Since genres like comedy, drama, and horror seem to get the majority of the shine and excitement from audiences, mysteries tend to fly under the radar. However, they typically have some of the most iconic and memorable scenes that end up sticking with those who see them for years after that initial viewing.
The '90s were an essential time for mystery movies, with a handful of them going down as groundbreaking for the genre. They cover everything from superhero films to completely twisted tales and the movies lovers at Letterboxd have reviewed them, with these holding remarkably high average ratings.
10 The Blackout (1997) - 3.63
Stream On IMDb TV, Tubi TV, & Vudu
A common trope in mystery movies is when a character struggles to piece together the events that took place at a prior date. It even works in comedic fashion like Dude, Where's My Car? and The Hangover. An early film to follow that concept was The Blackout.
Here, it's an actor who struggles to figure out what happened during a wild night in Miami a few years earlier. The end results are way more surprising than anyone could have imagined and it changes the lives of the characters involved. On Letterboxd, the most common score given out is four stars (24%).
9 Dark City (1998) - 3.65
Stream On Kanopy
Although it may have struggled at the box office (barely grossing back its budget), Dark City has gone on to become something of a hidden gem from the '90s. For starters, it features a talented cast led by the likes of Jennifer Connelly and Kiefer Sutherland.
On top of that, it boasts an interesting mix of mystery, sci-fi, and neo-noir elements. The film centers on a man with no memories who is suspected of murder, all the while he keeps having nightmarish visions of a strange world. Most reviews (31%) gave this four stars.
8 The Game (1997) - 3.67
Stream On Netflix & Tubi TV
David Fincher is one of the most acclaimed directors in recent memory and more often than not, his best films are the ones set in the mystery genre. That includes Gone Girl and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but going back a bit further takes you to The Game.
Starring Michael Douglas and Sean Penn, The Game finds a rich investment banker who is given a mysterious gift by his brother, which sets off a chain of events that goes from seemingly fun to pretty dangerous. It is filled with classic Fincher tropes, great performances, and a thrilling plot, leading it to most often get four stars (33%).
7 Lone Star (1996) - 3.73
Stream On Hoopla
Sometimes, movies are at their best when they blend several genres together. Lone Star was one of the films to pull that off, combining a mystery with a western to major praise from a critical standpoint, though it was only a mild box office success.
Lone Star focuses on a small-town Texas sheriff who investigates the murder of his predecessor. The independent film managed to secure an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay and boasts a strong cast including Matthew McConaughey and Frances McDormand. 33% of Letterboxd users have it at four stars.
6 Primal Fear (1996) - 3.73
Stream On Max Go
Based on a 1993 novel of the same name, Primal Fear is one of the most well-known and iconic mystery movies in history and not just from the '90s. The film tells the story of a lawyer (Richard Gere) who is defending an altar boy he believes is innocent of murdering an influential priest.
The movie grossed more than $100 million in theaters and was a hit with critics to the point that Edward Norton won a Golden Globe for his performance as the accused altar boy. The secrets run deep in this film and that's why most reviewers gave it four stars (35%).
5 Enjeru dasuto (1994) - 3.76
Not Available To Stream
Possibly more commonly known simply as Angel Dust, the film Enjeru dasuto isn't all that popular but it has an intriguing storyline that will likely captivate anyone who gives it a chance.
The storyline centers on a psychiatrist who is called in to help the police with a series of murders where a woman is killed every Monday in the subway at the same time each week. The investigation leads them to the psychiatrist's ex-girlfriend, sending everything into a bigger mystery than expected. Most reviews have it at four stars (30%).
4 The Player (1992) - 3.92
Stream On HBO Max & The Criterion Channel
If you looked at the poster for The Player, you'd probably think it was much more of a comedy than anything else. That's mostly true since it does have plenty of humorous elements to it and stars notoriously funny actors like Tim Robbins and Whoopi Goldberg.
Of course, just because something is funny doesn't mean it's also not a great mystery. The story follows a Hollywood studio executive who is constantly sent death threats by a screenwriter who he rejected and things take a dark turn as he retaliates. It got plenty of four-star (36%) ratings and won multiple Golden Globes.
3 Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm (1993) - 3.93
Stream On HBO Max
It's kind of rare that a superhero movie is classified as a mystery but Batman is basically the ideal character to center that kind of story around. Long before Christopher Nolan's trilogy on the character or the MCU came Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.
At the box office, the animated movie flopped but was a hit on home video and is still held up as one of the best Batman tales ever. It sees him mistaken for a villainous masked vigilante, leading Batman to take them down and clear his own name in the process. Again, four stars (39%) is the rating that pops up the most.
2 Three Colors: Red (1994) - 4.24
Stream On HBO Max & Fubo TV
Director Krzysztof Kieślowski directed and co-wrote the Three Colours trilogy during the '90s. Though not a blockbuster or among the most famous trio of movies ever made, they were all met with widespread acclaim and are considered among the best films of their time.
After Blue and White, the franchise ended with Three Colours: Red, which was the mystery of the bunch. Nominated for three Academy Awards, the movie centers on a model who becomes connected to her neighbor, a judge who spies on everyone around him. Although four stars (30%) is the most common score, five stars (28%) is close behind.
1 Se7en (1995) - 4.26
Stream On Peacock
The second David Fincher film to rank among the ten best is Se7en, which classifies as both a thriller and mystery. Although Fincher has been behind several movies considered to be truly special, his greatest effort may have likely been this 1995 classic.
Se7en focuses on two detectives (Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt) as they track down a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as the motif for his murders. The shocking ending remains legendary to this day and it's no wonder that four (32%) and five stars (31%) are the most popular scores.
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