6 Best Cold Case and Unsolved Mystery Movies

By Vlad Zakh · March 18, 2026

Decades-old unsolved crimes make for patient, haunting detective stories. Memories of Murder has detectives growing desperate in a small Korean town, Prisoners has a father taking matters into his own hands after the police fail, and Gone Baby Gone has investigators finding disturbing truths in a missing-child case. The Snowman, Zodiac and Mystic River round out the six.

The Snowman (2017)

TMDB ★ 5.2

A detective investigates a serial killer whose crimes are linked by an ominous recurring signature.

Directed by Tomas Alfredson · 1h 59m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

TMDB ★ 7.6

Two private investigators searching for a missing girl uncover disturbing truths about her family.

Directed by Ben Affleck · 1h 53m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Memories of Murder (2003)

IMDb ★ 8.1 Metacritic 82

A serial-killer procedural more interested in institutional failure than a tidy resolution.

Directed by Bong Joon Ho · 2h 11m

34 wins & 13 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Prisoners (2013)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 81% Metacritic 70

A desperate father takes matters into his own hands after his daughter and her friend vanish.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve · 2h 33m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar10 wins & 38 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Zodiac (2007)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 90% Metacritic 79

A cartoonist's obsession with an unsolved serial killer case consumes years of his life.

Directed by David Fincher · 2h 37m · Rated R

3 wins & 71 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Mystic River (2003)

IMDb ★ 7.9 RT 89% Metacritic 84

Three childhood friends reunite as adults after one of their daughters is murdered.

Directed by Clint Eastwood · 2h 18m · Rated R

Won 2 Oscars57 wins & 144 nominations

Where to watch

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

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 Cold Case and Unsolved Mystery Movies

The Snowman (2017)

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

Memories of Murder (2003)

Prisoners (2013)

Zodiac (2007)

Mystic River (2003)

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