The 18 most memorable comedic murder mysteries

We’ll start with television, and with perhaps the most popular comedic murder mystery in that medium. It helps that “Only Murders in the Building” stars two comedy legends in Steve Martin and Martin Short, alongside one of the most famous women on the planet, Selena Gomez. However, it also helps that “Only Murders in the Building” is really good and does (usually) manage to mix a strong mystery in with all the comedy.

Do you like procedurals? Do you like comedy? Then “Psych” may be right up your alley. It’s, ostensibly, about a fake psychic helping the police solve crimes, usually murders. What it’s really about, though, is silliness, pop-culture references, and genre riffs. It’s breezy, but a great show for unwinding.

In the world of film, “Knives Out” struck a chord with fans of the comedic murder mysteries. Rian Johnson crafted an original story that popped with audiences, which is increasingly rare, and Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc was an instant hit. “Knives Out” paved the way for “Glass Onion,” and the series continues apace.

If you went back to 1985 and told movie fans, “That movie based on that one board game? It’s a huge cult classic.” And yet, it’s true! “Clue” was not a success commercially or critically back in the day, but it has become a favorite of many. We fall somewhere in the middle. “Clue” is no classic of the genre, but it is quite good and quite funny.

“The Thin Man” started a series of movies about Nick and Nora Charles solving crimes between cocktails, parties, and cocktail parties. Now, personally, we think the second movie “After the Thin Man” is the best of the bunch, but we’re representing all of them here with this entry. Even the ones that are pretty mediocre later in the series.

Well, starting with the title “Murder Mystery” certainly helps set this one up nicely for this list. Of course, that title does not indicate comedy. The presence of Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston as the stars is what does that. Because Netflix loves Sandler so much, “Murder Mystery” got itself a sequel.

“Fletch,” the Chevy Chase movie, is not a murder mystery. It's about Chase’s version of the investigative reporter working a couple of mysteries, including why a wealthy industrialist has contracted Fletch to murder him. This long-gestating project “Confess, Fletch” is a murder mystery, though. Jon Hamm took on the role of Fletch who is much more like the version from the novels. While the movie was quite good, unfortunately it was not successful enough and a planned sequel was canceled. And yet, we had to suffer through “Fletch Lives.”

Before there was “Clue,” there was “Murder by Death.” This spoof-adjacent film was written by none other than Neil Simon. It features notable names and faces as parodies of famed mystery solvers of screen and page. Although, that does include a satirical riff on Charlie Chan that doesn’t always go down smoothly.

“Scream” really sent a jolt through the horror space and the slasher genre. However, it’s more than just a slasher. Those fearing getting slashed are also trying to figure out who Ghostface is. “Scream” also helped introduce a real thread of metatextuality into horror as well, for better or worse. It also generated a bunch of sequels.

Speaking of meta movies. Set in 1950s London, “See How They Run” is about two police officers working to uncover murders taking place around the production of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap.” It’s a murder mystery about the production of a murder mystery. Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan make a fun pair as the cops, and the movie is enjoyable if you aren’t expecting anything too meaty.

Rian Johnson doesn’t just stick to film when it comes to his affinity for comedic murder mysteries. “Poker Face” was inspired, in part, by “Columbo.” It’s a “how-catch-em” centered on a crime solver whose shambling nature leads to being underestimated. In the case of “Poker Face,” though, it’s an amateur played by Natasha Lyonne who has a remarkable ability to tell when somebody is lying.

You may not think of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” as a murder mystery, but it is. After all, the whole thing is a riff on hardboiled private eye films of yore, not to mention animation history. Robert Zemeckis’ movie remains a true original and a really good watch. Roger Rabbit is framed for murder, and it’s up to Eddie Valiant to figure out just what happened.

“The Nice Guys” doesn’t start as a murder mystery. It’s about a couple of Los Angeles private eyes who cross paths (violently) and then end up trying to unravel a murder. Shane Black wrote and directed, so it’s naturally quippy and occasionally sleazy. Oh, and part of it is set during Christmastime. All in all, though, Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe give great performances in a really good movie.

As you may or may not know, “The Pink Panther” is not an Inspector Clouseau movie. Peter Sellers’ bumbling detective is but one piece of the puzzle. Also, the main crime committed is the theft of the titular jewel. “A Shot in the Dark” is the first sequel, the one that turns it into a Clouseau series. A murder is committed at a country estate, and Clouseau is called upon to figure it out.

After the success of “The Jerk,” Steve Martin and Carl Reiner joined forces again. “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” was not the same level of hit, but it’s an interesting semi-experiment in storytelling. Martin plays a private eye hired to investigate the death of a mysterious woman’s father. That’s not the experimental part, but the movie makes use of scenes from over a dozen noir movies, with Martin’s character “interacting” with the characters from these scenes.

Hey, here’s a chance to work Chase into the mix since “Fletch” is not a perfect fit. “Foul Play” isn’t a perfect fit either, but put the two together and it all works. Plus, “Foul Play” does open with a murder. It’s just that the film isn’t always focused on said murder, with a lot of time dedicated to Goldie Hawn accidentally finding herself in a bit of espionage, with Chase in the mix as a police officer.

We’ll return to TV for a couple more to end things. “The Afterparty” features two seasons each of which focuses on a murder at a different event. What serves as the hook for this Apple TV+ show is that each episode is told from the perspective of a different person at the party, and the genre shifts depending on who is telling the story.

“Murderville” is a delight and also barely interested in the mystery or the story. It’s, instead, a vehicle for improv comedy. Will Arnett plays Terry Seattle, a homicide detective in Murderville. In each episode he gets a new partner, who is a celebrity such as Conan O’Brien or Marshawn Lynch. The celebrity has no script and no idea of what is going on or what’s next. Thus, the show’s performers are able to spring surprises on the celebrity, leading to a lot of chaos (and usually a lot of laughs).