AtaraxiaDuring this festive season, whether alone or with company, watching a movie with a hot drink and a cozy blanket is the perfect activity not to miss. Comforting and relaxing, this activity will ensure a pleasant evening in the sometimes chilly autumn weather. To help you choose and, above all, ensure you have a great evening with no surprises, here is a small list of 5 Mystery Murder films that will make for a wonderful evening filled with mystery and flawless humor.
Knives Out
Released in 2019, Knives Out is a film co-produced and directed by Rian Johnson. The cast includes Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas, promising 130 minutes of pure enjoyment. Available on Netflix, the film introduces the Thrombey family, gathered at the home of one of them, Harlan, to celebrate his 85th birthday. The problem? On the big day, he is found dead in his office. Just after the funeral, the family is assembled at the mansion to be questioned by Benoit Blanc, a private detective hired anonymously to figure out who killed the patriarch of the Thrombey family.
A war breaks out within the family, with revelations and low blows as everyone tries to uncover who killed the grandfather and, most importantly, who will inherit the entire fortune. Each person is willing to do anything to save themselves, and discovering the murderer turns out to be much more complicated than expected. This first Mystery Murder is an entertaining film full of secrets, making for one of the most delightful evenings of the year.
Glass Onion
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, also produced by Rian Johnson, is the sequel to the first film. This time, the story takes place on a private island in Greece, where a group of old friends and detective Benoit Blanc from Knives Out are brought together for a mystery game. Initially meant to be a murder mystery party organized by the host of the reunion, the evening soon becomes much more tense than expected. When the fake murder turns into a real one involving one of the guests, Benoit quickly dons his detective hat again to uncover the murderer hidden among them and, most importantly, solve the crime.
The sequel to Knives Out is also available on Netflix, and if after these two films you want more, you’ll have to be patient and wait until 2025 for the next installment, set to release next year.
The Heritage
Welcome to Poland. A somewhat fractured family is reunited at the family manor to read the will of their apparently deceased old uncle. But when the uncle shows up the next day during the reading of the will, his fake joke is poorly received. What surprises the family even more is the second shock of the day when the uncle is found dead in the kitchen. When investigators arrive, they thoroughly question the entire family to discover who the murderer is. However, as the whole family is forced to participate in a tasteless game created by the uncle before his death, while also answering the police’s questions, some revelations begin to tighten family bonds—especially when it is discovered that the “police” are not real officers, and they are willing to do anything to get their hands on the deceased uncle’s patents.
Available on Netflix, this film is a wonderful mix of mystery and snow.
7 Women
A remake of an old French film, 8 Women takes you into a family marked by discord just before the holidays. As they gather shortly before Christmas, they discover that the only man in the family has been murdered in his room. The problem? The phones are down, a heavy snowstorm prevents anyone from leaving, the engine wires have been cut, and a large padlock secures the gate, trapping the women inside. When the deceased man’s ex-wife shows up at the door, each of the women begins to search for who could have killed the father. So, who is the killer— the mother, the aunt, the grandmother, the two daughters, or the ex-wife?
This film is a modern, feminist take on a French classic, with a much more contemporary ending, making for a very pleasant evening.
Also available on Netflix for everyone to enjoy.
Mystery Murder
Starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, this promises to be hilarious. The Spies decide to travel through Europe to celebrate their 15th anniversary. On the plane, they meet a wealthy billionaire who invites them aboard her family yacht. During the family gathering, when one of them is found dead, the party has to be interrupted and the investigation begins. Audrey and Nick, trying to save themselves, decide to investigate, and as death looms over the group, the Spies do their best to uncover the truth.
Much more humorous than the other films on this Mystery Murder list, this one is more of a comedy than a traditional murder mystery.
There you go! You have all the cards in hand for a great TV-on-the-couch evening. And if you’re feeling a little less Mystery Murder and more in the mood for a Christmas movie, we have our last favorite right here :
“Our Little Secret” : The New Christmas Comedy You Can’t Miss on Netflix.
