84 Best Mystery Movies to WatchBest TV-MA Movies to Watch (Page 3)

This six-part BBC crime drama is about two detectives who try to solve cold murder cases. In the first season, they try to solve the murder of a young man from the 70s who left a diary full of seemingly unconnected names.

Like most BBC mysteries, it’s grounded, believable, and consistent. Still, the second and third seasons of Unforgotten are better than the first, offering a reward for sticking with the show.

Genre: Mystery

Actor: Chris Lang, Jordan Long, Lewis Reeves, Nicola Walker, Peter Egan, Sanjeev Bhaskar

Rating: TV-MA

This creepy miniseries stars Jason Bateman, Bill Camp, and Ben Mendelsohn. Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, it follows an investigation into the horrific murder of a child where all evidence leads to the local baseball coach, Terry Maitland (Bateman). However, Terry's demeanor and his shock when the police come to arrest him raise questions about whether he actually committed the crime. It's a grim and slow-burning story with immaculate acting although it suffers from the thing it aspires the most to: the (not entirely satisfying) book. Created by The Wire writer Richard Price.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery

Actor: Ben Mendelsohn, Bill Camp, Cynthia Erivo, Jason Bateman, Jeremy Bobb, Julianne Nicholson, Marc Menchaca, Mare Winningham, Paddy Considine, Yul Vazquez

Rating: TV-MA

The Fall of the House of Usher isn’t an exact one-to-one television adaptation of the titular short story. Instead, the original story from Edgar Allan Poe is used as a frame to introduce a whole Succession-like miniseries, with names and subplots coming from other stories from Poe. Because of this, fans of the author might feel disappointed at the lack of old gothic flair, as the story is set a whole century and a half after, and the tone shifts as the show shifts from character to character. However, Mike Flanagan’s whole ensemble still proves to be entertaining as the Usher family deals with sci-fi mishaps, internal sabotage, and a possible supernatural element haunting the whole brood.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Bruce Greenwood, Carl Lumbly, Carla Gugino, Crystal Balint, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel, Katie Parker, Kyliegh Curran, Mark Hamill, Mary McDonnell, Matt Biedel, Michael Trucco, Rahul Kohli, Ruth Codd, Samantha Sloyan, T'Nia Miller, Willa Fitzgerald, Zach Gilford

Rating: TV-MA

Adapted from Caleb Carr's blockbuster crime novel, The Alienist follows a team of amateur investigators in 1896 New York: Daniel Brühl as Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, the formidable titular “alienist” who studies the psychology of those alienated from society; Luke Evans as John Moore, a newspaper illustrator; and Dakota Fanning as Sara Howard, the first female employee of the New York Police Department. The show’s trio of amateur yet brilliant detectives need to solve crime mysteries involving haunting and gruesome murders, while the dynamic among them is key to the success of their detective work. Compelling characters, dark aesthetics, and an interesting and unconventional plot are some of the characteristics that make The Alienist a fascinating must-watch for crime lovers.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Brian Geraghty, Dakota Fanning, Daniel Brühl, Douglas Smith, Luke Evans, Matt Lintz, Matthew Shear, Q'orianka Kilcher, Robert Wisdom

Director: Jakob Verbruggen

Rating: TV-MA

In Under the Banner of Heaven, Andrew Garfield plays Detective Jeb Pyre, a devout Mormon whose faith is shaken when he takes up a violent case that involves his church. When he discovers the gruesome death of a fellow worshipper and her 15-month-old child, he is driven mad by the choices he needs to make about his faith, his family, and the threat of fundamentalism these two pillars present. Terrifying and compelling, Under the Banner of Heaven is not for the weak-hearted, but it is recommended to anyone up for a good, challenging watch. 

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Adelaide Clemens, Andrew Garfield, Billy Howle, Chloe Pirrie, Christopher Heyerdahl, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Denise Gough, Gil Birmingham, Rory Culkin, Sam Worthington, Sandra Seacat, Seth Numrich, Wyatt Russell

Rating: TV-MA

Succession, whether that be of family assets or of job titles, is always a tricky situation to navigate– often, those choosing a successor would have to check in with the possible choices next in line in order to make sure there are no resentment, otherwise, it could drive the hillside horror present in The Bequeathed. From passive-aggressive co-workers to mourning relatives, Yoon Seo-ha is having a terrible time dealing with the succession situation, both being resented by a superstitious half-brother for the land and resentful of a co-worker who got promoted before her. It’s so easy to suspect potential rivals, especially when murder strikes those around you, but The Bequeathed also recognizes something scarier– the fear of what you could do with that resentment.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Hyun Bong-sik, Kim Hyun-joo, Park Byung-eun, Park Hee-soon, Park Sung-hoon, Ryu Kyung-soo

Director: Min Hong-nam

Rating: TV-MA

From Mike Flanagan, creator of The Haunting anthology, comes Midnight Mass, a miniseries that is just as gory, unsettling, and supernaturally twisted as any Flanagan horror flick. The series follows an ex-convict who returns to his small town just upon the arrival of a mysterious but alluring priest. As inexplicable events start to happen, the townsfolk hang onto the churchman's words, seeking reassurance where they can. 

With lots to say about religious fanaticism and perpetual grief, Midnight Mass is part of a new wave of layered and thoughtful scary stories currently dominating the genre. While its stately and meditative pace can be overbearing sometimes, it never runs out of things to shock and unnerve the soul.

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, History, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Alex Essoe, Annabeth Gish, Annarah Cymone, Crystal Balint, Hamish Linklater, Henry Thomas, Igby Rigney, Kate Siegel, Kristin Lehman, Louis Oliver, Matt Biedel, Michael Trucco, Rahul Abburi, Rahul Kohli, Robert Longstreet, Samantha Sloyan, Zach Gilford

Rating: TV-MA

The first few minutes of The Tourist make it seem like a straight action thriller. It’s cool and gritty, with Jamie Dornan ably playing the role of strong but likable leading man. Then ever so subtly, it shifts its tone into something more playful and wholesome, then shifts back to dangerous territory. The back-and-forth feels jarring at first, almost like we’re seeing the show discover what it should be in real time. But eventually, it settles into a comfortable and confident rhythm, one that’s difficult not to watch. The funny bits are care of silly townie humor and that dry Australian wit, while most of the high-intensity action is thanks to Dornan (though he delivers amusing zingers too, especially when paired with Shalom Brune-Franklin). The Tourist seems designed to reel in broad viewers with different tastes, and it does just that thanks to its strong performances and nicely balanced tone.

Genre: Drama, Mystery

Actor: Conor MacNeill, Danielle Macdonald, Diarmaid Murtagh, Francis Magee, Greg Larsen, Jamie Dornan, Mark McKenna, Nessa Matthews, Olwen Fouéré, Victoria Haralabidou

Rating: TV-MA

These days, pandemic stories can go either of two ways: horribly or profoundly. The realism may be too much to bear, causing so-called pandemic fatigue, or it can compel you to move in the world in kinder, more self-aware ways.

Thankfully, HBO’s overlooked Station Eleven falls under the latter category. Epic, poignant, and lighthearted, the ten-episode miniseries (adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name) is one of the few pandemic-set, post-apocalyptic shows that takes a closer look at the kind and creative ways humans approach survival.

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Science Fiction

Actor: Daniel Zovatto, David Wilmot, Himesh Patel, Lori Petty, Mackenzie Davis, Matilda Lawler, Nabhaan Rizwan, Philippine Velge

Rating: TV-MA