7 mystery movies that will keep you guessing

We watch mystery movies because we’re fascinated by puzzles, exhilarated by suspense and drawn in by the darker side of human nature. An escape from reality, this swirling genre helps us journey with characters vicariously whether it be through exciting chases, solving crimes or bringing the bad guys to justice.  

Tapping into our sense of curiosity, mysteries are able to entertain and compel us, often capturing tales around greed, jealousy and vengeance. Immerse yourself in these 7 mystery movies now streaming on Showmax. 

1. The Beta Test

Would you do it if you could get away with it? The Beta Test is an unconventional and provocative dark comedy mystery thriller that confronts themes around fidelity, conformity and technology. Jordan Hines, a fast-talking and deeply flawed Hollywood agent, receives a mysterious envelope to a no-strings-attached rendezvous at a hotel.

Months away from his upcoming marriage, the high-strung and insecure executive is intrigued by the stranger and finds himself on the verge of risking everything to unveil his secret admirer.  

Starring indie maverick Jim Cummings (The Wolf of Snow Hollow), The Beta Test plays like Eyes Wide Shut lite. Cummings adopts an explosive acting style, much like Tom Cruise, and adds a satirical edge to lampoon Hollywood suits. A thought-provoking film, its sinister undercurrent adds suspense as the mystery unravels while moments of levity counterbalance the story’s dark intensity. 

2. Where the Crawdads Sing

Based on the 2018 novel by Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing follows a plucky wild child named Kya who’s forced to become self-reliant after she’s abandoned in North Carolina. Beautifully shot and well-acted, this coming-of-age mystery romance drama hinges on a murder as a young woman’s story is retold by way of flashbacks. 

Where the Crawdads Sing recalls The Gift, The Glass Castle, Nell and even To Kill a Mockingbird. While there aren’t any big name stars, this nostalgic and haunting film is spurred by the presence of screen veteran David Straitharn, with Daisy Edgar-Jones (War of the Worlds) and Taylor John Smith (Sharp Objects) in solid co-lead performances. A gritty story about a girl’s hard knock life, there’s a kitchen sink realism at play, tempered by its magical backwater setting and stirring soundtrack. 

3. My Son

What happens when a parent’s child disappears? My Son finds estranged parents, Edmond and Joan, who become increasingly distraught when they discover their seven-year-old boy may have been kidnapped from a campsite. A dark, haunting and pensive film, it recalls the tone and scenario of Prisoners, where a frantic father takes the law into his own hands in a bid to fastrack the police’s efforts. 

This dark, twisty and suspenseful mystery thriller stars James McAvoy and Claire Foy, who deliver emotionally-gripping performances. McAvoy was immense in Split and latches onto some of that same dark intensity in My Son opposite an equally heartbreaking performance from the gifted Foy. As they’re unexpectedly reunited, the drama centres on the parents’ attempts to join the search and recover Ethan as disturbing secrets rise to the surface. 

4. Alone

You tend to see things when traveling alone on a deserted road late at night. For the recently widowed Jessica, her nightmare begins when a fellow traveler’s sinister motives turn from close encounters with a creepy stranger into something much darker and more disturbing. Relying on sparse dialogue, this visually arresting film keeps you guessing as weird social interactions spiral out of control and a cold-blooded killer targets his next victim. 

Alone stars Jules Wilcox, who delivers a defiant lead performance in this gritty, suspenseful and thoughtful mystery thriller and modern riff on Little Red Riding Hood. After an abrupt start that recalls the chase in Jeepers Creepers, this edge-of-your-seat and violent thriller escalates tensions as Jessica finds herself alone and fighting for survival. 

5. Greta

It can be frightening to discover people have a dark side – even more so when their friendship borders on obsession only to reveal ulterior motives. This is the case in Greta, where a young woman helps and befriends a lonely widow after a “chance” meeting. Greta is a well-acted, sleek and elegant film with an unsettling score and subtle hints of slow-creeping danger.  

The disturbing crime mystery thriller stars Chloë Grace Moretz and Isabelle Huppert and tips its hat to the classic Stephen King adaptation Misery. Huppert’s foreboding performance as the widow contrasts beautifully against Moretz as a young woman being slowly drawn into her clutches. A class act with a curious pairing, Greta’s fine ingredients compel this suspenseful and chilling mystery. 

6. Searching 

Social media has infiltrated our lives. Ordinarily this is bad news but for David Kim, a widowed father desperately trying to figure out what happened to his missing teenage daughter, this trail of clues is his only hope. The mystery thriller Searching stars John Cho, who leans into its smart and timely armchair detective concept with a solid performance, as digital footprints become essential in this urgent private investigation. 

Using computer screens, smartphones and security cameras, Searching composes a film of twists-and-turns as a father pieces together what actually happened to Margot. A strangely familiar exercise in screen-flipping and multi-tasking, the visual mechanics keep you transfixed as we too are given a voyeuristic tour of someone else’s life. While not an overt commentary, its emotional power carries the concept in a subtle and thoughtful way. 

7. Smile 

Sometimes when we experience something and no one believes us, it can make us feel like we’re going crazy. The dark horror mystery thriller Smile finds a therapist reliving old traumas in a state of waking sleep. Having witnessed the sudden and violent death of a new patient, intense and disturbing hallucinations begin a downward spiral. As the victim’s unnerving smile continues to haunt her, Rose’s visions signal a malevolent otherworldly presence has taken root. 

This suspenseful and vivid supernatural horror mystery chiller stars Sosie Bacon, reminiscent of Hilary Swank, made all the more enigmatic by her unusually dark eyes. From its eerie opening, Smile intertwines unsettling imagery with classic horror elements to craft a creepy and spine-tingling story with deep-set irony and a silky visual aesthetic. 

More thrillers to stream online »