One of the most intriguing genres to look into is mystery. There are so many other genres that can fit into these kinds of movies, which is evidenced when you look at Letterboxd. Checking the mystery films from the 2010s to score the highest rating, you'll find horror, sci-fi, and dramas sprinkled in.
Thankfully, there are still plenty of movies that are first and foremost a mystery and received high praise from critics, casual audiences, and the users at Letterboxd. Some are little-seen indie flicks while others are helmed by some of the greatest directors to ever live, making for a varied group.
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One of the most creative and uniquely crafted films of the decade arrived in Searching. Directed and co-written by Aneesh Chaganty, the movie follows a seemingly basic mystery plot about a father who discovers that his daughter is missing and desperately tries to find her.
What makes this stand out is that the entire film is told through computer screens, whether it's FaceTime, hidden cameras, news reports, or live streams. Combine that with an engaging story and a stellar performance from John Cho and this became a movie that seemingly everyone was talking about when it arrived.
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If there's any superhero who can have stories that work as mysteries, it's Batman. He's known as the world's greatest detective so it lines up so well. Mystery is at the core of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Part 1, which is based on the iconic Batman comic of the same name.
This first installment of the animated tale sees an older Bruce Wayne come out of retirement when Gotham gets terrorized by a group known as the Mutants. Some consider this to be DC's top animated film and appreciated how it stayed close to the source material.
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Writer and director Taylor Sheridan created some of the most well-received movies and TV shows over the past decade. One that flew under the radar but got strong reviews again was Wind River, which is led by MCU stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen.
The story centers on their characters as they work together to help solve a murder in Wyoming's Wind River Indian Reservation. Wind River was praised for having sharp writing, a chilling story that is grounded in reality, and impressive performances from the cast. Sheridan even won an award at the Cannes Film Festival for it.
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As noted, some of the most iconic directors in history made great mysteries during the 2010s and one of them is David Fincher. The man is a master at the genre dating back to the '90s but his take on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo easily ranks among his best work ever.
Based on the Stieg Larsson novel from 2005, this focuses on a journalist (Daniel Craig) and a hacker (Rooney Mara) who work together to investigate the case of a missing girl from decades prior. The harrowing film won an Oscar for Best Editing and was nominated for four others, including Mara nabbing a Best Actress nod. Unfortunately, a disappointing box office total led to sequels getting canceled.
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Quentin Tarantino has dipped his toe in most genres and he kind of crossed two major ones with The Hateful Eight. While the film is certainly a Western at first glance, the entire story is designed to be a mystery surrounding the group of strangers stuck together during a blizzard.
Considering Tarantino is so well-known for his sharp writing, a film that has good actors sharing one room and talking is sure to work when he's behind it. Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh (who got an Oscar nomination here), Walton Goggins, Kurt Russell, and the rest of the cast really helped make this a special film.
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The lone non-English mystery film to rank among the ten highest-rated is The Invisible Guest. This Spanish language picture has become so successful that it has already spawned several remakes in different languages despite only being a few years old.
The Invisible Guest centers on a man who wakes up next to his murdered lover in a hotel room locked from the inside and he must find a way to prove his innocence before he's taken to jail. Interestingly, reviews were kind of lukewarm at first but Letterboxd users seemed to love it.
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The sequel and conclusion to this take on The Dark Knight Returns comic book was considered even better than the first half. It could be argued that this half is more action-packed than anything else but there's still a serious mystery element to it all.
In this installment, the Mutants have been stopped but Batman is once again brought face to face with his oldest foe, The Joker. There's drama around every corner given that even readers of the comics were unsure of who might survive this story, adding to what makes it great.
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If great directors were going to get involved in the mystery genre this decade, there was no way that Martin Scorsese was going to get left out. He entered the realm with Shutter Island, which also touched upon the thriller and horror genres.
Based on a 2003 novel of the same name, Shutter Island continued the success of pairing Scorsese with Leonardo DiCaprio. The story follows a U.S. Deputy Marshal who loses his grasp on reality while investigating a psychiatric hospital. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep everyone engaged, even on multiple viewings.
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Sometimes, mystery movies can be a bit too serious or harrowing to have a great time with them. Thankfully, Knives Out doesn't fall into that category as it is a true throwback to whodunit tales that are a blast to watch. The combination of a stellar cast and Rian Johnson's writing makes this such fun.
In fact, Johnson was even nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay. The story sees a detective (Daniel Craig) investigate the murder of a wealthy patriarch (Christopher Plummer) in which his entire family are the suspects. Chris Evans and Ana de Armas deliver tremendous performances, as does Craig who will be back to the anticipated Netflix sequel.
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For a true look at how accomplished David Fincher is when it comes to mysteries, he appears among the best again. Gone Girl, based on the novel of the same name, is one of the most talked-about and trippiest movies released during the 2010s.
The premise surrounds a man who becomes the prime suspect in the case of his wife going missing, only to fully flip the script halfway through and change everything about the story. The film received widespread acclaim, especially for the performance of Rosamund Pike.
