The Most Anticipated Mystery and Thriller Movies of 2026
The movie business may be in a perpetual crisis, but there are lots of enticing mystery and thriller films on tap for theatrical release in the coming year (plus a few that are headed directly to streaming services). From explosive action to grounded drama, from original ideas to adaptations of popular books and comics, here are the mystery and thriller movies we’re most looking forward to seeing in 2026.
The Wrecking Crew
Longtime friends Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa willed this buddy-cop movie into existence via social media posts and talk-show appearances, and now it’s real, with the affable action stars playing half-brothers who investigate their father’s murder. The Hawaii-set movie promises plenty of banter between the leads, along with lots of explosions.
Streaming January 28th on Amazon Prime Video
How to Make a Killing
Inspired by the same source material as classic film Kind Hearts and Coronets and Tony-winning stage musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, this comedic thriller stars Glen Powell as the black sheep of an extraordinarily wealthy family who’ve left him to fend for himself. As revenge for their mistreatment, he decides to knock off every relative who’s ahead of him in line to inherit the family fortune.
In theaters February 20th.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Before winning an Oscar for Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy starred in the six-season Netflix historical crime drama series Peaky Blinders, and he reprises his role as 1920s London gangland boss Tommy Shelby in this follow-up movie, set several years after the events of the show. Various members of Peaky Blinders’ sprawling ensemble cast also return, alongside notable new additions Rebecca Ferguson, Tom Roth and Barry Keoghan.
Streaming March 20th on Netflix
Normal
Comedian and Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk continues to pursue his alternate career as an action hero following the Nobody movies. Here he plays a small-town Minnesota sheriff who takes down a criminal organization that’s deeply embedded in the seemingly sleepy community. Odenkirk brings some of his comedy chops to this project, co-writing the screenplay with Nobody and John Wick franchise creator Derek Kolstad.
In theaters April 17th.
4 Kids Walk Into a Bank
Based on the graphic novel by Matthew Rosenberg and Tyler Boss, this heist thriller follows a teenage girl who recruits her friends to rob a bank before her screw-up father gets himself in trouble with his own robbery plan. Talia Ryder plays the naïve criminal mastermind, with Liam Neeson, Jim Sturgess and Teresa Palmer among the adult cast.
In theaters April 17th.
The Sheep Detectives
The title here is not a metaphor: It is indeed actual sheep who are the detectives in this mystery comedy, based on the novel Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann. The flock take it upon themselves to investigate the apparent murder of their beloved shepherd (Hugh Jackman), which is difficult since they are unable to communicate directly with humans.
In theaters May 8th.
Mutiny
You know exactly what you’re going to get from a Jason Statham action thriller, and this one comes from Statham’s own production company, so it’s likely to be extra Statham-y. He plays a military veteran and private security officer who’s falsely accused of murder and has to clear his name while uncovering a vast conspiracy — and presumably doing a lot of kicking and punching along the way.
In theaters August 21st.
How to Rob a Bank
Action auteur David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, The Fall Guy) directs this heist thriller about a crew of bank robbers who document their crimes on social media, with a cast that includes Nicholas Hoult, Anna Sawai, Pete Davidson and Zoë Kravitz. Expect plenty of creative, elaborate stunt work as the thieves try to evade capture by the police while continuing to provide content for their followers.
In theaters September 4th.
Verity
While previous Colleen Hoover adaptations have focused on her romance stories, this film based on her 2018 novel is primarily a psychological thriller. There are still romantic elements, as aspiring author Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson) is attracted to the husband of the comatose woman whose book she’s been hired to complete. Josh Hartnett and Anne Hathaway play the couple with dark secrets that Lowen begins to uncover.
In theaters October 2nd.
Animals
Besties Ben Affleck and Matt Damon team up to produce Affleck’s latest directorial effort. Affleck also stars in the movie, playing a Los Angeles mayoral candidate who has to go to extreme lengths to save his kidnapped son. The gritty story about a kidnapped child harkens back to Affleck’s excellent directorial debut Gone Baby Gone, and he recruits a similarly stacked cast here, including Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington and Steven Yeun.
Coming in 2026 on Netflix, date TBD.
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Josh Bell is a freelance writer and movie/TV critic based in Las Vegas. He has written about movies, TV, and pop culture for the Boston Globe, Vulture, Tom’s Guide, Inverse, Crooked Marquee, and more. With comedian Jason Harris, he co-hosts the podcast Awesome Movie Year.