Knives Out backdrop

Films like Knives Out (2019)

Published: Feb 23, 2026

Knives Out plot: On the morning after a famous writer’s 85th birthday celebration, he is found dead in his own room. At first glance, it appears to be a suicide, but a mysterious stranger hires a renowned detective to conduct his own investigation.

Keywords: Ensemble cast, Family, Family drama, Class divide, Twist ending, Family dysfunction, Investigation, Mystery, Whodunit

Style characteristics: Tension, Complexity, Pacing, Humor

Gosford Park

1. Gosford Park

Drama Mystery Thriller
7.2

2001 · 2h 17min

United States, Italy

Director: Robert Altman

A group of wealthy people and celebrities gathers to unwind at a country hunting estate. Suddenly, the owner of the estate, Sir William, is found dead—and everything suggests that someone among the guests is involved.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Humor, Complexity, Tropes, Themes

Notable differences: Tension (-15%), Pacing (-20%)

Shared keywords

Ensemble cast, Family, Class divide, Mystery

Style

Complexity
65%
Humor
55%
Tension
55%

A Simple Favor

2. A Simple Favor

Thriller Comedy Mystery
6.7

2018 · 1h 57min

United States, Canada

Director: Paul Feig

Single mother Stephanie, who runs her own blog, meets a successful woman named Emily—she has everything Stephanie can only dream of. One day Emily disappears without a trace, and Stephanie begins an investigation of her own to find her friend.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Tension, Pacing, Humor, Tropes, Conflict

Notable differences: Darkness (+15%)

Shared keywords

Twist, Twist ending, Family dysfunction, Investigation, Mystery

Style

Tension
70%
Pacing
65%
Complexity
65%

See How They Run

3. See How They Run

Mystery Comedy Crime
6.5

2022 · 1h 39min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Tom George

Plans to adapt a popular play for the screen suddenly fall apart after the murder of a key member of the film crew. A seasoned Inspector Stoppard and his young assistant, Constable Stalker, take on the investigation.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Pacing, Humor, Tropes, Tone

Notable differences: Tension (-25%), Complexity (-15%)

Style

Humor
70%
Pacing
65%
Complexity
55%

The Thursday Murder Club

4. The Thursday Murder Club

Comedy Mystery Crime
6.5

2025 · 1h 58min

United States

Director: Chris Columbus

A group of retirees spends their time for fun investigating unsolved murders. But one day they find themselves at the center of a real investigation—and have to use all their skills to crack the case.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Tropes, Tone

Notable differences: Tension (-40%), Pacing (-15%), Humor (+20%), Complexity (-30%)

Shared keywords

Ensemble cast, Investigation, Mystery, Whodunit

Style

Humor
80%
Pacing
50%
Complexity
40%

Game Night

5. Game Night

Mystery Comedy Crime
6.9

2018 · 1h 40min

United States

Director: John Francis Daley

One day, a group of friends who regularly get together for late-night game sessions gets pulled into a real investigation when, during their latest game, real criminals kidnap one of their brothers.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Tension, Tropes, Themes

Notable differences: Pacing (+13%), Humor (+14%), Action (+35%), Complexity (-18%)

Shared keywords

Family, Twist, Mystery

Style

Pacing
78%
Humor
74%
Tension
62%

Murder on the Orient Express

6. Murder on the Orient Express

Mystery Drama Crime
6.5

2017 · 1h 54min

United States

Director: Kenneth Branagh

During an urgent journey aboard the Orient Express, the famous detective Hercule Poirot becomes involved in the mysterious murder of one of the passengers. The investigation is complicated by the fact that almost everyone on the train has a motive for the crime.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Tension, Complexity, Pacing, Tropes, Themes

Notable differences: Darkness (+15%), Humor (-45%)

Shared keywords

Family, Investigation, Mystery, Whodunit

Style

Tension
70%
Complexity
65%
Darkness
60%

Wicked Little Letters

7. Wicked Little Letters

Comedy Drama Mystery
7.0

2024 · 1h 40min

United Kingdom, France

Director: Thea Sharrock

Residents of the town of Littlehampton start receiving strange letters filled with witty profanity. Before anyone can make sense of it, locals quickly begin to suspect Rose, a loud Irish migrant.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Pacing, Tropes, Tone

Notable differences: Tension (-15%), Humor (+15%), Complexity (-15%)

Shared keywords

Investigation, Mystery

Style

Humor
75%
Pacing
60%
Tension
55%

A Haunting in Venice

8. A Haunting in Venice

Mystery Thriller Crime
6.5

2023 · 1h 44min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Retired detective Hercule Poirot lives a calm, measured life in Venice. One day, he reluctantly attends a séance where one of the guests is murdered. Now Poirot must unravel the mysterious crime and find the killer.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Tension, Pacing, Complexity, Tropes, Themes

Notable differences: Darkness (+25%), Humor (-48%)

Shared keywords

Investigation, Mystery, Whodunit

Style

Tension
72%
Darkness
70%
Complexity
62%

Enola Holmes 2

9. Enola Holmes 2

Adventure Mystery Crime
6.8

2022 · 2h 9min

United States

Director: Harry Bradbeer

Trying to step out of her brother’s shadow, Enola Holmes opens her own detective agency. Her first serious case doesn’t take long to arrive: a match factory worker comes to her asking for help finding her missing sister.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Humor, Pacing, Tropes, Tone

Notable differences: Tension (-15%), Complexity (-15%)

Shared keywords

Family, Investigation, Mystery

Style

Pacing
70%
Humor
60%
Tension
55%

Vengeance

10. Vengeance

Comedy Mystery Thriller
6.8

2022 · 1h 48min

United States

Director: B. J. Novak

One tragic evening, a New York journalist learns of his friend's death. He heads south to uncover the full story on his own and understand what really happened to the girl.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Humor, Pacing, Tension, Tropes, Themes

Notable differences: Complexity (-15%)

Shared keywords

Family, Investigation, Mystery

Style

Humor
62%
Tension
60%
Pacing
58%

Matchstick Men

11. Matchstick Men

Comedy Drama Crime Thriller
7.3

2003 · 1h 56min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Ridley Scott

A top-notch con artist and his partner are on the verge of a new big scam. But everything gets complicated when a daughter he never even knew existed suddenly shows up at his door.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Complexity, Pacing, Tension, Tropes, Themes

Notable differences: Humor (-18%)

Shared keywords

Family, Twist, Twist ending, Family dysfunction

Style

Complexity
66%
Tension
62%
Pacing
58%

Searching

12. Searching

Drama Mystery Thriller
7.6

2018 · 1h 42min

United States

Director: Aneesh Chaganty

When David Kim’s 16-year-old daughter suddenly disappears and the police investigation turns up nothing, he decides to uncover the truth himself by using her laptop. The deeper David goes into the search, the more he realizes how little he truly knows his own daughter.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Complexity, Tropes, Conflict

Notable differences: Tension (+20%), Pacing (+20%), Humor (-50%)

Shared keywords

Family, Family drama, Twist ending, Investigation, Mystery

Style

Tension
90%
Pacing
85%
Complexity
80%

8 Women

13. 8 Women

Comedy Thriller Mystery
7.0

2002 · 1h 51min

France, Italy

Director: François Ozon

In a remote estate, a family gathers to celebrate Christmas, but the master of the house is found murdered. Eight women living on the property fall under suspicion—each of them has her own motives and hidden secrets.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Tension, Pacing, Humor, Tropes, Themes

Shared keywords

Ensemble cast, Twist, Twist ending, Family dysfunction, Mystery

Style

Humor
70%
Tension
65%
Pacing
60%

Now You See Me

14. Now You See Me

Thriller Crime
7.2

2013 · 1h 56min

United States, France

Director: Louis Leterrier

An FBI agent investigates a crew of four professional illusionists who pull off brazen bank heists during their shows and hand the money out to the audience. Who are they—magicians, or just a bunch of con artists?

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Complexity, Tension, Pacing, Tropes, Themes

Notable differences: Humor (-15%)

Shared keywords

Twist, Twist ending, Investigation

Style

Pacing
75%
Complexity
70%
Tension
65%

Death at a Funeral

15. Death at a Funeral

Comedy Drama
7.3

2007 · 1h 31min

United States, Germany

Director: Frank Oz

A respected English family reunites to say goodbye to the head of the household. But at some point the funeral turns into chaos when a mysterious blackmailer reveals scandalous details from the deceased’s life.

Similarity

Closest characteristics: Tension, Pacing, Tropes, Conflict

Notable differences: Humor (+25%), Complexity (-25%)

Shared keywords

Family, Family dysfunction

Style

Humor
85%
Pacing
72%
Tension
70%