• Drama, detective.
• USA, 1944.
• Duration: 88 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Police Lieutenant McPherson is assigned to investigate the murder of successful businesswoman Laura Hunt. An unknown person shot her in the face right on the threshold of the apartment. Under suspicion are two men close to Laura. The detective is imbued with sympathy for the deceased and decides to look into her apartment.

18. Midnight Heat

• Drama, detective.
• USA, 1967.
• Duration: 109 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

White and black cops have to join forces to investigate the brutal murder of a Chicago tycoon. The problem is that the local sheriff dislikes the new partner because of his skin color and even tries to make him the prime suspect at first. In addition, they have different working methods. But gradually colleagues begin to respect each other.

19. Playing right through

• Thriller, detective.
• USA, UK, 1972.
• Duration: 138 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Popular writer Andrew Wyck invites his wife's young lover Milo to visit him. He makes an unexpected offer to the guest. Andrew is ready to let his wife go and even give Milo part of the fortune. In return, he must stage a robbery at home.

Only two actors starred in the film: the role of Andrew went to Laurence Olivier, and the young Milo was played by Michael Caine. And many years later, in the remake of the same name, the same Kane appeared again, only this time in the image of Andrew.

20. Ten Little Indians

• Detective, thriller.
• USSR, 1987.
• Duration: 130 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

10 strangers gather in an estate cut off from the rest of the world. The hosts are absent and the guests are greeted by the butler. During the first dinner, the recording is turned on, and an unknown voice accuses each of the audience of murder.

21. Deep sleep

• Thriller, detective.
• USA, 1946.
• Duration: 109 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

The youngest daughter of General Sternwood, who leads a rather cheeky life, is blackmailed. Detective Marlowe agrees to find the extortionists, but the criminals suddenly die one by one. The second daughter of the general is taken to help the detective, who herself may be associated with these deaths.

22. Mysterious River

• Thriller, drama, detective.
• USA, Australia, 2003.
• Duration: 138 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

Sean, Dave and Jimmy were friends as children. However, then a tragedy happened to one of them: Dave was held hostage by a pedophile. Friends will meet only many years later during the investigation into the murder of Jimmy's daughter. At the same time, Sean is in charge of the case, but their third comrade turns out to be the main suspect.

Clint Eastwood's picture was one of the main Oscar nominees, but in the Best Picture category it lost to the third part of The Lord of the Rings. However, the statuettes for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor still went to The Mysterious River.

23. Conversation

• Thriller, drama, detective.
• USA, 1974.
• Duration: 113 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

A successful businessman hires the best wiretap specialist Harry Cole to record the conversation of a couple of lovers. Realizing that this is not just a matter of treason, Cole carefully studies the tape and realizes that a murder may soon occur. Then he decides to break his own rules to avoid tragedy.

24. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

• Thriller, detective.
• USA, Sweden, Norway, 2011.
• Duration: 158 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

Screen adaptation of the bestseller of the same name by Stieg Larsson. Journalist Mikael Blomkvist and genius hacker Lisbeth Salander investigate the disappearance of industrialist Henrik Vanger's niece. The businessman believes that the girl was killed, and one of his family members did it. The difficulty is that the crime happened 40 years ago.

25. Zodiac

• Thriller, drama, detective.
• USA, 2007.
• Duration: 158 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

After each murder, the maniac nicknamed the Zodiac leaves clues to journalists that should lead to his trail. Several employees of a large newspaper decide to help the police in identifying the criminal.

Since the picture is based on real events, it has an ambiguous ending. However, David Fincher tried to reconstruct the real investigation as accurately as possible.

26. Windy River

• Thriller, drama, detective.
• UK, Canada, USA, 2016.
• Duration: 107 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

Huntsman Corey Lambert finds the mutilated body of a girl on the territory of an Indian reservation. FBI agent Jane Banner is assigned to investigate the case, but she needs the help of someone local. She asks Corey to help her catch those who committed this murder.

27. The name of the rose

• Thriller, drama, detective.
• Germany, Italy, France, 1986.
• Duration: 130 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

The magnificent Sean Connery plays a Franciscan monk in the adaptation of Umberto Eco's debut novel. Together with his novice, the hero investigates mysterious deaths in a Benedictine monastery in northern Italy. His searches lead him to the book of Aristotle, which could change the idea of God.

28. Goodbye baby, goodbye

• Thriller, drama, detective.
• USA, 2007.
• Duration: 114 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

Boston police are trying unsuccessfully to investigate the disappearance of a little girl. When the authorities are ready to surrender, her aunt begs two private investigators to continue the case. And they, together with the police, discover new evidence that changes the lives of all participants in the process.

29. Not caught - not a thief

• Thriller, drama, detective.
• USA, 2006.
• Duration: 129 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

A bank robbery is taking place in downtown New York. The criminals managed to arrange everything in such a way that the police do not know either their faces, or their number, or even their targets. But Detective Fraser continues to search for the head of the gang and gradually realizes that the attackers were interested in something more than money.

30. Long goodbye

• Detective, drama, crime.
• USA, 1973.
• Duration: 112 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

Going out at night for cat food, private detective Philip Marlowe met an old friend Terry Lennox. He asked for a lift to the Mexican border for a good fee. Returning to his home in the morning, Marlowe finds himself under suspicion of the murder of a friend's wife.

31. Kiss Through

• Comedy, detective.
• USA, 2005.
• Duration: 103 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

The unlucky thief Harry Lockhart, fleeing the police, gets to audition for a movie. The producer liked him, and now they want to take on the role of a detective. And to make Harry look more convincing, the thief is sent on an internship to the real detective Perry van Shrike. And soon the hero has to investigate a real murder.

32. Brick

• Detective drama.
• USA, 2005.
• Duration: 110 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

Young outsider Brendan Fry receives a note from his ex-girlfriend Emily. She asks him to come to a certain place, there she calls him on the phone, says a few incoherent phrases and disappears without a trace. Brendan and his only friend have to figure out a mysterious case on their own.

33. Angel Heart

• Horror, thriller, detective.
• UK, Canada, USA, 1987.
• Duration: 113 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

Private detective Harry Angel is approached by the mysterious Mr. Cypher. He asks to find the musician Johnny Favorite, who disappeared after the war. The detective begins an investigation. But the further the search progresses, the more confusing the case becomes, and everyone whom Harry interrogates soon dies.

34. Clue

• Thriller, detective.
• USA, 1985.
• Duration: 94 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

Mr. Boddy gathers several guests in his house, but then suddenly the lights go out and the owner is killed. Visitors deny any involvement, although each of them had a serious motive. To absolve themselves of the blame, the suspects need to find the real killer who is hiding in the house.

Interestingly, this movie is based on a board game that can have different endings. And so the end of the tape looks very unexpected.

35. Murder on the Orient Express

• Drama, detective.
• Great Britain, 1974.
• Duration: 128 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

The famous detective Hercule Poirot travels on the luxurious Orient Express. At night, one of the passengers is killed, and literally all of his fellow travelers are under suspicion. The detective will have to sort out one of his most difficult cases.