When nothing goes according to plan, you can still count on a murder mystery movie to have you rooting for justice. Murder is a tried-and-true vantage point of fiction, and the cinematic medium has taken the cult of the corpse to new heights. Most often, a murderer

hides in the unlikeliest people, and their motive for murdering makes the viewers probe into the darkness inherent in human nature. When the dead body comes to the public, often it is a medium for digging out another deep-rooted flaw in society. In its extensive library of movies spread across all genres, HBO Max offers some pretty intriguing films in the genre which stay with the audience long after the mystery has been solved.

10. Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017)

In documentaries, Erin Lee Carr is often known for dealing with the fringes of justice with an impactful voice. Her actual crime documentary movie follows the infamous case of the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard with a drive towards facts and levelheaded judgment. After years of abuse and mistreatment, Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her boyfriend conspired to murder Dee Dee in 2015. While you may be familiar with the case from Hulu’s fictional treatment, ‘The Act,’ the documentary is more nuanced and bolder in dealing with this morally complex case. If you are looking for a complicated murder mystery that is more concerned with the reason behind the murder, here is a film that would fascinate you. You can view it here.

9. Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)

Olivia Newman’s ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ centers on Catherine “Kya” Clark, a solitary young woman known to her townsfolk as the “Marsh girl.” It is because she is self-raised and lives alone in the marshlands of Barkley Cove in North Carolina. When a man she is attracted to is found dead, she becomes the prime suspect, setting off a string of events that reveal her traumatic past, one connected to her hateful father. Is Kya really the killer? Based on Delia Owens’ novel, ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ is a bingeable murder mystery that is underscored by a human’s relationship with nature. The movie stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, and Harris Dickinson. You can watch it here.

8. Beware the Slenderman (2018)

‘Beware the Slenderman,’ directed by Irene Taylor Brodsky, is a chilling murder mystery documentary that delves into the case of two 12-year-old girls who, in 2014, stabbed their friend and cited the fictional internet character Slenderman. It meticulously explores the psyche of the young perpetrators, unraveling the complexities of their actions and, to an extent, the powers of online folklore. The documentary raises thought-provoking questions about mental health, morality, and the impact of the digital age on the minds of the impressionable through interviews, court footage, and expert analysis. Brodsky’s effective storytelling combined with a compelling real-life narrative and insight from the commentary makes ‘Beware the Slenderman’ the perfect gripping and thought-provoking murder mystery that surpasses the crime itself, diving deep into the dark, twisted, and so-engaging world of internet myths in young minds. Stream it here.

7. Citizen X (1995)

Helmed by Chris Gerolmo, ‘Citizen X’ is based on the real-life story of Andrei Chikatilo, aka The Butcher of Rostov, a Soviet serial killer who had sexually assaulted and killed over 50 women and children between 1978 and 1990. In the film, we see low-level police detective Viktor Burakov (Steven Rea) bent on finding Chikatilo (Jeffrey DeMunn), a Communist, but faces obstacles because the Soviet bureaucracy seems to be protecting him. How Burakov, aided by a psychiatrist, tracks down the culprit and brings him to justice is what we see in this critically and commercially acclaimed film. You can stream it here.

6. Kimi (2022)

A masterpiece of a thriller by Steven Soderbergh, ‘Kimi’ follows Angela Childs, a tech worker who works on perfecting the software that runs Kimi, a smart speaker, a new tech invention. Angela also has agoraphobia that keeps her from leaving her house. As a part of her work, she has to listen to all the audio the software captures from the Kimi devices. When one such audio reveals a premeditated murder, she realizes that she has to report it. This means leaving her house and thus risking her agoraphobia. However, she soon realizes that her condition is the least of her worries when her superiors try to prevent her from reporting the crime to the FBI by whatever means necessary. To find out the root of the conspiracy, you can watch ‘Kimi’ right here.

5. Gone Girl (2014)

David Fincher’s ‘Gone Girl’ follows the story of Nick Dunne, played by Ben Affleck, who becomes the target of the media and police when his famous wife Amy, played by Rosamund Pike, mysteriously disappears. As the investigation begins at the hands of Detective Rhonda Boney, several marital issues come forward. There are also clues hidden by Amy for Nick’s birthday, which the latter finds and realizes she knows about a secret he hid from her. As the various dots combine, ‘Gone Girl’ shows shocking details that talk about the dark waters in which the human mind can wade in for personal motivations. The truth about Amy’s disappearance and suspected murder shall set you free. You can watch it here.

4. MaXXXine (2024)

Ti West’s thriller drama ‘MaXXXine’ follows Mia Goth’s Maxine Minx as she tries her luck in Hollywood after having made it big in the porn industry. While she tries to make it through Tinseltown, a serial killer slowly makes his way toward her. Referred to as the Night Stalker by the media, he has been killing people whom Maxine knew. The situation, alongside a mysterious private investigator who is following her too, may well be the biggest bloody obstacle in her path to success. Can she overcome them? Only if she finds out their identity. Stylized and gripping, ‘MaXXXine’ is a fitting sequel to ‘Pearl’ and can be streamed right here.

3. Juror #2 (2024)

Clint Eastwood’s ‘Juror #2’ focuses on Justin Kemp, a juror caught in an awkward situation in the middle of a murder trial. As the trial proceeds and evidence is brought out, Kemp begins to realize that the murderer of the woman on whose murder the trial is being held might just be him and not the accused. What he ultimately does is what we find out in this engrossing legal drama. Will the juror in him do his job, or will his morals take the better of him? Starring Nicholas Hoult as Justin Kemp, ‘Juror #2’ is a tense and gripping drama which will keep you on the edge of your seat as you wait to see how things turn out. It can be watched here.

2. Rashomon (1951)

Akira Kurosawa‎’s masterly way of storytelling made the mystery thriller movie ‘Rashomon’ one of the lasting artifacts in film history. By chronicling the story of the murder of a man and the rape of his wife through four accounts that are very different from each other, the movie investigates the elusive and subjective nature of the truth itself. Either because of its set design or immersive performances, the basically black comedy movie turned out to be influential enough in pop culture to name a phenomenon after it. The Rashomon effect delineates how the brain creates memory due to previous experiences and internal biases. You can stream it here.

1. The Batman

After Christopher Nolan‘s stint with the caped crusader, director Matt Reeves brings his gloomy menace to the iconic comic superhero in ‘The Batman.’ The narrative follows the emergence of a new villain in Gotham City who goes by the name of Riddler. While the killer takes his prey one after another, he leaves a few clues for Robert Pattinson‘s Batman. Gradually, the perpetrator’s plans become apparent to the latter as he makes friends with Catwoman. While stripped down of Nolan’s epic vision, Matt Reeves’ Batman is more of a noir detective. And thus, the value of the superhero movie as a murder mystery may astonish you. You may watch it here. Read More: Best Paranormal Documentaries on Netflix