6 Best Amateur Detective Movies

By Vlad Zakh · May 3, 2026

You don’t need a badge to crack a case, just a nosy streak and a decent pair of eyes. Knives Out and its follow-up Glass Onion put a renowned detective among rich, suspicious suspects, Clue turns a dinner party into a murder hunt, and Game Night is what happens when a couple mistake a real kidnapping for part of the fun. Murder by Death is the spoof and Rear Window is the Hitchcock classic that started a lot of this.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A tech billionaire's island getaway turns into a real murder investigation for his guests.

Directed by Rian Johnson · 2h 20m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Game Night (2018)

TMDB ★ 6.8

A couple's competitive game night spirals into a real kidnapping plot they mistake for part of the fun.

Directed by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein · 1h 40m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Knives Out (2019)

IMDb ★ 7.9 RT 97% Metacritic 82

A rich family becomes a murder mystery's suspect list, and Marta is the one person who can't lie.

Directed by Rian Johnson · 2h 11m · Rated PG-13

Nominated for 1 Oscar52 wins & 114 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Clue (1985)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A dinner party of suspicious strangers investigates a blackmailer's murder in real time.

Directed by Jonathan Lynn · 1h 34m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Murder by Death (1976)

TMDB ★ 6.9

The world's greatest fictional detectives are gathered by a mysterious host to solve an impossible murder.

Directed by Robert Moore · 1h 34m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Howdy Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Rear Window (1954)

IMDb ★ 8.5 RT 99% Metacritic 100

A photographer laid up with a broken leg becomes convinced he's witnessed a murder across the courtyard.

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock · 1h 53m · Rated PG

Nominated for 4 Oscars7 wins & 14 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Amateur Detective Movies

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Game Night (2018)

Knives Out (2019)

Clue (1985)

Murder by Death (1976)

Rear Window (1954)

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