Deep Water was released on March 18th, and kept fans guessing throughout its 2hour and 33-minute runtime, with viewers trying to figure out where Melinda's love affairs have disappeared to. The movie saw many fans become detectives and delve into the lives of Melinda and Vic in search of clues which prompted many fans to seek out movies that encourage fans to solve the mystery alongside the characters.
From old school murder mysteries to black comedy horror flicks that take Groundhog Day to new levels, here are 10 movies that encourage viewers to become detectives and help the main characters to solve the mystery.
Old (2021)
Old is one of the most unusual thrillers to date, with M. Night Shyamalan proving his uniqueness as a director and reinstating his huge fanbase. The movie utilizes its space to emanate fear and encourages viewers to raise suspicion about each character, especially when they start dying one by one.
The movie places viewers on the beach alongside the characters and allows them to work out what connects each character to the beach, including why death seems to follow them. The thriller didn't just provide viewers with a unique plot but also pushed fans to root for the characters and seek an answer as to what or who put them there, resulting in it becoming a movie that prompted conversation.
A Simple Favor (2018)
A Simple Favor is a fantastic mystery movie featuring infidelity as its theme and has become a staple within the thriller genre. Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick stir up an unlikely friendship that soon becomes an enigma for Stephanie and fans who seek to understand why Emily wants to remain invisible and where she is.
The movie provided fans with a suave, yet, somewhat chilling black comedy and ultimately kept viewers guessing Emily's story. A Simple Favor encouraged fans to work alongside Stephanie, and each clue allowed them to form their own conclusions about how it would end, with two female leads, the movie is something of a feminist flick that proved women can be enigmatic, cunning, and funny.
Happy Death Day (2017)
Happy Death Day takes Groundhog Day to a new level in this unusual horror-thriller that proves to be quite the black comedy. The film's unusual time loop was a fresh concept for the horror genre and made the thriller even more interesting for fans as it replaced the outdated narrative of women always becoming the victim.
Its structure encouraged fans to team up with Theresa each time she found herself in another loop to look for clues and eventually aid her in piecing together those hidden clues to uncover her attacker, resulting in the viewer receiving more satisfaction than they would from the typical thriller.
Death On The Nile (2022)
Whilst many Agatha Christie Novels are still waiting to receive a film adaptation, Death On The Nile is the most recent to hit screens. The movie took on a familiar vintage vibe to Murder On The Orient Express and perfectly captured the essence of Agatha Christie novels through its plot twists and stylish, sophisticated characters that fans can't help but be suspicious of.
Death On The Nile adopts the old-fashioned charm often seen in Agatha Christie adaptations, placing the characters aboard a boat that creates a fear of being trapped with a murderer. The whodunnit plot line encourages viewers to analyze all characters abroad, their motives and whether or not they are to be feared, it is the perfect flick for a murder mystery movie night.
Non-Stop (2014)
Starring Liam Neeson as a US Air Marshall, Non-Stop is an action-packed thriller that throws viewers into a sense of the unknown, and its claustrophobic setting only increases the suspense felt by viewers as they try desperately to uncover who is responsible before time runs out.
Each enger is met with suspicion from both Bill and viewers, with many fans seeking to reveal who the hidden threat is. Through cleverly directed scenes, the movie takes advantage of its setting and creates tension by heightened viewers' ability to look for small clues as to who it could be, making it a great movie that includes fans in solving the crime.
Searching (2018)
Searching is one of the best 'missing persons' movies to watch as it reimagined the way viewers were used to seeing this genre of the film play out by filming the whole movie through the electronic screen belonging to David Kim who desperately tried to gather information regarding his daughter.
It created a story that got viewers' blood pumping with its fast-paced, detective tone that allowed viewers to be a voyeur into the disappearance of Margot. Searching gave viewers access to digital files that would aid them in solving the case alongside David, making it a refreshing and innovative exploration into the role of technology in missing person cases.
Escape Room (2019)
With escape rooms becoming so popular, Adam Robitel sought to create an onscreen version that enticed fans to play along, and that's exactly what Escape Room did. The movie brought to life the idea of being trapped alongside a bunch of strangers with a limited time to solve the puzzle in a bid to escape, but it wasn't just your usual mind-bending puzzles but rather a game of life and death.
Each room had an array of hidden death traps and cleverly put together puzzles that left fans in a frenzy as they also tried to solve the riddle whilst rooting for the characters to survive. Escape Room surprised fans with its clever plot and series of twists that left many fans racing as they tried to decipher each room and the answer to survival.
Game Night (2018)
Game Night homed in on the rise of game nights and created an offbeat action-comedy where the main characters find themselves wrapped up in a chaotic night of games. The movie kept viewers guessing as to what was real and what was a comedy, which led to its popularity, especially as fans were invited to the couple on the night's escapades.
The movie tricked many fans into thinking it was a spoof but instead provided them with a thoroughly well-written action movie that made them laugh, gasp and solve at the same time. Through clever camera work, the movie made viewers feel as though they were actually in the movie and allowed them to come up with answers as to how the Game Night had turned into much more than a night of socializing.
Murder Mystery (2019)
Murder Mystery is an obscure whodunit that every murder mystery fan needs to see, the movie combines comedy with drama in a bid to provide fans with a hilarious but interesting plot that challenges the general conventions of the typical whodunnit. The clever pairing of Jennifer Anniston and Adam Sandler saw them try to clear their own name by becoming the detectives themselves.
The comedic undertone of Murder Mystery plays into the charm of older whodunnits whilst also offering fans a place in solving the mystery alongside the married couple. The movie may be a comedy, but it is certainly packed with action and even had a solid plot twist that fans particularly liked, especially those who were clever enough to see it coming.
Knives Out (2019)
Knives Out provided viewers with an old-school whodunnit, similar to the likes of Clue, where viewers were invited to work alongside detective Benoit Blanc and Marta as they tried to piece together who killed Harlan. The movie's sepia tone, alongside its all-star cast, gripped fans from the very beginning and placed them directly within the mystery, making it a somewhat interactive watch.
The movie was such a hit that fans are actively anticipating the release of Knives Out 2, and in of a whodunnit, it did a great job. Knives Out release clues to its viewers, encouraging them to connect the dots alongside the characters. Its old-school vibe, interesting cinematography, and incredible plot twist had some fans celebrating that they found the killer and others in awe of how the mystery of Harlan's death was revealed through its satisfying twist ending.
