The Best Private Eye And Detective Movies
“What are the best movies about or featuring Private Eyes?” We looked at 136 of the top Detective films and ranked them so we could answer that very question!
The top 40 films, all appearing on 2 or more “Best Private Eye” movie lists, are ranked below by how many times they appear. The remaining 75+ movies, as well as the sources we used, are in alphabetical order on the bottom of the page.
See also – our sister sites list of The Best Noir Books Of All Time !
Happy Scrolling!
Top 40 Best Private Eye Movies
40 .) Blood Simple directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Lists It Appears On:
- Paste Magazine
- The Guardian
The owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.
39 .) Criss Cross (1949) directed by Robert Siodmak
Lists It Appears On:
- Paste Magazine
- The Culture Trip
Burt Lancaster plays Steve Thompson, a man who seals his dark fate when he returns to Los Angeles to find his ex-wife Anna Dundee (Yvonne DeCarlo) eager to rekindle their love against all better judgement. She encourages their affair but then quickly marries mobster Slim Dundee (Dan Duryea). To deflect suspicion of the affair, Steve Thompson leads Dundee into a daylight armored-truck robbery.
38 .) Cutter’s Way (1981) directed by Ivan Passer
Lists It Appears On:
- Bloody Murder
- Slash Film
Richard spots a man dumping a body, and decides to expose the man he thinks is the culprit with his friend Alex Cutter.
37 .) Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) directed by Carl Franklin
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Paste Magazine
In late 1940s Los Angeles, Easy Rawlins is an unemployed black World War II veteran with few job prospects. At a bar, Easy meets DeWitt Albright, a mysterious white man looking for someone to investigate the disappearance of a missing white woman named Daphne Monet, who he suspects is hiding out in one of the city’s black jazz clubs. Strapped for money and facing house payments, Easy takes the job, but soon finds himself in over his head.
36 .) Drive (2011) directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Lists It Appears On:
- Fandango
- Paste Magazine
A Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman for criminals discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong.
35 .) Fargo (1996) directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Lists It Appears On:
- Fandango
- Paste Magazine
Jerry, a small-town Minnesota car salesman is bursting at the seams with debt… but he’s got a plan. He’s going to hire two thugs to kidnap his wife in a scheme to collect a hefty ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. It’s going to be a snap and nobody’s going to get hurt… until people start dying. Enter Police Chief Marge, a coffee-drinking, parka-wearing – and extremely pregnant – investigator who’ll stop at nothing to get her man. And if you think her small-time investigative skills will give the crooks a run for their ransom… you betcha!
34 .) Gilda (1946) directed by Charles Vidor
Lists It Appears On:
- BFI
- Paste Magazine
A gambler discovers an old flame while in Argentina, but she’s married to his new boss.
33 .) Gone Baby Gone (2007) directed by Ben Affleck
Lists It Appears On:
- Fandango
- Joblo
When 4 year old Amanda McCready disappears from her home and the police make little headway in solving the case, the girl’s aunt, Beatrice McCready hires two private detectives, Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro. The detectives freely admit that they have little experience with this type of case, but the family wants them for two reasons – they’re not cops and they know the tough neighborhood in which they all live. As the case progresses, Kenzie and Gennaro face drug dealers, gangs and pedophiles. When they are about to solve the case, they are faced with a moral dilemma that tears them apart.
32 .) Harper (1966) directed by Jack Smight
Lists It Appears On:
- Bloody Murder
- IMDB
Harper is a cynical private eye in the best tradition of Bogart. He even has Bogie’s Baby hiring him to find her missing husband, getting involved along the way with an assortment of unsavory characters and an illegal-alien smuggling ring.
31 .) In a Lonely Place (1950) directed by Nicholas Ray
Lists It Appears On:
- BFI
- Paste Magazine
An aspiring actress begins to suspect that her temperamental boyfriend is a murderer.
30 .) Lady in the Lake directed by Robert Montgomery
Lists It Appears On:
- Paste Magazine
- West World
Private detective Philip Marlowe is asked by a publishing executive, Adrienne Fromsett, to locate the wife of her boss, publisher Derace Kingsby. Earlier she had sent her husband a telegram saying she was heading to Mexico to marry Chris Lavery. However Kingsby had recently seen Lavery in the neighbouring Bay City. Marlowe pursues his investigation at the Kingsby’s lakeside cottage.
29 .) Memento (2000) directed by Christopher Nolan
Lists It Appears On:
- Fandango
- Paste Magazine
Leonard Shelby is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife’s killer, however, is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of short-term memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he’s going, or why.
28 .) Mulholland Drive (2001) directed by David Lynch
Lists It Appears On:
- Fandango
- Paste Magazine
Blonde Betty Elms has only just arrived in Hollywood to become a movie star when she meets an enigmatic brunette with amnesia. Meanwhile, as the two set off to solve the second woman’s identity, filmmaker Adam Kesher runs into ominous trouble while casting his latest project.
27 .) Pickup on South Street (1953) directed by Samuel Fuller
Lists It Appears On:
- BFI
- Paste Magazine
In New York City, an insolent pickpocket, Skip McCoy, inadvertently sets off a chain of events when he targets ex-prostitute Candy and steals her wallet. Unaware that she has been making deliveries of highly classified information to the communists, Candy, who has been trailed by FBI agents for months in hopes of nabbing the spy ringleader, is sent by her ex-boyfriend, Joey, to find Skip and retrieve the valuable microfilm he now holds.
26 .) Sunset Boulevard (1950) directed by Billy Wilder
Lists It Appears On:
- Paste Magazine
- The Culture Trip
A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity.
25 .) The Asphalt Jungle (1950) directed by John Huston
Lists It Appears On:
- Paste Magazine
- The Culture Trip
Recently paroled from prison, legendary burglar “Doc” Riedenschneider, with funding from Alonzo Emmerich, a crooked lawyer, gathers a small group of veteran criminals together in the Midwest for a big jewel heist.
24 .) The Big Heat directed by Fritz Lang
Lists It Appears On:
- Paste Magazine
- West World
Dave Bannion is an upright cop on the trail of a vicious gang he suspects holds power over the police force. Bannion is tipped off after a colleague’s suicide and his fellow officers’ suspicious silence lead him to believe that they are on the gangsters’ payroll. When a bomb meant for him kills his wife instead, Bannion becomes a furious force of vengeance and justice, aided along the way by the gangster’s spurned girlfriend Debbie. As Bannion and Debbie fall further and further into the Gangland’s insidious and brutal trap, they must use any means necessary (including murder) to get to the truth.
23 .) The Last Seduction (1994) directed by John Dahl
Lists It Appears On:
- Fandango
- Paste Magazine
Looking to escape her unhappy marriage, villainous femme fatale Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) convinces her husband, Clay (Bill Pullman), to sell cocaine, then steals the profits and runs out on him. She stops in a small town en route to Chicago, where she ensnares her next conquest, insurance man Mike Swale (Peter Berg). After getting a job at his insurance company, Bridget convinces Mike to run a scam — but things take a deadly turn when she recruits him to help get rid of her husband.
22 .) The Usual Suspects (1995) directed by Bryan Singer
Lists It Appears On:
- Fandango
- Paste Magazine
Held in an L.A. interrogation room, Verbal Kint attempts to convince the feds that a mythic crime lord, Keyser Soze, not only exists, but was also responsible for drawing him and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro harbor – leaving few survivors. Verbal lures his interrogators with an incredible story of the crime lord’s almost supernatural prowess.
21 .) They Live By Night directed by Nicholas Ray
Lists It Appears On:
- Paste Magazine
- The Guardian
The story of a petty criminal and his girlfriend who try to escape their gang after a double cross of the thieves.
20 .) Twilight (1998) directed by Robert Benton
Lists It Appears On:
- Bloody Murder
- IMDB
A retired ex-cop and private detective gets mixed up in murder when he is asked to deliver blackmail money and walks into a 20 year old case involving the mysterious disappearance of an actress’ former husband.
19 .) Vertigo (1958) directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Lists It Appears On:
- AZ Central
- Bloody Murder
A retired San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend’s wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.
18 .) Zodiac directed by David Fincher
Lists It Appears On:
- Joblo
- Paste Magazine
The true story of the investigation of the “Zodiac Killer”, a serial killer who terrified the San Francisco Bay Area, taunting police with his ciphers and letters. The case becomes an obsession for four men as their lives and careers are built and destroyed by the endless trail of clues.
17 .) Klute (1971) directed by Alan J. Pakula
Lists It Appears On:
- Bloody Murder
- IMDB
- Surrey
This acclaimed thriller stars Jane Fonda as Bree Daniel, a New York City call girl who becomes enmeshed in an investigation into the disappearance of a business executive. Detective John Klute is hired to follow Daniel, and eventually begins a romance with her, but it appears that he hasn’t been the only person on her trail. When it becomes clear that Daniel is being targeted, it’s up to her and Klute to figure out who is after her before it’s too late.
16 .) Night Moves (1975) directed by Arthur Penn
Lists It Appears On:
- Bloody Murder
- IMDB
- Paste Magazine
Private detective and former football player Harry Moseby gets hired on to what seems a standard missing person case, as a former Hollywood actress whose only major roles came thanks to being married to a studio mogul wants Moseby to find and return her daughter. Harry travels to Florida to find her, but he begins to see a connection between the runaway girl, the world of Hollywood stuntmen, and a suspicious mechanic when an unsolved murder comes to light.
15 .) Zero Effect (1998) directed by Jake Kasdan
Lists It Appears On:
- Bloody Murder
- IMDB
- Slash Film
Daryl Zero is a private investigator. Along with his assistant, Steve Arlo he solves impossible crimes and puzzles. Though a master investigator, when he is not working, Zero doesn’t know what to do with himself. He has no social skills, writes bad music, and drives Arlo crazy. In his latest case, Zero must find out who is blackmailing a rich executive, and when his client won’t tell him, why.
14 .) Angel Heart (1987) directed by Alan Parker
Lists It Appears On:
- Bloody Murder
- IMDB
- Paste Magazine
- Surrey
The down-and-out private detective Harry Angel is ordered, by a mysterious man named Louis Cyphre, to go on a mission to find a missing person. His routine failure soon leads to a bloody spar with himself as Harry Angel goes on a supernatural journey into his own soul.
13 .) Double Indemnity (1944) directed by Billy Wilder
Lists It Appears On:
- BFI
- Paste Magazine
- The Culture Trip
- The Guardian
A rich woman and a calculating insurance agent plot to kill her unsuspecting husband after he signs a double indemnity policy. Against a backdrop of distinctly Californian settings, the partners in crime plan the perfect murder to collect the insurance, which pays double if the death is accidental.
12 .) Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) directed by Shane Black
Lists It Appears On:
- Fandango
- IMDB
- Joblo
- Paste Magazine
A petty thief posing as an actor is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl and a detective who’s been training him for his upcoming role…
11 .) Murder, My Sweet directed by Edward Dmytryk
Lists It Appears On:
- Bloody Murder
- Paste Magazine
- Surrey
- West World
Gumshoe Philip Marlowe is hired by the oafish Moose Malloy to track down his former girlfriend. He’s also hired to accompany an effeminate playboy buy back some jewels. When the exchange results in the playboy’s murder, Marlowe can’t leave the case alone, and soon discovers it’s related to Malloy’s. As he gets drawn deeper into a complex web of intrigue by a mysterious blonde, the detective finds his own life in increasing jeopardy.
10 .) The Third Man (1934) directed by Carol Reed
Lists It Appears On:
- AZ Central
- Bloody Murder
- Paste Magazine
- The Guardian
In postwar Vienna, Austria, Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime, only to learn he has died. Martins develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a “third man” present at the time of Harry’s death, running into interference from British officer Major Calloway, and falling head-over-heels for Harry’s grief-stricken lover, Anna.
9 .) Laura (1944) directed by Otto Preminger
Lists It Appears On:
- BFI
- Paste Magazine
- Surrey
- The Culture Trip
- West World
A police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he’s investigating.
8 .) The Long Goodbye (1973) directed by Robert Altman
Lists It Appears On:
- AZ Central
- Bloody Murder
- IMDB
- Paste Magazine
- Surrey
Detective Philip Marlowe tries to help a friend who is accused of murdering his wife.
7 .) Touch of Evil (1958) directed by Orson Welles
Lists It Appears On:
- BFI
- Paste Magazine
- The Culture Trip
- The Guardian
- West World
When a car bomb explodes on the American side of the U.S./Mexico border, Mexican drug enforcement agent Miguel Vargas begins his investigation, along with American police captain Hank Quinlan. When Vargas begins to suspect that Quinlan and his shady partner, Menzies, are planting evidence to frame an innocent man, his investigations into their possible corruption quickly put himself and his new bride, Susie, in jeopardy.
6 .) Brick (2005) directed by Rian Johnson
Lists It Appears On:
- AZ Central
- Bloody Murder
- Fandango
- Joblo
- Paste Magazine
- Surrey
A teenage loner pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.
5 .) Chinatown (1974) directed by Roman Polanski
Lists It Appears On:
- AZ Central
- Bloody Murder
- IMDB
- Paste Magazine
- Surrey
- The Guardian
Private eye Jake Gittes lives off of the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-World War II Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband’s extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together.
4 .) The Maltese Falcon (1941) directed by John Huston
Lists It Appears On:
- AZ Central
- Bloody Murder
- IMDB
- Paste Magazine
- Surrey
- The Culture Trip
A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.
3 .) Kiss Me Deadly (1955) directed by Robert Aldrich
Lists It Appears On:
- AZ Central
- BFI
- Bloody Murder
- Paste Magazine
- Surrey
- The Guardian
- West World
One evening, Hammer gives a ride to Christina, an attractive hitchhiker on a lonely country road, who has escaped from the nearby lunatic asylum. Thugs waylay them and force his car to crash. When Hammer returns to semi-consciousness, he hears Christina being tortured until she dies. Hammer, both for vengeance and in hopes that “something big” is behind it all, decides to pursue the case.
2 .) Out of the Past (1947) directed by Jacques Tourneur
Lists It Appears On:
- BFI
- Bloody Murder
- Paste Magazine
- Surrey
- The Culture Trip
- The Guardian
- West World
Jeff Bailey seems to be a mundane gas station owner in remote Bridgeport, CA. He is dating local girl Ann Miller and lives a quiet life. But Jeff has a secret past, and when a mysterious stranger arrives in town, Jeff is forced to return to the dark world he had tried to escape.
1 .) The Big Sleep (1946) directed by Howard Hawks
Lists It Appears On:
- AZ Central
- BFI
- Bloody Murder
- IMDB
- Paste Magazine
- Surrey
- The Culture Trip
- The Guardian
- West World
Private Investigator Philip Marlowe is hired by wealthy General Sternwood regarding a matter involving his youngest daughter Carmen. Before the complex case is over, Marlowe sees murder, blackmail, deception, and what might be love.
The 75+ Additional Best Detective Movies
| # | Movies | Directors | Lists |
| 41 | A Simple Plan | Sam Raimi | Paste Magazine |
| 42 | Ace in the Hole | Billy Wilder | Paste Magazine |
| 43 | After Dark, My Sweet | James Foley | Paste Magazine |
| 44 | Angel Face | Otto Preminger | Paste Magazine |
| 45 | Angels With Dirty Faces | Michael Curtiz | Paste Magazine |
| 46 | Black Widow | Bob Rafelson | Paste Magazine |
| 47 | Blade Runner | Ridley Scott | Paste Magazine |
| 48 | Blue Velvet | David Lynch | Paste Magazine |
| 49 | Body Heat | Lawrence Kasdan | Paste Magazine |
| 50 | Bound | Andy and Lana Wachowski | Paste Magazine |
| 51 | Broken City (2013) | Allen Hughes | IMDB |
| 52 | Clash By Night | Fritz Lang | Paste Magazine |
| 53 | Collateral (2004) | Fandango | |
| 54 | Crime Wave | André de Toth | Paste Magazine |
| 55 | Croupier | Mike Hodges | Paste Magazine |
| 56 | D.O.A. | Rudolf Maté | Paste Magazine |
| 57 | Dark City | Alex Proyas | Paste Magazine |
| 58 | Detour | Edgar G. Ulmer | Paste Magazine |
| 59 | Drunken Angel | Akira Kurosawa | Paste Magazine |
| 60 | Elevator to the Gallows | Louis Malle | Paste Magazine |
| 61 | Farewell, My Lovely (1975) | Dick Richards | IMDB |
| 62 | Fletch (1985) | Michael Ritchie | IMDB |
| 63 | Force of Evil | Abraham Polonsky | Paste Magazine |
| 64 | Gaslight | George Cukor | Paste Magazine |
| 65 | GUMSHOE (1971) | Bloody Murder | |
| 66 | Gun Crazy | Joseph H. Lewis | Paste Magazine |
| 67 | Hard Eight | Paul Thomas Anderson | Paste Magazine |
| 68 | Hickey & Boggs (1972) | Robert Culp | IMDB |
| 69 | HICKEY AND BOGGS (1972) | Bloody Murder | |
| 70 | HOT FUZZ | Joblo | |
| 71 | Inherent Vice’ | AZ Central | |
| 72 | Journey Into Fear | Orson Welles, Norman Foster | Paste Magazine |
| 73 | Key Largo | John Huston | Paste Magazine |
| 74 | King of New York | Abel Ferrara | Paste Magazine |
| 75 | Kiss of Death | Henry Hathaway | Paste Magazine |
| 76 | L.A. Confidential | Curtis Hanson | Paste Magazine |
| 77 | Le Doulos | Jean-Pierre Melville | Paste Magazine |
| 78 | Le Samourai | Jean-Pierre Melville | Paste Magazine |
| 79 | Lift to the Scaffold | The Guardian | |
| 80 | LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN | Joblo | |
| 81 | Maltese Falcon | West World | |
| 82 | Mildred Pierce | Michael Curtiz | Paste Magazine |
| 83 | Miller’s Crossing | Joel and Ethan Coen | Paste Magazine |
| 84 | MINORITY REPORT | Joblo | |
| 85 | Naked City | West World | |
| 86 | Night and the City | Jules Dassin | Paste Magazine |
| 87 | Night of the Hunter | Charles Laughton | Paste Magazine |
| 88 | Nightmare Alley | Edmund Goulding | Paste Magazine |
| 89 | Obsession | Edward Dmytryk | Paste Magazine |
| 90 | Odd Man Out | Carol Reed | Paste Magazine |
| 91 | Oldboy | Park Chan-wook | Paste Magazine |
| 92 | One False Move | Carl Franklin | Paste Magazine |
| 93 | Raw Deal | Anthony Mann | Paste Magazine |
| 94 | Red Rock West | John Dahl | Paste Magazine |
| 95 | Se7en | David Fincher | Paste Magazine |
| 96 | Sexy Beast | Jonathan Glazer | Paste Magazine |
| 97 | SHERLOCK HOLMES | Joblo | |
| 98 | Shoot the Piano Player | François Truffaut | Paste Magazine |
| 99 | Small Town Crime (2017) | Eshom Nelms | IMDB |
| 100 | Sorry, Wrong Number | Anatole Litvak | Paste Magazine |
| 101 | State of Grace | Phil Joanou | Paste Magazine |
| 102 | Sweet Smell of Success | Alexander Mackendrick | Paste Magazine |
| 103 | T-Men | Anthony Mann | Paste Magazine |
| 104 | Taxi Driver | Martin Scorsese | Paste Magazine |
| 105 | Tension | John Berry | Paste Magazine |
| 106 | The Big Fix (1978) | Slash Film | |
| 107 | The Blue Dahlia | George Marshall | Paste Magazine |
| 108 | The City That Never Sleeps | West World | |
| 109 | The Conversation (1974) | Francis Ford Coppola | IMDB |
| 110 | The Dark Knight (2008) | Fandango | |
| 111 | The Eye of the Beholder | Surrey | |
| 112 |
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
|
Joblo | |
| 113 | The Grifters | Stephen Frears | Paste Magazine |
| 114 | The Hitch-Hiker | Ida Lupino | Paste Magazine |
| 115 | The Killers | Robert Siodmak | Paste Magazine |
| 116 | The Killing | Stanley Kubrick | Paste Magazine |
| 117 | The Lady From Shanghai | Orson Welles | Paste Magazine |
| 118 | The Lady in the Lake | Surrey | |
| 119 | The Limey | Steven Soderbergh | Paste Magazine |
| 120 | The Naked City | Jules Dassin | Paste Magazine |
| 121 | The Nice Guys (2016) | Shane Black | IMDB |
| 122 | The Postman Always Rings Twice | Tay Garnett | Paste Magazine |
| 123 |
THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1970)
|
Bloody Murder | |
| 124 | The Prowler | Joseph Losey | Paste Magazine |
| 125 | The Reckless Moment (1949) | BFI | |
| 126 | The Set-Up | Robert Wise | Paste Magazine |
| 127 | The Sound of Fury | Cy Enfield | Paste Magazine |
| 128 | The Strange Loves of Martha Ivers | Lewis Milestone | Paste Magazine |
| 129 | The Stranger | West World | |
| 130 | The Verdict | Don Siegel | Paste Magazine |
| 131 | The Woman in the Window | Fritz Lang | Paste Magazine |
| 132 | The Wrong Man | Alfred Hitchcock | Paste Magazine |
| 133 | Thieves’ Highway | Jules Dassin | Paste Magazine |
| 134 | TRAINING DAY | Joblo | |
| 135 | White Heat | Raoul Walsh | Paste Magazine |
| 136 | Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ | AZ Central |
12 Best Private Eye and Detective Film Sources/Lists
| Source | Article |
| AZ Central | Top 10 detective movies |
| BFI | 10 great American film noirs |
| Bloody Murder | Top 20: Private Eye movies |
| Fandango | 11 Modern Film Noir Movies You Must See |
| IMDB | The Best Private Investigator Movies |
| Joblo | Top 10 Big Screen Detectives of the 21st Century |
| Paste Magazine | The 100 Best Film Noirs of All Time |
| Slash Film | The Best Private Eye Movies You’ve Never Seen |
| Surrey | Ten of the Best Private Eye Movies Ever Made |
| The Culture Trip | The 9 Best Film Noir Movies Of All Time |
| The Guardian | Top 10 film noir |
| West World | The ten best detectives in classic film noir |
