Diksha Sundriyal
One of the most effective forms of entertainment is a good murder mystery. All the Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie remakes by BBC are not just because they have run out of material. A good mystery never gets old, even if you know exactly how it ends. Every watch lets you focus on the details you missed the first time, and learning from your mistakes makes you better at it. Who knows when this knowledge might come in handy!
However, with time, the perspective with which murder mysteries are made has increased. While some offer us a look into the killer’s mind via a hearing or in some other manner, some make the killer the protagonist, some leave the killer unidentified, while others show us how the killer is tracked down. And these are only a few ways to look at murder mysteries, and Hulu features quite a variety of them.
13. Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)
Based on Delia Owens’ novel of the same name, ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ centers on Kya, an abandoned and self-raised girl who grew up in the dangerous marshlands of Barkley Cove, North Carolina, earning the name “Marsh Girl” as given by the community. Drawn to two men, she opens herself up to trauma all over again. Meanwhile, one of the men is found dead, and she becomes the primary suspect. As the plot proceeds, we discover the many secrets that bind Kya with Barkley Cove, which may, in turn, be connected to the mysterious death. Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, and Harris Dickinson, ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ is custom-made for mystery fans, offering a thrill and shifting between past and present, juggling truths all the while. You can watch it here.
12. Amsterdam (2022)
Written and directed by David O. Russell, ‘Amsterdam’ is loosely based on the 1933 political conspiracy known as the Business Plot. It was a failed political conspiracy by a group of wealthy businessmen and bankers to assassinate then-US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, overthrow his government, and appoint a dictator. This would prevent them from going bankrupt, which would have been a potential result of Roosevelt’s decision to eliminate the gold standard.
In the film, we meet a trio of friends: Burt Berendsen, a doctor; Valerie Voze, a nurse; and Harold Woodsman, a lawyer, who witness the murder of US Senator Bill Meekins. Soon, they become the prime suspects and are forced to prove their innocence in any way they can, leading to the revelation of a shocking conspiracy. Starring Christian Bale, John David Washington, Margot Robbie, Rami Malek, and Robert De Niro, the period drama smartly blends crime and comedy in a stylized fashion that, though it doesn’t hit the spot, manages to deliver real-event-based entertainment. The actors deserve special mention for pulling off the otherwise not-so-appealing narrative. You can watch the film here.
11. Maggie Moore(s) (2023)
Directed by John Slattery, this black comedy follows Police Chief Jordan Sanders as he looks into the dual murders of two women, both named Maggie Moore, carried out a week apart. Meanwhile, we also get to see the insane plan of Jay Moore, who hires a deaf hitman to scare his wife, but the guy ends up killing him. So, to cover it, Jay tells the guy to kill another woman who shares his wife’s name to make his wife’s death look like a mistake. Things don’t take long to spiral into confusion and chaos, underscored by dark humor. We have John Hamm as Jordan Sanders, Micah Stock as Jay Moore, and Tina Fey as Rita Grace, a neighbor of the Moores. ‘Maggie Moore(s)’ can be streamed here.
10. Bayou Caviar (2018)
Directed by Cuba Gooding Jr., ‘Bayou Caviar’ is a neo-noir drama film that tells the story of Rodney (Gooding), a former boxer now forced to work as a bouncer. He eventually meets Yuri (Richard Dreyfuss), a vicious Russian gangster. The film’s title refers to how Yuri prefers to get rid of the bodies of the people he killed. The phrase “bayou caviar” stands for the food meant for the alligators in the Louisiana swamps. Yuri tasks Rodney with finding evidence on the son-in-law of his business associate, as he intends to use it in a blackmail scheme. Helping Rodney in this endeavor are teenager Kat and lesbian photographer Nic. You may watch the movie here.
9. Sleeping Dogs (2024)
Russell Crowe stars as retired homicide detective Roy Freeman, who reopens an old murder case wherein the cops had apparently made a mistake and arrested the wrong suspect. As his investigation moves forward, all the people associated with the victim start disappearing, making it difficult for him to find clues. What makes things worse is his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, which keeps him from remembering stuff, especially old ones.
Amidst uncertain events and memories, Freeman has to race against time to find the real culprit and those removing evidence. Intricate, captivating, and powered by Crowe’s performance and onscreen presence, ‘Sleeping Dogs’ is directed by Adam Cooper and based on E.O. Chirovici’s novel ‘The Book of Mirrors.’ It can be streamed here.
8. Spiral (2021)
Starring Chris Rock in a never-before-seen role, ‘Spiral’ is a spin-off/sequel of the ‘Saw’ horror film franchise and has been directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. It follows Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Chris Rock), his rookie partner (Max Minghella), and Zeke’s father/retired chief Marcus Banks (Samuel L. Jackson), who investigate a series of brutal murders that are a clear reminder of the city’s sinister past. Soon, it is revealed that Banks is connected to the killer. But how? To find out, you can watch the film here.
7. Intrigo: Death of an Author (2018)
Directed by Daniel Alfredson, ‘Intrigo: Death of an Author’ is the first entry in the trilogy of thrillers based on a collection of stories by Scandinavian author Håkan Nesser. The film begins with the imagery of a man drowning before focusing on a man with a backpack making his way through the scenic beauty of the shore of a Greek island. His destination is the only human-made structure in the vicinity. The occupant of the said structure is the celebrated novelist Alex Henderson (Ben Kingsley), who is currently writing the story of a woman who was killed by her husband. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that the man who recently arrived and the killer are the same person. You can check it out here.
6. Intrigo: Samaria (2018)
The third and final entry in the trilogy of thrillers inspired by a collection of stories by Scandinavian author Håkan Nesser, ‘Intrigo: Samaria’ initially follows 19-year-old Vera Kall as she arrives on a farm after riding her bike through the night. She quietly enters the house through the kitchen door. But before it registers in her mind that she isn’t alone, someone hits her on the back of the head, killing her. Years later, her former classmate, Paula, now a documentarian, tries to solve the mystery involving Vera’s murder with the help of Henry, an aging educator. The film is set in Maardam, a fictional European town whose seemingly idyllic beauty provides a contrasting background for the inherent violence in the plot. Feel free to check out the movie here.
5. Deep Water (2022)
An insane arrangement between a husband and wife to avoid the harassment of divorce gives birth to a mind-boggling murder mystery. Vic (Ben Affleck) has no problem with Melinda (Ana de Armas) sleeping with other men but seems to be responsible for killing one or more of her lovers. Is it Vic who killed the men, or is it someone else? Swinging between love and infidelity, ‘Deep Water’ offers an erotic take on the murder mystery genre. Directed by Adrian Lyne, the film is based on the 1957 eponymous novel by Patricia Highsmith. You can watch it here.
4. Saint Omer (2022)
‘Saint Omer’ is inspired by the legal case of Fabienne Kabou, who was convicted of killing her 15-month-old daughter Adélaïde in Berck on 19 November 2013. She left the baby by the sea after dusk, and the little girl’s drowned dead body was discovered the next day by fishermen. Kabou was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2016. She is still serving the sentence. In the film, we look at the case of Laurence Coly, who, too, killed her 15-month-old girl child in the same manner as above, from the perspective of a pregnant novelist, Rama. While being a murder mystery on the face, the film delves deep into the psychological aspects of Coly’s character, exploring her experiences and emotions and how they might just have made her do something that sounds impossible. You may watch the film here.
3. Boston Strangler (2023)
Based on killings that occurred in Greater Boston in the 1960s wherein 13 women were murdered, ‘Boston Strangler’ showcases the hard work of female reporters Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley), who connected the murders, and her co-reporter Jean Cole (Carrie Coon) and how they fought the largely prevalent sexism of the time to report on the serial killer and keep people, especially women, well-informed. The film, directed by Matt Ruskin, is very accurate, including the details of the investigation, and this, more than anything else, makes the murder mystery worth watching. Knowing that something very close to what you are watching actually happened makes the events in the film more palpable and thus effective. You can watch the movie here.
2. See How They Run (2022)
Directed by Tom George, ‘See How They Run’ is a star-studded murder mystery centering on the murder of an actor during the film adaptation of an Agatha Christie play. Set in London in the 1950s, the film follows Inspector George Stoppard and Constable Stalker as they investigate the crime, eventually finding themselves lost in the kaleidoscopic world of underground theater that is as deadly as it is glamorous. Starring Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, and Ruth Wilson, ‘See How They Run’ offers a visually stunning take on the murder mystery genre, powered by interesting characterization and strong performances. You can watch it here.
1. Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
Directed by Justine Triet, ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ is a French murder mystery/legal drama that won the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival (2023) with many awards and even more accolades. The film finds a mother, Sandra (Sandra Hüller), and her visually-impaired son, Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner), in a court of law after the former is suspected of her husband Samuel Maleski’s (Samuel Theis) murder while her son becomes the sole witness. We do not know whether it was a murder or an accident, but the conflicted accounts of the two and autopsy inconsistencies make the case complex. The question is: even if Daniel knows the truth, and maybe the truth is that his mother killed his father, will he say it in court and send his mother to jail? Or did Samuel kill himself? ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ is as intimate as a murder mystery can get, and that is where its charm lies. You can watch the film here.
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