Everyone loves a good mystery. From the suspense to following the clues and donning your detective hat to try and solve the ultimate question of whodunit, it’s hard to not love mysteries. With this thought, it’s easy to see why Hollywood also loves mystery movies. What's more, many of the Hollywood murder mystery films are actually adapted from a previously written novel.
Thanks to the following these beloved and best-selling novels have acquired over the years, a lot of fan favorites are being adapted for the big screen or being picked up from streaming services as miniseries. Horror authors like Stephen King have seen their works adapted numerous times, similar to the murder mystery queen herself, Agatha Christie, whose most recent book-to-film adaptation Death on the Nile released earlier this year. While there are a number of deserving films, these are a few of the best murder movies based on books.
Updated on August 15th, 2023, by Danilo Raul: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
15 Laura (1944)
Great books have been getting great adaptions since the early days of cinema. Laura is an early offering based on the novel of the same name written by Vera Caspary. Laura is a great film directed by Otto Preminger with a screenplay adapting the story by Jay Dratler.
The movie features the talents of Gene Tierney as Laura, Dana Andrews as Detective McPherson, and Clifton Webb as Waldo Lydecker. The film is a classic setup of twisted love and deception where the detective has to try to find out who killed Laura and bring him to justice.
14 Hannibal (2001)
There has been no literary villain with such a high profile as Hannibal Lecter. The character created by novelist Thomas Harris has appeared in four separate books, all of which have been adapted into Hollywood blockbusters. The second entry in the original story depicts the final confrontation between the good doctor and Clarice Starling.
Ridley Scott directed Hannibal based on a screenplay written by David Mamet. The casting includes Anthony Hopkins reprising his role as the ever-mysterious, elusive, and deadly Hannibal Lecter, alongside Julianne Moore, who takes on the part of Clarice Starling, and Gary Oldman as Mason Verger, a figure from Dr. Lecter's past looking to get revenge on him.
13 A Simple Favor (2018)
Paul Feig of Ghostbusters fame knows how to make good films. He had his chance to show his talents in something that speaks better of his abilities with the film adaptation of the novel A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell. With a screenplay written by Jessica Sharzer, the film casts Anna Kendrick as Stephanie Smothers, Blake Lively as Emily Nelson, and Henry Golding as Sean Townsend in a story full of intrigue and betrayal.
A struggling vlogger wishes for a more stable family life like her best friend Emily until she suddenly disappears, leaving no trail. Stephany feels it's up to her to uncover what happened with Emily, which promptly backfires on her.
12 To Die For (1995)
Gus Van Sant really knows how to nail serious stories with dark comedic undertones. In this adaptation of the novel by Joyce Maynard, we follow the story of Suzzane Stone, a weather reporter with big dreams of fame who feels held back by her middle-class husband. She concocts a plan with a high school student to get rid of him, but the surviving family of her late husband smells foul play.
The screenplay written by Buck Henry sticks closely to the source material, and the casting choices are dead-ringers such as Nicole Kidman playing Suzanne Stone, Joaquin Phoenix as Jimmy, and Matt Dillon as Larry, the unappreciated husband. To Die For is widely remembered for being the film that brought Nicole Kidman to stardom.
11 Deep Water (2022)
It's been a while since Hollywood gave us a solid erotic thriller, but Deep Water fits the bill nicely. The story follows the beats of the novel of the same name written by Patricia Highsmith. Adrian Lyne directs the screenplay by Zach Helm, which features the talents of Ben Affleck as Vic Van Allen and Ana de Armas as Melinda Van Allen.
They play a married couple facing a severe bump in the road, as the wife has taxing sexual needs that can only be fulfilled by multiple partners. The husband concedes for the sake of their family, but he suddenly finds himself entangled in a web of conspiracy where the former lovers of his wife are falling dead left and right with him as the lead suspect.
10 Psycho (1960)
The makings of Psycho could very well be developed into a whole feature film of its own and be a complete success. Alfred Hitchcock was drawn to Robert Bloch's novel with near obsession. He wanted to tell the story so badly that he bought the rights secretly out of pocket and then proceeded to buy every copy of the book to shred it and ensure his film was successful.
The magnificent script by Joseph Stefano was kept under wraps, with Hitchcock making sure no one on the set spoke to any press members. The solid casting features Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, and Vera Miles as Lila Crane. To this day remains a horror classic and one of the best book adaptations of all time.
9 Rebecca (2020)
After meeting in Monte Carlo, a young woman gets married to a handsome widower named Maxim de Winter with his family estate to be her new home. Naive and inexperienced, the young girl begins to settle into her new life only to feel constantly overshadowed by Maxim's late first wife, Rebecca, whose legacy is kept alive by the sinister housekeeper Mrs. Danvers. As the young man becomes increasingly unsettled by her life, she tries to find out more about the beautiful Rebecca and her untimely death.
The psychological thriller written by De Maurier in 1938 has been remade into a movie a few times. Netflix optioned Rebecca, based on the novel by Daphne Du Maurier back in 2020. Often referred to as the best thriller of all time, both the book and the 2020 film adaptation use suspense to hook the viewer, leaving them needing to find out the truth. Lily James and Armie Hammer star in this classic mystery.
8 The Girl on the Train (2016)
Post-divorce spiral, alcoholic Rachel Watson rides the train past her old house every single day. Her husband, his mistress-turned-wife, and their baby still reside there. During one of her rides, Rachel notices her neighbor kissing a man who is not her husband. This enrages Rachel as she has written them as the perfect couple in her head. That night, she decides to confront Megan about her affair and wakes up the next morning covered in blood. Hungover from the night before, Rachel has to put together what happened when she realizes Megan is missing.
During her investigation, she uncovers more than just the truth about what happened to Megan. With no shortage of some of Hollywood's big names, including Emily Blunt and Luke Evans, 2016's The Girl on the Train, based on the novel by Paula Hawkins, is a prime example of a great mystery. Between the storyline and the twist ending, this film will surely keep you on the edge of your seat as you try to solve the puzzle.
7 Gone Baby Gone (2007)
A four-year-old goes missing, and after little success from the police, the girl's aunt hires two private detectives. The detectives, who know little about finding missing children, know a lot about the rough Boston neighborhood, which comes in handy as soon as the family is facing drug dealers, gangs, and pedophiles while trying to find the little girl. What starts as a kidnapping ends up with a moral dilemma that threatens to unravel them all.
Dennis Lehane, the author of the novel that Gone Baby Gone is based on, is no stranger to mystery novels. With the help of Ben Affleck, making his directorial debut, they were able to adapt his novel into a widely successful film successfully. Backed by a loaded cast, this film is a complex, engaging thriller.
6 Gone Girl (2014)
When his wife disappears, Nick Dunne has to battle the media and his wife's anniversary treasure hunt to try and find his wife. As the game unfolds, Dunne is left looking bad to both the police and the media about his lack of concern for his seemingly perfect wife. The second half of the movie focuses on Amy and how she disappeared.
Arguably one of the best-known films on this list is Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl. This 2014 movie brought us Rosamund Pike's Oscar-nominated legendary performance as Amy and Ben Affleck's goofy smile as Nick Dunne. The twist for this film comes around the halfway point when you learn a bit more about the genius behind the character of Amy.
5 Silence of the Lambs (1991)
A young FBI cadet, played by Jodie Foster, seeks help from the jailed Dr. Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, who is a cannibal and genius. Clarice Starling, though a rookie, is selected to persuade Lecter in providing inside on a series of brutally murdered and skinned women. In return for his help, Lecter and Starling form an almost friendship and mutual respect for each other which helps solve the case.
Silence of the Lambs, which is part of the Hannibal franchise and based on the novels by Thomas Harris, won the Big Five Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Every scene in this film sucks you in and leaves you needing to learn more.
4 Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
It's December 1935, and a group of seemingly unconnected passengers is traveling on the Orient Express. The famed detective Hercule Poirot is also on the train. One night, after the train is stranded in the deep snow, a murder occurs. It's up to the detective to solve the murder before the train is unstuck and the passengers reach their destination.
As Hercule Poirot investigates, he learns more about the passengers and how they fit together. Murder on the Orient Express is the first adaptation of the novel written by Agatha Christie. The 1974 classic film is one of many adaptations of Agatha Christie novels which we will see more in our next film.
3 Death on the Nile (2022)
Hercule Poirot is once again in the wrong place at the wrong time. While on vacation aboard a glamorous riverboat traveling down the Nile, a young heiress is murdered. Set against the beautiful Egyptian landscape, this tale of unbridled passion and jealousy features a group of well-off travelers and wicked turns.
Death on the Nile is one of two adaptations of Agatha Christie's books by Kenneth Branagh, who both directs and stars in the film as the detective Hercule Poirot. He will be returning for a third outing as Poirot and another Christie adaption in 2023's A Haunting in Venice.
2 Shutter Island (2010)
In 1954, a U.S. Marshall, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, investigates the disappearance of an incarcerated murderer who has escaped from the hospital for the criminally insane. The Marshall, who has a troubled past, had been pushing for an assignment on the island for some time, and from the moment he arrives things are not as they seem.
Shutter Island is our second feature of a novel by Dennis Lehane. Complete with stellar acting, a twist ending, and ghosts, this film is arguably one of the most popular thrillers of all time. Its psychological components keep you guessing as to what is real or not.
1 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Journalist Mikael Blomkvist reaches out to a computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander to help aid him in investigating the disappearance of a woman who has been missing for 40 years. The woman's family approached Mikael to help her understand what happened 40 years ago. As the two uncover the truth, they learn perhaps too much about the powerful Vanger family secrets.
This film is based on the first book in the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson. It is also the second adaption of the same novel in only two years. The 2011 English-language version stars Rooney Mara who actually invoked method acting to prepare her for the role of Lisbeth Salander.