Skip to main content
Games Radar
  • Newsarama
  • Total Film
  • Edge
  • Retro Gamer
  • SFX
Total Film The smarter take on movies
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Subscribe
  • Podcast
  • Newsletter
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best Netflix Shows

Recommended reading

Leonardo DiCaprio as Trooper William "Billy" Costigan Jr. undercover and sneaking next to a wall during a scene in The Departed.
Thriller Movies The 25 best thriller movies to send a shiver down your spine
Tom Holland in new Netflix movie The Devil All the Time
Thriller Movies The 25 best Netflix thrillers to watch right now
Jesse Plemons in Game Night
Movies The 32 most underrated movie comedies of all time
King Kong doing his thing on the Empire State Building in 1933's King Kong
Movies The 32 greatest New York City movies ever made
Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men
Movies The 32 greatest cinematic legal thrillers ever made
Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed in Heretic
Amazon Prime Video The 25 best movies on Amazon Prime to watch right now
The Best True Crime Podcasts
Thriller Shows The 30 best true crime podcasts to kill your free time, ranked
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

Best & Worst: Detective Movies

Features
By Joshua Winning published 17 August 2010

Noir, naughty and nuts…

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Best: Chinatown (1974)

Best: Chinatown (1974)

Moody noir. Jack Nicholson. Sumptuous visuals. Faye Dunaway. Cracking plotline. Killer ending. That’s the formula to Roman Polanski’s Oscar-grabber, a twisty, suffocating swirl of corrupt goings-ons and inter-personal affairs.

It remains one of the few films still standing at 100% fresh at Rotten Tomatoes. As Jack would say, “How do you like them apples?”

Page 1 of 17
Page 1 of 17
Worst: Inspector Gadget (1999)

Worst: Inspector Gadget (1999)

Far from the sly fun of the original cartoon series, this woeful big bucks movie interpretation suffers from terrible casting (Matthew Broderick as Gadget? Really? Where’s Christopher Lloyd when you need him?) and a plot as creaky and malfunction-y as Gadget’s mechanical body parts. Fail.

Page 2 of 17
Page 2 of 17
Best: Brick (2005)

Best: Brick (2005)

Flitting from old school to high school, noir gets hip again with a lick of post-millennial paint that re-casts typical detective movie staples in the blush of teenworld. Somehow, Brick does it without lessening any of the emotional blows, drawing clever parallels between the confusing, isolated existence of teens and the noirscape it draws inspiration from.

After the frisky campery of his Third Rock From The Sun series, Gordon-Levitt here proved he was one to keep a beady eye on (he’s even got the Chinatown -nodding busted shnoz).

Page 3 of 17
Page 3 of 17
Worst: In The Cut (2003)

Worst: In The Cut (2003)

Meg Ryan strips off. For some reason, we’re still yawning. Straining for credibility after spending most of her career grinning and weeping through no end of throwaway romcoms, Ryan gets caught up in an affair with a detective who’s looking into a murder.

You can tell this is Ryan ‘going legit’ because she’s muddied her famous blonde locks up.

Page 4 of 17
Page 4 of 17
Best: L.A. Confidential (1997)

Best: L.A. Confidential (1997)

Never-bettered ensemble piece that lives and breathes the golden ‘50s, as three staggeringly different cops attempt to root out the slime responsible for killing the patrons of an all-night diner in Los Angeles.

Career best performances from Kim Basinger, Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe, and director Curtis Hanson still hasn’t been able to surpass its opulent visuals and gritty, amorous charms.

Page 5 of 17
Page 5 of 17
Worst: Bone Collector (1999)

Worst: Bone Collector (1999)

This Se7en -by-numbers effort takes its best asset – Denzel Washington – and traps him in a bed for the entire running time. It wants to be a slick, updated Rear Window , instead it's nasty without reason and anybody who was already a fan of a certain cult actor could see the denouement a mile off. Still, Angie’s not bad.

Page 6 of 17
Page 6 of 17
Best: The Conversation (1974)

Best: The Conversation (1974)

Perhaps more relevant today than it was back in the ‘70s, director Francis Ford Coppola thinks decades ahead of his time as he examines the role of technology in our tech-heavy world.

Really, though, it’s a character driven drama that features a stellar performance by Gene Hackman – a role that earned him a BAFTA nomination.

Page 7 of 17
Page 7 of 17
Worst: Next Of Kin (1989)

Worst: Next Of Kin (1989)

Patrick Swayze puts on a hillbilly accent as a Chicago cop intent on tracking down his brother’s killer. It's got a cast that includes Liam Neeson, Adam Baldwin and Helen Hunt, meaning we should all left rolling in the aisles even before something funny's happened. Sadly it just boils down to undiluted stupidity. Watch The Beverly Hillbillies for your 'billie fix instead.

Page 8 of 17
Page 8 of 17
Best: Se7en (1995)

Best: Se7en (1995)

“What’s in the box?” Replete with one of the most famous final scenes in cinema history, Se7en is the kind of film that you can really feel – its grimed walls, misty streets and filthy brothels creep right under your skin and lay down roots.

Setting a standard for near every ‘90s detective thriller thereafter, Se7en ’s brilliance lies in its ability to take a high concept idea and keep it from running off the rails. Also, Morgan Freeman rules.

Page 9 of 17
Page 9 of 17
Worst: The Singing Detective (2003)

Worst: The Singing Detective (2003)

Whatever Robert Downey Jr. was smoking around this time, we want in. Pre- Iron Man blitz, post- Ally McBeal dismissal for drug-taking, Downey Jr. pitches up as the titular warbler, a hallucinating novelist who dreams he is a detective in the 1950s investigating a prostitute’s murder.

Not his worst (oh my Gothika !), but still an odd little misfire that Downey Jr.’s probably still attempting to forget. That’s if he can remember it in the first place.

Page 10 of 17
Page 10 of 17
Best: The French Connection (1971)

Best: The French Connection (1971)

William Friedkin and Gene Hackman stir up exquisitely-formed mayhem with this ground-breaking thriller, which has a lead called Popeye and a surprisingly decent sequel.

For those left feeling short-changed by more recent thrillers, French Connection is the perfect antidote – a good, old-fashioned detective flick that’s aged surprisingly well. Go get the Blu-ray now.

Page 11 of 17
Page 11 of 17
Worst: Miami Vice (2006)

Worst: Miami Vice (2006)

Michael Mann takes the original TV series and smashes it into a Collateral -style actioner. Some loved it, most hated it. What it boils down to is that old turkey: style over substance.

Though visually arresting, neither Colin Farrell nor Jamie Foxx are given the material they need to flesh their characters into charismatic coppers to challenge their small screen forbears. Wasted opportunity.

Page 12 of 17
Page 12 of 17
Best: Dial M For Murder (1954)

Best: Dial M For Murder (1954)

Ah, the old “let’s turn a play into a movie” routine. Looks easy enough (just add a cinematographer and some A-list stars), but many have fallen apart trying. Not Hitchcock, who here delivers one of the finest examples of stage-to-screen conversions.

A whodunit with grey matter by the barrel-load, Dial M not only plays its cards wisely, but features Hitch’s favourite heroine crush Grace Kelly. Beautious.

Page 13 of 17
Page 13 of 17
Worst: V. I. Warshawski (1991)

Worst: V. I. Warshawski (1991)

Kathleen Turner heads up this book adap, in what was hoped to be the first in a new series starring the titular super spy. Sadly, bad box office returns and a general critical response of “meh” meant that Turner never got the chance to play Warshawski again. No great loss.

Page 14 of 17
Page 14 of 17
Best: The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Best: The Maltese Falcon (1941)

The greatest MacGuffin in cinematic history? Could just be. Featuring Humphrey Bogart in his most famous role, Falcon coils a devastatingly clever plot into a suspenseful ticking time bomb that’s ready to spring at any moment. Yes, it's so good it merits mixing metaphors. Bogart arguably never bettered this performance.

Page 15 of 17
Page 15 of 17
Worst: The Fiendish Plot Of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980)

Worst: The Fiendish Plot Of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980)

Yes, that blurry still is indeed Helen Mirren. The now national treasure has appeared in a fair few stinkers in her time, but Fu Manchu really takes the digestive biscuit. Just look at that get up.

Most tragically, this is the last film that the great Peter Sellers made before he died – at least we’ll always have The Return Of The Pink Panther .

Page 16 of 17
Page 16 of 17
Best: Murder On The Orient Express (1974)

Best: Murder On The Orient Express (1974)

Albert Finny and Lauren Bacall unite for a superlative production steered with infinite skill by Sidney Lumet. Finney’s the stand-out, of course, going for eccentric and nailing it with all the skill of a scholar. It's his presence as Poirot that saves the flick from its admittedly predictable climax.

Page 17 of 17
Page 17 of 17
Joshua Winning
Social Links Navigation

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.  

See more Movies Features
Read more
Leonardo DiCaprio as Trooper William "Billy" Costigan Jr. undercover and sneaking next to a wall during a scene in The Departed.
The 25 best thriller movies to send a shiver down your spine
Tom Holland in new Netflix movie The Devil All the Time
The 25 best Netflix thrillers to watch right now
Jesse Plemons in Game Night
The 32 most underrated movie comedies of all time
King Kong doing his thing on the Empire State Building in 1933's King Kong
The 32 greatest New York City movies ever made
Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men
The 32 greatest cinematic legal thrillers ever made
Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed in Heretic
The 25 best movies on Amazon Prime to watch right now
Latest in Movies
Jacob Elordi as Nate Jacobs in Euphoria
Tom Holland and Jacob Elordi are reportedly being considered for Denis Villeneuve's Amazon James Bond movie
A group of guests at a birthday party during Parasite, one of the best movies on HBO Max.
What's the best movie of the 21st century so far? Thousands of people – and Julianne Moore – agree that it's 2020 Best Picture Oscar winner Parasite
The Shrouds
It may feature corpses, missing limbs, and AI, but with The Shrouds, legendary director David Cronenberg has made the ultimate meditation on grief: "To me, there is no afterlife"
Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four
Spider-Man director reveals why he stepped down from making Marvel movie Fantastic Four: "I knew I didn't have what it would've taken to make that movie great"
Ivanna Sakhno as AM3LIA in M3GAN 2.0
M3GAN 2.0 star Ivanna Sakhno explains how she brought horror villain AMELIA to life and what it was like having a creepy animatronic version of herself on set: "I cannot begin to tell you how unsettling it is"
Borderlands (2024)
Disastrous Borderlands movie gets the faintest of praise from Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford, who says it's a "miracle" the film even exists, which makes it "amazing" in his eyes
Latest in Features
One-Punch Man season 3: Saitama punching while in mid-air during the anime One-Punch Man.
Anime Expo 2025: dates, announcements, and why One-Punch Man fans should be excited
The Shrouds
It may feature corpses, missing limbs, and AI, but with The Shrouds, legendary director David Cronenberg has made the ultimate meditation on grief: "To me, there is no afterlife"
A full setup for Fate of the Fellowship with cards, tokens, and pieces all laid out
Legendary board game designer says his upcoming Lord of the Rings project is "definitely the most thematically and mechanically rich game I’ve worked on"
Promotional artwork for the Steam Summer Sale 2025 which runs from June 26th - July 10th at 10am PT
I've spent six hours exploring the Steam Summer Sale with our Games Editor, and these are the 10 best games on discount I'd recommend so far
The Outer Worlds 2 screenshot of Aza, a cultist companion with short pink hair who holds a dagger
The Outer Worlds 2 is "going deeper and more complex" with its companions, and I'm already making grabby hands at this RPG
Ruffy runs across the ocean on wooden crates in Ruffy and the Riverside, with the GamesRadar+ Indie Spotlight logo
Banjo-Kazooie and Paper Mario mix together in this delightful puzzle platformer that has me swapping textures to solve puzzles by changing the world
  1. Sam fires at the ghost mech squid boss in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
    1
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  2. 2
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  3. 3
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  4. 4
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  5. 5
    Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter"
  1. M3GAN doll in M3GAN 2.0
    1
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  2. 2
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  3. 3
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  4. 4
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  5. 5
    Karate Kid: Legends review: "Better than Karate Kid (2010), nothing on Karate Kid (1984)"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...