25 Best Movies Like Knives Out

Directed by Rian Johnson, Knives Out creates its own unique world and characters but is influenced by murder mysteries whodunnits that leave a lot of movies like Knives Out that fans can check out next. Knives Out was released in theaters in 2019 and was a huge success, earning 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and making $312 million at the box office, (via Box Office Mojo). Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is a private detective from the American South hired to investigate the death of the patriarch of a wealthy family.

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Knives Out was something of a throwback when it arrived. The movie starred several actors best known for their franchise work (Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, etc.) and put them in a chamber-piece. With an all-star cast, a clever script, and great humor, Knives Out sparked a renewed interest in whodunnits and led to a sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Though it feels like a unique film that plays brilliantly with genre expectations, there are many other great movies like Knives Out that capture a similar feel.

A composite image of Daniel Craig standing on a boat with Edward Norton looking shocked in Glass Onion Related Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery – Cast & Everything We Know About Knives Out 3

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25 The Usual Suspects (1995)

A Gangster Whodunnit Filled With Colorful Characters

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8/10 The Usual Suspects R

Written by Christopher McQuarrie and directed by Bryan Singer, The Usual Suspects is a Mystery film that features Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, and Benicio del Toro. The plot unfolds during an interrogation in which a con man speaks to investigators about what happened, being one of only two men that survived a massacre at the Port of Los Angeles.

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*Availability in US Release Date August 16, 1995 Director Bryan Singer Cast Kevin Spacey , Kevin Pollak , Benicio Del Toro , Gabriel Byrne , stephen baldwin , Chazz Palminteri Runtime 106 minutes
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Knives Out and Glass Onion are both so watchable because they combine a thrilling mystery with a cast of vibrant personalities and unforgettable characters. For a similar, albeit grittier and more realistic, set-up, 1995’s The Usual Suspects more than fits the bill. Directed by Bryan Singer, The Usual Suspects is a whodunit where the victims are all criminals on a boat. The only clue that U.S. Customs Agent Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) has to go on is a name, Keyser Soze, and that a group of five criminals previously arrested as suspects in a truck robbery were somehow involved.

The movie is narrated by Kevin Spacey as Verbal Kint, one of the criminals in the lineup scene that The Usual Suspects is now most known for. Spacey and Palminteri are joined in the cast by the likes of Gabriel Byrne, Stephen Baldwin, Benicio del Toro, and Kevin Pollak. All play characters who wouldn’t feel too out of place in a Rian Johnson Knives Out movie if a future sequel involved gangsters, and the many twists in the plot of The Usual Suspects more than match Benoit Blanc’s cases.

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24 Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

A Murder Mystery Filled With Colorful Characters

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ScreenRant logo 10/10 7.3/10 Who Framed Roger Rabbit PG

Who Framed Roger Rabbit combines live-action and animation to create a world where humans and cartoon characters coexist. Set in 1940s Hollywood, the film follows a private investigator who is contracted to work on the case of a cartoon framed for murder, despite his dislike of cartoons. Bob Hoskins, Charles Fleischer, Christopher Lloyd, and Kathleen Turner all star. 

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*Availability in US Director Robert Zemeckis Cast Amy Irving , Christopher Lloyd , Charles Fleischer , Bob Hoskins , Kathleen Turner Runtime 104 minutes

Most of the movies like Knives Out and Glass Onion are aimed at adult audiences. However, there are a few kids films that have many similarities (and also serve as great entryways into the murder mystery genre and whodunit stories). While 2016’s Zootopia and 2022’s Chip’n Dale: Rescue Rangers are both solid examples of kids movies like Knives Out and Glass Onion, the best is undoubtedly 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Who Framed Roger Rabbit never lets its unique premise get in the way of it being a solid detective story.

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Who Framed Roger Rabbit takes place in a world where real people and cartoons live side-by-side. When cartoons start being murdered, private detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) is hired to investigate. There are plenty of cameos from well-known cartoon characters like Donald and Daffy Duck, but it’s the mystery at the heart of the narrative which cements Who Framed Roger Rabbit as a cult classic. While it’s definitely more lighthearted and whacky in tone, it still stands as one of the best movies like Knives Out.

23 Memento (2001)

A Deep Nonlinear Mystery

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ScreenRant logo 10/10 9.8/10 Memento R

Christopher Nolan’s Memento is a psychological thriller that tells the story of Leonard, a former insurance investigator who suffers from a disease that prevents his brain from storing short-term memories. The one thing he can remember is murder of his wife, for which he wishes to exact revenge. Starring Guy Pearce and Carrie-Anne Moss, the movie was released in 2000 to widespread acclaim, launching the director’s successful Hollywood career.

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*Availability in US Release Date May 25, 2001 Director Christopher Nolan Cast Joe Pantoliano , Guy Pearce , Carrie-Anne Moss , Stephen Tobolowsky , Mark Boone Junior Runtime 113 minutes

2001’s Memento is definitely one of the strangest, and darkest, movies like Glass Onion and Knives Out, though its central mystery is just as satisfying as either of Rian Johnson’s Benoit Blanc films. Directed by Christopher Nolan and considered by many to be his breakout movie, Memento focuses on a man trying to uncover who murdered his wife. The catch is that the man, Leonard (Guy Pearce), suffers from severe amnesia. To compensate, he tattoos information on his body, and wakes up the next day having to trust the advice of his former self from the day before.

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This makes for an intriguing and nailbiting mystery thriller. Nolan’s directional style is also incredibly noteworthy, as Memento is told in a nonlinear fashion – one that makes the final twist reveal at the end all the more satisfying. It’s definitely very different in tone from Knives Out or Glass Onion, so many not cater to every taste among Benoit Blanc’s various fans. However, viewers seeking movies like Rian Johnson’s Benoit Blanc detective stories because they want plenty of shock reveals will find it more than satisfying.

22 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)

A Journalist Investigates A Cold Case Of A Missing Girl

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ScreenRant logo 9/10 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo R

Based on the award-winning novel by Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) as he searches for a woman who has been missing for 40 years. Along the way, he makes an unexpected ally in Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), who is a computer hacker and survivor of a traumatic childhood. The film is directed by David Fincher and won an Oscar in 2012 for Best Achievement in Film Editing.

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*Availability in US Release Date December 21, 2011 Director David Fincher Cast Christopher Plummer , Robin Wright , Stellan Skarsgård , Rooney Mara , Steven Berkoff , Daniel Craig Runtime 158 minutes

Though Daniel Craig’s time as James Bond is done, Knives Out provides a new franchise for him and the actor has already proven his versatility in several different roles. Fans who love seeing him solve crimes as Benoit Blanc and want more movies like Knives Out might also enjoy the English-language adaptation of author Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

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Like in Knives Out, Craig here plays a sort of investigator, a journalist hired by the patriarch (Craig’s Knives Out co-star Plummer) of a wealthy family to solve the murder of his niece decades earlier. This is a much darker mystery story, with none of the comedic color of Knives Out.

David Fincher was supposed to create a sequel following the book series. However, the lackluster box office doomed the franchise’s future and the studio rebooted it instead with a new actress playing star Lisbeth Salander.

21 Mystery Team (2009)

Three Naive Wannabe Detectives Investigate A Murder

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Mystery Team R Where to Watch

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*Availability in US Release Date August 28, 2009 Director Dan Eckman Cast Donald Glover , D.C. Pierson , Dominic Dierkes , Aubrey Plaza , Matt Walsh , Kevin Brown Runtime 105 minutes

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Rian Johnson drew inspiration from Agatha Christie’s novels when making Knives Out. Likewise, Mystery Team is influenced by mysteries like the Hardy Boys but adds an R-rated twist to those more wholesome stories. The movie follows a group of three friends whose childhood obsession with solving neighborhood crimes has made them outcasts in their high school years.

However, the young men find themselves in over their heads when they are hired to solve a murder. Mystery Team is a movie like Knives Out in that, while death is at the heart of each story, the humor is never lost underneath the grim plot. It also provides an early starring role for Donald Glover years before his superstardom. The movie received mixed reviews, but as a feature film debut for a sketch comedy group (Derrick Comedy), it works as a funny film looking at teens trying to solve mysteries.

20 The Brothers Bloom (2008)

Con Artist Brothers Attempt One Last Job

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The Brothers Bloom (2008) PG-13

Two orphaned brothers, skilled con men, embark on their final con, targeting a wealthy heiress. Amidst romance and betrayal, they confront their past and the complexities of their relationship, ultimately facing the consequences of their deceitful lives.

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*Availability in US Release Date September 9, 2008 Director Rian Johnson Cast Rachel Weisz , Adrien Brody , Mark Ruffalo , Rinko Kikuchi , Maximilian Schell , Robbie Coltrane Runtime 114 Minutes
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Before Rian Johnson’s Star Wars fame changed his career, his filmography was closer to movies like Knives Out. The Brothers Bloom is Johnson’s second feature film and stars Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody as a pair of con artist brothers who decide to take on one last daring job.

The movie is another example of how Johnson can pay loving homage to a genre while also playing with the tropes. The result is a wildly fun caper that is elevated by its talented cast of characters. Johnson uses the genre to tell a touching story about brotherhood. The movie was a quirky comedy, very different from his first movie, Brick, but also a more complex story with a larger star cast. The film received mixed to positive reviews, with most of the praise going to the acting and performances by Ruffalo, Brody, and Rachel Weisz.

19 Murder By Death (1976)

A Dinner Party Filled With Detectives Turns Murderous

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Murder by Death PG

Murder by Death is a satirical mystery film directed by Robert Moore. The film features an ensemble cast including Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, and Peter Sellers, who portray famous fictional detectives invited to a mansion for a dinner party. Hosted by a mysterious millionaire, they are challenged to solve a murder that will occur at midnight. The film is a comedic homage to the classic whodunit genre.

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*Availability in US Release Date June 23, 1976 Director Robert Moore Cast Truman Capote , Alec Guinness , Peter Sellers , David Niven , Maggie Smith Runtime 94 Minutes
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Though Knives Out certainly plays around with the murder mystery formula in hilarious and clever ways, it never goes into parody territory. However, for fans looking for movies like Knives Out that are also full-blown comedies, Murder by Death is a terrific option. The movie follows the classic dinner party murder mystery plot, only the guest list is filled with the world’s most famous detectives.

When a mystery does indeed present itself, it is great fun watching these various sleuth archetypes battle each other to solve the case. It’s as if every character in Knives Out spent time studying under Benoit Blanc. The big difference is there are many more smart detectives here, rather than one solving the crime. The cast was also top-notch, just as it was with Knives Out, with Peter Sellers, David Niven, Maggie Smith, and Peter Falk all starring in the movie.

18 Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Guy Ritchie’s Blockbuster Take On Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sleuth

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ScreenRant logo 9/10 Sherlock Holmes PG-13

Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes adapts the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with an all-star Hollywood cast. Set in 1890, Sherlock Holmes follows the eccentric but brilliant detective Sherlock (Robert Downey Jr.) and his partner Watson (Jude Law) as they solve various mysteries around Victorian London. Teaming up with former adversary Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), the detectives find themselves pitted against the villainous Lord Henry Blackwood (Mark Strong) as he attempts to gain control of Britain.

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*Availability in US Release Date December 25, 2009 Director Guy Ritchie Cast Mark Strong , Eddie Marsan , Robert Downey Jr. , Rachel McAdams , Jude Law Runtime 128 minutes
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With the success of Knives Out and its celebrated sequel, Benoit Blanc has entered the conversation as one of the greatest fictional detectives of all time. However, it is hard for any character to beat Sherlock Holmes in that category. While there are a number of detective movies like Knives Out, few star the literary icon himself, and the character was given the big-budget treatment in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes.

It is a stylish period movie with some compelling mystery elements thrown in. Sherlock Holmes is more action-packed than Knives Out but the way each detective systematically pieces together clues in satisfying, flash-back sequences is very similar. Robert Downey Jr’s Sherlock Holmes is a fitting entry into the character’s legacy and the friendship between Holmes and Watson is a highlight of the movie. The movie also had a sequel two years later — Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

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17 The Nice Guys (2016)

A Detective And An Enforcer Team To Solve A Missing Person’s Case

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ScreenRant logo 7/10 The Nice Guys R

Directed by Shane Black and starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, The Nice Guys tells the story of a private investigator and a hired enforcer who team up to investigate the disappearance of a young woman. Set in 1970s Los Angeles, the 2016 comedy thriller puts a modern spin on the noir genre.

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*Availability in US Release Date May 20, 2016 Director Shane Black Cast Ryan Gosling , Ty Simpkins , Rachele Brooke Smith , Russell Crowe , Yaya DaCosta , Margaret Qualley , Kim Basinger , Keith David , Matt Bomer , Yvonne Zima Runtime 116minutes

Movies like Knives Out benefit from a director like Rian Johnson who can create a film that fits into the murder mystery genre and still toy with the conventions of the genre in unexpected ways. The Nice Guys from Shane Black achieves a similar trick. The film stars Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as two low-life private eyes who team together to solve a missing-person case. Black’s passion for the hard-boiled detective genre allows him to play with the rules of those kinds of films.

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In The Nice Guys, as in Knives Out, the stakes are high, but the story has a whimsical and appropriately goofy tone. This is one of the closest films in tone to Knives Out, and the chemistry between Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling compares well to characters in past Shane Black movies, such as Riggs and Murtaugh in Lethal Weapon.

16 The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

A Deadbeat Dad Lies To Reunite With His Dysfunctional Family

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The Royal Tenenbaums

One of the best aspects of Knives Out is the dysfunctional family at the center. The Thrombeys in Johnson’s film are a family of wealthy and intelligent people who immediately show their true, ugly colors when they don’t get what they want. Though there is no murder mystery at the center of Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums, the titular family feels very similar to the Thrombeys. The disconnect from the real world is one of the closest comparisons to the two film families.

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The Tenenbaums are also a group of talented and wealthy people who are unable to function together in a healthy way. In both movies, the actions of the family patriarch directly result in the inability of their families to connect to each other. It makes for one of Wes Anderson’s best movies and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay.

15 Sleuth (1972)

A Mystery Novelist Faces Off With His Wife’s Lover

Sleuth (1972) - Poster - Laurence Olivier, Michael Caine

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Sleuth PG

Sleuth is a mystery thriller directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, featuring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. The plot revolves around a wealthy author who invites his wife’s lover to his mansion for an inventive game that spirals into a dangerous contest of wits and deception. Based on the play by Anthony Shaffer, Sleuth explores themes of rivalry, betrayal, and intricate mind games between its two central characters.

Release Date December 10, 1972 Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz Cast Laurence Olivier , Michael Caine , Alec Cawthorne , John Matthews , Eve Channing , Teddy Martin

While there are several movies like Knives Out, some specific films directly inspired the story. Johnson has talked about a number of these inspirations, including Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s mystery film, Sleuth. The 1972 film stars Laurence Olivier as a famous author of detective novels who invites his wife’s lover (Michael Caine) to his home where the two men engage in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse.

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There are even some Easter eggs in Knives Out that are direct references to Sleuth. When Blanc first shows up for the case, he mentions he had just finished solving a case about a tennis player. This directly references Sleuth, which starts with the mystery writer explaining he is writing a book about a murder involving a tennis court. Both Olivier and Caine received Oscar nominations for their performances as did Mankiewicz for directing this movie, which sits at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.

14 Deathtrap (1982)

A Failed Playwright Plots To Murder A Rival

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Deathtrap PG

Deathtrap is a mystery thriller directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve. Released in 1982, the film follows a formerly successful playwright who hatches a plot to steal a brilliant new script from an emerging writer. The narrative unfolds with elaborate twists and turns, maintaining an atmosphere of suspense throughout. Based on Ira Levin’s play, the film explores themes of deception, ambition, and morality within the theater world.

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*Availability in US Release Date March 19, 1982 Director Sidney Lumet Cast Michael Caine , Christopher Reeve , Dyan Cannon , Irene Worth , Henry Jones Runtime 116 Minutes

Artists are always interesting characters in a murder mystery. Deathtrap is a 1982 film directed by Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men) and stars Michael Caine as a struggling playwright who plots to murder a more talented up-and-coming writer (Christopher Reeves) and steal his work. The movie is another clever and unique take on the genre. It was often compared strongly to Sleuth, which also starred Caine.

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Movies like Knives Out and Deathtrap succeed because of the darkly funny tone that can elicit chills and laughs from the audience. Jealous feelings permeate both films and are inevitably what ends up being the core motive behind the murder (or attempted murder). This movie, also like Knives Out, includes not just one shocking twist, but in this case, several that lead to a great ending that almost no one could see coming.

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13 Ready Or Not (2019)

A New Bride Must Hide From Her Murderous In-Laws

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ScreenRant logo 8/10 Ready or Not R

In Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s 2019 black comedy Ready Or Not, newlywed bride Grace Le Domas participates in a violent game of hide-and-seek with her fiancé’s family, who attempt to kill her during her wedding night as part of a long-standing ritual. The film stars Samara Weaving as Grace, Mark O’Brien as Grace’s husband Alex, Adam Brody as Alex’s brother Daniel, Andie MacDowell as their mother Becky, and Henry Czerny, Melanie Scrofano, Kristian Bruun, and Elyse Levesque as other members of the murderous family.

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*Availability in US Release Date August 21, 2019 Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin , Tyler Gillett Cast Nat Faxon , Kate Ziegler , Elyse Levesque , Chase Churchill , Elana Dunkelman , Andie MacDowell , Liam MacDonald , Mark O’Brien , Nicky Guadagni , Adam Brody​ , Henry Czerny , Ethan Tavares , Kristian Bruun , Melanie Scrofano , Samara Weaving , Etienne Kellici , John Ralston Runtime 95 minutes Expand

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Knives Out manages to be a hugely entertaining murder mystery while also making interesting commentary about privilege. That was a theme shared by a lot of 2019 films, including the horror-comedy Ready or Not. Horror movie star Samara Weaving broke out as a young woman marrying into a wealthy board game magnate family. However, on her wedding night, she finds herself in a deadly game of hide-and-seek.

It is a wild, hilarious, and bloody romp and Weaving has a similar role to Ana de Armas as the strong-willed outsider who fights her way out of danger. There are differences between the two movies, as Knives Out is a classic detective story whodunnit, while Ready or Not is more action-packed and has the tropes of a horror movie more than a mystery. As such, the Saturn Awards nominated it for Best Horror Film.

12 Brick (2005)

A Noir Mystery Set In High School

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Brick R

A high school loner delves into his town’s underworld to uncover the truth behind his ex-girlfriend’s disappearance. As he navigates a web of deceit, drugs, and violence, he confronts a cast of enigmatic characters, leading to a gripping and intense showdown.

Release Date April 14, 2006 Director Rian Johnson Runtime 110 minutes

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Rian Johnson’s feature directorial debut was an underrated mystery noir called Brick. The movie stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a high school student investigating the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend. Though it is set in a modern high school setting, the movie is presented as an old-school detective film. Like all good movies of the genre, the central mystery keeps viewers guessing throughout.

There are kernels of the style that would take center stage later in Knives Out peppered throughout Brick. The movie is an acquired taste, as every character in the film (all high school students) talks in a slang language that might appear in old-school detective Noirs by authors like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. However, even with the dialect, Joseph Gordon-Levitt turns in a magnificent performance in the lead role. The film won the Special Jury Prize at Sundance and is now considered a cult classic.

11 Scream (1996)

A Whodunnit Teen Slasher

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Scream R

Wes Craven flips the horror-slasher genre on its head with the 1996 release of Scream, the first in the long-running franchise. The residents of Woodsboro discover a series of murders are being committed by a dangerous ghost mask-wearing killer with an obsession for classic horror movies. To survive, a group of high school students, a reporter, and a town deputy will have to subvert horror expectations and stay one step ahead of the killer.

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*Availability in US Release Date December 20, 1996 Director Wes Craven Cast Drew Barrymore , Kevin Patrick Walls , David Booth , Carla Hatley , Neve Campbell , Skeet Ulrich Runtime 111 minutes
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Movies like Knives Out are similar to slasher movies in how both use the whodunnit mystery in their stories. Scream follows a group of teens who are stalked by the murderous killer Ghostface. This sounds like standard slasher fare, but the film brilliantly uses horror tropes to its advantage, as Scream is a self-aware slasher movie full of characters who know all the clichés.

Scream does a great job of playing with those expectations to keep the audience guessing until the identity of Ghostface is revealed. The movie is mostly a refurbishing of the slasher genre, which had gone out of style heading into the 1990s. However, with A Nightmare on Elm Street director Wes Craven directing the movie, he was able to take what made his old slasher formula so popular and infuse it with something new that created the more modern-day self-referential horror movies. That is a trait that also exists in Knives Out.

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10 Bad Times At The El Royale (2018)

Various Characters With Mysterious Backgrounds Converge At A Roadside Motel

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ScreenRant logo 8/10 Bad Times at the El Royale R

Drew Goddard’s Bad Times at the El Royale is a noir thriller film that follows an ensemble cast of six strangers who all find themselves spending the night at a border hotel known as the El Royale – each harboring a dark secret that will unfold to the viewers and each other as the night progresses. As the strangers’ stories begin to intersect, the Lake Tahoe Hotel’s own dark secrets will make their efforts to bury the past a bit more complicated than they’d hoped.

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*Availability in US Release Date October 4, 2018 Director Drew Goddard Cast Nick Offerman , Cailee Spaeny , Jeff Bridges , Cynthia Erivo , Jon Hamm , Dakota Johnson , Lewis Pullman , Chris Hemsworth Runtime 142 Minutes

Part of the great fun of movies like Knives Out is seeing an ensemble of A-list actors sharing the screen and playing characters with their individual secrets and quirks. Another movie with a similar setup is Bad Times at the El Royale. The movie stars Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, and Cynthia Erivo as strangers who converge at the titular motel. It also has a head-turning performance by Chris Hemsworth, who shows up and presents a new danger to the motel residents.

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The movie slowly reveals what each of the characters is hiding and how their own journeys collide with one another. Bad Times at the El Royale and Knives Out both introduce their ensemble characters as one-dimensional, but it quickly becomes apparent there is more lurking beneath the surface. It is also a great comparison as it shows that everyone has something to hide, even if they are not guilty of the current crime under investigation.

9 Identity (2003)

People Trapped At A Motel During A Storm Discover There Is A Killer Among Them

Identity (2003) - Poster

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Identity R

Identity is a psychological thriller directed by James Mangold. The film centers on ten strangers who are stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a torrential rainstorm. As they seek refuge, they discover a common link and must unravel the mystery behind their newfound connection while a series of shocking murders ensue. Starring John Cusack, Ray Liotta, and Amanda Peet, Identity delves into themes of fear and survival.

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*Availability in US Release Date April 25, 2003 Director James Mangold Cast John Cusack , Ray Liotta , Amanda Peet , John Hawkes , Alfred Molina Runtime 90 Minutes

Like Bad Times at the El Royale, Identity also follows a group of strangers who find themselves together at a roadside motel in Nevada. Before long, the guests begin to get picked off one by one as the others try to determine which of them is the killer. This is a clear homage to And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, which Johnson also homages in his Knives Out movies. The movie is a twisty thriller with a great cast including John Cusack, Amanda Peet, and Ray Liotta.

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While the final twist doesn’t have the same feeling of completing a puzzle as it does in Knives Out, the movie maintains an effective, dark, and threatening feeling that keeps viewers hooked. It is also more of a psychological thriller than Knives Out, as the reveal here is less about solving a mystery and more about looking for clues to figure out what is real and what isn’t. It is also a great film to rewatch as it plays out very differently the second time around.

Collage of Marta in front of a bunch of knives in Knives Out Related Knives Out Real Killer & Ending Explained (In Detail)

Knives Out is a twisted web of a murder mystery. We break down the ending, the clues along the way, and who killed Harlan Thrombey.

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8 Green For Danger (1946)

A Death During Surgery Is Investigated As A Murder

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Green For Danger

Green For Danger (1946) directed by Sidney Gilliat is a British mystery film set in a wartime hospital. Starring Alastair Sim as Inspector Cockrill, the film follows the investigation of a series of suspicious deaths among medical staff and patients. With its intricate plot and atmospheric tension, Green For Danger blends elements of dark humor and suspense, offering a compelling narrative within the confines of a hospital setting.

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*Availability in US Release Date December 6, 1946 Director Sidney Gilliat Cast Alastair Sim , Trevor Howard , Sally Gray , Rosamund John , Leo Genn , Megs Jenkins , Moore Marriott , Henry Edwards Runtime 91 minutes

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Green for Danger is an older murder mystery film that stars Alastair Sim as a detective investigating a group of doctors after a death during surgery is ruled as a murder. When the nurse who reveals the death also dies, it is clear a murderer is in the hospital. Much like Craig’s Southern private eye in Knives Out, Sim plays an unusual detective who adds a lot of levity to the murder investigation. The movie slowly reveals layers to its mystery until the final, satisfying reveal that was front and center the whole time.

Green for Danger is based on a novel by author Christianna Brand and the movie is considered one of the best adaptations of a Golden Age mystery novel. The book was also adapted into an episode of Father Brown on BBC television. The film received high critical praise and it even got an early Criterion Collection release when the prestige company still released laserdisc editions.

7 Game Night (2018)

A Murder-Mystery Game Turns Into A Real Crime

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ScreenRant logo 7/10 Game Night R

Written by Mark Perez and directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Starring Jason Bateman, Billy Magnussen, Rachel McAdams, and Sharon Horgan, the 2018 Comedy sees a routine game night turn into a mystery when one of the regular members is kidnapped.

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*Availability in US Release Date February 23, 2018 Director Jonathan Goldstein , John Francis Daley , Billy Magnussen Cast Sharon Horgan , Rachel McAdams , Danny Huston , Kyle Chandler , Chelsea Pereti , Jason Bateman , Lamorne Morris , Jesse Plemons , Kylie Bunbury , Michael C. Hall Runtime 93minutes
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Another movie that manages to bring big laughs even with the threat of death hanging in the air is Game Night. The film stars Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams as a couple who host a game night with friends. However, when their murder mystery turns out to be real, they find themselves in a world of danger. The movie shares a lot in common with the Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion, which also has a murder mystery party turn into a real murder, although Game Night goes a lot further in the game aspects of the story.

Like Knives Out, it is the cast that helps to bring a lot of energy to this clever and hilarious story with fun smaller appearances from the likes of Jeffrey Wright and Michael C. Hall as well as a scene-stealing role from Jesse Plemons. As the stakes continue to rise and things get more ridiculous, the laughs just get bigger. The movie has an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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6 Murder On The Orient Express (2017)

A Star-Studded Agatha Christie Mystery

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ScreenRant logo 6/10 Murder on the Orient Express PG-13

Based on the novel and series by Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express is a mystery-drama film that follows a legendary detective known as Hercule Poirot as he finds himself in the middle of a major mystery. A lavish train ride unfolds into a stylish and suspenseful mystery; the film tells the story of thirteen stranded strangers forced to confront one another amidst rising tensions. in a whodunnit that will force Poirot to race to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again. 

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*Availability in US Release Date November 10, 2017 Director Kenneth Branagh Cast Michael Pena , Michelle Pfeiffer , Penelope Cruz , Daisy Ridley , Kenneth Branagh , Johnny Depp , Leslie Odom Jr. , judi dench , Josh Gad Runtime 114 Minutes

Agatha Christie is an obvious influence on Knives Out by Johnson’s own admission (via Variety). The legendary author has written some of the world’s most famous mystery novels, including Murder on the Orient Express. There are a few film adaptations of Christie’s famous story worth checking out, with Kenneth Branagh’s 2017 remake being the most recent. Branagh plays renowned and eccentric detective Hercule Poirot who investigates the murder of a passenger onboard a luxury train.

The all-star cast, the stirring mystery, and Branagh’s fun performance make for an exciting adventure. His mustachioed turn as the detective is equally bold and flavorful as Craig’s Benoit. While Johnson’s franchise went for more laughs and quirkiness, Branagh went for a more loyal adaptation to Christie’s murder mystery novels. Branagh went on to also adapt Death on the Nile and A Haunting in Venice.

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Hercule Poirot and Knives Out movies Related Knives Out Beating Branagh’s Poirot Movies Proves Audiences Want New & Original Franchises

Knives Out is a fresh, modern take on the whodunit genre, and its pop culture impact compared to the recent Hercule Poirot movies is telling.

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