30 Best Crime and Mystery Movies of the 2020s (So Far) You Absolutely Have to See
The 2020s have been a gift for anyone who loves tense cases, twisty plots, and morally messy characters. From sleek whodunits to slow burn noirs, filmmakers are playing with tone and perspective in ways that keep us guessing right up to the last scene. The best part is how varied the ride feels. One minute you are cracking a smile at a clever caper, the next you are holding your breath while a detective follows a thread that might just pull everything apart.
This list rounds up standouts that deliver the goods across style and mood. Some chase the truth through courtrooms and interrogation rooms. Others haunt you with crimes that refuse to stay buried. All thirty are worth your time if you want sharp writing, memorable performances, and stories that actually resolve the mystery while leaving you with something to chew on.
‘Decision to Leave’ (2022)
This hypnotic romance noir wraps a murder inquiry inside a tender character study. It keeps you leaning in as desire blurs judgment and small clues take on heavy weight.
The film’s mood is dreamy yet precise, with images that plant evidence in your mind. By the time the truth lands, the emotional fallout hits just as hard as the reveal.
‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ (2022)
A sunlit island gathering turns into a layered puzzle that plays fair while poking fun at modern vanity. The mystery is breezy on the surface and razor sharp underneath.
Every character feels like a suspect and a punchline at once. The solution clicks into place with satisfying clarity and a playful wink.
‘The Batman’ (2022)
This brooding detective story leans into street level sleuthing and shadowy clues. It treats a familiar hero like a gumshoe sifting through rot and secrets.
The case builds with moody atmosphere and grounded action. Payoff arrives through legwork, pattern spotting, and a sense that corruption has roots in every corner.
‘Anatomy of a Fall’ (2023)
A death at a mountain home sets off a riveting courtroom inquiry that questions every assumption. The film turns language, memory, and motive into evidence you can feel.
It refuses simple answers while guiding you through a meticulous case. In the end you are weighing truth against interpretation and both feel equally possible.
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ (2023)
A community faces a chilling series of crimes that expose greed in plain sight. The storytelling is expansive yet intimate, letting every choice carry moral weight.
The investigation unfolds with patient detail and heartbreaking clarity. It shows how a mystery can be solved while a larger injustice still lingers.
‘The Killer’ (2023)
A methodical professional finds order slipping during a spiraling manhunt. The perspective is cool and precise, turning routine into tension.
Clues come from habits and mistakes rather than flashy reveals. The result is a stark crime tale that rewards close attention to behavior.
‘No Sudden Move’ (2021)
A small time job spins into a citywide conspiracy that keeps double crossing itself. The pleasure comes from watching smart crooks read a room and still get blindsided.
The mystery is built on documents, leverage, and shifting alliances. Every new piece changes the rules you thought you understood.
‘The Dry’ (2020)
A hometown return dredges up an old case tied to a new tragedy. The film’s dusty calm hides simmering grudges and buried facts.
Clue by clue, lies peel away to reveal a truth shaped by place and memory. The resolution feels earned because every conversation matters.
‘The Kid Detective’ (2020)
A former child sleuth faces a grown up case that forces him to confront stalled potential. The tone is bittersweet and sly without losing empathy.
The investigation is clever and surprisingly tough. When answers arrive, they land with a sting that reframes every earlier joke.
‘Promising Young Woman’ (2020)
A woman runs a personal mission that challenges the way people talk about harm and accountability. The candy colored surface only sharpens the point.
It moves like a thriller where the clues are social habits and excuses. The finale is bold and forces a reckoning you will not shake off quickly.
‘Emily the Criminal’ (2022)
A gig worker steps into a card fraud scheme and finds she has a talent for risk. The tension builds from everyday need turning into organized hustle.
The crimes are small at first and then feel huge once pressure mounts. The mystery is less about who did it and more about how far someone will go.
‘The Outfit’ (2022)
A quiet tailor shop becomes a chessboard for crooks with twitchy trigger fingers. The setting is contained and the plotting is elegant.
The film works like a locked room puzzle where every tool has a second use. You can track the plan as it forms and still be surprised by the finish.
‘See How They Run’ (2022)
A backstage whodunit has fun with theater lore while laying real clues. The jokes never undercut the craft of the investigation.
Suspects pop with personality and motive. The solution rewards viewers who notice throwaway lines and props.
‘Kimi’ (2022)
A tech worker hears something wrong in a routine recording and pushes past corporate silence. The thriller energy comes from ordinary tools used with nerve.
The case unspools through data trails and practical detective work. Momentum builds to a payback that feels both modern and old school.
‘The Good Nurse’ (2022)
A hospital caregiver starts to suspect a colleague whose kindness hides something colder. The film treats procedure and paperwork like pieces of a dangerous puzzle.
It is a quiet story that keeps tightening the screws. When proof arrives, the emotional cost is just as intense as the legal one.
‘A Haunting in Venice’ (2023)
A sleuth takes on a séance that seems to defy reason. The fun sits in watching superstition give way to observation.
Clues are tucked into rooms, reflections, and timing. The last stretch ties strands together with neat logic and a touch of melancholy.
‘Reptile’ (2023)
A detective wades through a suburban case where every lead looks clean until it is not. The mood is steady and unsettling.
The film keeps resetting your sense of who to trust. The final picture forms out of small contradictions that start to align.
‘Missing’ (2023)
A daughter turns her laptop into a command center when her mother disappears. The format makes online breadcrumbs feel like physical clues.
It moves with real urgency as screens within screens reveal trails you might overlook. The ending clicks because the film teaches you how to read its interface.
‘Sharper’ (2023)
A sleek con story layers grifts inside relationships. Each chapter turns the previous one on its head without breaking the rules.
Watching characters test one another becomes the mystery in itself. The last reveal lands like a quiet card placed just right.
‘Wrath of Man’ (2021)
A driver with a hidden past tracks the people who crossed him. The plot unfolds in clean chapters that snap together.
Information arrives when it matters most, not before. By the time the motive is clear, the plan is already in motion.
‘The Little Things’ (2021)
Two investigators chase a suspect who seems to soak up attention. The film leans into the idea that obsession can be its own trap.
Clues slip just out of reach and that is the point. You leave thinking about the cost of needing certainty.
‘I Care a Lot’ (2020)
A guardian who games the system meets a target with dangerous connections. The satire cuts deep while the con beats keep ticking.
The fun is in watching predators circle and misjudge one another. Every new move changes who is actually holding power.
‘Bad Education’ (2020)
A school district scandal unfolds with the patience of a true procedural. The details are juicy yet the tone stays focused and humane.
The investigation grows from small checks to a full picture of fraud. The final steps make sense because the groundwork is so clear.
‘The Invisible Man’ (2020)
An abuse survivor fights to prove a threat that people cannot see. The film turns gaslighting into a literal menace.
Set pieces double as evidence gathering. When the truth surfaces, it feels both cathartic and chilling.
‘Nightmare Alley’ (2021)
A grifter rises through carnival tricks and big city rooms. The story treats lies as crafts that demand practice.
Every con is a mirror for character. The end feels inevitable once you trace the choices step by step.
‘All the Old Knives’ (2022)
Two former lovers meet over dinner to revisit a botched operation. The mystery plays out through talk that cuts deeper than action.
Flashbacks fill in gaps you did not know were there. The last turn redefines loyalty in a single breath.
‘Hit Man’ (2024)
A mild mannered contractor builds a fake persona for undercover work and then meets someone who changes the plan. The tone shifts from playful to tense without losing charm.
Identity becomes the puzzle and attraction becomes the risk. You are guessing outcomes while rooting for a clean escape.
‘Love Lies Bleeding’ (2024)
A romance collides with crime in a small town where bad choices pile up fast. The story moves with sweaty intensity and real stakes.
Every decision tightens the trap. By the end the fallout feels both shocking and exactly right for these characters.
‘Longlegs’ (2024)
An investigator follows a serial case that seems to touch something uncanny. The film lets dread do the heavy lifting while clues creep in at the edges.
It is a mystery built on pattern and suggestion. The payoff sticks because the groundwork is all there if you look.
‘The Bikeriders’ (2024)
A close look at a motorcycle club turns into a study of loyalty and crime. The narrative frames a scene with warmth and then reveals the fracture lines.
The mystery lies in how power shifts within a tight group. By the end the truth feels like a memory you almost forgot.
Share your own favorite crime and mystery picks from the decade so far in the comments.