10 Excellent Mystery Thriller Movies for Agatha Christie Fans

There have been many excellent Agatha Christie films over the years, but the author's influence on film goes beyond adaptations of her own books. Many mystery thrillers have been inspired by Christie's style over the years. Some of these films are quite direct with their allusions to Christie, from their settings to their eccentric detectives, but others are more subtle.

Agatha Christie is one of the most popular authors of all time, so it's no surprise that she reshaped the mystery genre in both literature and film. His detective mysteries often seem to work from a simple formula, but a cast of enigmatic suspects, a charming detective, and a memorable puzzle don't necessarily mean a film will be as intriguing as Christie's. Filmmakers still need their own ideas to add a special touch to the genre.

10

See How They Work (2021)

See How They Work Wear your Agatha Christie influence with pride

See how they work is a must-see for Agatha Christie fansas it features a Christie-style murder mystery that unfolds on the set of the West End play The Mousetrap. Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell play two mismatched detectives, with Ronan as the overzealous young man and Rockwell playing his jaded, smart-ass superior. They begin a hilarious comedic dynamic and there are lots of laughs as they delve deeper into the mystery.

Ronan and Rockwell are supported by a charming cast that includes Adrian Brody, David Oyelowo and Harris Dickinson. Each actor in the stage adaptation of Christie's work becomes a potential suspect when one of them is found dead. The mystery is as twisted and surprising as Christie's, but See how they work it also takes a lovingly satirical view of the entire mystery genre.

9

Rear Window (1954)

Alfred Hitchcock was a master of mystery

Alfred Hitchcock had a talent for mystery thrillers, although he also produced classic films in the horror, drama and action genres. Rear window is one of his best murder mysteries, along with the likes of String and Dial M for murder. A fundamental difference Rear window it's just that Hitchcock doesn't reveal the solution too early. His other mysteries often used dramatic irony, so the audience knew the answers the characters were seeking.

Rear window revolves around two captivating performances by James Stewart and Grace Kellytwo of the biggest movie stars of their time, and for good reason. When examining voyeurism and obsession, Rear window reflects the public's dark appetite for true crime stories. Just as Jeff spies on his neighbors through the window, Hitchcock asks audiences to interrogate their love of watching murder mysteries on screen.

8

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Tarantino's Western mystery has a unique mix of influences

Quentin Tarantino has not hidden his cinematic influences, be it references to Asian martial arts films in Kill Bill or the remixing of old war films into Inglourious Basterds. The Hateful Eight is clearly inspired by gritty, blood-soaked westerns, but it also has a lot in common with Agatha Christie's murder mysteries and plays by artists like Harold Pinter and Edward Albee.

Quentin Tarantino plays with this audience in The Hateful Eight, Choose carefully when to reveal new information. It's a rather unusual mystery in the sense that it's not just about when different characters learn new details; it's also about when the audience can see events unfold from a different angle. Even though The Hateful Eight It's rarely ranked as one of Quentin Tarantino's best films, it's definitely among his best screenplays.

7

The Last of Sheila (1973)

The Last Of Sheila is a fun puzzle game for mystery fans

The Last of Sheila was written by Psychopath stars Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim, who based the story on the murder mystery parties they used to throw with their friends. Fortunately, these games were much less intense than The Last of Sheila, which follows a group of friends spending a week together on a luxury yacht as they uncover clues about each other and gradually uncover new information about a suspicious death.

The Last Sheila It's a beautifully written puzzleand is helped by a great cast that includes James Mason, Ian McShane and Raquel Welch. Like many of Agatha Christie's best stories, it's an infectiously fun game that has dangerous implications for the participants. Each member of the group is a suspect, but as the game progresses, they also become potential victims. The turnaround is done brilliantly, winning The Last of Sheila a place in the hearts of mystery fans.

6

Scream (1996)

Scream is a Slasher and a Whodunnit rolled into one

Scream is one of the defining films of the slasher genre, mocking the tropes and strange rules of horror films from within. It's also a surprisingly clever murder mystery, as the teenagers of Woodsboro, California, struggle to discover that they keep killing their classmates one by one. THE Scream The franchise has had its ups and downs, but the original is widely considered the best of the bunch.

Screamthe iconic opening scene kicks things off in stylewhen Casey Becker is massacred in her own home by a masked man. This sets the tone for the bloody murder and reveals a compelling mystery. As Sidney and his friends advance in the investigation, potential suspects become victims and close friends become suspects. All of this leads to a satisfying ending that the franchise has yet to surpass. Scream keeps the audience guessing, and its mystery has intense personal stakes for everyone involved.

5

Clue (1985)

Clue has a lot of fun with the mystery genre

Tip is based on the murder mystery board game of the same name, but of course the Agatha Christie influences also shine through. Just like the board game, Tip sets up a playful mystery with several mismatched characters in a large, opulent mansion. Tim Curry plays the butler, who also acts as a conduit to the audience. He's the closest thing to a detective in Tip, but the suspects have to work with each other to decide who is to blame.

Tip is famous for its multiple endings. When the film was originally shown in theaters, audiences only saw one ending depending on which screening it was at. This is a unique trick, but Tip it's better with each ending playing consecutively. The solution to a mystery is rarely as satisfying as the game of putting the pieces together.then Tip finds a brilliant way to keep the mystery forever.

4

Detective (1973)

Sleuth is a catchy two-hander

The cast of Detective includes Alec Cawthorne, Eve Channing, and Teddy Martin, but none of these people exist. These fake names were added to the credits by the studio to fool the public into thinking that Detective it wasn't just a two-hander starring Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier. This may have been a marketing gimmick to begin with, but it highlights the twisted and deceptive nature of the plot.

Detective is an adaptation of Anthony Shaffer's 1970 play, with Shaffer himself writing the script. It's a heady drama that features a man who invites his wife's lover to his estate for an intense conversation. Although Detective It's limited to just two actors and one location, it's never boringwith elements of horror and comedy cleverly introduced to keep things lively. The 2007 remake stars Jude Law, with Michael Caine playing the older of the two characters on this occasion, but the original remains the better.

3

The Third Man (1949)

The post-war classic is still full of surprises

Most people know The Third Man like an Orson Welles movie, but he hasn't been around for a long time. The story begins with Joseph Cotten, who plays an Englishman searching for his friend amid the rubble and corruption of post-war Vienna. When he arrives, he is told that his friend has died, but some details of the story don't add up, and this leads him to begin his own amateur investigation.

Once Welles makes his first appearance, illuminated by the accusatory glow of a streetlight, the investigation follows a series of dangerous twists and turns. The Third Man is a masterpiece of film noir, buoyed by two moving performances and a script that manages to be moving and precise. The final chase in the Vienna sewers is iconic for good reasonbut it works best when seen in the context of the entire story.

2

Gosford Park (2001)

Gosford Park looks and feels like a vintage Christie

Gosford Park is probably the most surprising film because it has no connection to the works of Agatha Christie. It's a sly mystery set in an English country manor in the 1930s, with a cast of eccentric characters with a variety of motives for murder. Gosford Park it was inspired by Christie's stories, but it is far from being an empty, derivative copy. There are many unique techniques in the story, such as the conflicting accounts of the murder.

Gosford Park features a notable castwith some legendary British actors including Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon and Stephen Fry as a bumbling investigator. The performances are a fundamental part of what gave Gosford Park such a stellar critical reputation, but the real magic is in the script. Social commentary is deftly integrated into the story, as the murder exposes some pre-existing wounds.

1

Knives Out (2019)

Knives Out puts a modern twist on a classic mystery premise

At first sight, Knives out feels a lot like a classic Agatha Christie-style murder mystery. There's a dead body in a locked room, a mansion full of suspects, and an eccentric detective who needs to find fault with the stories he hears. However, Benoit Blanc is no Hercule Poirot, and Knives out has plenty of surprises in store for those expecting a standard murder mystery narrative.

Knives outThe twist at the midpoint changes the complexion of the entire case and suddenly becomes much more dangerous. Although many of Christie's stories end with the detective discovering the killer's identity, Knives out shows that this is just one step towards justice. After 2022 Glass Onion provided another intriguing mystery, Benoit Blanc is ready to return once again to Wake Up Dead Man: A Knife Mystery, where he will no doubt be joined by another cast of cunning characters.