It’s cold out (in my hemisphere, at least) and it gets dark early and one of my favorite things to do on a cold, dark evening is make a cup of tea and curl up with a good mystery movie (or tv show). As we’re headed toward the holiday season, and if you, like me, need a break from the Elf and Christmas Vacation marathons, here are five cozy mysteries to curl up with this month!
Knives Out (movie series)
The newest installment of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out movie series, Wake Up Dead Man, came out in November and it has been one of my favorites of the year. I like that we’re getting a little bit more background on detective Benoit Blanc without the stories being overshadowed by him. Daniel Craig does a fantastic job embodying him and in this outing I especially loved the timeliness of the story beats. While it might feel a little too on-the-nose to some, I enjoyed the layered dive into faith, secrets and how a cult of personality can turn so very deadly.
The Residence
This mini series on Netflix was a delightful discovery a couple of months ago and will be a fun re-watch now that I know the end and can go back and enjoy spotting all the clues. This show follows detective Cordelia Cupp, a quirky investigator with a love for birding. She is called in to investigate an unlikely locked-room murder — the head usher at the White House is killed during a state dinner. This isn’t a political story but rather a people story, set in the particular world inhabited by the White House staff who come with the house and not with each President. Cordelia is entertaining and smart and I want to watch more of her — the series didn’t get renewed but we can always hope they bring back the character for a different story in the future a la Benoit Blanc, right?
The Marlow Murder Club
This is one I haven’t watched myself but Summer highly recommends (as do several of our community) so I’m adding it to the list and my own watchlist! Based on a series of books by the same name, the story follows retired archaeologist Judith Potts as she investigates a murder in her small town. The story is about friendship, resilience and, of course, murder. Sounds right up my alley!
Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries
This is an older series, but if you’re looking for a cozy mystery with a dash of romance and the glam of 100 years ago (set in Australia, no less), this show is for you. It follows the titular Miss Fisher who returns home to Australia after World War 1 (and adventures traveling the globe) to avenge the murder of her sister. She is a flapper and a detective and able to hold her own in any situation with poise and smarts. You’ll want to go on an adventure too after watching this one.
Only Murders in the Building
The last show on this list just finished its fifth season but if you haven’t watched it yet, it’s a whole lot of fun. The series centers on three neighbors who meet when their New York City luxury apartment building is evacuated and they serendipitously discover they are all fans of the same true crime podcast. When a murder happens in their very own building, the trio jumps in to put their true crime skills to work and solve the case — and shenanigans ensue. The chemistry between the lead actors (Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) is part of the magic but don’t sleep on the building’s many other residents — some of the side characters are the best parts of the show.
