My favorite detective movies
Just good movies that contain some cool detective work. They have to be fun to watch and also make you think. Unfortunately it's extremely rare that we can guess along or that the detective work is logical.
I added TV episodes at the bottom because there are just not enough really great detective movies out there just yet and some episodes are great.
I tried to put movies with more interesting detective work higher on the list.
I added TV episodes at the bottom because there are just not enough really great detective movies out there just yet and some episodes are great.
I tried to put movies with more interesting detective work higher on the list.
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- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsEdward FoxTerence AlexanderMichel AuclairIn the aftermath of France allowing Algeria's independence, a group of resentful military veterans hire a professional assassin codenamed "Jackal" to kill President Charles de Gaulle.
- DirectorAlan J. PakulaStarsDustin HoffmanRobert RedfordJack Warden"The Washington Post" reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Richard Nixon's resignation.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsHumphrey BogartLauren BacallJohn RidgelyPrivate detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a wealthy family. Before the complex case is over, he's seen murder, blackmail and what might be love.
- DirectorRobert MooreStarsPeter FalkAlec GuinnessPeter SellersFive famous literary detective characters and their sidekicks are invited to a bizarre mansion to solve an even stranger mystery.
- DirectorAneesh ChagantyStarsJohn ChoDebra MessingJoseph LeeAfter his teenage daughter goes missing, a desperate father tries to find clues on her laptop.
- DirectorTom McCarthyStarsMark RuffaloMichael KeatonRachel McAdamsThe true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsJohnny DeppChristina RicciMiranda RichardsonIchabod Crane is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitations of three people; the culprit is legendary apparition The Headless Horseman.
- DirectorChris GerolmoStarsStephen ReaDonald SutherlandMax von SydowDuring the 1980s, Soviet authorities hunt for a serial killer who picks his victims in railway stations and commuter trains and lures them into the woods.
- DirectorCarl FranklinStarsDenzel WashingtonSanaa LathanEva MendesA Florida police chief must solve a vicious double homicide before he himself falls under suspicion.
- DirectorOriol PauloStarsJose CoronadoHugo SilvaBelén RuedaA detective searches for the body of a femme fatale which has gone missing from a morgue.
- DirectorThom EberhardtStarsMichael CaineBen KingsleyJeffrey JonesA drunken Sherlock Holmes is really just a cover for the real detective, Dr. Watson.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsJack NicholsonFaye DunawayJohn HustonA private detective hired to expose an adulterer in 1930s Los Angeles finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder.
- DirectorChristopher McQuarrieStarsTom CruiseRosamund PikeRichard JenkinsA homicide investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper responsible for a mass shooting.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoKim Sang-kyungKim Roe-haIn a small Korean province in 1986, two detectives struggle with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.
- DirectorTony ScottStarsEddie MurphyJudge ReinholdJürgen ProchnowAxel Foley returns to Beverly Hills to help Taggart and Rosewood investigate Chief Bogomil's near-fatal shooting and the series of "alphabet crimes" associated with it.
- DirectorWarren BeattyStarsWarren BeattyMadonnaAl PacinoThe comic strip detective finds his life vastly complicated when Breathless Mahoney makes advances towards him while he is trying to battle Big Boy Caprice's united mob.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaLee J. CobbMartin BalsamThe jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom CruiseColin FarrellSamantha MortonJohn works with the PreCrime police which stop crimes before they take place, with the help of three 'PreCogs' who can foresee crimes. Events ensue when John finds himself framed for a future murder.
- DirectorGregory HoblitStarsDennis QuaidJim CaviezelShawn DoyleAn accidental cross-time radio link connects father and son across 30 years. The son tries to save his father's life, but then must fix the consequences.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsJake GyllenhaalRobert Downey Jr.Mark RuffaloBetween 1968 and 1983, a San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified individual who terrorizes Northern California with a killing spree.
- DirectorRichard FleischerStarsCharlton HestonEdward G. RobinsonLeigh Taylor-YoungA nightmarish futuristic fantasy about the controlling power of big corporations and an innocent cop who stumbles on the truth.
- DirectorKim Seong-hunStarsLee Sun-kyunCho Jin-woongJeong Man-sikAfter trying to cover up a car accident that left a man dead, a crooked homicide detective is stalked by a mysterious man claiming to have witnessed the event.
- DirectorJohn GuillerminStarsPeter UstinovMia FarrowSimon MacCorkindaleAs Hercule Poirot enjoys a luxurious cruise down the Nile, a newlywed heiress is found murdered on board. Can Poirot identify the killer before the ship reaches the end of its journey?
- DirectorCurtis HansonStarsKevin SpaceyRussell CroweGuy PearceAs corruption grows in 1950s Los Angeles, three policemen - one strait-laced, one brutal, and one sleazy - investigate a series of murders with their own brand of justice.
- DirectorFrank MillerQuentin TarantinoRobert RodriguezStarsMickey RourkeClive OwenBruce WillisAn exploration of the dark and miserable Basin City and three of its residents, all of whom are caught up in violent corruption.
- DirectorStephen HopkinsStarsDanny GloverGary BuseyKevin Peter HallThe Predator returns to Earth, this time to stake a claim on the war-torn streets of a dystopian Los Angeles.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsNicolas CageGary SiniseJohn HeardA shady police detective finds himself in the middle of a murder conspiracy at an important boxing match in an Atlantic City casino.
- DirectorBrett RatnerStarsJackie ChanChris TuckerKen LeungA loyal and dedicated Hong Kong Inspector teams up with a reckless and loudmouthed L.A.P.D. detective to rescue the Chinese Consul's kidnapped daughter, while trying to arrest a dangerous crime lord along the way.
- DirectorDennis DuganStarsMartin LawrenceSteve ZahnColm FeoreTwo mismatched security guards are thrown together to bust a smuggling operation.
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsWoody HarrelsonJames MarsdenRob ReinerA group of journalists of the Knight-Ridder news service covering President George W. Bush's planned invasion of Iraq in 2003 are skeptical of the President's claim that Saddam Hussein has "weapons of mass destruction."
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsBruce WillisJeremy IronsSamuel L. JacksonJohn McClane and a Harlem store owner are targeted by German terrorist Simon in New York City, where he plans to rob the Federal Reserve Building.
- DirectorRian JohnsonStarsDaniel CraigChris EvansAna de ArmasA detective investigates the death of the patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsMorgan FreemanBrad PittKevin SpaceyTwo detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.
- DirectorMichael BayStarsWill SmithMartin LawrenceLisa BoyleTwo hip detectives protect a witness to a murder while investigating a case of stolen heroin from the evidence storage room from their police precinct.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonEthan HawkeScott GlennA rookie cop spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.
- DirectorMartin BrestStarsEddie MurphyJudge ReinholdJohn AshtonA freewheeling Detroit cop pursuing a murder investigation finds himself dealing with the very different culture of Beverly Hills.
- DirectorTom DeyStarsRobert De NiroEddie MurphyRene RussoA spoof of buddy cop movies where two very different cops are forced to team up on a new reality based television cop show, while tracking down the manufacturer and distributor of an illegally made semi-automatic firearm.
- DirectorAndrew DavisStarsHarrison FordTommy Lee JonesSela WardDr. Richard Kimble, unjustly accused of murdering his wife, must find the real killer while being the target of a nationwide manhunt led by a seasoned U.S. Marshal.
- DirectorDavid AyerStarsKeanu ReevesForest WhitakerHugh LaurieAn undercover cop, disillusioned by the death of his wife, is implicated in the murder of an officer and must struggle to clear himself.
- DirectorAndrey KonchalovskiyAlbert MagnoliStarsSylvester StalloneKurt RussellTeri HatcherFramed by their ruthless arch-nemesis, a pair of mismatched LAPD officers must put their differences aside to get even with the brutal crime baron who sent them to rot in a maximum-security prison.
- DirectorJohn Lee HancockStarsKevin CostnerWoody HarrelsonKathy BatesThe untold true story of the legendary detectives who brought down Bonnie and Clyde.
- DirectorWalter HillStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerJim BelushiPeter BoyleA tough Russian policeman is forced to partner up with a cocky Chicago police detective when he is sent to Chicago to apprehend a Georgian drug lord who killed his partner and fled the country.
- DirectorAlex ProyasStarsWill SmithBridget MoynahanBruce GreenwoodIn 2035, a technophobic cop investigates a crime that may have been perpetrated by a robot, which leads to a larger threat to humanity.
- DirectorNorman JewisonStarsSidney PoitierRod SteigerWarren OatesA black Philadelphia police detective is mistakenly suspected of a local murder while passing through a racially hostile Mississippi town, and after being cleared is reluctantly asked by the police chief to investigate the case.
- DirectorJan de BontStarsKeanu ReevesDennis HopperSandra BullockA young police officer must prevent a bomb exploding aboard a city bus by keeping its speed above 50 mph.
- DirectorRon SheltonStarsHarrison FordJosh HartnettIsaiah WashingtonTwo LAPD detectives who moonlight in other fields investigate the murder of an up-and-coming rap group.
- DirectorEvan MorganStarsKaitlyn Chalmers-RizzatoAdam BrodyKaleb HornA once-celebrated kid detective, now 32, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity; until a naive client brings him his first 'adult' case to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsAl PacinoRobin WilliamsHilary SwankTwo Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.
- DirectorJaume Collet-SerraStarsLiam NeesonDiane KrugerJanuary JonesWhen a man awakens from a coma only to discover that someone has taken on his identity, he teams up with a young woman to prove who he is.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsBob HoskinsChristopher LloydJoanna CassidyWhen a cartoon rabbit is accused of murder, he enlists the help of a burnt out private investigator to prove his innocence.
- DirectorJoe CarnahanStarsFrank GrilloMel GibsonNaomi WattsTrapped in a time loop that constantly repeats the day of his murder, a former special forces agent must unlock the mystery behind his untimely demise.
- DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsMichael DouglasSharon StoneGeorge DzundzaA violent police detective investigates a brutal murder that might involve a manipulative and seductive novelist.
- DirectorJames McTeigueStarsJohn CusackAlice EveLuke EvansWhen a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works, a young Baltimore detective joins forces with Poe to stop him from making his stories a reality.
- DirectorBrett RatnerStarsJackie ChanChris TuckerJohn LoneCarter and Lee head to Hong Kong for a vacation, but become embroiled in a counterfeit money scam.
- DirectorJames MangoldStarsJohn CusackRay LiottaAmanda PeetStranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rain storm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they're being killed off one by one.
- StarsPeter KrauseJulianna MarguliesPeter JacobsonA detective investigates a mysterious motel room which acts as a portal to anywhere in the world.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonA serial rapist recently granted parole against Jack's wishes is a suspect in a new rape and murder. Detectives can't get enough evidence to charge him, so Jack orders detectives to trail and harass him.
- DirectorMatthew PennStarsJerry OrbachJesse L. MartinS. Epatha MerkersonA lawyer's murder is related to a case involving a death row inmate's innocence. Former prosecutor Jamie Ross represents the lawyer's accused killer, and she faces an ethical dilemma involving an "anonymous" tip and her attorney-client privilege.
- DirectorSteven RobmanStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonA conservative suburban wife and mother turns out to be a fugitive student radical who was involved in an armored car heist and murder of a police officer 23 years earlier.
- DirectorLewis GouldStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonEvidence suggests that the murder of an elderly philanthropist was part of a conspiracy involving his lawyer and his much-younger trophy wife.
- DirectorDon ScardinoStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonA singer claims Battered Woman Syndrome as an excuse for killing her former employer, whom she claims abused her during her employment.
- DirectorMartha MitchellStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonA mafia hit man who was in the witness protection program turns up dead in Central Park. A mafia boss is implicated, but his defense wants him declared mentally incompetent to stand trial.
- DirectorLewis GouldStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonThe murder of an admissions board member for a prestigious prep school is connected to the expulsion of a subway worker's son. But a false confession and a school cover-up make prosecuting the responsible parties difficult.
- CreatorRob ThomasStarsKristen BellJason DohringEnrico ColantoniAfter her best friend is murdered, and her father is removed as county Sheriff, Veronica Mars dedicates her life to cracking the toughest mysteries in the affluent town of Neptune.
- DirectorJace AlexanderStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonThe death of a former police officer leads Briscoe and Curtis to a pair of suburban moms who work as prostitutes.
- DirectorConstantine MakrisStarsJeremy SistoAnthony AndersonS. Epatha MerkersonThe investigation into the murder of an upstate New York man in Chinatown appears to be cut and dry, until detectives discover a possible cover-up in the case that leads all the way to the governor's office.
- DirectorMatt ShakmanStarsHugh LaurieLisa EdelsteinOmar EppsA cop believes he's genetically doomed to die of heart failure at 40 (next week), so he takes big risks at work, landing him with Cameron. She gets House to look at him.
- DirectorDann FlorekStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonThe investigation into a police officer's death uncovers 30-year-old accusations of molestation by a Catholic priest. Detective Logan takes a personal interest in the case because of his relationships with both parties.
- DirectorArthur W. ForneyStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonLawyers make a deal with a suspected cop killer in order to find a kidnapping victim. However, the DA's office wants to renege on the deal after the victim is found dead, and detectives suspect that he knew the victim was dead all along.
- DirectorMarisol AdlerStarsJeremy SistoAnthony AndersonS. Epatha MerkersonA crime scene technician is killed, and Detective Lupo jeopardizes the investigation when he gets sexually involved with a second victim who later becomes a suspect in the original case.
- DirectorRichard DobbsStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonThe prime suspect in the murder of a college professor is a domineering father who kidnapped his children and disappeared 15 years earlier.
- DirectorConstantine MakrisStarsJerry OrbachBenjamin BrattS. Epatha MerkersonA teenage boy is suspected of starting a fire that killed his younger sister. But his powerful and influential grandfather does everything in his power to make the case go away.
- DirectorArthur W. ForneyStarsJerry OrbachChris NothS. Epatha MerkersonWhen the man who killed and robbed a cabbie turns up dead, detectives uncover a connection between the victim's wife, the killer, and the murder weapon.
- DirectorRene BalcerStarsJeremy SistoAnthony AndersonS. Epatha MerkersonLupo and Bernard believe they are in a race against time to find a student threatening on an Internet blog to blow up a school--only to discover that they are looking for a disgruntled teacher instead.
- CreatorDan PerraultTony YacendaStarsTyler AlvarezGriffin GluckJimmy TatroA true-crime satire that explores the aftermath of a costly high school prank that left twenty-seven faculty cars vandalized with phallic images.