Looking for something new to watch on TV that will provide a pleasant escape from the news? Check out my updated list of favorite films in the mystery genre or movies involving writers. Many of these murder mystery movies are good examples of cozy mysteries, wherein an amateur sleuth solves a crime involving a distinctive cast of characters, an interesting setting, and a focus on relationships rather than forensic details. Watch for the clues, the setting within a setting, the quirky characters, and the other elements of a cozy. If you want a better definition, get a copy of Writing the Cozy Mystery. Here is my list of favorites in this genre.
FILMS
AMERICAN DREAMER with JoBeth Williams and Tom Conti.
This classic tale of intrigue is one of my favorites. A romance novelist wins a contest and a trip to Paris. En route to the awards luncheon, she’s in an accident and suffers a head injury. She wakes up believing herself to be the heroine in her favorite books. A spy caper follows that’s all too real, as she teams up with the author’s handsome son who thinks she’s a nutcase. That is, until someone tries to kill them. http://amzn.to/2qZVEhl
DROWNING MONA with Danny DeVito and Bette Midler.
This funny whodunit in a small town has a cast of wacky characters. Classic example of a cozy. http://amzn.to/2rkArzR
GOSFORD PARK with Helen Mirren and Jeremy Northam.
This English drawing room mystery takes place at a country estate. Aristocrats and servants alike have secrets that slowly unravel during a hunting party weekend. Albeit a bit slow-paced, this film requires repeat viewings to catch the nuances. http://amzn.to/2rklnC8
HER ALIBI with Tom Selleck and Paulina Portzkova.
This hilarious escapade finds mystery novelist Phil Blackwood falling for a suspected murderess while he searches for inspiration to unlock his writer’s block. Did the mysterious and beautiful foreigner have a hand in the victim’s death? If so, was he foolish to vouch for her alibi and bring her home? And are the accidents that occur after her arrival truly accidents, or is Phil next in line for his guest’s lethal hijinks? http://amzn.to/2qjtafC
KNIVES OUT with Daniel Craig.
When a wealthy patriarch is murdered in his ancestral home, a detective investigates. If you can tolerate Daniel Craig’s fake southern accent, this is an amusing mystery with a surprise twist. https://amzn.to/2YxG6BU
MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY with Woody Allen and Diane Keaton.
A Manhattan housewife thinks her next door neighbor is a murderer. She enlists her friends to search for clues. http://amzn.to/2qZEEIb
MURDER 101 with Pierce Brosnan.
English professor Charles Lattimore assigns his class to plan the perfect murder as a literary exercise. When he’s framed for a woman’s death, he has to find the killer before the detective on the case finds him. Will his students help him solve a real murder, or is one of them guilty? http://amzn.to/2qje0qK
MURDER BY THE BOOK with Robert Hays.
A mystery novelist thinks he’s hallucinating when his hero appears in front of him and talks back. He’s been thinking of changing to a new series and scrapping the sleuth, but now he needs the fellow’s help to solve a real murder. http://amzn.to/2qZrQzF
MURDER MYSTERY with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston.
A disgruntled cop and his wife go on a European vacation to reignite the spark in their marriage, but they end up getting framed for murder and have to track the killer to clear their names. Entertaining TV movie with a cast of wacky suspects. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1618434/
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, a remake of the classic Agatha Christie tale, with Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, and Penelope Cruz in an all-star cast. While not an ideal representation of the book, this film is worth viewing for the scenery and to see the actors in their roles. https://amzn.to/3eyZtAa
MY COUSIN VINNY with Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei, and Fred Gwynne.
In this funny courtroom drama, a New York lawyer on his first case defends two men in Alabama who are mistakenly accused of murder. Watch for clues in this hilarious mystery. http://amzn.to/2qnMisB
THE BOY NEXT DOOR with Dina Meyer and Cory Monteith.
A romance writer goes on a retreat to a small town to seek inspiration for her next story. When her next door neighbor is found dead, the chief of police suspects her. Even when her place is ransacked and someone tries to run her off the road, he discounts her theories and refuses to look into the incidents. It’s up to our heroine to prove her innocence and uncover the killer before his next attack turns fatal. http://amzn.to/2qZQXEi
TOWER OF TERROR with Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst.
This fun Disney film follows a down-on-his-luck journalist and his niece who investigate a story about the mysterious disappearance of five people at the abandoned Hollywood Tower Hotel in 1939. It’s a mystery along with a paranormal twist. https://amzn.to/2YAz4wn
TRUE MEMOIRS OF AN INTERNATIONAL ASSASSIN with Kevin James.
This Netflix original movie features a novelist whose fictional escapades become real in a comedic action-adventure film. After a publisher changes his novel about the experiences of a global assassin from fiction to non-fiction, the author is abducted and ordered to kill a foreign president. Each denial of his true identity gets him deeper into trouble. The only way to survive is to assume the persona of his fictional character. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1542768/
TV SHOWS
THE BROKENWOOD MYSTERIES with Neill Rea and Fern Sutherland.
http://thebrokenwoodmysteries.com/
Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd and Detective Constable Kristin Sims solve mysteries involving a limited number of suspects, most of whom know each other, in a distinct setting and with a definite sense of humor. Emphasis is on the relationships between characters and personal motives rather than forensics. Each episode is a perfect example of a cozy mystery despite the lack of an amateur sleuth. https://amzn.to/2Nwd3II
HIGH SEAS – A Netflix Series
Two sisters discover deadly family secrets and murder on a 1940’s luxury cruise from Spain to Brazil. The cliffhanger endings of each episode will compel you to binge-watch. So many plot twists you’ll be shaking your head either in confusion or in admiration for the writers. Dubbed in English. https://www.netflix.com/title/80233258
MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES with Essie Davis and Nathan Page.
The Honorable Miss Phryne Fisher solves crimes in 1929 Melbourne, Australia. Essie Davis plays the lead while Nathan Page plays her romantic interest, Detective Inspector Jack Robinson. Miss Fisher’s spectacular outfits, along with her feisty independent nature, bring a flashy elegance to the genre. http://amzn.to/2qjwVle
Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears – https://amzn.to/389Opr0
Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries – https://acorn.tv/msfishermodernmysteries/
Phryne Fisher’s niece, Peregrine, investigates murders in 1960s Melbourne with the help of handsome Detective James Steed.
HALLMARK MOVIES AND MYSTERIES has many cozy series on the small screen. http://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/
So there you go. If you have some free time this weekend, look up these films and have a good time. What are your favorites?
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