Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "motive"
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1. Scream (1996)
R | 111 min | Horror, Mystery
A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
Director: Wes Craven | Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich
Votes: 387,977 | Gross: $103.05M
2. Scream VI (2023)
R | 122 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
In the next installment, the survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett | Stars: Courteney Cox, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown
Votes: 118,954
3. The Sinner (2017–2021)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Detective Ambrose employs some unusual tactics and a deep capacity for empathy to solve his cases. His boundless dedication is driven by his dark past, leading him into powerful and often dangerously intimate bonds with his suspects.
Stars: Bill Pullman, Jessica Hecht, Dohn Norwood, Adam LeFevre
Votes: 138,817
4. Scream (I) (2022)
R | 114 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
25 years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, Calif., a new killer dons the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town's deadly past.
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett | Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Melissa Barrera
Votes: 158,564 | Gross: $81.64M
5. Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
PG-13 | 114 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When a murder occurs on the train on which he's travelling, celebrated detective Hercule Poirot is recruited to solve the case.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench
Votes: 296,194 | Gross: $102.83M
6. Scream 4 (2011)
R | 111 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
Ten years have passed, and Sidney Prescott, who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer.
Director: Wes Craven | Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Lucy Hale
Votes: 171,028 | Gross: $38.18M
7. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Approved | 116 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A veteran British barrister must defend his client in a murder trial that has surprise after surprise.
Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester
Votes: 137,683 | Gross: $8.18M
8. Murder by Death (1976)
PG | 95 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Five famous literary detective characters and their sidekicks are invited to a bizarre mansion to solve an even stranger mystery.
Director: Robert Moore | Stars: Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Eileen Brennan
Votes: 41,626
9. The Pink Panther (2006)
PG | 93 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Bumbling Inspector Clouseau must solve the murder of a famous soccer coach and find out who stole the infamous Pink Panther diamond.
Director: Shawn Levy | Stars: Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer
Votes: 92,449 | Gross: $82.23M
10. Brick (2005)
R | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A teenage loner pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.
Director: Rian Johnson | Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lukas Haas, Emilie de Ravin, Meagan Good
Votes: 110,022 | Gross: $2.06M
11. Crossfire (1947)
Approved | 86 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A man is murdered, apparently by one of a group of demobilized soldiers he met in a bar. But which one? And why?
Director: Edward Dmytryk | Stars: Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, Gloria Grahame
Votes: 9,696 | Gross: $1.30M
12.
Columbo (1971–2003)
Episode:
Columbo Goes to the Guillotine
(1989)
Unrated | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An egocentric psychic murders his old mentor, a magician charged to expose him as fraud, by beheading him while he's rehearsing his guillotine trick.
Director: Leo Penn | Stars: Peter Falk, Anthony Andrews, Karen Austin, James Greene
Votes: 2,276
13. The Suspect (1944)
Passed | 85 min | Drama, Film-Noir, Thriller
An unhappily married man begins a flirtation with a younger woman. When his wife threatens to ruin her, he decides to take action.
Director: Robert Siodmak | Stars: Charles Laughton, Ella Raines, Dean Harens, Stanley Ridges
Votes: 3,542
14. It Stains the Sands Red (2016)
Not Rated | 92 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
In the throes of a zombie apocalypse, a troubled woman from Las Vegas with a dark past finds herself stranded in the desert with a lone and ravenous zombie on her tail.
Director: Colin Minihan | Stars: Brittany Allen, Juan Riedinger, Merwin Mondesir, Kristopher Higgins
Votes: 5,536
15. If a Tree Falls (2010)
77 min | Horror, Thriller
Siblings Brad and Lisa Carpenter, along with two lifelong family friends, Will and Vanessa, set out to cross Eastern Canada en route to an annual family reunion. Their road trip takes them ... See full summary »
Director: Gabriel Carrer | Stars: Ry Barrett, Breanne TeBoekhorst, Jennifer De Lucia, Daniel Zuccala
Votes: 362
16. Place of Execution (2008)
TV-PG | 137 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A young girl mysteriously vanishes from her English village home. 45 years later, a journalist's attempts to make a documentary on the case threaten to shatter the lives of all involved.
Stars: Lee Ingleby, Emma Cunniffe, Juliet Stevenson, Philip Jackson
Votes: 1,719
17. All This, and Heaven Too (1940)
Approved | 141 min | Drama, Romance
A duchess' irrational behavior toward her children's governess triggers tragic events that will change her family's lives forever.
Director: Anatole Litvak | Stars: Bette Davis, Charles Boyer, Jeffrey Lynn, Barbara O'Neil
Votes: 5,383
18. Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003 Video)
PG | 75 min | Animation, Action, Crime
The Dark Knight must contend with a mysterious female vigilante who emulates him, but to a more ruthless degree.
Directors: Curt Geda, Jennifer Graves, Tim Maltby | Stars: Kevin Conroy, Kimberly Brooks, Kelly Ripa, Elisa Gabrielli
Votes: 14,193
19. A Blueprint for Murder (1953)
Approved | 77 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Whitney Cameron suspects his sister-in-law has poisoned his brother and niece, but without proof how does he prevent the murder of his nephew?
Director: Andrew L. Stone | Stars: Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters, Gary Merrill, Catherine McLeod
Votes: 1,830
20. The Student Body (1976)
R | 83 min | Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
Three female inmates are offered early parole if they become test subjects for a college class. The class professor, Dr. Blalock, is secretly testing an experimental drug on the girls on behalf of a pharmaceutical company.
Director: Gus Trikonis | Stars: Warren Stevens, Jillian Kesner, Janice Heiden, June Fairchild
Votes: 206
21. Killers: Caught on Camera (2023– )
60 min | Documentary
True crime documentary series with unique access to the video footage that leads to the conviction of killers around the world. Experts explain how the latest technology builds a visual montage of evidence.
Star: Julia Shaw
Votes: 68
22. Rehearsal for Murder (1982 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A year after his fiancée's death, a playwright schedules a rehearsal for his new play, which proves to be a trap for her killer.
Director: David Greene | Stars: Robert Preston, Lynn Redgrave, Patrick Macnee, Lawrence Pressman
Votes: 831
23. The Benson Murder Case (1930)
Passed | 65 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A ruthless, crooked stockbroker is murdered at his luxurious country estate, and detective Philo Vance just happens to be there. He decides to find out who killed him.
Director: Frank Tuttle | Stars: William Powell, William 'Stage' Boyd, Eugene Pallette, Paul Lukas
Votes: 460
24. A Time to Kill (2020– )
Documentary, Crime
Determined investigators must piece together a crime scene to reconstruct the timeline, unlock the motive and ultimately get closer to the killer.
Stars: Tish Iceton, Michael Arntfield, Keira Stockdale, Lori Anne Thomas
Votes: 137
25. Lady Psycho Killer (2015)
TV-MA | 82 min | Comedy, Drama, Horror
Slicing up men of questionable intent, a doe-eyed killer is on the loose in a small town.
Director: Nathan Oliver | Stars: Kate Daly, Dennis Andres, Josh Dolphin, Meredith Heinrich
Votes: 641
26. The Family Pile (2023)
Comedy
A comedic exploration of one of life's big milestones, four sisters who have lost their parents and are packing up the family home to sell. But even in grief their messy lives go on.
Stars: Amanda Abbington, Clare Calbraith, Claire Keelan, Alexandra Mardell
Votes: 113
27. Penguin Pool Murder (1932)
Passed | 70 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Shady stockbroker and abusive husband Gerald Parker is found dead in the penguin pool of a NYC aquarium after being knocked cold by his wife's boyfriend.
Director: George Archainbaud | Stars: Edna May Oliver, Robert Armstrong, James Gleason, Mae Clarke
Votes: 1,414
28. Varg Veum - Bitre blomster (2007)
95 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A successful female politician hires private detective Varg Veum to find her missing daughter without attracting too much attention. During his investigation, Veum becomes aware of an ... See full summary »
Director: Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen | Stars: Trond Espen Seim, Bjørn Floberg, Kathrine Fagerland, Endre Hellestveit
Votes: 2,385
29. The Fappening (2015)
Unrated | 80 min | Horror
Inspired by the August 2014 celebrity cellphone hack. A struggling filmmaker has his wish for fame fulfilled, but gets more than what he bargains for.
Director: Sean Weathers | Stars: Lloyd Kaufman, Tina Krause, Erika Smith, Joel M. Reed
Votes: 69
30. Tomb of Torture (1963)
Not Rated | 88 min | Horror
A woman is tormented by dreams that she is the reincarnation of a dead countess. Her father, trying to get her to stop the dreams, takes her to a village near the castle of the late ... See full summary »
Director: Antonio Boccaci | Stars: Annie Alberti, Adriano Micantoni, Marco Mariani, Flora Carosello
Votes: 286
31. The Black Doll (1938)
Approved | 66 min | Comedy, Crime, Horror
Dishonest mine owner Nicholas Rood finds a Black Doll on his desk and knows that vengeance is about to overtake him for murdering his former partner. He is knifed as he talks to his ... See full summary »
Director: Otis Garrett | Stars: Donald Woods, Nan Grey, Edgar Kennedy, C. Henry Gordon
Votes: 245
32. Calling Philo Vance (1940)
Passed | 62 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Despite an exclusive contract with the U.S. government, designer Archer Coe's design is being bid on by German, Japanese, and Italian agents - until he's murdered.
Director: William Clemens | Stars: James Stephenson, Margot Stevenson, Henry O'Neill, Edward Brophy
Votes: 489
33. Model Behaviour (2013)
Not Rated | 90 min | Action, Crime, Mystery
A detective hunts a serial killer who resides within the fashion and modeling industry.
Director: Nathan Hill | Stars: Nathan Hill, Stacey McMahon, Michael Fenemore Cocks, Samira Amira
Votes: 111
34. Before Midnight (1933)
Passed | 63 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama
Detective tries to figure out who killed a man who predicted his own death.
Director: Lambert Hillyer | Stars: Ralph Bellamy, June Collyer, Claude Gillingwater, Bradley Page
Votes: 325
35. Hollywood Stadium Mystery (1938)
Approved | 66 min | Mystery, Romance, Sport
A boxer is killed in the ring, and the only clue is a tune that a man was whistling.
Director: David Howard | Stars: Neil Hamilton, Evelyn Venable, Jimmy Wallington, Barbara Pepper
Votes: 175
36. Murder on the Blackboard (1934)
Passed | 71 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
A pretty young music teacher is bludgeoned to death in Hildegarde's school, where she's reunited with Oscar, but the autopsy report says she was dying from poison too.
Director: George Archainbaud | Stars: Edna May Oliver, James Gleason, Bruce Cabot, Gertrude Michael
Votes: 790
37. Kaasua, komisario Palmu! (1961)
99 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
A rich widow is found dead of gas poisoning in her flat in Helsinki. First the death is thought to be an accident, but lieutenant Palmu notices that the murderer has made a mistake, and ... See full summary »
Director: Matti Kassila | Stars: Joel Rinne, Matti Ranin, Leo Jokela, Elina Salo
Votes: 1,668
38. Twilight Women (1952)
Not Rated | 79 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Vivanne is thrown on her own when her lover is arrested for murder. Searching for a place to live, she eventually finds a room in a boarding-house run by a woman who provides room-and-board for unmarried mothers with an ulterior motive.
Director: Gordon Parry | Stars: Freda Jackson, Rene Ray, Lois Maxwell, Laurence Harvey
Votes: 212
39. Newsfront (1978)
PG | 110 min | Drama, History
In post-war Australia the men and women of Cinetone struggle to produce the weekly news reels for the movie-going public.
Director: Phillip Noyce | Stars: Bill Hunter, Gerard Kennedy, Wendy Hughes, Chris Haywood
Votes: 902
40. One Step to Eternity (1954)
95 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
Francois Roques, a power-and-money-mad editor of a Paris newspaper (who justifies his actions by calling attention to his poverty-stricken childhood), invites four women to a housewarming ... See full summary »
Director: Henri Decoin | Stars: Danielle Darrieux, Michel Auclair, Corinne Calvet, Gérard Buhr
Votes: 149
41. Mystery of the White Room (1939)
Approved | 58 min | Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery
In the middle of an eye-surgery operation in a large hospital, the lights in the operating room go out and the chief surgeon is murdered. It is the job of Police-Detective Spencer to figure... See full summary »
Director: Otis Garrett | Stars: Bruce Cabot, Helen Mack, Joan Woodbury, Constance Worth
Votes: 81
42. Famously Haunted: Amityville (2021 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 84 min | Documentary
This Tubi Original documentary delves deeply into one of the most famous and exploited hauntings in the United States, along with the tragic, real-life murderers of the DeFeo family.
Stars: Jay Anson, Beverly Banks, Geralyn Bazza, James Brolin
Votes: 106
43. De 7 drab (2009–2010)
40 min | Drama, Mystery
- a TV-series about the 7 motives for killing, describing the human behind the action.
Stars: Mette Lysdahl, Merete Van Kamp, Laurits Munch-Petersen, Sohail A. Hassan
Votes: 117
44. Andha Naal (1954)
130 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
After an engineer is shot dead, several people around him relate different versions and the related incidents that may have led to the murder.
Director: Sundaram Balachander | Stars: Shivaji Ganesan, Pandari Bai, Jawar N. Sitaraman, T.K. Balachandran
Votes: 478
45. The Lady in Scarlet (1935)
Approved | 65 min | Mystery, Romance
When a wealthy art dealer is murdered, the private investigator hired for the case discovers a web of blackmail, corruption and stolen bonds.
Director: Charles Lamont | Stars: Reginald Denny, Patricia Farr, Jameson Thomas, Dorothy Revier
Votes: 187
46. Murder on a Bridle Path (1936)
Approved | 66 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
After Hildegarde proves that the accidental riding death on a Central Park bridle path is really murder, she's faced with a plethora of red herrings and a real killer.
Directors: William Hamilton, Edward Killy | Stars: James Gleason, Helen Broderick, Louise Latimer, Owen Davis Jr.
Votes: 528
47. O striglos pou egine arnaki (1968)
80 min | Comedy
Widowed and with three grown-up sons, a stern Director of the Naval Academy hires a beautiful woman as a live-in housekeeper, to put an end once and for all in the absolute chaos that reigns in his home. But, what is her ulterior motive?
Director: Alekos Sakellarios | Stars: Labros Konstadaras, Maro Kodou, Pavlos Liaros, Thanos Papadopoulos
Votes: 1,206
48. Underground (1999 TV Movie)
65 min | Drama, Romance
Director: Peter Webber | Stars: Emma Cunniffe, Shaun Dingwall, Rick Warden, Toby Jones
Votes: 16
49. Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu Cave (2006 Video Game)
E | Adventure, Mystery
Teen detective Nancy Drew teams up with the Hardy Boys to investigate a legendary creature that may be causing the strange things happening in the Hawaiian rain forest.
Director: Mike Paganini | Stars: Lani Minella, Jonah Von Spreecken, Robert Jones, Scott Carty
Votes: 84
50. Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel (2003 Video Game)
E | Adventure, Mystery
Teen detective Nancy Drew investigates when a carousel at the Captain's Cove Amusement Park begins mysteriously starting up in the middle of the night shortly after one of its antique horses was stolen.
Director: Max Holechek | Stars: Lani Minella, Laurie Jerger, Gary Hoffman, Jonah Von Spreecken
Votes: 91