#1 of 1,634 mystery films Best-rated mystery movie
100 Metascore $37.9M worldwide
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Also near the top: Vertigo (1958, 100 Metascore) and Three Colors: Red (1994, 100 Metascore).
About Rear Window Movie genre
Mystery Movies: Best-Rated, Biggest Hits & New Releases
There are 10,469 mystery films on the site, released from 1910 to 2026, and 1,634 of them are ranked. The best-rated is Rear Window (1954, 100 Metascore) and the biggest box office hit is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) with $1.3B worldwide. The 2010s were the busiest decade with 2,609 releases. Alfred Hitchcock has directed more notable mystery films than anyone else on the site (21).
- mystery films on the site
- 10,469
- ranked by score
- 1,634
- worldwide gross of 2,438 films
- $75.2B
- award wins from 2,223 nominations
- 412
#1 of 1,634
What Is the Best Mystery Movie?
Rear Window (1954) is the best-rated mystery movie on the site with a Metascore of 100 (96/100 on the critics-and-audiences blend that ranks it), ahead of Vertigo (1958) and Three Colors: Red (1994). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).
#1 of 1,634 mystery films Best-rated
The Best-Rated Mystery Movies
The top 12 of 1,634 ranked mystery films. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases). 5 of the top 12 were released in the 1950s.
- 1. Rear Window 100 Metascore (Metascore 100 out of 100)
1954 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 52m
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 96/100 on critics & audiences
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2. Vertigo 100 Metascore (Metascore 100 out of 100)1958 · Mystery, Romance · 2h 8m
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 95/100 on critics & audiences
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3. Three Colors: Red 100 Metascore (Metascore 100 out of 100)1994 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 39m
Dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski No Echo Score: ranked 94/100 on critics & audiences
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3. Citizen Kane 100 Metascore (Metascore 100 out of 100 (19 critic reviews))1941 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 59m
No Echo Score: ranked 94/100 on critics & audiences
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5. North by Northwest 98 Metascore (Metascore 98 out of 100 (16 critic reviews))1959 · Action, Adventure · 2h 16m
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 93/100 on critics & audiences
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5. Rashomon 98 Metascore (Metascore 98 out of 100)1951 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 28m
Dir. Akira Kurosawa No Echo Score: ranked 93/100 on critics & audiences
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7. The Third Man 97 Metascore (Metascore 97 out of 100)1949 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 44m
Dir. Carol Reed No Echo Score: ranked 93/100 on critics & audiences
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7. The Maltese Falcon 97 Metascore (Metascore 97 out of 100)1941 · Mystery, Film-Noir · 1h 40m
No Echo Score: ranked 93/100 on critics & audiences
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9. The Lady Vanishes 98 Metascore (Metascore 98 out of 100)1938 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 36m
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 92/100 on critics & audiences
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10. Double Indemnity 95 Metascore (Metascore 95 out of 100 (18 critic reviews))1944 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 47m
Dir. Billy Wilder No Echo Score: ranked 92/100 on critics & audiences
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11. The Night of the Hunter 97 Metascore (Metascore 97 out of 100)1955 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 32m
Dir. Terry Sanders No Echo Score: ranked 91/100 on critics & audiences
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12. Psycho 97 Metascore (Metascore 97 out of 100)1960 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 49m
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 91/100 on critics & audiences
New releases
The Newest Mystery Movies
Verity (2026), released Oct 2, 2026, is the latest mystery release with a score, box office or a plot summary on the site. 39 mystery films have been released so far in 2026.
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Released: Oct 2, 2026 Verity 2026 · Crime · 59 Echo -
Released: Sep 18, 2026 Bad Apples 2026 · Comedy · 71 Echo -
Released: Sep 9, 2026 Hope 2026 · Action · 58 Echo -
Released: Sep 4, 2026 Chronovisor 2026 · Fantasy · 88 Metascore -
Released: Aug 21, 2026 Insidious: Out of the Further 2026 · Horror · 54 Echo -
Released: Aug 14, 2026 The End of Oak Street 2026 · Action · 73 Echo -
Released: Aug 7, 2026 The Last House 2026 · Action · 50 Echo -
Released: Aug 7, 2026 Super Troopers 3 2026 · Comedy · 37 Metascore -
Released: Jul 31, 2026 The Samurai and the Prisoner 2026 · Drama · 84 Metascore -
Released: Jul 24, 2026 Motor City 2026 · Action · 65 Echo -
Released: Jul 10, 2026 Evil Dead Burn 2026 · Fantasy · 55 Echo -
Released: Jun 24, 2026 In the Hand of Dante 2026 · Crime · 50 Echo
Box office
Which Mystery Movies Earned the Most?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) is the highest-grossing mystery movie with $1.3B worldwide, ahead of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (2010) at $1B. These 10 hits alone hold 13% of all mystery box office on the site. Grosses judged to be data errors are left out.
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Number 1 -
Number 2 -
Number 3
$75.2B earned worldwide by the 2,438 mystery films with a reported gross
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix $1B 2007 · $292.4M domestic
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince $941.1M 2009 · $302.3M domestic
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire $897.5M 2005 · $290.5M domestic
- Inception $839.4M 2010 · $292.6M domestic
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban $808.5M 2004 · $250.1M domestic
- The Batman $772.3M 2022 · $369.3M domestic
- The Da Vinci Code $760M 2006 · $217.5M domestic
Decades
Mystery Movies Through the Decades
The 2010s were the busiest decade with 2,609 mystery films, ahead of the 2020s (1,991). Under each column is the decade's best-rated film, from The Lady Vanishes (1938) to The Secret Agent (2025). Films without a release date are not counted here.
- 30 mystery films from the 1910s 1910sNo ranked film
- 49 mystery films from the 1920s 1920sNo ranked film
- 351 mystery films from the 1930s 1930s The Lady Vanishes 98 Metascore
- 441 mystery films from the 1940s 1940s Citizen Kane 100 Metascore
- 270 mystery films from the 1950s 1950s Rear Window 100 Metascore
- 359 mystery films from the 1960s 1960s Psycho 97 Metascore
- 602 mystery films from the 1970s 1970s
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 91 Metascore - 675 mystery films from the 1980s 1980s
Blow Out 86 Metascore - 694 mystery films from the 1990s 1990s Three Colors: Red 100 Metascore
- 1,382 mystery films from the 2000s 2000s
Werckmeister Harmonies 93 Metascore - 2,609 mystery films from the 2010s 2010s
Pahuna: The Little Visitors 90 Echo - 1,991 mystery films from the 2020s 2020s
The Secret Agent 90 Echo
People
Who Made the Most Mystery Movies?
Alfred Hitchcock has directed 21 notable mystery films, more than anyone else on the site, ahead of Takashi Shimizu (12); Frank Welker leads the cast list with 38 roles. Only notable films count: those with a score, box office, an award nomination or 1,000+ votes.
Directors With the Most Mystery Movies
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Alfred Hitchcock 21 filmsBest: Rear Window (1954) -
Takashi Shimizu 12 filmsBest: Howling Village (2019) -
Dario Argento 12 filmsBest: Deep Red (1976) -
M. Night Shyamalan 11 filmsBest: Unbreakable (2000) - Yasuichiro Yamamoto 9 filmsBest: Detective Conan: The Eleventh Striker (2012)
- Hideo Nakata 9 filmsBest: Chaos (2003)
- Yukihiko Tsutsumi 8 filmsBest: 20th Century Boys 3: Redemption (2009)
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Kiyoshi Kurosawa 8 filmsBest: The Samurai and the Prisoner (2026)
Actors With the Most Mystery Roles
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Frank Welker 38 filmsBest: Scoob! (2020) -
Minami Takayama 27 filmsBest: Lonely Castle in the Mirror (2023) -
Matthew Lillard 26 filmsBest: Wicker Park (2004) -
Kappei Yamaguchi 25 filmsBest: Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback (2025) - Wakana Yamazaki 25 filmsBest: Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback (2025)
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Megumi Hayashibara 24 filmsBest: Paprika (2007) - Kenichi Ogata 24 filmsBest: Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback (2025)
- Wataru Takagi 23 filmsBest: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;Surrection (2019)
Awards
The Most-Awarded Mystery Movies
Gravity (2013) is the most-awarded mystery film with 23 wins from 40 nominations, including wins at the Oscars, the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs. Across every award body on the site, mystery films have won 412 of 2,223 nominations.
| # | Film | Wins | Nominations | Won at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Gravity 2013 · 40 nominations · Won at Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA, Critics' Choice | 23 | 40 |
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| 2 |  Inception 2010 · 41 nominations · Won at Oscars, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, Actor Awards (SAG) | 17 | 41 |
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| 3 |  Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood 2019 · 50 nominations · Won at Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA, Critics' Choice | 15 | 50 |
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| 4 |  L.A. Confidential 1997 · 35 nominations · Won at Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA, Critics' Choice | 10 | 35 |
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| 5 |  In the Heat of the Night 1967 · 19 nominations · Won at Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA | 10 | 19 |
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| 6 |  Hugo 2011 · 39 nominations · Won at Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA, Critics' Choice | 9 | 39 |
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| 7 |  Chinatown 1974 · 30 nominations · Won at Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA | 9 | 30 |
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| 8 |  The Departed 2006 · 27 nominations · Won at Oscars, Golden Globes, Critics' Choice, DGA Awards | 8 | 27 |
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| 9 |  Pan's Labyrinth 2006 · 21 nominations · Won at Oscars, BAFTA, Spirit Awards, Saturn Awards | 8 | 21 |
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| 10 |  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2008 · 44 nominations · Won at Oscars, BAFTA, Saturn Awards | 7 | 44 |
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Languages
Where Do Mystery Movies Come From?
English is the biggest source of mystery films with 5,745 (55%), followed by Japanese (870) and Spanish (417). In all, 35 languages have ten or more mystery films.
French 
Korean 
Italian 
Chinese 
Portuguese 
German 
Hindi 
Swedish 
Russian 
Thai 
Bengali 
Cantonese 
Arabic 
Indonesian 
Turkish 
Persian Genre pairings
Genres Often Paired With Mystery
44% of mystery films are also tagged drama, the most common pairing, followed by thriller (43%) and crime (28%). A film can carry several genres, so the shares overlap.
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44% 4,601 films
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43% 4,526 films
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28% 2,943 films
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27% 2,830 films
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12% 1,300 films
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6.7% 699 films
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6.5% 685 films
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6.3% 664 films
Plot summaries
Mystery Plot Summaries & Endings Explained
3,157 mystery films have a full plot summary and 514 have the ending explained. Below are the best-rated ones not already listed above, led by The Secret Agent (2025) and Sookshmadarshini (2024).
From the blog
Mystery Articles, Reviews & Explainers
179 articles on the blog are tagged mystery; the newest is “The Sheep Detectives (2026) Review & Critic Opinions – Reception, Fan Reactions & Storytelling Analysis” from May 11, 2026.
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May 11, 2026
Explore how critics and fans responded to The Sheep Detectives (2026), examining performance, storytelling, and its place in the emerging mystery‑sheep franchise. This post breaks down reviews, audience reactions, and overall reception.
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April 15, 2026
Outcome (2026) Review, Opinions & Reception: Critics and Fans Analyze Jonah Hill’s Dark Comedy
Explore fan reactions and critic reviews of Outcome (2026), delving into the film’s performance, storytelling, and Jonah Hill’s direction within the dark comedy genre. This post breaks down audience sentiment, critical reception, and the movie’s place in contemporary cinema.
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April 6, 2026
Exit 8 (2026) – Critical Review, Fan Opinions, and Reception Analysis
Explore how critics and fans have responded to Exit 8 (2026), the video‑game‑inspired thriller starring Kazunari Ninomiya. This post breaks down reviewer scores, audience reactions, performance and storytelling strengths, and its place within the Kotake Create franchise.
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April 6, 2026
Explore the spectrum of fan reactions and critic reviews for the 2026 drama Two Prosecutors, examining its powerful performances, gripping storytelling, and its place within the historical thriller genre. This analysis delves into audience reception, critical consensus, and the film’s impact on the legacy of Soviet-era narratives.
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April 4, 2026
Explore the critical reception and fan reactions to Miroirs No. 3 (2026), examining how reviewers assess the film’s performances, storytelling, and its place within contemporary cinema. This post breaks down critic reviews, audience sentiment, and the movie’s impact on the drama genre.
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January 27, 2026
Explore how critics and fans responded to Mercy (2026), examining the film's gripping performance, futuristic storytelling, and its place within the sci-fi legal thriller franchise. This post breaks down reviews, audience reactions, and the overall reception of Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson's latest showdown with an AI judge.
Full list
Browse Every Mystery Movie
Filter all 10,469 mystery films by decade, year, language, box office, plot summaries and after-credits scenes on the full list, which opens with the 1,634 ranked ones, best first. The best-first lists hold ranked films only: the Japanese-language list has 28 of the 870 Japanese mystery films.
- Best mystery movies of the 2010s Ranked films, best first 497
- Best mystery movies of the 2020s Ranked films, best first 442
- Best Japanese-language mystery movies Ranked films, best first 28
- Best Spanish-language mystery movies Ranked films, best first 28
- Biggest mystery box office hits By worldwide gross 2,438
- Every mystery movie, newest first All films with a release date 9,453
- Best mystery movies with a plot summary Ranked films, best first 1,360
- Mystery endings explained Ranked films, best first 399
- Mystery movies with after-credits scenes Ranked films, best first 118
FAQ
Mystery Movies: Questions & Answers
Quick answers about mystery movies from the numbers on this page: Rear Window (1954) is the best-rated, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) is the biggest hit and the 2010s were the busiest decade.
What is the best mystery movie?
Rear Window (1954, 100 Metascore) is the best-rated mystery movie on What's After the Movie, followed by Vertigo (1958, 100 Metascore) and Three Colors: Red (1994, 100 Metascore). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).
See the top 12 What is the highest-grossing mystery movie?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) has earned $1.3B worldwide, the most of any mystery film on the site; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (2010) is second with $1B.
Mystery box office charts How many mystery movies are there?
The site lists 10,469 mystery films. 1,634 of them are ranked, 2,438 have reported box office and 3,157 have a plot summary. A film counts as mystery when mystery is one of its genres.
Browse all mystery movies Which decade made the most mystery movies?
The 2010s, with 2,609 mystery films, ahead of the 2020s (1,991). The decade's best-rated mystery film is Pahuna: The Little Visitors (2019, 90 Echo).
Who has directed the most mystery movies?
Alfred Hitchcock, with 21 notable mystery films; the best-rated of them is Rear Window (1954). Notable films have a score, box office, an award nomination or 1,000+ votes.
Alfred Hitchcock How many mystery movies have an after-credits scene?
138 mystery films on the site have a scene during or after the credits, so it is worth staying seated. Each film page says whether there is one.
Ranked mystery movies with an after-credits scene How are mystery movies ranked?
Films released from 2017 on are ranked by their Echo Score, our 0–100 rating; older films by a blend of their Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings. To be ranked a film must run at least an hour and have a score, box office, an award nomination or enough votes, so shorts and obscure uploads stay out of the lists.