Detective Conan, or Case Closed as it is also known in North America, is one of the longest-running manga from Japan. It started in 1994 with the anime debuting slightly after that in 1996. Unfortunately for dubbed fans, only about a fourth of the anime was ever translated. Thankfully the subs are still coming out after a long delay.
The Case Closed manga and anime were so successful that they spawned movies. There have been over 20 movies and specials so far. Oddly enough, there have been more recent dubs of these films than the anime. Of the dozens of Case Closed movies out there, which ones are worthwhile? For those curious, all eight of these picks can be found in both subbed and dubbed forms.
8 Case Closed: The Last Wizard Of The Century
Case Closed: The Last Wizard of the Century is about the world-famous thief, Phantom Thief Kid, who promises to steal a priceless Faberge Egg. This artifact is the last known in existence to belong to the great Russian family, the Romanovs. After a failed attempt, it looks like Kid is seemingly assassinated by someone known only as the Scorpion.
Others that want the egg start dying as well. There is a murder mystery involved but the biggest mystery of all is tied to the egg and its missing counterpart. The film dives into some very National Treasure-like waters toward the end.
7 Case Closed: The Phantom Of Baker Street
Case Closed: The Phantom of Baker Street is a death game involving virtual reality. Conan and his friends participate in what appears to be a harmless VR demo of an upcoming game. Unfortunately for them the controlling AI goes haywire and promises to fry everyone’s brain unless someone can beat the game.
Conan and his group are transported to foggy old London wherein they must uncover the identity behind Jack the Ripper. The conceit is interesting but a bit slow due to Conan’s child friends tagging along.
6 Case Closed: Captured In Her Eyes
Case Closed: Captured in Her Eyes begins with a mysterious cop killer offing members of the force one by one. At a wedding party, Ran witnesses one of the detectives going down.
She knows who the killer is but due to trauma, she went into shock, causing amnesia. The killer knows what Ran knows so they try to kill her at every turn. Can Conan keep her safe, return her memory, and figure out the mystery of who the killer is?
5 Case Closed: The Fourteenth Target
Case Closed: The Fourteenth Target is a high-stakes game of elimination. A killer is going around, hunting people seemingly close to Kogoro. The hapless detective and the force think the killer is an old convict Kogoro put away.
This killer is leaving calling cards, seemingly working his down from the King to the Ace. Is this former convict looking for revenge or is there more to it? No spoilers, but let’s just say the reasoning behind the killings is too ridiculous for words.
4 Detective Conan: The Time-Bombed Skyscraper
Case Closed: The Time-Bombed Skyscraper is the very first movie in the series. There is a crazed bomber going around and blowing up buildings. These buildings are tied to an architect Conan, Kogoro, and Ran just met. What’s the connection?
The film has a lot in common with Speed. There’s even a scene where trains can’t go below 60KMPH, which can’t be a coincidence. It is an adrenaline mad rush to the end filled with plenty of explosions.
3 Case Closed: The Darkest Nightmare
Case Closed: The Darkest Nightmare sheds some light on the mysterious organization that turned Shinichi into his childlike, reborn form of Conan at the start of the series. The film opens up with an organization spy stealing information from the Public Safety Bureau. In her escape, she loses her memory and winds up in a new amusement park.
This is where Conan and his friends meet up with her. It’s one of the newer movies so it features fairly late characters such as Amuro, Akai, and other FBI members. The Adult Swim run of the anime never got to these characters in the dub.
2 Case Closed: The Fist Of Blue Sapphire
Case Closed: The Fist of Blue Sapphire is one of the most bombastic films in the series. Phantom Thief Kid kidnaps Conan and brings him to Singapore. Not only that, but Kid also disguises himself as Shinichi so he can stay close to Ran. Kid is being blamed for a murder he didn’t commit.
There’s also a fighting competition going on. How the two tie together is a little farfetched but it is a fun ride all the way to the end with nonstop action and jokes aplenty. Conan and Kid play off of each other well.
1 Lupin The 3rd VS Detective Conan: The Movie
As fun as it is seeing Conan and Kid buddy up, their relationship doesn’t compare to this film. Lupin the 3rd vs Detective Conan: The Movie is the second crossover of the two franchises. The first was a TV special. The film begins with Lupin the 3rd disguising himself as Kid to steal a jewel.
This is all to save Fujiko but the police, along with Conan, don’t care. They want to bring Lupin to justice no matter the cost. It feels more like a Lupin movie than a Conan one because of how jam-packed it is with gags. However it is framed, fans of both franchises will get a kick out of it.