Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "private-investigator"
- Movies or TV
- Genres
- Keywords
- IMDb Rating
- Instant Watch Options
- In Theaters
- Release Year
1. Better Call Saul (2015–2022)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama
The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill in the years leading up to his fateful run-in with Walter White and Jesse Pinkman.
Stars: Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, Patrick Fabian
Votes: 652,533
2. The Gentlemen (2019)
R | 113 min | Action, Crime
An American expat tries to sell off his highly profitable marijuana empire in London, triggering plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.
Director: Guy Ritchie | Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong
Votes: 404,904 | Gross: $36.47M
3. Perry Mason (1957–1966)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The trials of a master criminal defense attorney handling the most difficult cases in support of the innocent.
Stars: Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale, William Hopper, Ray Collins
Votes: 11,942
4. So Help Me Todd (2022–2024)
TV-14 | 43 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A talented P.I. agrees to work as the in-house investigator for his mother, who is reeling from the recent dissolution of her marriage.
Stars: Marcia Gay Harden, Skylar Astin, Madeline Wise, Tristen J. Winger
Votes: 7,380
5. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
R | 180 min | Biography, Comedy, Crime
Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey
Votes: 1,590,296 | Gross: $116.90M
6. Knives Out (2019)
PG-13 | 130 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A detective investigates the death of the patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.
Director: Rian Johnson | Stars: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis
Votes: 776,922 | Gross: $165.36M
7. Glass Onion (2022)
PG-13 | 139 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Tech billionaire Miles Bron invites his friends for a getaway on his private Greek island. When someone turns up dead, Detective Benoit Blanc is put on the case.
Director: Rian Johnson | Stars: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista
Votes: 444,147
8. The Nice Guys (2016)
R | 116 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
In 1970s Los Angeles, a mismatched pair of private eyes investigate a missing girl and the mysterious death of a porn star.
Director: Shane Black | Stars: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer
Votes: 375,606 | Gross: $36.26M
9. Psycho (1960)
R | 109 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin
Votes: 720,502 | Gross: $32.00M
10. C.B. Strike (2017– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
War veteran turned private detective Cormoran Strike solves brutal murders with the help of his trusted partner Robin Ellacott.
Stars: Tom Burke, Holliday Grainger, Kerr Logan, Jack Greenlees
Votes: 24,846
11. Veronica Mars (2004–2019)
TV-14 | 44 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
After 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.
Stars: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Enrico Colantoni, Percy Daggs III
Votes: 78,275
12. A Haunting in Venice (2023)
PG-13 | 103 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
In post-World War II Venice, Poirot, now retired and living in his own exile, reluctantly attends a seance. But when one of the guests is murdered, it is up to the former detective to once again uncover the killer.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey
Votes: 114,117
13. Into the Wild (2007)
R | 148 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.
Director: Sean Penn | Stars: Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, Marcia Gay Harden
Votes: 659,561 | Gross: $18.35M
14. Jack Reacher (2012)
PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
A homicide investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper responsible for a mass shooting.
Director: Christopher McQuarrie | Stars: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog
Votes: 365,858 | Gross: $80.07M
15. Death on the Nile (2022)
PG-13 | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
While on vacation on the Nile, Hercule Poirot must investigate the murder of a young heiress.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Kenneth Branagh, Russell Brand
Votes: 189,704 | Gross: $45.63M
16. Pain & Gain (2013)
R | 129 min | Action, Biography, Comedy
A trio of bodybuilders in Florida get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.
Director: Michael Bay | Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Tony Shalhoub
Votes: 230,097 | Gross: $49.88M
17. Constantine (2005)
R | 121 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
Supernatural exorcist and demonologist John Constantine helps a policewoman prove her sister's death was not a suicide, but something more.
Director: Francis Lawrence | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Djimon Hounsou, Shia LaBeouf
Votes: 375,472 | Gross: $75.98M
18. Magnum, P.I. (1980–1988)
TV-PG | 48 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
The adventures of a Hawaii-based private investigator.
Stars: Tom Selleck, John Hillerman, Roger E. Mosley, Larry Manetti
Votes: 29,040
19. Burn Notice (2007–2013)
TV-PG | 44 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A spy recently disavowed by the U.S. government uses his special ops training to help others in trouble.
Stars: Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell, Sharon Gless
Votes: 79,355
20. Gangs of London (2020– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Tells the story of London being torn apart by the turbulent power struggles of its international gangs and the sudden power vacuum that's created when the head of London's most powerful crime family is assassinated.
Stars: Joe Cole, Sope Dirisu, Michelle Fairley, Lucian Msamati
Votes: 40,479
21. Matlock (1986–1995)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Ben Matlock is a very expensive criminal defense attorney, who charges one hundred thousand dollars to take a case. Fortunately, he's worth every penny, as he and his associates defend his clients by finding the real killer.
Stars: Andy Griffith, Linda Purl, Kene Holiday, Nancy Stafford
Votes: 9,412
22. Magnum P.I. (2018–2024)
TV-14 | 43 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
An ex-Navy SEAL returns from Afghanistan and uses his military skills to become a private investigator in Hawaii.
Stars: Jay Hernandez, Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill
Votes: 17,577
23. Cape Fear (1991)
R | 128 min | Crime, Thriller
A convicted rapist, released from prison after serving a fourteen-year sentence, stalks the family of the lawyer who originally defended him.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis
Votes: 217,528 | Gross: $79.10M
24. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
PG-13 | 128 min | Action, Adventure, Mystery
Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.
Director: Guy Ritchie | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong
Votes: 672,787 | Gross: $209.03M
25. Jessica Jones (2015–2019)
TV-MA | 56 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Following the tragic end of her brief superhero career, Jessica Jones tries to rebuild her life as a private investigator, dealing with cases involving people with remarkable abilities in New York City.
Stars: Krysten Ritter, Rachael Taylor, Eka Darville, Carrie-Anne Moss
Votes: 227,272
26. Chinatown (1974)
R | 130 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A private detective hired to expose an adulterer in 1930s Los Angeles finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Perry Lopez
Votes: 350,839
27. The Rockford Files (1974–1980)
TV-PG | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The cases of an easy-going ex-convict turned private investigator.
Stars: James Garner, Noah Beery Jr., Joe Santos, Luis Delgado
Votes: 10,936
28. The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
R | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A lawyer defending a wealthy man begins to believe his client is guilty of more than just one crime.
Director: Brad Furman | Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy
Votes: 254,435 | Gross: $58.01M
29. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
PG | 104 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
When a cartoon rabbit is accused of murder, he enlists the help of a burnt out private investigator to prove his innocence.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Fleischer
Votes: 217,528 | Gross: $156.45M
30. Secondhand Lions (2003)
PG | 109 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Fourteen-year-old Walter Caldwell's irresponsible mother Mae sends him to live with his bachelor uncles, Hub and Garth, so that she can go on yet another husband-hunting trip.
Director: Tim McCanlies | Stars: Haley Joel Osment, Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, Kyra Sedgwick
Votes: 62,007 | Gross: $41.41M
31. Inherent Vice (2014)
R | 148 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
In 1970, drug-fueled Los Angeles private investigator Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston
Votes: 110,955 | Gross: $8.11M
32. Almost Paradise (2020– )
TV-PG | 45 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A former D.E.A. agent forced into early retirement runs a gift shop in the Philippines.
Stars: Christian Kane, Samantha Richelle, Arthur Acuña, Nonie Buencamino
Votes: 6,763
33. Perry Mason (2020–2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, History
In booming 1932 Los Angeles, a down-and-out defense attorney takes on the case of a lifetime.
Stars: Matthew Rhys, Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Shea Whigham
Votes: 28,872
34. Fracture (2007)
R | 113 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After shooting his wife, Ted confesses his crime and asks the court to move his case to trial. He represents himself against Willy, a successful lawyer. But there's more to the case than meets the eye.
Director: Gregory Hoblit | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn, Rosamund Pike
Votes: 219,487 | Gross: $39.02M
35. Charlie's Angels (1976–1981)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A wealthy mystery man named Charlie runs a detective agency via a speakerphone and his personal assistant, John Bosley. His detectives are three beautiful women, who end up in a variety of difficult situations.
Stars: Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, David Doyle
Votes: 14,440
36. Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators (2018– )
TV-PG | 45 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
An oddball couple of private detectives named Luella Shakespeare and Frank Hathaway investigate crime in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Stars: Mark Benton, Jo Joyner, Patrick Walshe McBride, Tomos Eames
Votes: 6,003
37. Angel Heart (1987)
X | 113 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A private investigator is hired by a man who calls himself Louis Cyphre to track down a singer named Johnny Favorite. But the investigation takes an unexpected and somber turn.
Director: Alan Parker | Stars: Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet, Charlotte Rampling
Votes: 96,109 | Gross: $17.19M
38. 8MM (1999)
R | 123 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A private investigator is hired to discover if a "snuff film" is authentic or not.
Director: Joel Schumacher | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, James Gandolfini, Peter Stormare
Votes: 143,102 | Gross: $36.66M
39. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
PG-13 | 129 min | Action, Adventure, Mystery
Detective Sherlock Holmes is on the trail of criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty, who is carrying out a string of random crimes across Europe.
Director: Guy Ritchie | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris, Rachel McAdams
Votes: 481,603 | Gross: $186.85M
40. The Innocent (2021)
TV-MA | 467 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An accidental killing leads a man down a dark hole of intrigue and murder. Just as he finds love and freedom, one phone call brings back the nightmare.
Stars: Mario Casas, Xavi Sáez, Santi Pons, Aura Garrido
Votes: 37,457
41. The Equalizer (1985–1989)
TV-PG | 48 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A retired Intelligence Agent turned private detective helps various threatened clients to equalize the odds.
Stars: Edward Woodward, Keith Szarabajka, Robert Lansing, Mark Margolis
Votes: 5,958
42. Marlowe (2022)
R | 109 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
In late 1930s Bay City, a brooding, down on his luck detective is hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress.
Director: Neil Jordan | Stars: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, Jessica Lange, Brenda Rawn
Votes: 12,006
43. Murder Mystery 2 (2023)
PG-13 | 90 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Full-time detectives Nick and Audrey are struggling to get their private eye agency off the ground. They find themselves at the center of international abduction when their friend Maharaja is kidnapped at his own lavish wedding.
Director: Jeremy Garelick | Stars: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Mark Strong, Mélanie Laurent
Votes: 69,532
44. Fantasy Island (2020)
PG-13 | 109 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
When the owner and operator of a luxurious island invites a collection of guests to live out their most elaborate fantasies in relative seclusion, chaos quickly descends.
Director: Jeff Wadlow | Stars: Michael Peña, Maggie Q, Lucy Hale, Austin Stowell
Votes: 58,333 | Gross: $27.31M
45. Stillwater (2021)
R | 139 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A father travels from Oklahoma to France to help his estranged daughter, who is in prison for a murder she claims she didn't commit.
Director: Tom McCarthy | Stars: Matt Damon, Camille Cottin, Abigail Breslin, Lilou Siauvaud
Votes: 58,331
46. Whitstable Pearl (2021– )
TV-14 | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Local restaurant owner Pearl Nolan sets up a local detective agency after undergoing police training in an earlier career. She is soon embroiled in her first case when she discovers the body of her close friend Vinnie.
Stars: Howard Charles, Frances Barber, Isobelle Molloy, Sophia Del Pizzo
Votes: 3,498
47. The Last Boy Scout (1991)
R | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A private detective's protected female witness is murdered, prompting him and the victim's boyfriend to investigate the crime that leads to a corrupt politician and a crooked football team owner.
Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans, Chelsea Field, Noble Willingham
Votes: 112,415 | Gross: $59.51M
48. Death Note (I) (2017)
TV-MA | 101 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
A high school student named Light Turner discovers a mysterious notebook that has the power to kill anyone whose name is written within its pages, and launches a secret crusade to rid the world of criminals.
Director: Adam Wingard | Stars: Nat Wolff, LaKeith Stanfield, Margaret Qualley, Shea Whigham
Votes: 90,678
49. Pushing Daisies (2007–2009)
TV-PG | 44 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A pastry chef with the power to bring dead people back to life solves murder mysteries with his resurrected childhood sweetheart, a cynical private investigator, and a lovesick waitress.
Stars: Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Jim Dale
Votes: 59,661
50. Odd Thomas (2013)
PG-13 | 97 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
In a California desert town, a short-order cook with clairvoyant abilities encounters a mysterious man with a link to dark, threatening forces.
Director: Stephen Sommers | Stars: Anton Yelchin, Ashley Sommers, Leonor Varela, Matthew Page
Votes: 57,604