Everyone loves a good who-dun-it, and 2019’s Knives Out starring Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Christopher Plummer and a slew of other A-list actors and actresses certainly delivered.
Knives Out quickly became a hit in the genre, earning nods as one of the best films released that year. The film follows detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) as he investigates the suspected murder of a famous mystery author and tries to ferret out which member of the deceased’s highly dysfunctional family could be responsible.
Just finished watching Knives Out and can’t wait to cue up another head-scratching murder mystery movie while you wait for the series’ next installment, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, set for release in 2025? Here’s our list of 21 other mystery movies like Knives Out.
And, you can watch most of the movies on this list right on DIRECTV!
Movies like ‘Knives Out’
Whether it’s the clever and charming detective lead, an undercurrent of social critique, or a group stranded in a remote location solving a complex crime, these movies will keep you guessing just like Knives Out.
‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ (2022)
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a natural starting point for watching movies like Knives Out, considering it’s the film’s only direct sequel.
Glass Onion follows Benoit Blanc on a trip to a lavish tropical island with a group of friends after being invited by a tech billionaire. Though Blanc received an invite to the party, the billionaire owner claims he did not send it. Things quickly go off the rails, and another intricate murder mystery ensues.
Similarities to Knives Out: Benoit Blanc as the main character, a complex murder mystery story and an eccentric cast of characters.
Main Cast: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe
‘Murder on the Orient Express’ (2017)
Few writers are as synonymous with the murder mystery genre as Agatha Christie, the British crime author who created famed fictional detectives Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot.
The 2017 film Murder on the Orient Express features the latter of that pair as he becomes trapped on a snowbound train and finds himself thrust into the investigation of a wealthy passenger’s murder.
Similarities to Knives Out: Ensemble cast, intricate mystery and a quirky, charismatic detective.
Main Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe
‘Death on the Nile’ (2022)
Death on the Nile is the second of three modern adaptations of Agatha Christie’s works featuring Detective Poirot’s adventures. This time, the detective is in Egypt attending a wedding and honeymoon when yet another murder investigation ensues. Poirot finds himself navigating a complex web of interpersonal relationships, jealousy and betrayal as he unravels the truth.
Similarities to Knives Out: Opulent setting, layered characters and a detective unraveling interpersonal secrets.
Main Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer
‘A Haunting in Venice’ (2022)
The third film featuring Agatha Christie’s stories, A Haunting in Venice, thrusts our now-familiar detective Poirot into his latest murder investigation, this time when a guest is murdered while he’s attending a seance at a haunted Venetian palazzo. This time, Poirot grapples with the possibility of the supernatural being involved as he hunts for the culprit.
Similarities to Knives Out: Intriguing detective, isolated setting and a blend of suspense with unexpected revelations.
Main Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan
‘Murder Mystery’ (2019)
When a New York police officer and his wife finally get to take the European vacation they’ve always dreamed of, they end up being invited to a family gathering on a billionaire’s yacht. When the host is murdered and they’re pinned as the prime suspects, however, they must solve the crime to clear their names.
This film, starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, takes the murder mystery genre and injects it with a healthy dose of humor.
Similarities to Knives Out: Humorous take on the whodunit genre, with an ordinary couple thrust into a complex murder mystery.
Main Cast: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Luke Evans
‘Game Night’ (2018)
It’s all fun and games until … someone gets kidnapped and murdered? Game Night starts out as exactly that: a game night between friends. But when one of the friends is kidnapped, the rest have to play and solve the game to rescue — while being unaware that they’ve stumbled into a real-life criminal conspiracy!
Similarities to Knives Out: Blends comedy with mystery, featuring an ensemble cast and unexpected twists.
Main Cast: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler
‘Bullet Train’
This movie really puts the “bullet” in “bullet train.” When a notoriously unlucky assassin is reluctantly tasked with boarding a train bound from Tokyo to Kyoto to retrieve a briefcase, he soon discovers he’s not the only contract killer on board — and everyone seems to have a different motive and goal.
Bullet Train is a masterful blend of action-comedy and mystery thriller, with plenty of twists and turns. One watch, and you’ll never view Thomas the Tank Engine the same again.
Similarities to Knives Out: Ensemble cast with intersecting storylines and a plot filled with twists and dark humor.
Main Cast: Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
‘Clue’ (1985)
Was it Colonel Mustard with the lead pipe in the conservatory? Or maybe Professor Plum, with the rope, in the kitchen! Generations know and love the iconic who-dun-it board game Clue, but did you know there’s a theatrical adaptation?
You could almost consider Clue (1985) to be a direct cinematic predecessor to Knives Out: A group of people together in a house, their host murdered, each with a possible motive, and plenty of comedic action. Clue is a true classic in the murder mystery genre.
Similarities to Knives Out: Classic whodunit setup, ensemble cast and a blend of humor with mystery.
Main Cast: Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn
‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (2011)
Based on 2005 Steig Larsson novel of the same name, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo follows disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist and young hacker-detective Lisbeth Salander as they investigate a decades-old disappearance of a wealthy business magnate’s niece.
As their probe progresses, the pair begin to uncover a deep web of corruption and unearth dark secrets from within the businessman’s family.
Similarities to Knives Out: Investigation into a wealthy family’s dark secrets, featuring complex characters and a suspenseful narrative.
Main Cast: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer
‘Sherlock Holmes’ (2009)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced us to one of the most famous fictional sleuths of all time in Sherlock Holmes, and it’s no surprise his iconic character has graced the big screen on a few occasions.
Sherlock Holmes follows the legendary investigator and his trusty sidekick, Dr. John Watson, as they work to uncover the true motive behind the apparent return from the dead of an evil aristocrat, Lord Blackwood, before he can destabilize all of the English society.
Similarities to Knives Out: Brilliant detective protagonist, intricate plotting and a mix of action with mystery.
Main Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams
‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ (2011)
The follow-up to 2009’s Sherlock Holmes, this film pits Holmes and Watson against their most famous — and most dangerous — adversary: Professor Moriarty, Holmes’ only true intellectual equal.
As Moriarity works to embroil Europe in a massive war, Holmes and Watson pursue him in their attempts to foil his plan and avert tragedy.
Similarities to Knives Out: Clever detective work, layered characters and a narrative filled with suspense and unexpected turns.
Main Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace
‘Enola Holmes’ (2020)
If you thought Sherlock was the end of the Holmes’ on this list, think again: Sherlock’s little sister, Enola Holmes, is just as quick-witted and clever, and she has a few films of her own!
Enola sets out to find her long-missing mother when Sherlock and their other sibling, Mycroft Holmes, plot to send her off to boarding school, only to become wrapped up in a much larger conspiracy that only a Holmes could unravel.
This movie was one of Millie Bobby Brown’s first breakout roles since her iconic appearance as Eleven in Netflix’s Stranger Things.
Similarities to Knives Out: Quirky protagonist, layered mystery and a strong emphasis on character dynamics.
Main Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin
‘Enola Holmes 2’
Enola made a name for herself in the first movie, and she leveraged it into a full-time detective gig in the sequel.
Her first case is to find a young factory girl who has disappeared. Unsurprisingly, it spirals into a massive conspiracy that Enola finds herself teaming up with her famous brother to solve.
Similarities to Knives Out: Clever detective work, intertwined personal relationships and a focus on unraveling hidden motives.
Main Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Louis Partridge
‘Bad Times at the El Royale’ (2018)
At the El Royale hotel on the border of California and Nevada, seven strangers arrive, each carrying a dark secret. As the night unfolds, their paths intersect in surprising and often violent ways in a tale of revelation, betrayal, and redemption.
The film masterfully blends noir-inspired storytelling with character-driven drama, leading to a tense and explosive conclusion.
Similarities to Knives Out: Ensemble cast, shifting perspectives and layers of secrets gradually revealed.
Main Cast: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson
‘The Hateful Eight’
Another movie in the same vein as Bad Times at the El Royle, The Hateful Eight is Quentin Tarantino’s mystery genre masterpiece.
Set just after the American Civil War, a snowstorm forces eight strangers to shelter in a remote cabin the wilds of Wyoming. As they get to know each other, it becomes clear that each harbors their own secrets, and the tension between them quickly becomes violent.
Similarities to Knives Out: Remote and confined setting, distrust among characters and a slow build of suspense leading to explosive revelations.
Main Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh
‘Identity’ (2003)
During a torrential storm, ten strangers find themselves stranded at a desolate Nevada motel. As tensions rise and connections between the guests come to light, they discover they are being killed one by one. The group must unravel the mystery of their shared past while grappling with their own paranoia and fear.
Another mystery thriller like the last two entries on this list, Identity layers the psychological tension on heavy and doesn’t let up until the shocking twist ending.
Similarities to Knives Out: Isolated setting, suspenseful storytelling and a mystery with surprising twists.
Main Cast: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet
‘Gosford Park’ (2001)
Set in 1930s England, Gosford Park chronicles a weekend gathering of wealthy aristocrats and their retinues in the English countryside. When the host is murdered, everyone becomes a suspect.
Gosford Park is a unique blend of murder mystery and social critique, incisively exploring the disparities between the stuffy, rich elites and their working-class servants — a vibe also seen in Knives Out.
Similarities to Knives Out: Focus on class dynamics, intricate character relationships and a clever murder mystery.
‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992)
When a jewelry heist goes off the rails, the members of the group of criminals who made it out alive retreat to a warehouse to figure out what happened. Soon, they begin to realize the entire day was a set-up — and they suspect that one among them was behind it all.
Another Tarantino mystery thriller, Reservoir Dogs uses non-linear storytelling to gradually reveal the culprit behind the gang’s misfortune through each of the character’s backstories.
Similarities to Knives Out: Ensemble cast, tension-filled narrative and twists that upend initial assumptions.
Main Cast: Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed Knives Out?
Rian Johnson directed Knives Out.
Is Knives Out based on Agatha Christie's works?
No, Knives Out is not based on any of Agatha Christie's stories.
Are there other Knives Out movies?
Yes, Knives Out has a sequel, Glass Onion, and a third film is set to release next year.
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