26 Best Detective Movies of All Time

In the vast crime subgenre of thrillers, you’ve got your heist movies and your gangster films, of course. But it’s easy to forget the best—and arguably underrated—type of mystery: the detective flick.

Before you start to argue your points, hear me out. Sure, a good heist movie’s got action and suspense, and a little bit of danger since you’re (probably) rooting for the bad guy. But a great detective movie mixes everything a good heist movie has with a whole lot more intrigue. Remember Knives Out? Remember how much fun it was to hear Daniel Craig do a hilarious attempt at a Southern accent while unmasking a murderer? And who could forget Blade Runner? Because yeah, that counts as a detective movie too. All it takes is one determined, and sometimes rogue, member of law enforcement (or someone adjacent to it) to get the ball rolling. Then, just like a good heist movie, you’ve got a riveting cat and mouse game. You could also see the two as a juxtaposition; if a heist film plays with morally gray characters doing bad things, the detective movie has morally good to gray area characters trying their hardest to do the right thing.

All of that’s to say, don’t discount a decent detective flick. Since all you really need is a big mystery to drive the story forward, films that fall under the detective umbrella can vary in overall plot, genre, and mood. Looking for a classic noir? We got it. Or maybe a psychological thriller in a creepy mental asylum? We’ve got that too.

Enjoy the 26 best detective you can stream right now.