10 Mystery Movies to Watch Before Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

If you’re looking for another clever murder mystery after Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, these ten films offer different routes into the genre: classic suspect lineups, sharp detective work, psychological suspense, horror, and comedy. They’re recommendations, not a ranked list.

For detective stories with a twist

Zero Effect

Daryl Zero is a brilliant detective whose social awkwardness makes his assistant, Steve Arlo, essential to getting through the world outside a case. Their strained working relationship gives this blackmail investigation a comic edge, while the detective setup updates the Sherlock Holmes tradition.

#	Preview	Product	Price
1		Knives Out [Blu-ray]	$6.88	Buy on Amazon
2		Knives Out [Blu-ray]	$13.79	Buy on Amazon
3		Knives Out - DVD, BLURAY, Digital	$24.99	Buy on Amazon
4		Knives Out (Limited Edition Steelbook) [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD]	$59.96	Buy on Amazon
5		Knives Out		Buy on Amazon

Brick

In Rian Johnson’s early feature, a high-school student investigates the murder of his ex-girlfriend. The film recasts hard-boiled detective conventions and film noir in a high-school setting, creating a distinctive contrast between the story’s grim investigative language and its teenage world.

The Kid Detective

Abe Applebaum was once a celebrated child detective. As an adult, he takes on a murder case while still carrying the unsolved mystery that damaged his reputation. The result is darkly funny, with the investigation tied to Abe’s arrested emotional development and his difficulty leaving the past behind.

#1 Best Overall

Knives Out [Blu-ray]

• When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate, the inquisitive Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate.

$6.88

Buy on Amazon

Confess, Fletch

Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher is investigating a stolen art collection when he becomes a murder suspect himself. Based on Gregory Mcdonald’s Fletch novels, this light-hearted mystery pairs the pleasure of following a quick-witted investigator with the complication of a case that points back at him.

For classic whodunits and comic suspects

Clue (1985)

Six strangers gather at a manor, where their host is murdered and the guests become suspects. This broad comedy turns an ensemble whodunit into a fast-moving game of secrets and accusations; its multiple endings are part of the film’s playful appeal.

Rank #2

Knives Out [Blu-ray]

• When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate, the inquisitive Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate.

$13.79

Buy on Amazon

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

In Kenneth Branagh’s 2017 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel, Hercule Poirot investigates a murder aboard a train. The enclosed setting and passenger lineup make it a classic ensemble puzzle: the killer must be among the people traveling with him.

See How They Run

Set in 1953 London, this playful mystery begins when a director involved with a production of The Mousetrap is murdered. An inspector and a constable take on the investigation in a film that winks at murder-mystery conventions while still centering a case to solve.

Rank #3

Knives Out - DVD, BLURAY, Digital

• When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate, the inquisitive Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate.

$24.99

Buy on Amazon

For mystery mixed with horror or suspense

Scream

A masked killer targets teenagers in Woodsboro, and the culprit is among the characters. Scream combines self-aware horror humor with a murder mystery at its core, so the suspense comes both from the attacks and from trying to work out who is behind them.

Gone Girl

When his wife disappears, a husband becomes a suspect. This psychological mystery keeps shifting the viewer’s assumptions about who is a victim and who is culpable, making uncertainty about the people involved as important as the question of what happened.

Rank #4

Knives Out (Limited Edition Steelbook) [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD]

$59.96

Buy on Amazon

For an odd-couple investigation with action

The Nice Guys

A private investigator and an enforcer team up to look into a missing-person case that opens onto a wider conspiracy. Its appeal is the contrast between the two leads: an action-comedy investigation powered by an uneasy, entertaining partnership.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

Knives Out [Blu-ray]

$6.88

Bestseller No. 2

Knives Out [Blu-ray]

$13.79

Bestseller No. 3

Knives Out - DVD, BLURAY, Digital

$24.99

Bestseller No. 4

Knives Out (Limited Edition Steelbook) [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD]

$59.96

Bestseller No. 5

Knives Out

Best Value

Knives Out

Buy on Amazon

Choose by the kind of mystery you want

• Ensemble suspects: Choose Clue for broad comedy or Murder on the Orient Express for a more traditional Poirot puzzle.
• A detective at the center: Try Zero Effect, Brick, The Kid Detective, or Confess, Fletch.
• Horror built around an identity mystery: Pick Scream.
• Psychological suspense: Go with Gone Girl.
• Self-aware comedy: See How They Run and Clue both play with mystery conventions.
• Buddy chemistry and action: The Nice Guys is the fit.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.