Movies Like The Armchair Detective

If you liked The Armchair Detective (1951), a mystery movie directed by Brendan J. Stafford, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
The Mirror Crack'd (1980)
★ 6.1/10Also mystery
Jane Marple solves the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim.
2
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)
★ 6.1/10Also mystery
To the Los Angeles elite, Ford Fairlane is known as "Mr. Rock 'n' Roll Detective." This loudmouthed ladies' man serves an exclusive rock star clientele, who depend on his keen eye and smug discretion. So when a…
3
Too Late (2016)
★ 6.8/10Also mystery
Private investigator Mel Sampson is tasked with tracking down the whereabouts of a missing woman from his own past.
4
Righteous Kill (2008)
★ 5.9/10Also mystery
Two veteran New York City detectives work to identify the possible connection between a recent murder and a case they believe they solved years ago; is there a serial killer on the loose, and did they perhaps put the…
5
Night Train to Lisbon (2013)
★ 6.5/10Also mystery
Raimund Gregorius, having saved a beautiful Portuguese woman from leaping to her death, stumbles upon a mesmerizing book by a Portuguese author, which compels him to suddenly abandon the boring life he has led for…
6
I Wake Up Screaming (1941)
★ 6.9/10Also mystery
A young promoter is accused of the murder of Vicky Lynn, a young actress he "discovered" as a waitress while out with ex-actor Robin Ray and gossip columnist Larry Evans.
7
American Gigolo (1980)
★ 6.2/10Also mystery
Julian makes a lucrative living as an escort to older women in the Los Angeles area. He begins a relationship with Michelle, a local politician's wife, without expecting any pay. One of his clients is murdered and…
8
Inherent Vice (2014)
★ 6.5/10Also mystery
In Los Angeles at the turn of the 1970s, drug-fueled detective Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend.
9
Song of the Thin Man (1947)
★ 6.7/10Also mystery
While attending a glamorous jazz cruise on New York’s East River, Nick and Nora Charles witness the fatal shooting of a wealthy patron. When suspicion falls on a young bandleader and his musicians, the couple steps in…
10
Blue Velvet (1986)
★ 7.6/10Also mystery
The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.
11
Flypaper (2011)
★ 6.4/10Also mystery
A man caught in the middle of two simultaneous robberies at a bank desperately tries to protect the teller with whom he's secretly in love.
12
Farewell, My Lovely (1975)
★ 6.7/10Also mystery
Private eye Philip Marlowe is hired by ex-con Moose Malloy to find his girlfriend, a former lounge dancer. While also investigating the murder of a client and the theft of a jade necklace, Marlowe becomes entangled…
13
Body Cam (2020)
★ 6.2/10Also mystery
As a police officer investigates the gruesome murder of her colleague, she discovers that a mysterious supernatural force is behind it.
14
Fedora (1978)
★ 6.7/10Also mystery
Down-on-his-luck Hollywood producer Barry 'Dutch' Detweiler attempts to lure Fedora, a famous but reclusive film actress, out of retirement, only to discover the horrifying truth behind her success.
15
Cleaner (2007)
★ 6.1/10Also mystery
Single father and former cop Tom Cutler has an unusual occupation: he cleans up death scenes. But when he's called in to sterilize a wealthy suburban residence after a brutal shooting, Cutler is shocked to learn he may…
16
Cult Killer (2024)
★ 6.4/10Also mystery
A private investigator is forced into a dangerous alliance with a killer in order to uncover a quiet town’s grisly criminal underbelly and clear the name of her mentor, who is implicated in the crimes.
17
Bugsy (1991)
★ 6.3/10Also mystery
New York gangster Ben 'Bugsy' Siegel takes a brief business trip to Los Angeles. A sharp-dressing womanizer with a foul temper, Siegel doesn't hesitate to kill or maim anyone crossing him. In L.A. the life, the movies…
18
Fallen Angel (1945)
★ 6.6/10Also mystery
An unemployed drifter, Eric Stanton wanders into a small California town and begins hanging around the local diner. While Eric falls for the lovely waitress Stella, he also begins romancing a quiet and well-to-do woman…
19
Mulholland Falls (1996)
★ 6/10Also mystery
In 1950s Los Angeles, a special crime squad of the LAPD investigates the murder of a young woman.
20
The Cheap Detective (1978)
★ 6.4/10Also mystery
A spoof of the entire 1940s detective genre. San Francisco private detective, Lou Pekinpaugh is accused of murdering his partner at the instigation of his mistress—his partner's wife.