Across the genre of investigation films, there are many different angles at which stories are explored. Whether it be from the perspective of the detectives and investigators, the perspective of journalists, or the perspective of the criminal themselves, here are several investigative films from varying perspectives.

Zodiac (2007)

Zodiac, directed by David Fincher, is an investigative thriller film covering the timeline and events involving the infamous Zodiac Killer. Due to the sporadic crimes associated with the Zodiac, the film features many time jumps, ranging in length from just a couple hours to several years. It stars actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., and Brian Cox.

Gyllenhaal plays cartoonist and eventual author Robert Graysmith, who worked at the San Francisco Chronicle where he first heard about the Zodiac’s killings. Ruffalo played Dave Toschi, a police officer who worked on the Zodiac case as an inspector. Downey plays journalist Paul Avery, who worked at the Chronicle alongside Graysmith, reporting on the Zodiac case. Brian Cox plays lawyer Melvin Belli, who was requested by the Zodiac himself to talk over the phone on the morning talk show, A.M. San Francisco, hosted by talk show host Jim Dunbar. With the variety of shifts across the film, the case is explored through the perspective of citizens like Graysmith, officers like Toschi, journalists like Avery, and even some of the victims and suspects.

Due to the mysterious nature of the actual Zodiac’s true identity, the film presents numerous individuals throughout who were suspects in the case. The suspect most present in the spotlight of the film was Arthur Leigh Allan, played by actor John Carroll Lynch, who was the prime suspect of the case across several counties.

Zodiac can be streamed on Netflix.

The Post (2017)

The Post, directed by Steven Spielberg, is a historic drama film set in the 1970s centered around the Washington Post’s attempts to publish the Pentagon Papers, which documented the U.S. Government’s involvement in the Vietnam War starting from the Truman administration in the 1940s up to the Nixon administration in the 1960s. It stars actors Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Carrie Coon, and Bob Odenkirk.

Meryl Streep plays Katharine Graham, the publisher at the Washington Post, while Tom Hanks plays Ben Bradlee, the executive editor at the Post. Carrie Coon plays Meg Greenfield, one of the editorial writers at the Washington Post. Bob Odenkirk plays Ben Bagdikian, one of the journalists at the Post who was briefly in Vietnam and knew the individual that leaked the Pentagon Papers, a U.S. State Department analyst named Daniel Ellsberg, as played by Matthew Rhys. Bruce Greenwood plays Robert McNamara, the Secretary of State for Nixon at the time who happened to be friends with various other individuals featured in the film, such as Graham and Bagdikian. This complicates the Post’s position in the matter, as several of the individuals working there have very close connections to both Ellsberg as well as members of past Presidential cabinets involved. The film primarily explores the investigation through the eyes of journalists, politicians, and businessmen, showcasing the struggles that journalists endured when dealing with political matters on the federal level.

The Post can be streamed on Prime Video or bought from Apple TV.

Prisoners (2013)

Prisoners, directed by Denis Villeneuve, is a dramatic crime thriller focusing on the kidnapping and search for two young girls in Pennsylvania. The film stars actors Hugh Jackman, Jack Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Mario Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, and Paul Dano.

Hugh Jackman plays Keller Dover, the father of one of the missing girls. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Detective Loki, the lead detective on the case of the missing girls. Terrence Howard plays Franklin Birch, the father of one of the missing girls. Viola Davis plays Nancy Birch, Franklin’s wife and mother of one of the missing girls. Paul Dano plays Alex Jones, the initial suspect in the kidnapping. David Dastmalchian plays Bob Taylor, one of the other suspects in the case. The film explores the process of investigations from the perspective of a citizen through Keller, who attempts to take the law into his own hands, while contrasting his efforts with that of Detective Loki’s search for the girls, who at times struggles with the bureaucracy as an officer. The film uses both Keller’s character as well as the larger mystery surrounding the missing girls to comment on how trauma and stressful situations such as these can impact people, causing them to do at times irrational actions for the sake of what they believe to be the greater good.

Prisoners can be streamed on Prime Video or bought from Apple TV.

Se7en (1995)

Se7en, directed by David Fincher, is a mystery crime thriller following the hunt for a serial killer committing crimes based around the seven deadly sins: gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, pride, lust, and envy. The film stars actors Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey.

Morgan Freeman plays Detective William Somerset, who’s on the verge of retirement. Brad Pitt plays Detective David Mills, Somerset’s new partner. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Tracy Mills, the wife of Detective Mills. Kevin Spacey plays John Doe, the elusive killer of the film. The film takes place over the week leading up to Somerset’s retirement, as the detective duo uncover the various crime scenes enacted by the killer. The film primarily follows the investigation through the eyes of the detectives locating each crime scene.

Due to the heavy themes surrounding the seven deadly sins, the film touches upon literary works such as John Milton’s Paradise Lost, Dante’s Divine Comedy, and various scriptures. Each crime scene investigated by Somerset and Mills connects to one of the deadly sins, both in how the scene is visually set up by the killer as well as how it connects thematically to the detectives’ search. For example, upon locating the crime scene representing sloth, the detectives initially believed to have found a crack in the case, only to learn that the victim had been under John Doe’s watchful eye for a full year. Doe used the sloth crime to mock those hunting for him, goading them with their own sloth in the case. To a larger extent, each sin is aptly associated with the larger theme of the film and the killer’s motives.

Se7en can be watched for free on Pluto TV or bought from Apple TV.