Diksha Sundriyal
When nothing goes according to plan, you can still count on a murder mystery movie to keep you rooting for justice. Murder is a tried and tested vantage point of fiction, and the cinematic medium has taken the cult of the corpse to new heights. The killer often hides in the unlikeliest people, and their motive for murder makes the viewers probe into the darkness inherent in human nature. When the dead body comes to the public, it is often a vehicle for unmasking another deep-rooted societal flaw. In its extensive library of movies spread across all genres, HBO Max offers some very intriguing films in the genre that stay with the audience long after the mystery has been solved.
11. Conviction (2010)
Tony Goldwyn’s ‘Conviction’ explores a murder mystery from the POV of the sister of the wrongly accused guy. Set in the 1980s, the biographical drama follows Betty Anne (Hilary Swank), whose brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell) is falsely accused of murder and, after trial, sentenced to life without parole. Betty, a mother of two, takes it upon herself to get Kenny out, rejoins law school, and becomes a lawyer to reopen the case and fight.
How she defends her brother’s innocence while dealing with the repercussions of her schedule on her personal life and whether she manages to get Kenny out are what we find out in this powerful and inspiring drama. Ultimately, we also get to know who the real murderer is and whether it’s Kenny. Swank’s performance as Betty Anne upped the film’s standard, earning her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Despite being a dramatization, the film is deeply personal, and Betty’s story is worthy of being known. You can do so right here.
10. Don’t Let Go (2019)
A rare sci-fi murder mystery, ‘Don’t Let Go’ follows homicide detective Jack Radcliff (David Oyelowo), who communicates with her dead niece Ashley (Storm Reid) from the past and tries to use the information to prevent the events that led to her death, along with those of her mother and father (Jack’s brother) who had bipolar disorder. However, Ashley doesn’t know she is speaking to her uncle from the future. As she is speaking to Jack from a handful of days before she died, he doesn’t have much time to solve the puzzle.
Shifting between past and present, ‘Don’t Let Go’ does a good job of maintaining its intensity and running-out-of-time nature. Both Oyelowo and Reid pull off commendable performances, adding to the urgency in their own ways. You can watch the film here.
9. Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017)
In her documentaries, Erin Lee Carr is often known for dealing with the fringes of justice with an impactful voice. Her actual crime documentary movie follows the infamous case of the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard with a drive towards facts and levelheaded judgment. After years of abuse and mistreatment, Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her boyfriend conspired to murder Dee Dee in 2015. While you may be familiar with the case from Hulu’s fictional treatment, ‘The Act,’ the documentary is more nuanced and bolder in dealing with this morally complex case. If you are looking for a complicated murder mystery that is more concerned with the reason behind the murder, here is a film that would fascinate you. You can watch it here.
8. Kimi (2022)
A masterpiece of a thriller by Steven Soderbergh, ‘Kimi’ follows Angela Childs (Zoë Kravitz), a tech worker who works on improving the software that runs Kimi, a smart speaker, a new tech invention. Angela also has agoraphobia that keeps her from leaving her house. As a part of her work, she has to listen to all the audio the software captures from the Kimi devices. When one such audio reveals a premeditated murder, she realizes that she has to report it. This means leaving her house and thus risking her agoraphobia. However, she soon realizes that her condition is the least of her worries when her superiors try to prevent her from reporting the crime to the FBI, by whatever means necessary. To find out the root of the conspiracy, you can watch ‘Kimi’ right here.
7. The Little Things (2021)
Directed by John Lee Hancock, ‘The Little Things’ is set in early 1990s LA and follows Kern County Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon (Denzel Washington), who comes to the city to gather evidence only to get involved in an investigation into a murder case that reminds him of an old one he wasn’t able to solve. He joins forces with lead detective Jimmy Baxter (Rami Malek). As the bodies of people pile up, all of whom have been killed in the same way, the detective duo consider the possibility that it is the job of the same person whom they think is the guy named Albert Sparma (Jared Leto), the prime suspect. However, there is more to Deacon than meets the eye that connects him to the murders and even Sparma himself. If you are interested in finding out the truth (s), ‘The Little Things’ can be streamed right here.
6. Citizen X (1995)
Directed by Chris Gerolmo, ‘Citizen X’ is based on the true story of Andrei Chikatilo, aka The Butcher of Rostov, a Soviet serial killer who sexually assaulted and killed more than 50 women and children between 1978 and 1990. In the film, we see low-level police detective Viktor Burakov (Steven Rea) bent on finding Chikatilo (Jeffrey DeMunn), a Communist, but faces obstacles because the Soviet bureaucracy seems to be protecting him. How Burakov, assisted by a psychiatrist, tracks down the culprit and brings him to justice is what we see in this critically and commercially acclaimed film. You can stream it here.
5. The Batman (2022)
After Christopher Nolan‘s stint with the caped crusader, director Matt Reeves brings his gloomy menace to the iconic comic superhero in ‘The Batman.’ The narrative follows the emergence of a new villain in Gotham City who goes by the name of Riddler. While the killer takes his prey one after another, he leaves a few clues for Robert Pattinson‘s Batman. Gradually, the perpetrator’s plans become apparent to the latter as he makes friends with Catwoman. While stripped down of Nolan’s epic vision, Matt Reeves’ Batman is more of a noir detective. And thus, the value of the superhero movie as a murder mystery may astonish you. You may watch it here.
4. Beware the Slenderman (2018)
‘Beware the Slenderman,’ directed by Irene Taylor Brodsky, is a chilling murder mystery documentary that delves into the disturbing case of two 12-year-old girls who stabbed their friend in 2014, claiming they were influenced by the fictional internet character Slenderman. The film meticulously explores the psyche of the young perpetrators, unraveling the complexities of their actions and the power of online folklore. Through interviews, court footage, and expert analysis, the documentary raises thought-provoking questions about mental health, morality, and the impact of the digital age on impressionable minds. Brodsky’s masterful storytelling, combined with the compelling real-life narrative and insightful commentary, makes ‘Beware the Slenderman’ a gripping and thought-provoking murder mystery that goes beyond the crime, offering a disturbing yet fascinating glimpse into the minds of young individuals influenced by internet myths. You can stream the film here.
3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Directed by David Fincher, ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ is a signature Fincher-style psychological crime thriller. Adapted from Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s eponymous novel, the film revolves around two characters: investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), whose reputation hits rock bottom after a report against a wealthy businessman, Hans-Erik Wennerström (Ulf Friberg), results in a defamation case, and Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a punk computer hacker with an idiosyncratic lifestyle.
These two come face to face after industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) hires Blomkvist to look into the case of Vanger’s niece, who mysteriously disappeared 40 years ago and was, in all probability, murdered. Blomkvist hires Salander as his assistant, and the two soon develop feelings for each other while unearthing bizarre secrets of the Vanger family, which can potentially allow Blomkvist to take his revenge on Wennerström. Winner of an Academy Award, a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, and a National Board of Review Award, among many others, ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ is a must-watch murder mystery. You can watch it here.
2. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, ‘Sherlock Holmes’ is directed by Guy Ritchie. Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s immortal characters, the film is set in 1890. It follows Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his best friend, John Waston (Law), as they look into a series of mysterious deaths that seem to result from black magic and are connected to mysticist Lord Henry Blackwood.
Blackwood intends to take over Britain and is using supernatural means to bring his plan to fruition. However, without proof, nothing can be ascertained, and Holmes has to work fast if he wants to hold Blackwood responsible for the bodies that are piling up. Winner of one Golden Globe and nominated for two Academy Awards, among other accolades, ‘Sherlock Holmes’ is a brilliant rendition of the legendary sleuth’s adventures, blending humor and action to give us a worthy period murder mystery underscored by power-packed performances. You can watch the movie here.
1. Rashomon (1951)
Akira Kurosawa‘s masterful storytelling technique makes the mystery thriller movie ‘Rashomon’ one of the lasting artifacts of film history. By chronicling the tale of a man’s murder and the rape of his wife through four accounts varying much from each other, the movie investigates the fleeting and subjective nature of truth itself. Be it for the set design or the immersive performances; the essentially black comedy movie became influential enough in popular culture to give rise to a phenomenon after its name. The Rashomon effect delineates how the brain creates memory due to previous experiences and internal bias. You can stream it here.
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