The Best Mystery Movies of All Time
The definitive mystery watchlist, ranked by the people who actually watched them — over 184K ratings sit behind this page. Psycho takes the top spot at 8.4, followed by Se7en and Rear Window. Start at number one and work down; there is no filler in the first twenty.
20 titles · average score 8.1 ·
The top 5 picks
- 1
Psycho (1960)
★ 8.4 · 11,162 ratingsWhen larcenous real estate clerk Marion Crane goes on the lam with a wad of cash and hopes of starting a new life, she ends up at the notorious Bates Motel, where manager Norman Bates cares for his housebound mother.
- 2
Se7en (1995)
★ 8.4 · 23,563 ratingsTwo homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the…
- 3
Rear Window (1954)
★ 8.3 · 7,288 ratingsA wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.
- 4
Oldboy (2003)
★ 8.2 · 10,085 ratingsWith no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.
- 5
The Prestige (2006)
★ 8.2 · 17,944 ratingsA mysterious story of two magicians whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy -- full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences.
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How this list is ranked
Nothing on this page is hand-picked to hit a word count. We pull films matching this list's criteria from TMDB, require a real audience behind each score, and rank by that score — 20 titles averaging 8.1. The page rebuilds daily, so new releases appear here as soon as enough people have rated them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best mystery movie ever made?
By audience score, Psycho (1960) — 8.4 from 11K ratings. Se7en, Rear Window and Oldboy round out the top of the list.
Where should I start with mystery movies?
Start at number one and work down. The first ten on this page are the genre's consensus picks; below that the list gets more varied and is a good place to find something you have not seen.
Is this list updated?
Yes — it rebuilds every day from TMDB, so newly released movies appear as soon as enough people have rated them. You do not need an account to browse it, and there is no paywall on anything at MovieAI.