9 detective movies worth investigating

By encouraging us to scan for clues, unlock puzzles, grapple with setbacks and celebrate eureka moments, detective movies immerse us in a thrilling game of cat and mouse.

Next time you’re looking for an action-packed mystery to stream, take your pick from one of these.

Millie Bobby Brown was born to play Enola Holmes, charming and plucky sister to her estranged brother,Sherlock. Just as sharp-witted with her deductions, she has the edge on her famous brother in her first adventure. This entertaining yarn puts a fresh spin on the famed detective, whose sister and mother get the spotlight for a change.

Enola Holmes is as charming, entertaining and sleek as Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. Yet, it’s so much more, packing the political intrigue and weight of the drama Suffragette in a rip-roaring adventure to match Paddington for its quaint and understated elegance. Oh and it also features Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin and Helena Bonham Carter!

IMDB rating: 6.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 92%

Ryan Reynolds is one of the most charming, handsome and bushy-tailed actors in Hollywood. In Detective Pikachu, he transfers his essence and expressions into one Detective Pikachu, the titular star of this family mystery adventure. Based on the video game, the film revolves around Tim and his newfound buddy Pika who join forces and travel to Ryme City to find out what happened to Tim’s father, Harry.

Imaginative Pokemon fun, bubbly charm, chirpy comedy and eye-popping visuals drive this part live-action, part-CGI detective story. Blending elements from Pokemon into a dazzling buddy movie, it’s good enough to appeal to fans and entertain newbies.

IMDB rating: 6.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 68%

David Fincher’s murky detective thriller, Seven, is still one of the best, demonstrating his ability years before Fight Club and Gone Girl. The story follows a New York detective and his partner who are on the trail of a notorious serial killer who’s using the seven deadly sins as his inspiration when it comes to a spate of grisly murders.

Morgan Freeman’s no-frills approach is underscored by Brad Pitt’s eagerness to impress as the two muster the emotional energy to unlock the killer’s dark, twisted and blood-spattered clues. Featuring one of the greatest twists in cinema history, Seven is a grimy, claustrophobic, dizzying and influential psychological thriller.

IMDB rating: 8.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 82%

Morgan Freeman’s career-defining role in Seven set him up for Kiss the Girls and Along Came A Spider. With the world’s fascination with grotesque serial killers like Hannibal Lecter, it was inevitable that we’d see him back on the hunt. His cool-headed sensibility and seen-it-all facial features make him perfect as the tenacious yet clear-eyed forensic detective and psychologist Alex Cross.

Adding gravitas to this sequel, Freeman plays alongside Monica Potter in an adaptation of James Patterson’s novel. Commanding the audience’s respect and operating from his wheelhouse, he’s able to turn this intricate procedural investigation into an earnest and deeply human journey.

IMDB rating: 6.4/10

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 32%

Ron Stallworth’s undercover investigation takes every last crumb of the cake. The intrepid detective managed to infiltrate and expose a division of the Ku Klux Klan. While this would be a daring feat for any investigator, his being African-American just makes his accomplishment even more incredible. Based on Stallworth’s memoir, Spike Lee’s biographical crime drama captures the spirit of the times through political intrigue, situational comedy and great suspense.

Leveraging terrific performances from John David Washington, Adam Driver and Topher Grace, this detective story is every bit as entertaining as it is unbelievable. Blackkklansman makes a timely commentary, offering incisive political discourse that’s every bit as relevant today.

IMDB rating: 7.5/10

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 96%

Jeremy Renner is much more than Hawkeye. While the dependable actor is best known for his role in Marvel’s The Avengers, he’s been nominated for two Oscars. Demonstrating he’s not just eagle-eyed with an arrow, he plays a hardy tracker opposite an FBI investigator in Taylor Sheridan’s snowy murder mystery thriller.

Starring alongside Elizabeth Olsen, or Scarlet Witch, the two deliver fine performances to underwrite this gripping and icy character-driven mystery. Wind River is composed of carefully calibrated bursts of action interwoven into a smart screenplay, delivering blistering entertainment and creating awareness about the plight of indigenous native American women.

IMDB rating: 7.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 88%

Alfred Hitchcock is the master of suspense and few films come close to his masterpiece, Vertigo. This slow-burning film noir mystery drama and psychological thriller stars Jimmy Stewart as a former police detective. Having quit the force due to his disorientating fear of heights, he’s hired as a private dick by a man who’s concerned about his wife’s strange behaviour.

Hitchcock unfurls his mesmerisingly beautiful and thoughtful film as if untethering a dinghy for it to drift out to sea. Swathing us in its haunting mystery, it’s one of those transcendent and timeless films that grows on you. It’s no wonder it’s been voted as the best film of all-time on several occasions.

IMDB rating: 8.3/10

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%

Spike Lee, Brian Grazer, Denzel Washington and Clive Owen are the pillars of Inside Man, a slick and smart hostage heist thriller with a big twist. A bank robber and detective try to outwit one another as another high stakes “chess game” takes place between Jodie Foster and Christopher Plummer.

Bank robberies make classic film narratives and just when you thought you’d seen it all, Lee drops a joint to make you think again. Inside Man’s storytelling is ingenious, taking a typical bank job scenario and changing the rules. Having spent five years developing the premise, screenwriter Russell Gerwitz is the film’s unsung hero.

IMDB rating: 7.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 86%

Before Hugo Weaving played Agent Smith and interrogated “Mr Anderson” in The Matrix, he was the one in the hot seat. In a brilliant showcase for Weaving and his unmistakable face comes the 1998 movie The Interview. This Australian cat-and-mouse detective drama thriller throws audiences in the deep end following the forceful arrest of a suspected car thief.

Protesting his innocence, Weaving becomes the target of a vicious police inquiry as a ruthless detective and his second-in-command clumsily extract a confession. A see-sawing battle of wits in the hunt for the elusive truth, The Interview’s haunting soundtrack and tense drama will keep you guessing… and then some!

IMDB rating: 7.1/10

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 100%

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Top Five (2014)

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