13 Charming British Mystery Movies

In November 1932, a smattering of Britain’s wealthy elite—and one American producer—are invited to Gosford Park for a shooting weekend by Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and his wife Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas). The guests arrive, the servants are assigned, and dinner begins promptly at eight. But when someone is murdered, everyone on the estate becomes a suspect. Told through various perspectives, this dark comedy will keep you on your feet as you try to figure out whodunnit.

You already know the story of Sherlock Holmes. But did you know he had a sister? The young Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) travels to London after the mysterious disappearance of her mother (Helena Bonham Carter). But the closer she gets to her mother, the more danger she finds herself in. Pairing up with a runaway Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), together they try to figure out who is trying to kill the young Lord؅—and why. Brown and Partridge steal the show in the cheeky and delightful British mystery.

On his way back from solving a theft in Jerusalem, detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) boards the Orient Express to head back to London. One of the passengers, American businessman Edward Ratchett (Johnny Depp) tries to hire Poirot as a bodyguard claiming his life is in danger. Poirot refuses and the following morning, after an avalanche derails the train, he discovers Ratchett was murdered. Everyone on the train becomes a suspect as the world-renowned detective tries to solve the crime before the passengers disembark and the murdered gets away. An all-star cast brings to life the fourth adaptation of this popular Agatha Christie novel.

Related: 9 Books for Fans of Murder on the Orient Express

Twenty-year-old Phillip receives a letter from his cousin—and guardian—explaining he has met a widowed woman, the Contessa Rachel Sangalletti, whom he plans to marry. But afterward, the tone of his letters change—as does his health. Weeks later he dies, and Phillip becomes heir to the estate. Rachel claims the estate was meant to be hers, so the ever-trusting Phillip invites her to continue living there while he looks for the truth. But Rachel captivates him, and he quickly falls in love with her. But when Phillip becomes ill, he realizes finding the truth may be the only thing that saves him.

Related: 9 of the Best Historical Mysteries to Lose Yourself In Time

One evening in 1912, a mysterious inspector (David Thewlis) interrupts a dinner celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling (Chloe Pirrie) and Gerald Croft (Kyle Soller). Inspector Goole is investigating the suicide of a young Eva Smith (Sophie Rundle). But with each guest Goole interrogates, the more he discovers that more than one person may be responsible for her death. An eerie adaptation of the 1945 play, this mystery highlights the underlying connection of humanity and the importance of social responsibility.

Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) both work as magicians under the mentorship of John Cutter (Michael Caine) in 1890’s London. When Alfred uses a riskier knot and Angier’s wife, Julia (Piper Perabo), dies in the water tank, the two become bitter rivals. Each one becomes obsessed with creating the world’s best stage illusion, escalating until their version of magic turns deadly. The Prestige is a taut mystery with a science fantasy twist that will leave viewers breathless by the end.

In England 1934, a high-society widow, Honey (Alice Eve) hosts her annual Halloween costume party. But she isn’t there for a good time. She’s secretly hired police inspector Shoerope (Wilf Scolding) to investigate everyone in attendance and find out who murdered her husband at the same event one year prior. A murder mystery with comedy and style, this swanky movie is a noir to remember.

A story within a story, The Truth of Murder follows a fictional Agatha Christie (Ruth Bradley) unable to write and on the brink of divorce. When she’s approached by Mabel Rogers (Pippa Haywood) to help solve the murder of her partner, Christie reluctantly agrees.  Gathering the suspects together under false pretenses, Christie tries to solve the murder before the situation escalates to deadly levels once again. Taking elements from both real life and Christie’s novels, this complex alternative history plot will delight classic mystery lovers.

Related: 10 Classic Mystery Novels Everyone Should Read

American journalist student Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson) was in the middle of her vacation, when she gets a tip that prominent British aristocrat Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman) is The Tarot Card Killer—a murderer responsible for killing numerous prostitutes. She decides to go undercover to get closer to Lyman and pretends to be wealthy Jade Spence. As she gets closer to Lyman while searching for clues, it becomes increasingly difficult to figure out whether he’s innocent—or if he’s simply playing deadly game of cat-and-mouse. While Scoop may be a bit more romantic comedy than comedy mystery, is a fun romp through familiar mystery tropes.

93-year-old Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellan) lives with his housekeeper Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney) and her son Roger (Milo Parker). Struggling with dementia, he is haunted by the elusive details of his last case. Roger is a huge fan and wants Sherlock to work again. Through Roger’s questions, he begins to remember the case and becomes determined to solve the case before he loses his mind forever. While Mr. Holmes focuses more on the internal struggles of the famous detective rather than his younger adventures, this quiet drama has plenty of mystery wrapped within its plot.

After falling in love with and marrying recently widowed Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer), the new Mrs. de Winter finds herself in her husband’s foreboding escape. But the manor lingers with reminders of Maxim’s deceased wife, Rebecca. The longer she’s there, the more uncertain the new Mrs. de Winter becomes. Did Rebecca really commit suicide? And if not, will she meet the same fate?

Sophia Leonides (Stefanie Martini) is the granddaughter of a late Greek-British businesswoman. She hires investigator Charles Hayward (Max Irons) to investigate her grandmother’s death. Everyone in the family has a motive. And Hayward needs to solve this crime before Scotland Yard gets involved and exposes all of the family secrets. Crooked House is a riveting mystery with multiple story threads and plenty of unexpected twists.

Marina Rudd (Elizabeth Taylor) and Lola Brewster (Kim Novak) are famous movie stars. They’re also bitter rivals. The two arrive at Jane Marple’s (Angela Lansbury) estate to film an upcoming drama. But when a fan drinks a cocktail made for Marina and dies, it’s obvious someone tried to poison the actress. Miss Marple takes over the investigation to find the murderer before they’re able to strike again. This charming adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel by the same name is a fun romp through the English countryside.