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The 40 best crime movies of all time

From mobsters and con artists to serial killers and thieves, here are EW's favorite capers.

Looking for a great heist, investigation, or twisty true crime film? From Steven Soderbergh 's wild and flirty Out Of Sight to the unforgettably clever Inside Man by Spike Lee , crime movies can be unforgettable testaments to the power of great scripts and even better casts. There's a reason prestige directors like Antoine Fuqua , Steve McQueen , David Fincher , Jane Campion , and Martin Scorsese have all been drawn to the genre, which absorbs the fingerprints of creators and is almost cartoonishly easy to screw up.

To make a crime movie is to flex both dramatic chops and stylistic muscle — and that confidence can be rewarded if, and only if, everyone and everything is working together. Great editing cannot save a bad crime movie, so we've decided to marvel at the best the genre has to offer.

Here are the 40 best crime movies that changed the game and got us talking.

"The French Connection" (1971)

This William Friedkin neo-noir masterpiece all but swept the 44th Academy Awards. The adaptation of Robin Moore's non-fiction book sees two detectives try to bring down a drug kingpin with complications arising at every turn. Countless films have tried to emulate its greatness since, but The French Connection is the modern blueprint of the genre for a reason. Gene Hackman — who developed new shades of menace and gravitas with each passing year — turns in a career-best performance as the determined and obsessive Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, who, along with Roy Scheider as his partner, seems truly willing to lose his life if it means catching Fernando Rey's Alain "Frog One" Charnier.

Friedkin knew where he wanted the camera for every shot, and that includes the famous car chase sequence , which still manages to instill dread and anxiety as Hackman crashes into vehicles while in hot pursuit of a villain on a train. It's ambitious, dogmatic, and insanely neglectful of everything but the pursuit of justice, a perfect metaphor for the film itself.

Where to watch The French Connection : Max

"The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II" (1972, 1974)

Francis Ford Coppola 's career high mark gave audiences the American crime saga of the Corleone mafia family toward the end of the '50s, with Part II looking back on the criminal clan after Vito Corleone ( Robert De Niro ) moves to the States from Sicily. With an ensemble including Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Richard Bright, Abe Vigoda, and Bruno Kirby, the prequel was already destined to be memorable, but Coppola's sense of timing and rhythm makes the film feel like a true achievement even decades later.

In an era where movies increasingly suffer from bloated runtimes, Coppola made the first installment 's three-hour length riveting, packing the story with a grand wedding, shootouts, a love story in Italy, surprise murders, and the death of a patriarch, all while having time left over for excursions in Hollywood and Las Vegas. With the role split between Brando and De Niro, Vito Corleone emerged as a tragic and vicious figure who looms over his family, leaving a legacy that haunts everyone he loves. Truly, the two performances gave us one of the most in-depth portraits of a fictitious character we've ever seen on screen.

Where to watch The Godfather : PlutoTV

"The Departed" (2006)

After a long and illustrious career, no one expected any more surprises from Jack Nicholson , yet here he is, giving the complex Irish mafia boss Frank Costello the best he has to offer. With venom and shrewd determination, Nicholson paints his character as a swaggering monster who milks every syllable of his dialogue with vitriolic relish. When you factor in Leonardo DiCaprio 's ongoing hot streak of dramatic roles around this time — and that Mark Wahlberg was hitting his golden-era stride here as a mafia informant working for the police — it's almost easy to overlook director Martin Scorsese 's efforts behind the camera. Here, he manages to have his fingerprints all over the film without it feeling too wishy-washy or grandiose, an arguably new skillset for the director that came into sharp focus with The Aviator (2006), which also stars DiCaprio. The final sequence of The Departed features what might be the most surprising and stunning death in a Scorsese movie, to the point that it makes shoes wrapped in bagged booties a genuinely terrifying sight.

Where to watch The Departed : Amazon Prime Video

"Pulp Fiction" (1994)

While Hollywood was busy churning out thrillers (and mostly bad comedies) in the 1980s, Quentin Tarantino was busy figuring out how he would define the next era of cinema. After populating his debut, 1992's Reservoir Dogs , with "that guy" actors, he managed to one-up himself with Pulp Fiction , recruiting Samuel L. Jackson , Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, and Christopher Walken to give voice to his quick-witted, pop-culture heavy banter, all while wrapping it in a plot so meticulous and elegant that it would influence a whole new generation of filmmakers. Tarantino proved himself to be a master of the unexpected here, as his gangsters brushed existential elbows with a boxer, a sex worker, an actor, an army vet, and desperate criminals all looking to make it through another day in California.

Where to watch Pulp Fiction : Max

"Zodiac" (2007)

Try as he might, David Fincher will likely never make a better film than Zodiac , as it's a work that's uniquely personal to him. The director was a school-age boy when the eponymous killer was running rampant in his home state of California, and getting the details right became so crucial that, according to his DVD commentary, he reportedly had orange trees flown to set so he could better replicate his memory.

A film by an obsessive about obsession, Jake Gyllenhaal is perfectly cast as the fastidious crossword writer determined to crack the case at the cost of his marriage. Robert Downey Jr. is dually excellent as a washed-up reporter in this pre- Iron Man career comeback film, with Mark Ruffalo holding steady as a San Francisco detective while John Carroll Lynch is the ever-creepy Arthur Leigh Allen, who lurks on screen as if conjured from the depths of Fincher's lived-experience fear. The director is known for his meticulous and tiring amount of takes, which are designed to break the actors of their quirks and get them to show us their raw selves on screen. In some of his other films, this can seem like auteur nonsense, but here, it only enhances the depths of despair and darkness that await these characters in the glittering lights of the city.

Where to watch Zodiac : Showtime

"Goodfellas" (1990)

A damn fun product of its time, Goodfellas is a perfect film to start a decade following 10 years of excess, power suits, and explosions. By telling a relatively straightforward story that blends real people from the era of the Gotti mafia family with imagined characters, Martin Scorsese's dramedy biopic about a kid who falls in love with the gangster life is as even-keeled as anything the director has made. Prior to this film, he often had big ideas that felt hampered by a frenetic energy and less-than-clear direction. Here — with generous assistance from Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci , and an excellent Ray Liotta as players in a propulsive story about the romance and horror of being a knockaround guy — Scorsese finds momentum. The film not only clicked into place something for the director, but for culture as a whole, as the oft-imitated use of voiceover, classic rock, and a breezy approach to intense characters has been used to make television and movies pop ever since Goodfellas hit the scene.

Where to watch Goodfellas : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"Chinatown" (1974)

With an early example of the twisty, complicated narratives that would become popular in '90s thrillers (and 2010s middling Netflix shows), Jack Nicholson's Jake Gittes helps Faye Dunaway and gets pulled into her orbit — and in over his head — while investigating a murder conspiracy. The film's themes of city corruption and inexplicable injustice ripple across countless lesser projects, but the way Chinatown lands is so nihilistic that it's downright soul-crushing.

Where to watch Chinatown : Amazon Prime Video

"Se7en" (1995)

With a script so violent and disgusting that it was called "evil" by multiple A-listers , Se7en defied Hollywood conventions and was a perfect match for David Fincher, who was then known for directing Alien 3 (1992) along with gritty and inventive music videos. Seeing two detectives ( Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman ), a young wife ( Gwyneth Paltrow ), and a serial killer ( Kevin Spacey ) murdering in accordance with his ideas of punishment for the seven deadly sins, the film benefited from the darkened skies, ultra-drab cityscape, and quiet longing in the performances that would all become Fincher staples. Of all the director's work, this ending still breaks your heart the most.

Where to watch Se7en : Hulu

"Menace II Society" (1993)

A tale every bit as interesting, nuanced, and complex as The Godfather , the Hughes Brothers' central players are caught in a socio-economic system that's governed by an unforgiving set of implicit rules. Here, violence and death are daily occurrences, and getting ahead feels impossible but is always top of mind. In the poor, neglected, and overpoliced Watts and Crenshaw neighborhoods of L.A., Tyrin Turner's Caine Lawson and Larenz Tate's Kevin "O-Dog" Anderson (not to mention a brilliant turn from Jada Pinkett Smith ) are just trying to hustle — even if that means bodies have to pile up.

Neither overly sentimental nor unsympathetic, Albert and Allen Hughes craft realistic characters with more nuance and complexity than traditional gangster films. In Menace II Society , their motivations extend beyond simple obligation or loyalty to family, and the weight of it all is constantly resting on the shoulders of everyone around them, despite how much they want it to change.

Where to watch Menace II Society : Tubi

"Rope" (1948)

James Stewart is incredible as Nietzsche-obsessed teacher Rupert Cadell, but he's far from the most impressive aspect of Alfred Hitchcock 's groundbreaking film. Shot in technicolor, occurring in real time, and edited to appear as four long takes, everything from Birdman to The Bear likely wouldn't exist without Hitchcock's ingenious work here circa 1940. The murder at the center — a strangulation committed as an intellectual exercise, with the body hidden in the buffet used for hosting the victim's loved ones — is grim for any era, and even the best modern crime movies rarely live up to such cruelty.

Where to watch Rope : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"The Untouchables" (1987)

Brian De Palma's works between 1976 and 2000 are some of the oddest, most ambitious pieces of filmmaking out there, with The Untouchables serving as a great bellwether for his singular touch. More grounded than Scarface and tenfold beyond The Bonfire of the Vanities , the film focuses on Eliot Ness' attempt to bring down Al Capone during the 1930s prohibition. Kevin Costner and Robert De Niro dazzle as the two historical figures, but Sean Connery is the heart of the movie, playing courageous and upright agent James Malone, whose death gives Ness all the more reason to topple Capone's liquor empire.

Where to watch The Untouchables : Amazon Prime Video

"Inside Man" (2006)

Denzel Washington teams up with consummate collaborator Spike Lee for a film that uses cool energy to brilliant effect. With Clive Owen in the antagonist role of Dalton Russell, the film locks into a clever heist that mixes elements of Heat , Ocean's 11 , and more into something that's distinctly a Lee joint. The director's love for capturing real people moving, unguarded, can be seen as Denzel's hostage negotiator talks things through with his team outside the bank. The ultimate reveal — and Russell's decision to target Nazi money — give the film a uniquely Lee quality, as it meditates on cosmic justice in an intricate way only he could manage. Owen is also undeniable here, turning in maybe the most memorable performance of a bank robber ever committed to film.

Where to watch Inside Man : Peacock

"Bonnie and Clyde" (1967)

The film that gave us everything from True Romance to Queen & Slim , this Arthur Penn caper follows Clyde Barrow ( Warren Beatty ) and Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) as criminal lovers destined for tragedy. Made toward the tail end of a romance boom we wouldn't see again until the '90s, Bonnie and Clyde perfected the intoxicating motif of two young people in love with each other and destruction. There's incredible chemistry between Beatty and Dunaway, who elevate a relatively straightforward movie into something that seems alive, as if the actors and the real historical characters are one and the same. When they are inevitably killed, it feels like the end of more than just a film, even if it's meant to capture the desperation of the Great Depression.

Where to watch Bonnie and Clyde : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"Searching" (2018)

John Cho is absolutely magnetic as a father trying to find his missing daughter in a film designed to hold your attention. Director Aneesh Chaganty contains the action to Cho interacting with the world through a computer the way a child would. As he moves from app to app uncovering more leads, you're increasingly hooked on the tension and convinced by the story's authenticity. Everything, from the way the clues are parsed out to typing on a cell phone, lights up a reward center in the viewer's brain that craves more. And in the center of it all is Cho, who turns in a performance so unforgettable that it reminds you he's deserved better this entire time.

Where to watch Searching : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"Double Indemnity" (1944)

Billy Wilder crafted this story of fraud and murder with crime writer Raymond Chandler. Another film that gave the genre a new language, Double Indemnity is a confession by shotty insurance salesman Walter Neff ( Fred MacMurray ) told mostly in flashbacks, detailing his involvement with a killing and cover-up that saw him pose as the dead man on a train. While retrospective scenes were not new to cinema (having been used in the 1939 adaptation of Wuthering Heights to great effect before), this was one of the first instances in a crime story. Impeccably acted and paced, the film launched Wilder to success, paving the way for his future classics like The Seven Year Itch (1955) and Some Like It Hot (1959).

Where to watch Double Indemnity : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"The Long Goodbye" (1973)

As with all Robert Altman films, the magic is in the meandering. Here, Elliott Gould brings a deft touch to his hang-dog detective Philip Marlowe, moving with a lightness that's hard to pin down but is undeniably comic. The first 10 minutes are an incredible swirl of paranoia, alcoholism, and sluggish dumbness when Gould just needs to feed his cat. With a narrative split between Marlowe's mania and the world of Hollywood crime, Altman's sense of film language and impeccably composed shots tie the two together cohesively. If you don't mind hanging out, this is as good as it gets for messy, bumbling detectives and their cases — and the harmonica playing at the end justifies the runtime alone.

Where to watch The Long Goodbye : Tubi

"Heist" (2001)

Delroy Lindo and Gene Hackman show their younger castmates how it's done in David Mamet 's elegant story about two aging best friends and career criminals going in for one last burglary. Mamet is known for theater, but he's had an equally weird and interesting experience in Hollywood, where he essays distinct moments like the wild plane scene in Heist and its ending, which is so perfectly stupid in its logic that it's almost genius. Hackman and Lindo are more than believable as shifty men who are always fidgeting with energy, thinking about the next move while trying to seem present and calm. Then there's Sam Rockwell, Danny DeVito, and Rebecca Pidgeon, who all turn in serviceable performances for the leads to bounce off of like tennis balls.

Where to watch Heist : Amazon Prime Video

"Fargo" (1996)

As the film that proved crime movies could be dryly funny and uniquely ironic, Fargo operates on its own frequency, following Frances McDormand 's pregnant police officer as she tracks down killers in snowy Fargo, N.D. Dark humor and violence are on equal display here, as the Coen Brothers confidently showcase a young-ish Steve Buscemi, a woodchipper, and Midwest goofiness against the backdrop of a state where nothing and everything happens. The Coens would follow this odd template to success throughout the better part of their careers as co-directors.

Where to watch Fargo : Max

"Thelma and Louise" (1991)

When you think of Ridley Scott , you might recall epic historical sagas and sci-fi films , but in Thelma and Louise , he proved he's just as apt at stripped-down crime movies. Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis star as the titular duo who kill a bad man and do their best to stay free until their last breath. A story about friendship may seem simple, but careful and acute chemistry is required to pull it off, and Davis and Sarandon manage to seem like true friends as they find pockets of fun in their bleak situation. Harvey Keitel and Stephen Tobolowsky round out the cast, while Brad Pitt enjoys his breakout role here.

Where to watch Thelma and Louise : Showtime

"Scarface" (1983)

Arguably the defining crime film of a decade brimming with decadence, Scarface is excessive in every way, which only enhances its appeal. Focused on the rise and fall of cocaine tsar Tony Montana, the Brian De Palma film stars Al Pacino , Michelle Pfeiffer, and F. Murray Abraham. Though Pacino's portrayal of a Cuban refugee turned gangster is in poor taste, his brazen, simmering energy and willingness to go over the top is a perfect match for De Palma's vicious, neatly unhinged vision for Tony and his crew. While it's hard to tell whether the film is being critical of or celebrating Montana, the decapitation, debauchery, and almost cartoonish plot points toward the end make this spectacle a towering ode to the idea of crime as a fantasy, with the reality of it encroaching at the edges.

Where to watch Scarface : Netflix

"Casino" (1995)

Sharon Stone was on a hot streak when she teamed up with Martin Scorsese for this look inside the inner workings of a mafia-run casino. The film is fine, with Joe Pesci and Stone mostly stealing the show, but the real clincher is how Scorsese heaps problem after problem on Robert De Niro's Sam Rothstein, who is struggling to appease his bosses, keep his business healthy, and manage the brazen Pesci, playing a mob enforcer who is done listening to his bosses from across the country. Everything crescendos as expected, but the way Scorsese manages tension is something he'd begin working on more earnestly here and had mastered by the time he shot The Departed a decade later.

Where to watch Casino : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"They Live By Night" (1948)

Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell charm as two lovers trying to find a way out of a life of crime while confronting danger at every turn. The film was an early effort to tell an ill-fated romance story set in the gruesome world of crooks and thieves, with a pregnancy providing the emotional motivation for all that happens in the back two-thirds of the runtime. It's also one of the few features on this list that considers escape a dream rather than a nightmare, a burden, or a failure. Granger's intentions are honorable, and O'Donnell sparks his performance with life, making his tragic end that much more gutting.

Where to watch They Live By Night : Not available to stream

"Decision to Leave" (2022)

Romantic from the first frame to the last, Park Chan-wook 's 2022 masterpiece is a culmination of his steady and coherent approach to disturbing characters and his love for Hitchcock. Most of the films on this list paint dogged detectives as do-gooders in pursuit of their criminals, but here, we see a sleuth lovesick for the murderer he's supposed to be taking down. Park Hae-il's insomniac investigator Jang Hae-jun is brimming with longing despite having a loving wife, and Tang Wei's Song Seo-rae is sympathetic and flirtatious enough that you're willing to look the other way about their romance (and her killings). Decision to Leave may leave you in tears, be it from the love story or the way Chan-wook captures the beauty of everything from the crashing waves to falling snow.

Where to watch Decision to Leave : Amazon Prime Video

"Traffic" (2000)

Crime movies are Steven Soderbergh's bread and butter, and here, he cracks open a (literally) colorful story about the way drugs are spawned, supplied, sold, and used in America, exploring the overlooked labor and death that go into meeting market demand. Don Cheadle , Luis Guzmán, Benicio del Toro, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Topher Grace (playing a perfect asshole) help explain the complicated web of how things work for both the supplier and someone looking to buy some rock. Each narrative thread had its own distinct color to help the audience follow the storylines, but even with that assist, it's a tangled web that's a joy to unfurl.

Where to watch Traffic : Peacock

"Set It Off" (1996)

It's easy to recognize how great Queen Latifah is now, but in the 1990s, she was still fighting for recognition, be it for her musical talent, her impeccable comedy chops on the legendary Living Single , or as an actor in more dramatic fare. Here, F. Gary Gray manages to help her and the ensemble shine as women who turn to crime after getting fed up with racist work environments. Jada Pinkett Smith, Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and the always-winning Kimberly Elise absolutely run circles around a very good Blair Underwood playing a loverboy and John C. McGinley as a detective trying to take them down. It's been nearly 30 years since Set It Off 's release, and there's arguably no group of actors in a crime movie locked so fully into the same vibe before or since.

Where to watch Set It Off : AppleTV+ (to rent)

"The Conversation" (1974)

The best-composed film of Francis Ford Coppola 's career, The Conversation seems to always be in motion, with the camera floating through different iterations of cinematic reality. Unsurprisingly by this point in the list, Gene Hackman plays a surveillance expert named Harry Caul, who captures a conversation he obsesses over to mesmerizing effect, with the film functioning as a character study and thriller in equal measure. Paranoid and living his life in as much privacy as possible, the film's ending is an incredible feat of powerful acting — and a generous reminder that Hackman never lost a step in his effusive career.

Where to watch The Conversation : Showtime

"Widows" (2018)

The underrated Widows was Steve McQueen 's follow-up to the incredible 12 Years a Slave , pivoting to tell a fluid and complex story that weaves meditations on marriage and betrayal. Liam Neeson casts a shadow over the film as an allegedly deceased career criminal/devoted husband; but the narrative centers Viola Davis , Cynthia Erivo, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, and Colin Farrell in a surprisingly explosive story about revenge, corruption, legacy racism in powerful families, and the flow of money from the underworld of crime to the underworld of politics. Come for the cast, stay for the hatred of Neeson's crooked con.

Where to watch Widows : Amazon Prime Video

"Training Day" (2001)

This bombastic tale of a corrupt cop and a rookie trainee having one bad day together feels in line with the stark and serious cinematography of the time, yet it's so distinctly an Antoine Fuqua work. With Ethan Hawke 's newbie simmering against the go-for-broke finesse of Denzel Washington 's very bad, no-good officer, Training Day revels in tension, with washes of blue and green augmenting scenes where Hawke is bullied into getting high. But when things become too true to life, Fuqua knows to cut the style and let the actors carry the scene. We've seen Washington excel countless times, but the wild-eyed machismo he drenches his crooked character in here is yet to be topped.

Where to watch Training Day : Apple TV+ (to rent)

"Monster" (2003)

Charlize Theron proved herself capable of anything after winning an Oscar for playing real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos, assuming a steely exterior and comporting her femininity into uniquely intimidating shapes. In Patty Jenkins ' hands, Monster allows Theron to take up as much space as she wants, exploring the complex abuse that shaped Wuornos just as much as her crimes. There may never be another portrait of someone who's both a victim and perpetrator that feels so complete and urgent again.

Where to watch Monster : Tubi

"Deep Cover" (1992)

Bill Duke, hot off 1991's A Rage in Harlem , directs this compelling story about identity, obsession, and the murkiness of police task forces. Laurence Fishburne turns in a tremendous performance as a DEA agent living a complicated life undercover as a cocaine dealer who slowly begins to see both sides of the corruption more clearly. Jeff Goldblum does a fine job as a drug trafficker who gets close to Fishburne, but it's the latter alone who makes the whole film sing.

Where to watch Deep Cover : Tubi

"Thief" (1981)

Michael Mann wanted audiences to take the journey with James Caan 's career criminal, Frank, from getting out of jail to setting up shop, stealing, being double-crossed, and everything else that goes into the makings of fugative. Of course, as a Mann film, things aren't straightforward. In the tradition of classic crime movies, Frank's ambitions are complicated by love and parenthood, and when his life away from work is threatened by criminal boss Leo (an in-the-pocket Robert Prosky), he moves everyone to safety and blows up his own house. The image remains a stark and evocative metaphor for characters caught at a crossroads between one dark road and a dimly-lit path out of trouble.

Where to watch Thief : Showtime

"Get Carter" (1971)

There's something fascinating about what Michael Caine has come to represent to American audiences. After a long career playing leads and co-leads, he later gained a reputation as a gentle paternal figure (see: his Alfred in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy). But here, in the strongest era of his leading man status, Caine is a dashing, moral, relentless badass who takes out an entire family of rich creeps. Director Mike Hodges uncorks him as a criminal with a good — albeit violent — heart, who is capable of true masculine terror. Get Carter doesn't just give him a great role; it gives us something to reference when we start to forget what he's capable of.

Where to watch Get Carter : Amazon Prime Video

"Out of Sight" (1998)

George Clooney (in the midst of his ER run) and a dedicated Jennifer Lopez have more than enough room to heat up the screen in this sexy heist film about a charming thief, a formidable tender officer, and all the mischief within a mansion. Lopez is at the top of her acting game here, and the film catches Steven Soderbergh at a time when he wants to flex a bit, resulting in an unforgettable opener involving a body in a trunk and a finale shoot-out that's an impressive sequence for a director drowning in them.

Where to watch Out of Sight : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"City of God" (2002)

City of God is an indie that broke big in the aughts, and for good reason. Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund's film feels like a good novel, with art, crime, love, and squalor all intersecting in a cohesive story that manages to astonish. The cast was largely without acting experience, but it's hard to parse that as a viewer since there's a real naturalism to their performances, which creates a sense of freedom and discovery. Photography plays a large part in the story, with photos serving as both a means of expression and a running narrative device, and the way it connects to Seu Jorge's "Knockout Ned," the film's heart and soul, is beautiful in every instance.

Where to watch City of God : PlutoTV

"One False Move" (1992)

The late Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton serve as steady characters for Cynda Williams, Earl Billings, and the underrated Michael Beach to bounce off of in Carl Franklin's stunner of a film. One False Move rests somewhere comfortably between his Devil in A Blue Dress (1995) and the bonkers Out of Time (2003) in terms of voice. The story follows three Black men as they confront, confide, and cut deals in racist Arkansas, with one carrying an intimate connection with Paxton's sheriff. The film isn't particularly strange or different for the genre, but the confidence Franklin directs with — and memorable performances from Williams and Beach — make this something to seek out.

Where to watch One False Move : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

"Sexy Beast" (2000)

In his absurd farce of a career criminal being brought in for one last job, Jonathan Glazer 's film may be the first to consider how annoying it is to be a thief. Retired Gary Dove (Ray Winstone) just wants to live a good life in Spain, but British underworld recruiter Don Logan ( Ben Kingsley ) won't let him rest. If you've ever wondered how Kingsley landed his role as Trevor Slattery in the MCU, look no further. Here, he torments Winstone with a profane version of his character in the Marvel films. There's also an incredible underwater vault sequence that makes full use of Glazer's music video know-how.

Where to watch Sexy Beast : Paramount+

"New World" (2013)

Park Hoon-jung's epic Korean film focuses on the oft-overlooked world of corporate crime, with undercover cop Lee Ja-sung (Lee Jung-jae) caught up in a war between an obsessive police captain and Moongold, the corporation syndicate he works for. The movie is a study of loyalty, with Ja-sung ultimately committing to the operation after having struggled and been lied to by his law enforcement mentor. Unlike every other film on this list, our protagonist isn't in it for himself, just trying to stay alive, or ultimately seeking a happy life. Instead, we watch a man who spent nearly a decade living a shadow life submit more and more to darkness in a stunningly shot movie.

Where to watch New World : Amazon Prime Video

"Aaranya Kaandam" (2010)

Thiagarajan Kumararaja's directorial debut set the international film scene on fire with a story of class warfare that features a rooster as a key plot device. Two differing criminal factions want a load of cocaine, but when a poor farmer named Kaalayan (Guru Somasundaram) gets wind of it, his life briefly entangles with the crime bosses, resulting in a bloody final showdown and a delightful twist ending. The movie is operatic and impressive for a first feature, and fans looking to see how it's done outside the U.S. shouldn't sleep on it.

Where to watch Aaranya Kaandam : Hulu

"Promising Young Woman" (2020)

Emerald Fennell 's frothy take on revenge films smartly squares Carey Mulligan as a confident, too-smart-for-the-room woman who avenges her friend's assault and pretends to be drunk at bars so that she can shame and terrify creepy men when they bring her home. Adam Brody, Bo Burnham, Max Greenfield, Sam Richardson, and Chris Lowell play various shades of terrible people, and the intricate plot moves along at a clip, wasting no minutes in its sub-two-hour runtime. The ending is a thing of beauty, and while the story isn't exactly surprising, Promising Young Woman is nonetheless a trenchant and resonant film.

Where to watch Promising Young Woman : Amazon Prime Video

"In the Cut" (2003)

Jane Campion 's stylish consideration of crime from an eyewitness' point of view raises many questions: Who can you trust? What does a believable relationship between siblings look like on screen? Why is Mark Ruffalo 's penis making eye contact with me? Starring Ruffalo as (what else) a detective investigating a slaying, Jennifer Jason Leigh as an off-kilter sister to Meg Ryan 's witness, Patrice O'Neal as a hustler, and Kevin Bacon as an obsessive, abusive ex-boyfriend, the film does its best to wrangle these performances into something mostly comprehensive. Campion has a knack for unsettling timing and imagery while, with a killer on the loose, Ryan has to contend with possibly being stalked and gore that needs to be seen to be believed. What the movie lacks in cohesion, it more than makes up for in atmosphere.

Where to watch In the Cut : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

Related content:

• They're young, they're in love, and they kill people: A look back at how Bonnie and Clyde revolutionized Hollywood
• Why Set It Off is an era-defining film that shouldn't be remade
• Why does everyone want to work with Steven Soderbergh?

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The 40 Best True Crime Movies to Watch Now

These films will definitely keep you up at night.

Here, 40 of the best true crime films you can watch right now:

The Good Nurse

The Good Nurse is the true story of Charles Cullen, a convicted serial killer, and how his colleague, fellow nurse Amy Loughren, helped bring him to justice. Eddie Redmayne plays Charles and Jessica Chastain plays Amy in this adaptation of Charles Graeber's book The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder .

In Cold Blood

Based on Truman Capote's 1966 nonfiction book of the same name , In Cold Blood is the fictionalization of the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. Capote's story was one of the first true crime books ever written, and credited with popularizing the genre.

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

Zac Efron stars as Ted Bundy in this true crime film, which follows Liz (Lily Collins) as she falls for Ted. It's based on Elizabeth Kendall's memoir, The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy , about her relationship with Bundy.

Bonnie and Clyde

This 1967 film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway tells the tale of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, an American criminal couple who go on a crime spree before they were shot to death in 1934.

Summer of Sam

Spike Lee's 1999 film is a dramatization of the Son of Sam serial murders that took place in the Bronx during summer 1977. John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody, Mira Sorvino, and Jennifer Esposito star in the movie.

When Mari Gilbert (Amy Ryan)'s daughter Shannan goes missing, and she starts to investigate on her own—and discovers a string of unsolved murders of local sex workers. It's based on the true story of Shannan Gilbert, who disappeared in 2010, and a Long Island serial killer. It's based on Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker.

Dog Day Afternoon

Sidney Lumet's Dog Day Afternoon is a dramatization of the 1972 robbery of a Chase bank in Brooklyn by John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile. Al Pacino stars as Sonny Wortzik, based on Wojtowicz, and John Cazale plays Sal Naturile.

Memories of Murder

From director Bong Joon-ho, Memories of Murder follows three detectives who investigate a series of rapes and killings in Hwaseong, South Korea in the late 1980s. It's based on the true story of the first confirmed serial murders in South Korea.

Foxcatcher follows multimillionaire John du Pont (Steve Carrell), as he attempts to build an Olympic wrestling team. He invites wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) to move into his home, but tensions arise when Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) joins them. While Dave's 1996 murder is not the focus of the film, the events build up to that horrific moment.

Heavenly Creatures

Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey make their film debuts in Heavenly Creatures , a project based on the 1954 Parker–Hulme murder case in Christchurch, New Zealand. The story follows the friendship of two teenage girls, Juliet Hulme (Winslet) and Pauline Parker (Lynskey), that eventually culminates in the murder of Parker's mother.

Zodiac , directed by David Fincher, is about the true story of the Zodiac Killer, a serial killer who terrorized San Francisco in the 1960s. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr., the movie is based on Zodiac: The Shocking True Story of the Hunt for the Nation's Most Elusive Serial Killer by Robert Graysmith. But just a warning: there's no satisfying ending: the case is still one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in the U.S.

Patty Jenkins's Monster is about serial killer Aileen Wournos, a sex worker who murdered seven of her clients in one year. Aileen was sentenced to death and executed in 2002. Charlize Theron stars as Aileen, a role for which she won the Best Actress at the Oscars.

Call Northside 777

In 1932, a policeman is murdered at a Chicago speakeasy, and Frank Wiecek (Richard Conte) is convicted of his murder. Eleven years later, his mother puts out a classified asking for information about the true killers. Reporter P.J. McNeal (James Stewart) starts looking into it, and exonerates Wiecek. It's based on the true story of Joseph Majczek, who was wrongly imprisoned, but freed with the investigation of reporters John McPhaul and James McGuire.

Based on the horrific murders in Snowtown, South Australia—also called the "bodies in barrels murders"—this film follows the story of serial killer John Bunting (Daniel Henshall) through the eyes of the innocent Harvey family, and how John recruited young men to help him carry out his crimes.

Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez star in this crime drama about a group of strippers who rob their Wall Street clients. It's based on the article "The Hustlers at Scores," by Jessica Pressler in The Cut . (Subtitled: "A modern Robin Hood story: the strippers who stole from (mostly) rich, (usually) disgusting men and gave to, well, themselves.")

Terrence Malick's 1973 crime film is about the loosely about the life of murderer Charles Raymond Starkweather and his partner Caril Ann Fugate in 1958. Martin Sheen stars as Kit (based on Charles) and Sissy Spacek plays Holly (based on Caril).

Reversal of Fortune

This true crime film tells the story of the coma of socialite Sunny von Bülow (Glenn Close), and the attempted murder trial of her husband, Claus von Bülow (Jeremy Irons). Lawyer Alan Dershowitz was Claus's defense attorney, and the film is based on Dershowitz's Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case .

Natural Born Killers

Another film based on the story of Charles Raymond Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate is Natural Born Killers. The movie follows Mallory (Juliette Lewis) and Mickey (Woody Harrelson), who go on a killing spree of over 50 people in New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada.

The Bling Ring

Sofia Coppola's film tells the tale of Los Angeles teens who decide to rob celebrities. Starring Emma Watson, Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Taissa Farmiga, and Claire Julien, the movie also features an appearance by Paris Hilton and Kirsten Dunset as themselves.

Alfred Hitchcock's classic Psycho is loosely based on murderer Ed Gein, also know as "the Butcher of Plainfield." Gein's crimes also inspired The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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73 Best Crime Movies of All Time, Ranked for Filmmakers

Y ou’re looking for a list of the best crime movies of all time. Maybe you want to find action crime films, or crime thrillers, or perhaps even a crime comedy movie or a crime drama. We’ve got you covered.

In this post, we’ve compiled a list of the best crime movies of all-time, including American crime movies and the top crime films from around the world. All of these movies are worth a watch, so pop some corn, call your lawyer, pour a glass of your favorite pruno, and start the show.

Best Crime Movies of All Time

Preface for our best crime movie list.

Crime movies can mean a lot of things, so we’ve decided to leave most courtroom drama, superhero films, and criminals motivated by ideology rather than personal gain. We also rank our list based on how well the movie represents the crime genre over other genres and then take into account the actual quality of the film. 

For instance, Gone Girl and Memento are great films that could fall into the crime genre, but they don’t represent the crime genre, as well as films, focused on a life a crime like films such as Goodfellas and Heat .

Now… less talk. More Crime!

AUSTRALIAN CRIME MOVIES

73.  animal kingdom (2012).

Animal Kingdom  •  Trailer

This Australian crime film is one of the top crime movies because of it's authenticity as well as the cast. It was so good they’ve since made a television series based on the film. 

IN CONCLUSION

Animal kingdom.

The film is loosely based on the Melbourne crime scene in the 1980s and the Pettingills crime family. Also, the random revenge murder of two patrolmen recreates the 1988 Walsh Street police shootings.

INDEPENDENT CRIME MOVIES

72.  good time (2017).

Good Time  •  Trailer

Before they put Adam Sandler through the wringer, the Safdie Brothers concocted this "gem." A white-knuckle ride from start to finish and any doubts about Robert Pattinson's acting ability were decidedly vanquished. This is one of the best crime drama movies, and while it is very dramatic it also one of the best crime thrillers out there.

The scene in the subway was shot during rush hour with real passengers on the 7 train. In order to shoot unnoticed, they directed Pattinson by text messages while the camera and crew was filming in the same wagon.

BEST CRIME DRAMA MOVIES

71.  the place beyond the pines (2012).

The Place Beyond the Pines  •  Trailer

This film is one of the best crime movies because it brings many new ideas to a crime genre. It works well as a crime thriller, crime drama, and crime action movie at various points.

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

The method Luke (Ryan Gosling) and Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) use to rob the banks was the actual method "Friday Night Robber" Carl Gugasian successfully used for over thirty years.

BEST AMERICAN CRIME MOVIES

70.  lawless  (2012).

Lawless  •  Trailer

Great crime movies often use authentic stories that help bring you into a specific world of crime, and that’s what this film does so well.

The Russian title of this film translates as "The Drunkest County in the World".

BEST ACTION COMEDY MOVIES

69.  last man standing (1996).

Last Man Standing  •  Trailer

This is one of the best crime movies that is both haunting and unique. It’s a great crime movie that combines two worlds of crime that aren’t commonly explored in a single story.

LAST MAN STANDING

Walter Hill considered this a "free adaptation" of Yojimbo  (1961) rather than a remake, calling the idea of remaking Akira Kurosawa's film "a foolish endeavor."

BEST COMEDY CRIME MOVIES

68.  kiss kiss bang bang   (2005).

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang  •  Trailer

This is one of the best dark comedy movies and one of the top crime movies in general. Shane Black has gone on to make more in the future, but there was something about this film that was the best.

KISS KISS BANG BANG

Shane Black had been suffering from writer's block. It ultimately took him over a year and a half to write the script for this film. He then had enormous trouble trying to sell it.

67.  Drive  (2011)

Drive  •  Trailer

This is a really strong crime drama movie, and one of the only really well made crime romance films. There are some great uses of color and definitely one of the best soundtracks in crime genre, but this is a great date night crime movie as well.

After Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn removed much of the Driver's dialogue, Bryan Cranston felt that his character, Shannon, should make up for the lack of talking in the film, and thus made Shannon a motormouth. Much of his dialogue is improvised.

BEST CRIME DRAMA MOVIE

66.  the town (2010).

The Town  •  Trailer

This crime thriller takes some great cues from the best crime movies including  Heat  and  The Departed .  Ben Affleck shows off his directorial prowess with a really good American crime movie.

Ben Affleck cited The Departed  (2006),  Heat  (1995),  Mystic River   (2003), and  The Friends of Eddie Coyl e (1973) as influences on this film. Of them, Affleck said "All are R-rated movies in that same vein, and the movies I used as the gold standard of success here."

BEST CRIME MOVIES

65.  the score  (2001).

The Score  •  Trailer

This really is a great crime film and a fun crime thriller where you don’t know who will come out on top. If you’ve never seen this crime film, you should give it a watch as soon as possible.

This is the only movie to star Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando, the first actors to win Academy Awards for playing the same role, that of Vito Corleone in The Godfather  (1972) and  The Godfather: Part II (1974).

TOP CRIME MOVIES

64.  lock, stock and two smoking barrels (1998).

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels  •  Trailer

This very much is more of a great crime comedy movie as opposed to anything else, but definitely lead to many great action crime movies .

LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS

The film was having trouble finding an American distributor when Trudie Styler called an acquaintance of hers - Tom Cruise. He attended a screening and loved the film. Matthew Vaughn later recalled, "It was hysterical. You had all these mid-level executives sitting there, and Cruise walked in. He saw them all sit up and pay attention, all getting on their phones, and suddenly all these senior executives joined the screening ... At the end, Tom got up in front of everyone and said 'This is the best movie I've seen in years, you guys would be fools not to buy it.'"

BRITISH CRIME MOVIES

63.  layer cake (2004).

Layer Cake  •  Trailer

This is one of the top crime movies many crime genre fans didn’t see. It’s also the film that launched both Daniel Craig’s and Tom Hardy’s careers, as well as directing career for  Matthew Vaughn .

It was Daniel Craig's performance in this film that caused Barbara Broccoli to take notice and think he might be a good fit for James Bond .

BEST CRIME COMEDY MOVIES

62.  american hustle (2013).

American Hustle  •  Trailer

While this is one of the best crime movies out there, it is very different from many of the other crime films on this list. No big shootouts or classic organized crime, but still plenty of good crime to watch.

AMERICAN HUSTLE

According to Christian Bale, much of the movie was improvised. So during the shooting of the film, he noted to writer and director David O. Russell, "You realize that this is going to change the plot greatly down track." To which Russell replied, "Christian, I hate plots. I am all about characters, that's it."

CRIME THRILLER MOVIES

61.  killing them softly (2012).

Killing them Softly  •  Trailer

This is one of the top crime movies because, similar to many other  Andrew Dominik films, is a tone poem that’s trying to talk about the themes of crime and criminals with a classic plot.

KILLING THEM SOFTLY

The first feature film to use Kodak's 500T 5230 film stock.

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GOOD CRIME MOVIES

60.  the fast and the furious (2001).

The Fast and the Furious  •  Trailer

While this has become one of the biggest blockbuster franchises of all time, this began with a really great action crime movie.

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS

There are over 15,000 individual sound effects in the first street race.

ACTION CRIME MOVIES

59.  point break (1991).

Point Break  •  Trailer

As you may have guessed, this crime movie inspired  The Fast and the Furious , and it is one of the best action crime movies.

POINT BREAK

This was Kathryn Bigelow's highest grossing film until Zero Dark Thirty (2012).

CLASSIC CRIME MOVIES

58.  mean streets  (1973).

Mean Street  •  Trailer

Before you had every other great  Scorsese  crime movie, you had this film. Many modern crime movies have this film to thank.

MEAN STREETS

Brian De Palma helped Martin Scorsese edit some scenes in this movie.

57.  In Bruges (2008)

In Bruges  •  Trailer

This really is more of a crime drama movies but it is also a really strong crime comedy movie. Definitely worth a watch.

The painting that occasions comment even from Ray is "The Last Judgment" by Hieronymus Bosch. Bosch-like symbolism recurs throughout the movie (the dwarf is one example), suggesting that Ray and Ken may indeed encounter their own Last Judgment - or that the waiting period in Bruges is akin to purgatory.

56.  Easy Rider (1969)

Easy Rider  •  Trailer

This film has one of the most appropriate titles ever made because this crime film doesn’t play by hard a fast filmmaking rules, and has changed the way we look at filmmaking in general. 

Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda did not write a full script for the movie, and made most of it up as they went along. They didn't hire a crew, but instead picked up hippies at communes across the country, and used friends and passers-by to hold the cameras, and were drunk and stoned most of the time.

55.  New Jack City (1991)

New Jack City  •  Trailer

This is one of the best crime drama movies ever made and it’s very similar to  Scarface  in how it feels like a criminal telling of Icarus. It shows the rise of a man who just won’t stop rising until his wings melt.

NEW JACK SITY

The chase between Scotty and Pookie was improvised. The original idea was for the chase to be a car chase, but the movie had gone over budget and was in danger of being shut down. Chris Rock, instead, hopped on a bicycle, and Ice-T chased him on foot.

BEST DRUG CRIME MOVIES

54.  a scanner darkly (2006).

A Scanner Darkly  •  Trailer

This is one of the best crime movies of all time because it takes a unique approach not only to the filmmaking but also the story.

According to Writer and Director Richard Linklater , filming was completed in twenty-three days. The animation took eighteen months.

COMIC BOOK CRIME MOVIES

53.  sin city (2005).

Sin City  •  Trailer

Similar to the last film on our list, this is a very unique crime film and works as a crime action movie, a crime comedy, and a crime thriller.

Directors Robert Rodriguez  and  Frank Miller planned each shot in the movie by using the panels from the original book as storyboard.

ROMANCE CRIME MOVIES

52.  the thomas crown affair (1999).

The Thomas Crown Affair  •  Trailer

Beyond being one of the greatest crime films of all time is how this is slick and sexy and fun. It also works as a really strong crime thriller, and the tonal shifts in the film are really natural and seamless.

THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR

The idea of unusual heat in the museum rendering thermal cameras useless, came from Director John McTiernan's   Predator  (1987). In that movie, McTiernan's thermal cameras began to fail, when the jungle temperature broke ninety degrees Fahrenheit (thirty-two degrees Celsius).

51.  Traffic (2000)

Traffic  •  Trailer

Traffic  is a very unique crime movie because it takes a look at crime in a three different storylines during the same time period. This is one of the best crime films ever made because it is painfully real.

Director Steven Soderbergh is known as being first camera on many of his films, as a result, he was operating the camera for most of the shooting.

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BEST DRAMA CRIME MOVIES

50.  donnie brasco  (1997).

Donnie Brasco  •  Trailer

As far as crime films go, this is one of the most authentic you’ll ever watch. It has a similar tone and sensibility to  Goodfellas  but without the stylized approach.

DONNIE BRASCO

Joseph D. Pistone said in an interview in the special features on the DVD that he was supposed to be undercover for a few months. It ended up being six years. His family was moved across the country after nine months. He rarely saw them.

49.  Matchstick Men (2003)

Matchstick Men  •  Trailer

This is one of those crime movies that doesn’t have guns and heists, but it’s still one of the best crime movies ever made and one of the only comedy crime movies made by Ridley Scott .

MATCHSTICK MEN

The airport scenes, set at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), were actually filmed in the main entrance of the Anaheim Convention Center, a mile south of Disneyland.

48.  Eastern Promises (2007)

Eastern Promises  •  Trailer

This is easily one of the best crime drama movies ever made, and it's one of the great examples on how to shoot a thrilling movie fights .

EASTERN PROMISES

For the bathhouse fight scene, the scene was choreographed with the actors instead of stuntmen. The actors had to train in specific fighting styles chosen for their characters and it took two days to shoot on location in London.

TRUE CRIME MOVIES

47.  blow (2001).

Blow  •  Trailer

This is a crime movie that really takes you inside the inner workings of drug trafficking and the life of a man who lived a life of crime.

According to the director's commentary, the tape that George Jung leaves for his father near the end of the movie is a verbatim transcript of a tape that the real George Jung recorded under similar circumstances.

46.  Jackie Brown (1997)

Jackie Brown  •  Trailer

It’s true that  Quentin Tarantino makes some of the best crime movies out there and this crime film is no exception.

JACKIE BROWN

When Pam Grier walked in to audition for Quentin Tarantino, "there were all my posters from twenty years ago, when I was just a piss and vinegar kid", she recalled. "And I said, 'Did you put these up because I was coming over?' And he said, 'No. I was gonna take them down because you were coming over!'"

45.  Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Catch Me If You Can  •  Trailer

This is one of those crime comedy movies that is just plain fun to watch and it's one of Spielberg's best movies and, frankly, quite underrated.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

The film shows Frank Abagnale, Jr. on the FBI's Most Wanted list. In real life, however, he never made the list - it's reserved for violent criminals.

44.  True Romance (1993)

True Romance  •  Trailer

This is one of those great crime movies that was written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by the legendary  Tony Scott .

TRUE ROMANCE

The motel room fight scene between Alabama (Patricia Arquette) and Virgil (James Gandolfini) took five days to shoot.

43.  RocknRolla  (2008)

RocknRolla  •  Trailer

Guy Ritchie  really does make some of the best crime movies out there, and this is his second film on our list of the best crime movies.

Christopher Nolan  said that it was his performance in this film that convinced him to cast Tom Hardy in  Inception  (2010) and   The Dark Knight Rises (2012).

GANG CRIME MOVIES

42.  menace ii society (1993).

Menace II Society  •  Trailer

As far as American crime movies go, this film is one of the most authentic, partly due to the lack of conventional star power.

MENACE II SOCIETY

Tupac Shakur was originally cast to play Sharif, but was fired which led to a physical fight with co-Director Allen Hughes. Shakur was charged with assault and battery.

OSCAR WINNING CRIME MOVIES

41.  the sting (1973).

The Sting  •  Trailer

This crime comedy movie won the Oscar for best picture and is one of the most beloved films of all time.

Edith Head won her 8th and final Best Costume Design Academy Award for this film. "Just imagine," she said during her acceptance speech. "Dressing the two handsomest men in the world and then getting this."

VIOLENT CRIME MOVIES

40.  bonnie and clyde (1967).

Bonnie and Clyde  •  Trailer

This is one of those American crime movies that really changed the landscape of filmmaking and how movies were received. 

BONNIE AND CLYDE

One of Director Arthur Penn's intentions was to make the character of Blanche as hysterical as possible, so that it would make Bonnie look even cooler.

39.  Road to Perdition (2002)

Road to Perdition  •  Trailer

As far as crime drama movies go, this is one of those crime films that shows the connection between family and a life of crime. Director Scott Mendes may be more famous for working on films like  American Beauty , Skyfall ,  and  1917 , but his work in  Road to Perdition is certainly some of his best.

ROAD TO PERDITION

The movie is dedicated to cinematographer Conrad L. Hall, whose died soon after, as did Paul Newman.

38.  Public Enemies (2009)

Public Enemies  •  Trailer

Michael Mann  makes some of the top crime movies out there, and this action crime movie showcases tons of classic criminals in their heyday. 

PUBLIC ENEMIES

While filming on location in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a boy, aged eleven, told Johnny Depp he loved his Fedora hat, and would like to have one like it. Depp told the boy he would see what he could do about that. After filming finished, Depp sent the boy the hat in the mail.

AMERICAN CRIME MOVIES

37.  the untouchables  (1987).

The Untouchables  •  Trailer

Similar to our last film, this is a crime thriller takes place in the days of Al Capone and the golden age of organized crime.

THE UNTOUCHABLES

Albert H. Wolff, the last survivor of the real-life Untouchables, was a consultant on this movie, and helped Kevin Costner with his portrayal of Eliot Ness.

WHITE COLLAR CRIME MOVIES

36.  the wolf of wall street (2013).

The Wolf of Wall Street  •  Trailer

Some of the best crime movies of all time are centered around white collar crime, which is just as damaging to law abiding folk.

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Martin Scorsese has confirmed that some of the editing is odd on purpose, especially the scenes where one or more characters are high, every time Jordan is seen taking drugs the scenes that follow have continuity issues and often flow oddly.

EUROPEAN CRIME MOVIES

35.  ronin   (1998).

Ronin  •  Trailer

Action crime movies require a few things to be really great, and this film has one of the best examples on how to shoot an exciting car chase .

Skipp Sudduth requested to do his own stunt driving during the car chases, and John Frankenheimer agreed. Frankenheimer told Sudduth, "I don't wanna see any brake lights."

TARANTINO CRIME MOVIES

34.  reservoir dogs   (1992).

Reservoir Dogs  •  Trailer

While this film is one of best Tarantino movies , it’s also a great example of a really good American crime movie.

RESERVOIR DOGS

In an interview on BBC in 2009, Quentin Tarantino said he was proud that the movie is often on top ten heist movies, even though you never actually see the heist.

33.  Blow Out   (1981)

Blow Out  •  Trailer

Brian De Palma not only makes the best crime thriller movies, but he also understands how to merge the crime drama genre into his films.

Quentin Tarantino stated in an interview that this film is his favorite Brian De Palma movie. In fact, Tarantino cast John Travolta in  Pulp Fiction (1994) because he liked his performance in this movie so much.

BEST CRIME DRAMA FILMS

32.  taxi driver  (1976).

Taxi Driver Scene Breakdown  •   Subscribe on YouTube

This is easily one of the best crime drama movies ever made, and instead of focusing on crime as a plot device is is explored through a character’s relationship with crime and perceived justice.

TAXI DRIVER

Director Martin Scorsese claims that the most important shot in the movie is when Bickle is on the phone trying to get another date with Betsy. The camera moves to the side slowly and pans down the long, empty hallway next to Bickle, as if to suggest that the phone conversation is too painful and pathetic to bear.

ACTION COMEDY CRIME FILM

31.  baby driver  (2017).

Baby Driver  •  Trailer

Action crime movies can be a lot of fun, and director Edgar Wright does a great job creating conflict by mixing a good-hearted character in the lead role surrounded by greedy criminals. Best of both worlds. 

BABY DRIVER

In almost every scene where no music is playing, you can hear a slight ringing in the background (the sound of Baby's tinnitus).

TOP CRIME FILMS

30.  collateral   (2004).

Collateral  •  Trailer

This particular crime film is one of the best crime thriller movies out there that has really strong characters and a really great plot.

According to Michael Mann, Vincent is a man able to get in and out of anywhere without anyone recognizing or remembering him. To prepare for the movie, Tom Cruise had to make FedEx deliveries in a crowded Los Angeles market without anyone recognizing him.

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BEST CRIME FILMS

29.  the bad sleep well  (1960).

The Bad Sleep Well  •  Trailer

Akira Kurosawa  is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, and this is one of the top crime movies you will have the pleasure of viewing.

THE BAD SLEEP WELL

'Kyoko Kagawa' wore both uneven shoes and a knee brace to help make her character's limp more believable and real.

CRIME DRAMA MOVIES

28.  on the waterfront  (1954).

On The Waterfront  •  On the Waterfront

This crime film is one of the best crime drama movies of all time and yet another one of Marlon Brando's best movies .

ON THE WATERFRONT

Sam Spiegel forgot to pay for rear-projection equipment, hence the reason why the cab where Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger play out the film's most famous scene has blinds.

27.  Gangs of New York  (2002)

Gangs of New York  •  Trailer

This is one of the best action crime movies of all time, especially made by Martin Scorsese, which gives us some important variety.

GANGS OF NEW YORK

Leonardo DiCaprio accidentally broke Daniel Day-Lewis' nose while filming a fight scene. Day-Lewis continued to film the scene despite the injury.

GREAT CRIME MOVIES

26.  thief   (1981).

Thief  •  Trailer

This is one of the best crime movies out there and a great character study into the life of an actual authentic criminal.

After The Godfather (1972), this is James Caan's favorite film of his own. He has stated that his monologue in the diner is the scene of which he is most proud in his career.

DARK COMEDY CRIME MOVIES

25.  fargo   (1996).

Fargo  •  Trailer

Beyond being one of the great crime comedy movies, it’s also a really fun crime thriller. It’s just one of the best crime movies of all time.

William H. Macy stated in an interview that, despite evidence to the contrary, he did hardly any ad-libbing at all. Most of his character's stuttering mannerisms were written in the script exactly the way he does them in the film.

NOIR CRIME FILMS

24.   double indemnity  (1944).

Double Indemnity  •  Trailer

While this really is more of a detective noir film , it’s hard to have a list of the best crime films of all time without this movie.

DOUBLE INDEMNITY

The scene where Neff and Dietrichson can't get their car started after the murder was added by Billy Wilder after his car wouldn't start at the end of a shooting day.

23.  Chinatown  (1974)

Chinatown  •  Trailer

This film is both a really great crime drama movie as well as a really suspenseful crime thriller movie.

Jack Nicholson is present in every scene of the film.

22.  Touch of Evil  (1958)

Touch of Evil  •  Trailer

This crime film is from  Orson Welles  and it serves as one of the best crime thriller movies and an origin of the suspenseful long take .

TOUCH OF EVIL

Orson Welles said that this was the most fun he'd ever had filming a picture, unlike most of his Hollywood films, because he wasn't troubled by studio interference (until after he completed the picture, anyway).

BEST CRIME THRILLER MOVIES

21.  the maltese falcon  (1941).

The Maltese Falcon  •  Trailer

If you want to see how many of the best crime thriller movies were made you need to start at the early parts, and that means this crime film.

MALTESE FALCONS

Two "Maltese Falcons" were used because Humphrey Bogart accidentally dropped the original during shooting. It is on display in the movie museum at Warner Bros. studios; its tail feathers are visibly dented from when Bogart dropped it.

20.  The French Connection  (1971)

The French Connection  •  Trailer

This is one of the best crime thriller movies ever made, as well as being one of the great action crime movies of all time.

THE FRENCH CONNECTION

The car crash during the chase sequence, at the intersection of Stillwell Ave. and 86th St., was unplanned and was included because of its realism. The man whose car was hit had just left his house a few blocks from the intersection to go to work and was unaware that a car chase was being filmed. The producers later paid the bill for the repairs to his car.

19.  Snatch   (2000)

Snatch  •  Trailer

This is the best crime movie made by director Guy Ritchie, and possibly the best British crime movie ever made. It’s also a really strong crime comedy movie that solidified Ritchie’s unique style.

Every mistake that Sol, Vincent and Tyrone make were inspired by various late-night TV shows about real-life crimes gone horribly wrong.

COMEDY CRIME FILMS

18.  ocean’s eleven  (2001).

Ocean's Eleven  •  Trailer

This remake from Steven Soderbergh is one of the best crime comedy movies ever made and was followed by some great sequels.

OCEAN'S ELEVEN

Steven Soderbergh used a 45-degree shutter effect for the flashback scenes. It causes the film to be exposed to light for less time than usual and results in more of a choppy feel.

ORGANIZED CRIME MOVIES

17.  american gangster  (2007).

"Somebody Or Nobody" Scene  •  American Gangster

American Gangster is a great organized crime movie and definitely the best crime movie made by director Ridley Scott.

AMERICAN GANGSTER

Ridley Scott recalls that this production was one of the most massive undertakings of his career. There were 360 scenes filmed in over 180 different locations.

16.  The Usual Suspects  (1995)

The Usual Suspects  •  Trailer

This crime thriller movie launched the career of Bryan Singer and Chistopher McQuarrie. Definitely a top crime film with much to learn from the Oscar-winning Usual Suspects  screenplay . 

THE USUAL SUSPECT

Christopher McQuarrie had previously worked for a detective agency, and this influenced the depiction of criminals and law enforcement officials in the script.

15.  Carlito’s Way  (1993)

Carlito's Way  •  Trailer

This Brain De Palma film is one of the best crime drama movies ever made and it shows a criminal who wants to redeem himself.

CARLITO'S WAY

The exterior of the hospital where Carlito visits his bedridden attorney is the same one where Vito Corleone is taken in The Godfather (1972), also starring Al Pacino.

AMERICAN CRIME THRILLER MOVIES

14.  training day  (2001).

Training Day  •  Trailer

This is one of the best crime thriller movies ever made and it shows how the lines of crime and crime fighter are often blurred.

TRAINING DAY

The license plate on Alonzo's car is "ORP 967" obviously a nod to Officer Rafael Perez, the disgraced L.A.P.D. officer who was born in 1967, and on whom the character was based.

FOREIGN CRIME FILMS

13.  city of god  (2002).

City of God  •  Trailer

If you’ve never seen this film you should as soon as possible because it’s one of the most authentic and one of the best crime movies of all time.

CITY OF GOD

All the amateur actors were recruited from "favelas" (slums) in Rio de Janeiro, and a couple of them--Buscapé/Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues), for example--actually lived in the Cidade de Deus (City of God) itself.

OSCAR WINNING CRIME FILMS

12.  the departed  (2006).

The Departed  •  Trailer

This is not only one of  Jack Nicholson's best performances , but the only film that has resulted in Martin Scorsese winning best picture.

THE DEPARTED

When receiving the top award from the Director's Guild of America for this film, Martin Scorsese said that this "is the first movie I have ever done with a plot."

OSCAR WINNING CRIME THRILLER

11.  no country for old men  (2007).

No Country for Old Men  •  Trailer

As far as crime thriller movies go, there are few as suspenseful as this movie. Featuring one of the best antagonists of all time, the film is also one of the best Coen Brothers movies .

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

The case that held the money in this film was the same case that was also used for the same purpose in Fargo  (1996).

GREAT CRIME FILMS

10.   the killing  (1956).

The Killing  •  Trailer

This is one of  Kubrick's best movies and definitely laid the groundwork for countless crime movies afterword. The non-linear structure is just as revolutionary as anything you've seen — and  The Killing pulled it off decades ago.

THE KILLING

Initial test screenings were poor, citing the non-linear structure as the main problem. Stanley Kubrick was forced to go back and edit the film in a linear fashion, actually making the film even more confusing. In the end, it was released in its original form, and is often cited as being a huge influence on other non-linear films like Reservoir Dogs  (1992) and  Pulp Fiction (1994).

TRUE CRIME DRAMA

9.  casino   (1995).

Casino  •  Trailer

This is definitely one of the top Martin Scorsese movies of all time , and many feel this is a better crime film than Goodfellas .

The costume budget for the film was $1 million. Robert De Niro had seventy different costumes throughout the film, Sharon Stone had forty. Both were allowed to keep their costumes afterwards.

8.  Once Upon a Time in America  (1984)

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood  •  Trailer

Of course, this is one of the best American crime movies even though the entire film was made with an Italian crew and an Italian director.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA

The street view of Manhattan Bridge (as seen in the film's poster) can be seen from Washington Street, Brooklyn, New York.

7.  Pulp Fiction  (1994)

Pulp Fiction  •  Trailer

As Quentin Tarantino has said himself, he wanted to take all of the classic crime tropes from his favorite films and combine them together in a way that was visually and narratively interesting.

PULP FICTION

Chronologically, the last scene in the movie is Butch and Fabienne riding away on a chopper. The first sound you can hear in the movie is of the same chopper's engine.

BEST CRIME FILMS OF ALL TIME

6.  scarface   (1983).

Scarface  •  Trailer

Scarface  is one of those crime drama movies that you can’t get out of your head once you’ve seen it. All of your criminal adjacent friends and acquaintances have  Scarface  posters on their wall with the best anti-hero on it — Tony Montana.

Tony Montana uses "yeyo" as slang for cocaine. Al Pacino learned the word while learning the Cuban accent, and ad-libbed it during the chainsaw scene. Brian De Palma liked it enough to keep using it throughout the film.

5.  L.A. Confidential  (1997)

L.A. Confidential  •  Trailer

As far as crime thriller movies go, this is the best ever made. It’s not a good crime film, it’s a perfect crime film and great crime thriller.  

L.A. CONFIDENTIAL

Russell Crowe based his performance on that of Sterling Hayden in Stanley Kubrick's The Killing  (1956) "for that beefy manliness that came out of World War II".

BEST CRIME DRAMAS

4.  the godfather: part ii  (1974).

The Godfather: Part II  •  Trailer

Many believe this crime film is actually better than its predecessor, but regardless of where you place this film it is undeniably one of the top crime films ever made.

THE GODFATHER PART II

Francis Ford Coppola  had a horrible time directing  The Godfather (1972) and asked to pick a different director for the sequel, while taking the title of producer for himself. He chose Martin Scorsese, who the film executives rejected. Thus, Coppola agreed to direct the film, with a few conditions.

ORGANIZED CRIME DRAMAS

3.  goodfellas   (1990).

Goodfellas  •  Trailer

This may be the most important crime film ever to be made, because the criminals in this film are highly unlikeable. While the movie humanizes gangsters, it also shows them for who they really are.

According to Henry Hill, whose life was the basis for the book and film, Joe Pesci's portrayal of Tommy DeSimone was 90-99% accurate, with one notable exception. The real Tommy DeSimone was massively built.

2.  Heat   (1995)

Heat  •  Trailer

While many great crime movies take place in America, this is the ultimate modern American crime movie. It’s one of the greatest action crime movies which includes the greatest heist scene of all time and one of  Robert De Niro best performances .

Rather than dubbing in the gunshots during the bank robbery shoot-out, Michael Mann had microphones carefully placed around the set so that the audio could be captured live. This added to the impact of the scene, because it sounded like no other gunfight shown on-screen.

BEST CRIME MOVIE OF ALL TIME

1.  the godfather  (1972).

The Godfather  •  Trailer

The Godfather is the best crime movie of all time as well as the front runner for the greatest overall film of all time. It’s safe to say that it’s The Godfather of American crime films and crime dramas. 

THE GODFATHER

Don Vito Corleone's distinctive voice was based on real-life mobster Frank Costello. Marlon Brando had seen him on television during the Estes Kefauver hearings in 1951, and imitated his husky whisper in the film.

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Let us know which are the best crime movies of all time in the comments, and then check out our other posts on films and filmmaking. Check out the next post, the The Best Movie Shootouts of All Time. 

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The 40 Best Movies Based on True Crimes

Murder, money, and mischief, all based in reality—plus a dash of Hollywood magic.

With a little cinematic style, a fascinating news report turns into a gripping film that you can’t look away from. Below, we’ve rounded up the best true crime movies of all time. The list includes Lost Girls 's tale of missing women the organized crime saga of The Irishman , and the counterfeit literary drama Can You Ever Forgive Me? Just remember that, you know, many of these stories have a little (read: a lot) of Hollywood flair.

The Irishman

Martin Scorcese’s (extremely) full-length Netflix film The Irishman follows truck driver Frank Sheeran as he gets involved and deeply embedded in organized crime in the 1950s. The epic crime tale is based on 2004 nonfiction book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt.

Unbelievable

Though technically not a feature film, this Netflix miniseries provides a twisted yet intimate view into the series of rape cases in Colorado and Washington state covered in the 2015 news story, “An Unbelievable Story of Rape.” Toni Colette, Merritt Weaver, and Kaitlyn Dever deliver gripping lead performances.

Documentarian Liz Garbus’s scripted feature Lost Girls provides a raw telling of one mother’s independent investigation of her daughter’s disappearance. What she uncovers, though, reveals more than she intended when her trail leads to a series of mysterious killings of sex workers.

All Good Things

Ryan Gosling stars as Robert Durst, the son of a New York real estate tycoon who becomes the suspect behind a series of murders (including that of his wife, played by Kirsten Dunst). Among the film’s acclaim was praise from none other than Durst himself, who agreed to an interview with the film’s director following the film.

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Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Melissa McCarthy stars as Lee Israel, an author whose failing career led her to begin forging letters from successful deceased writers. But a scam can only go so long, and the literary pariah finds herself in a heap of trouble bigger than what led her to start peddling counterfeit letters.

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The Bling Ring

A capstone of true Sofia Coppola directorial style, The Bling Ring is a flashy and deeply vapid snapshot of the Hollywood Hills teenaged crime ring made infamous for breaking into and robbing multiple celebrities’ homes in the late 2000s. If its thumping trailers don’t draw you in, Emma Watson’s performance as a shallow, nihilistic valley girl surely will.

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Reversal of Fortune

Based on Alan Dershowitz’s book, Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case , this docudrama explores the unexplained coma of socialite Sunny von Bülow and its consequential attempted murder trial. Following her husband’s defense against the charges, the film brings a close lens not just to the incident itself, but also to the ambiguities of marriage, wealth, and morality.

In Cold Blood

Based upon Truman Capote’s non-fiction book of the same name, In Cold Blood tells the true story of the 1959 murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. Often cited as an early example of new realism in cinema, the film noire captures the truly cold-blooded nature of two killers in action.

Steve Carrell delivers a transformative performance as John du Pont, a millionaire who develops a fascination with Olympic wrestlers: specifically, brothers Mark and Dave Schultz, played by Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo. The film is a grueling display of toxic masculinity and manipulation, eventually ending in murder.

Catch Me If You Can

It's not Steven Spielberg's best, but Catch Me If You Can ranks among the director’s more entertaining movies. It tracks Frank Abagnale's rise as a wunderkind conman. Leonardo DiCaprio has never been more enjoyably charming and slimy.

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Zodiac wasn’t necessarily the movie horror fans—or fans of David Fincher’s previous Seven —expected. Instead, it’s a process movie about the people who tried to unmask California’s Zodiac Killer. Studiously researched and impeccably shot, Zodiac turns into something larger and more foreboding than a spate of murders.

Memories of Murder

Before South Korean director Bong Joon-ho made international thrillers like Snowpiercer and Okja , he crafted this gem of a murder mystery, based on Korea's first serial murders. He brings his signature pitch-black humor to the story of two detectives in over their heads trying to solve the puzzling killings.

The Wolf of Wall Street

The best and boldest thing about The Wolf of Wall Street , possibly Scorsese's most indulgent movie, is how fun it makes its crimes look. Scorsese and writer Terence Winter condense fraudulent stockbroker Jordan Belfort's memoir down to basically the most sensational parts, putting you in the headspace of a man who sees other people's money as his own playpen.

Scorsese gets four movies on this list, and deserves all of them. Casino is an underrated '90s gangster effort living in Goodfellas ' shadow. The cast—Robert De Niro as a low-level mobster making his way up the casino racket (based on Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal) and Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci as the wife and friend who threaten to tear it down—is entirely perfect.

Summer of Sam

An uncharacteristic movie for Spike Lee, Summer of Sam depicts the effect of the notorious murders of “Son of Sam” David Berkowitz on young men living in The Bronx in 1977. Lee seamlessly weaves the stories together, and John Leguizamo proves he’s a real-deal actor.

The twisted, trashy story of South Florida high schoolers who murdered a sadistic friend who had abused them, Bully is a hard one to stomach, but director Larry Clark ( Kids ) gives the script the no-bullshit delivery it deserves, and Brad Renfro's performance is quietly haunting.

Dog Day Afternoon

The movie inspired by a Brooklyn robbery solidified Al Pacino's legend, in all its spittle-filled, shouting glory.

The French Connection

The fictionalized account of New York City detectives who pursue a French drug smuggler is essentially one long, glorious chase scene. But Gene Hackman's performance and the sobering ending give it moral weight.

All the President's Men

Bless them, Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman made journalism sexy by embodying Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they followed trails that led them them to connect a Watergate burglary to President Nixon.

One of the great horror movies of the 21st century, Wolf Creek is also the main reason I'm scared to visit Australia. Fictionalizing two different Aussie backpack murderers, it follows three tourists venturing into the Outback who meet a stranger and... well, you know the rest. What separates Wolf Creek from other slashers is its unflinching directness; not since Michael Myers has there been a depiction of a man made of such pure evil.

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10 best crime movies ever, ranked

Criminal masterminds are at the center of some of the greatest movies ever made. Crime films that feature entertaining heists, gripping police procedurals, stories of mobsters, and other gritty goings-on keep audiences coming back for more tales from the underworld. No matter which side of the law is on display, the very best movies from the genre manage to surprise and captivate with their high-stakes narratives.

10. High and Low (1963)

9. zodiac (2007), 8. chinatown (1974), 7. rope (1948), 6. scarface (1983), 5. se7en (1995), 4. fargo (1996), 3. goodfellas (1990), 2. pulp fiction (1994), 1. the godfather (1972).

From the iconic neo-noir drama Chinatown to the influential crime epic  The Godfather , the best crime movies of all time are genre-defining classics every cinephile should see at least once. There’s a satisfying showcase of variety across these award-winning masterpieces, which highlight different types of criminal enterprises, as well as the various methods authorities use to stop them.

Legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa is known for crucial works that would change filmmaking, from Seven Samurai to Rashomon , and High and Low is no different. The police procedural stars Toshiro Mifune as Kingo Gondo, a wealthy industrialist engaged in a tricky hostile takeover of a shoe company. When one of his employee’s kids is kidnapped, he has to make a difficult choice.

Gondo, along with Inspector Tokura (Tatsuya Nakadai), negotiates with the kidnapper and attempts to figure out how to outsmart him along the way. Kurosawa wastes no second of the movie’s 143-minute runtime, with each moment carefully crafted to inspire intrigue. Its delightfully twisty plot soon turns into clear biting commentary about class divide that is still just as relevant today.

The real-life unsolved case from the late 1960s and 1970s is dramatized in the neo-noir crime thriller Zodiac . Often considered one of David Fincher’s best movies , the 2007 film revolves around newspaper cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), reporters Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) and Dave Toschi ( Poor Things star Mark Ruffalo), and the elusive Zodiac Killer himself. As the mysterious murderer taunts the press and authorities with cryptic messages and ciphers, the race to find him before he strikes again becomes unbelievably frustrating.

Everyone knows how the story ends, yet Fincher weaves a heart-pounding tale that explores its characters’ obsession and desperation. Downey Jr. and Gyllenhaal’s chemistry particularly stands out, with their decisions and reactions reflecting the dread and fear that was so widespread at that time. There’s always something chilling about crime movies based on true stories, but Fincher’s mastery of the craft truly elevates Zodiac to another level.

Set in 1930s Los Angeles, Chinatown follows private investigator J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson), who’s hired to look into what initially seems like a straightforward case of adultery. This supposedly routine gig turns into a puzzling conspiracy when the protagonist learns that he was hired by an imposter, which is further complicated when the real Evelyn Mulwray’s (Faye Dunaway) husband dies under mysterious circumstances.

Directed by Roman Polanski, Chinatown pays homage to and takes elements from classic noir films, but isn’t afraid to elevate the genre by including much darker aspects. A true neo-noir, the 1974 film is also known for Nicholson’s incredible performance, gritty visuals, and a tight screenplay masterfully written by Robert Towne. The film’s compelling, multilayered story was inspired by the real-life California water wars, which were disputes over water rights in the area.

Based on Patrick Hamilton’s eponymous 1929 play, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope is among the legendary director’s most distinct works. The 1948 psychological crime thriller tells the twisted story of Brandon Shaw (John Dall) and Phillip Morgan (Farley Granger), who, inspired by a lecture about Friedrich Nietzsche, kill their friend for the thrill of it. The two murderers then host a dinner party with their victim’s body hidden in plain sight, inside a wooden chest.

Rope is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best thrillers , as it greatly benefits from the master of suspense’s technical mastery. Aside from being the first of the director’s Technicolor films, the crime movie is known for its illusion of taking place in real life or having been edited to appear as a continuous shot. Meticulous choreography was necessary to capture these long takes, which were seamlessly edited to create the gripping movie.

Starring Al Pacino in one of his best roles ever, Scarface is centered on Cuban refugee Tony Montana (Al Pacino), who starts from scratch in the brutal streets of Miami and rises to the top to become a ruthless drug lord. Tony’s empire is full of violence and death, as he doesn’t hesitate to murder anyone who gets in his way. Eventually, his paranoia and pressure from the authorities and other cartels lead to the end of his reign.

Scarface quickly became a pop culture phenomenon, with references in other films and music still being made to this day. The gangster movie’s excessive use of violence may have earned it some negative reviews, but it’s that same over-the-top approach that has cemented its place at the top of its genre. That and Tony Montana’s numerous infamous scenes and lines, like, “Say hello to my little friend.”

Director David Fincher’s Se7en is best known today as a dark crime thriller with an epic twist . The movie pairs Detectives David Mills (Brad Pitt), a young and naive rookie, and William Somerset (Morgan Freeman), a disillusioned, nearly soon-to-retire investigator. They are tasked with looking into a series of gruesome murders seemingly based on the seven deadly sins. As the detectives get deeper into a game of cat-and-mouse with the elusive serial killer, things take a horrific turn.

Se7en did have a rough start, with initial reviews criticizing its bleak plot and dark cinematography, but these once-debated aspects have helped turn it into a critically acclaimed masterpiece. The crime film has become synonymous with its legendary ending, which helped revitalize Fincher’s career and is still considered one of the greatest plot twists in cinematic history.

Fargo is a subversive and darkly humorous crime thriller from Joel and Ethan Coen. The comedic masterpiece is set in a small town in Minnesota in 1987 where the pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) gets involved in an investigation that takes unexpected turns. The triple homicide she’s examining was the end result of a dimwitted plot gone wrong.

Featuring no shortage of hilarious quotable lines from every single quirky character and brilliant performances from McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, and more, Fargo has become an enduring entry in the genre that’s beloved for its uniqueness. There’s even an ongoing FX series that takes place within the same continuity as the film.

Director Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas is a renowned biographical crime drama that follows Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), who rises through the ranks of the mob. In the process, he’s guided by the charismatic Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and the volatile Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci), who are alongside him as he experiences the best and worst parts of a gangster’s lifestyle.

Scorsese’s trademarks are on full display in Goodfellas , from the use of voice-over narration and freeze frames to the excessive profanity and violence. The film oozes with style and is considered one of the best mob movies of all time thanks to this electric atmosphere, as well as its frenetic pacing combined with a sharp script. Of course, the main actors’ career-best performances make the film truly exceptional, with Ray Liotta’s portrayal of the complex and charming Henry Hill being particularly noteworthy.

Pulp Fiction is the groundbreaking triumph that made director Quentin Tarantino a household name. Telling interconnected, but nonlinear stories within the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles, the 1994 film features a cast of eccentric characters, from hit men Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) to the gangster Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) and his wife, Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman).

Subverting traditional expectations of what a crime movie should look like, Pulp Fiction places its vibrant and often peculiar characters in seemingly unrelated situations, only to eventually reveal the link between its different strands. The conversations are written fantastically, with winding monologues and seemingly off-kilter discussions all coming together in a bizarrely amusing way. The innovative film is still repeatedly referenced and discussed today, with its famous lines of dialogue like “Royale with cheese” becoming immortalized as memes.

Director Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather is a film that needs no introduction. Widely considered not just one of the best epic crime films, but among the greatest movies ever, the mob drama is the first in the award-winning trilogy that remains unparalleled in the genre. The 1972 movie is based on Mario Puzo’s 1968 novel and follows the Italian-American crime family, the Corleones. It specifically focuses on the powerful, but aging patriarch, Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), who seeks to transition control to his inexperienced and reluctant son, Michael (Al Pacino).

There were numerous movies about the mafia before The Godfather , but it was Coppola’s film that would add an unprecedented layer of complexity to these kinds of characters. Instead of reducing them to clearly evil criminals, they’re given sympathetic backstories, motivations, and goals. Pair that with impeccable casting, gorgeous cinematography, and a flawless score, and The Godfather earns itself a spot among the very best.

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• 10 best 1990s summer blockbusters, ranked

The '90s delivered some of cinema's finest, giving the world genre-shaping classics that continue to influence and inspire fans and filmmakers alike today. It was an incredible time for the industry, with the iconic decade producing everything from epic romances to spine-chilling thrillers to groundbreaking dramas that would go on to become beloved and award-winning classics.

From the unforgettable and suspenseful The Silence of the Lambs to the haunting and harrowing Schindler's List, the best movies of the 1990s not only dominated the box office but also left a permanent mark on pop culture and filmmaking as a whole. The best among them are remembered as the defining films of the decade and enjoy their lasting legacy alongside the greatest movies ever made. 10. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Blood Simple, the first theatrical release from Joel and Ethan Coen. Through four decades of cinema, the Coen brothers have proven themselves as both screenwriters and directors with the 18 films they've worked on together, and the three films they directed by themselves, including Ethan Coen's recently released road comedy Drive-Away Dolls.

Since the Coen brothers haven't collaborated since 2018, it's unknown if they're planning to make movies together again at any point in the future. But even if that chapter of their lives is closed, they've left an indelible mark on the industry. To celebrate four decades of the Joel and Ethan Coen's films, we've assembled this list of the 10 best Coen brothers movies. 10. A Serious Man (2009)

After a promising 2023 that featured "Barbenheimer" and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the 2024 box office is projected to go down. According to Gower Street Analytics, the 2024 global box office is expected to be less than 2023's total. Although the domestic market was up 1% above projections for the first three months of 2024, the release calendar was full of financial disappointments, especially Madame Web.

The summer movie slate struggled in May because of underwhelming financial performances from The Fall Guy and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. However, June has been a completely different story, thanks to sequels from several legacy franchises. More help is on the horizon in the form of Twisters and Deadpool & Wolverine, with the latter competing for 2024's biggest movie. Below are the 10 most popular movies of 2024 ranked by domestic gross.

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The 140+ Best Biography Movies

Biographical films explore the fascinating lives of historical figures and cultural icons. The best biography movies offer viewers a detailed look into the lives of these people, skillfully recreating stories that have shaped history and left a lasting impact on the world. With unforgettable narratives to explore, you will find these films showcase exceptional storytelling, nuanced performances, and unparalleled cinematic vision. 

The best biography movies offer not just boring history, but gripping, groundbreaking, and original narratives. For instance, films like Catch Me If You Can follow the high-stakes exploits of a charming con artist, bringing together thrilling action with intriguing character development. Schindler's List, on the other hand, tackles the harrowing subject of the Holocaust, masterfully capturing the heroic efforts of one man to save lives during a dark time in history. Then there's A Beautiful Mind, which delves into the complex life of renowned mathematician John Nash, showcasing the challenges and triumphs associated with his brilliance. These films are but a few examples of the best biographical movies that excellently capture the essence of their subjects and the genre. 

The lasting impact of these movies demonstrates how well they resonate with audiences, transcending time and cultural boundaries. Biographical movies not only accurately depict the lives of their subjects, but they also elevate the art of storytelling by blending truth with cinematic drama. Through these exceptional films, viewers gain fresh perspectives on the world, history, and the individuals who have shaped it, marking these biographical movies as the very best in their field. 

Catch Me If You Can

Schindler's List

A Beautiful Mind

The Social Network

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7 tense crime movies on Prime Video with 95% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes

Check out these crime movies on Prime Video with high Rotten Tomatoes ratings

The crime genre includes everything from chilling mysteries to detective work to legal thrillers. No matter what you’re in the mood for, there should be something to watch, and one of the best streaming services includes some critically acclaimed crime movies. But if you’re stuck wondering what to stream next, we have a list containing some of the most intense stories. 

Prime Video has a vast library of movies, but only a few share a high score on Rotten Tomatoes . We used this review aggregation site to determine what crime movies have scored well with audiences and critics around the world. Of course, high ratings don’t guarantee you’re going to love the movie, but they do indicate it’s worth watching. 

Our team at Tom’s Guide has chosen the top crime movies on Prime Video, from a western drama led by Chris Pine to an accidental murder. Check them out below.

'Hell or High Water'

The western crime “Hell or High Water” is a movie you should add to your list. It follows Toby (Chris Pine), a divorced father who wants to give his son the best life. He and his brother Tanner (Ben Foster) plan a final robbery against the bank threatening to close their family ranch due to outstanding debt, with hopes of keeping some of the money to give Toby's son the life he deserves. Marcus (Jeff Bridges) and Alberto (Gil Birmingham), a ranger and a lawman, will stop at nothing to prevent the robbery. This movie focuses on how people do bad things for the right reasons, even though they’re blindsided by their own motivations. 

Watch on Prime Video

'The Godfather'

“The Godfather” is considered to be one of the greatest movies of all time. Based on Mario Puzo's novel of the same name, this epic crime drama focuses on the powerful family of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). He gives control of his empire to his youngest son Michael (Al Pacino), although the boy is reluctant to join the organized crime dynasty. In the meantime, Michael tries to maintain his relationship with his wife while delving deeper into the family business and its twisted secrets.

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'The Hate U Give'

Up next on the list is “The Hate U Give”, a crime thriller that focuses on how society uses the stereotypes of black people to justify racism and violence. Starr (Amandla Stenberg) lives in a poor neighborhood while attending a suburban prep school, meaning she has to live two separate lives. On one fateful day, she witnesses her childhood best friend get shot by a police officer who wrongly accused him of having a weapon. Now, she is determined to advocate against police violence and defend her best friend’s name. 

'Blood On Her Name'

“Blood On Her Name” follows the story of Leigh (Bethany Anne Lind), a single mom who accidentally kills someone and spirals into a panic. With enough trouble weighing her down, she decides to do the right thing and deliver the man’s body to his family and friends, knowing it’s the only way to please her guilty conscience. You’ll follow her on this journey, from the moment the murder takes place to the moment she plans on concealing evidence, with insights into how a broken person’s mind works. 

'Blue Ruin'

If you’re in the mood for a dark crime thriller, “Blue Ruin” should be your next watch. Dwight (Macon Blair) returns to his hometown after receiving some news about the murder of his parents. He makes it his mission to exact revenge on the murderer who escaped prison and targeted his family. The high Rotten Tomatoes score proves that “Blue Ruin” is worth experiencing due to its incredible acting and emotional storytelling. Dwight reflects raw human emotion when it comes to overcoming grief and anger. 

'Chinatown'

“Chinatown” is a neo-noir crime mystery movie that transports you back to the 1930’s. It focuses on an anxious woman who believes her husband is having an affair. She hires private detective J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson) to investigate whether this is true, and so he watches her husband Hollis (Darrell Zwerling), who is the chief water engineer for the city of Los Angeles. However, Gittes ends up caught in the web of deception, dishonesty, and even murder when the husband turns up dead. He makes it his mission to learn more about the case, but the lies make it incredibly challenging. 

'Catch Me If You Can'

Based on the semi-autobiographical book of the same name, “Catch Me If You Can” follows teenager Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), who is known as a highly-skilled forger. He passed as a doctor, lawyer, and even a pilot before turning 18, and now he’s ready to become the most successful bank robber. FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) is determined to find and capture Frank to end his forgery, but the teenager is always one step ahead. This crime-comedy movie is amusing, entertaining, and tense, with DiCaprio and Hanks giving excellent performances. Trust me, you’ll be on the edge of your seat, silently hoping that Frank doesn’t get caught. 

Watch on Prime Video  

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Alix is a Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, which basically means watching the best movies and TV shows and then writing about them. Previously, she worked as a freelance writer for Screen Rant and Bough Digital, both of which sparked her interest in the entertainment industry. When she’s not writing about the latest movies and TV shows, she’s either playing horror video games on her PC or working on her first novel.

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Screen Rant

10 best boston crime movies.

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Ben Affleck & Matt Damon's New Movie Continues A 27-Year Trend That's Shaped 5 Of Their Movies

What the boston strangler movie changed about suspect paul dempsey, 15 twisted thrillers to watch if you like shutter island.

• The Boston movie subgenre emerged from a crime wave, gang wars, and government corruption, fostering a gritty, brooding tone.
• The genre is flexible, allowing for thrillers, dramas, and neo-noir, with Oscar contenders like "Mystic River" and "The Departed."
• Some iconic entries in the genre include "The Friends of Eddie Coyle," "Gone Baby Gone," and "The Town," known for their compelling narratives.

Since the 1970s, “the Boston movie ” has become its own cultural institution . Spurred by a sudden crime wave, a series of gang wars, and rampant government corruption in the Bay State, this loose subgenre has coalesced over the past half-century into something familiar. By the end of the 2000s, the Boston movie became associated with a particular tone (gritty, brooding), set of themes (the ties that bind, disillusionment) and cast of characters–– often including ensembles pairing Matt Damon and Ben Affleck some combination of Afflecks (Casey or Ben) and Wahlbergs (usually Mark, whose best roles are often in Boston movies).

The Boston movie is also fundamentally an off-shoot of the crime film (though the eminently quotable Good Will Hunting is the exception that proves the rule). Despite all the Boston movies’ familiar conventions, though, the genre mold has proven surprisingly flexible. The Boston movie has delivered numerous highly successful Oscar contenders and allowed directors a compelling sandbox for thrillers, dramas, and even neo-noir, as well as more familiar takes on the police procedural.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are working on a new movie together, which will continue one of the longest-running trends in their shared careers.

10 The Boondock Saints (1999)

Directed by troy duffy.

The Boondock Saints

After brothers Connor and Murphy kill two Russian mobsters in self-defense, they set out on a vigilante mission to rid Boston of crime and violence. However, an FBI agent is hot on their trail.

A classic of the genre, the story behind The Boondock Saints is just as quintessentially New England as the final product itself. Hartford-native and aspiring metal musician Troy Duffy wrote the script for The Boondock Saints while he was tending bar in LA. According to the making-of documentary, Overnight , which chronicles the myriad of small-scale disasters the production faced, Duffy was able to get the attention of Harvey Weinstein, whose production company (briefly) financed the film.

This gloriously over-the-top crime thriller about two Irish brothers turning vigilantes after getting fed up with the world’s cruelty is chock-full of guns, one-liners, and five o’clock shadow. It also features a fantastic Willem Dafoe as a gay detective with a twinkle in his eye and opera on his stereo. This one may not be Oscars material, but it’s a certified Boston classic.

9 The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

Directed by norman jewison.

The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

The Thomas Crown Affair is a 1968 heist film directed by Norman Jewison, featuring Steve McQueen as a wealthy businessman who masterminds a bank heist. Faye Dunaway stars as an insurance investigator who aims to bring him to justice. The film is known for its stylish direction and innovative use of split-screen visuals, underscored by Michel Legrand's memorable score, including the Oscar-winning song "The Windmills of Your Mind."

While many readers may be more familiar with the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair , set in New York City, the original film was set in Boston high society. This slick heist movie stars movie star Steve McQueen as a bored genius who conspires to steal millions from a bank for the thrill of it.

Unlike many other Boston movies, this one takes its cues from Hitchcock and James Bond rather than John Cassavetes and Paul Schrader. It’s more aligned with contemporaries like The Italian Job than it is with the gruffer, rough-and-tumble New Hollywood offerings on the horizon, a la Mikey and Nicky . Still, under its dapper exteriors and Rope -esque stylings, it’s a Boston movie, through and through.

8 The Boston Strangler (2023)

Directed by matt ruskin, the boston strangler.

The Boston Strangler is set within the exact context that eventually birthed the Boston movie as a subgenre. While infamous Irish mobster Whitey Bulger was controlling the streets, Albert DeSalvo , the Boston Strangler, was stalking them, brutally murdering thirteen women in the city between 1962 and 1964.

The movie that takes his moniker for its title is unique among the Boston crime subgenre for its feminist perspective on this oft-documented, long-unsolved case: It follows two real-life Boston Strangler investigative reporters , Loretta (Keira Knightley) and Jean (Carrie Coon), as they try to trace the killer. Where most films in the genre feature only peripheral female characters (typically mothers, wives, and girlfriends), here the two women’s struggles with sexism in the workplace are layered and resonant with a tragic rash of femicide.

Boston Strangler is another movie based on true events that fictionalizes real historical details. Here's what the film changed about Paul Dempsey.

7 Mystic River (2003)

Directed by clint eastwood.

Mystic River

Like The Boston Strangler, Mystic River is an investigative film. This neo-noir, directed by Clint Eastwood , was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, when it was released in 2003, and is one of the pillars of the Boston movie genre. Beginning with a haunting cold-open depicting the abduction and sexual abuse of Dave (Tim Robbins) in mid-1970s Charlestown, the film contends with his trauma in the present, exacerbated by the murder of his friend Jimmy’s daughter, Katie (Emmie Rossum).

While narratively the film centers on the stories of its men (Kevin Bacon, Sean Penn, and Tim Robbins), in a certain sense, the film’s heart lies with the women most impacted by their trauma, making it a narrative precursor to a film like The Boston Strangler. For this and other reasons, this somber take on the Boston movie is deeply moving.

6 The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

Directed by peter yates.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

An aging hood is about to go back to prison. Hoping to escape his fate, he supplies information on stolen guns to the feds, while simultaneously supplying arms to his bank robbing chums.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle is arguably the first Boston movie as that designation is currently understood. It tells the story of aging, desperate, hangdog Eddie “Knuckles” Coyle (Robert Mitchum) as he tries to work his way out of a jam with the FBI and debates selling out his contacts in the bank robbing business.

Set almost contemporaneously with The Thomas Crown Affair, this film’s varied location shooting and cast of naturalistic character actors make it a poignant portrait of a city in the midst of a financial decline. Its characters are defined by their loneliness and the precarity of their ties to their communities, torn apart by the dual incentives of love and money (and the long arm of the law). Though it flopped at the time of its release in 1973, it has since been credited for its contribution to the genre as well as its nuances, its performances, and its style.

5 Gone Baby Gone (2007)

Directed by ben affleck.

Gone Baby Gone

Gone Baby Gone is a crime drama centering on a detective investigating the disappearance a little girl. But soon after he begins digging for the truth, he is victim to a personal and professional crisis.

Gone Baby Gone is another classic of the Boston film subgenre that had already flourished in the years prior to this, Ben Affleck’s directorial debut. This hardscrabble tale of desperate characters and broken families shares a significant amount of DNA with Mystic River . Here, a couple (Casey Affleck and Michelle Monahan) work to find their abducted four-year-old daughter, uncovering a web of criminal connections, drugs, and despondency in their tough neighborhood. Its razor-wire tension and grim portrayal of marriages tested and children taken is harrowing.

At the same time, Affleck’s debut can also be identified as the beginning of the end of the Boston movie boom –– or at last the beginning of the backlash to its “grittiest” impulses. As Patrick Radden Keefe put it in a takedown of the film’s perceived excesses in Slate, “For much of the movie, half of Dorchester seems to be standing around outside their creaky wooden houses, just killing time…[Gone Baby Gone] is not so much what Mean Streets did for New York as what Deliverance did for Appalachia.”

4 The Town (2010)

Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, The Town is a crime thriller detailing a robber developing romantic feelings for one of his victims after a robbery takes place. As these complicated feelings develop, the team makes plans to Rob Fenway Park. Aside from Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Blake Lively, and Jeremy Renner also star in the movie.

That kind of criticism didn’t stop Affleck from achieving a second critically and commercially triumphant Boston movie in 2010, with The Town . One of the most enduring and iconic entries into the genre, the film stars Affleck himself as a Dorchester boy who gets embroiled in a bank heist by his hotheaded friend Jem (Jeremy Renner). Things really get complicated when he falls in love with the women they took hostage and then released.

While The Town shares many of the same themes as Affleck’s debut, Gone Baby Gone , it adopts a lighter tone and touch with its bank-heist-thriller-cum-romance plot line. Because of this, the film has a winning, highly rewatchable quality that other, grimmer films in the genre sometimes lack.

3 Spotlight (2015)

Directed by tom mccarthy.

Based on a true story, Spotlight is a drama film that tells the story of reporters who are privy to terrible details about goings on within the Roman Catholic Church. When several allegations are levied against the church, the Boston Globe sends out a team of reporters to investigate John Geoghan, who was accused of molesting several children. Believing there is a cover-up, the team goes to incredible lengths to find the truth and prove the guilt and complicity of both John and the church.

Spotlight , which won Best Picture, is less of a crime drama and more of a procedural thriller in the style of All the President’s Men . The film is based on the true story of The Boston Globe spotlight team’s investigation of child abuse in the Catholic Church’s Boston diocese.

Spotlight is far less violent than films like The Town , and far less graphic than films like Mystic River , making it more narratively conventional. Nevertheless, even on this more subdued aesthetic register, its twists and turns are understandably agonizing in their enormous implications for faith, power, and politics.

2 Shutter Island (2010)

Directed by martin scorsese.

Shutter Island

Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island is based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, and Ben Kingsley. Set in 1959, Shutter Island follows two U.S. Marshalls - Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Ruffalo) as they are sent to investigate the disappearance of a patient from a hospital specializing in psychiatric care.

Shutter Island is rarely recognized as a Boston movie in the proper sense. This twisting psychological thriller, directed by Martin Scorsese, is nevertheless fundamentally tied to other films in the genre from its inception: It’s based on a novel by Dennis LeHane, who also wrote Gone Baby Gone, Mystic River, and Live By Night (a Boston crime thriller set in the 1920s that Ben Affleck adapted in 2016).

Shot in Southeastern Massachusetts, the film is set on an island in Boston Harbor where a detective (Mark Ruffalo) is sent to investigate the disappearance of a fellow police officer. The film is satisfyingly mind-bending, and its star, Leonardo DiCaprio, is drawing on the same kind of style he employed in Inception that same year. This film’s ambitious scale, complex plot, and hallucinatory style make it highly unique among Boston movies.

Martin Scorsese's psychological thriller Shutter Island is already a classic. These are 10 movies you'll love if you like that one.

1 The Departed (2006)

The Departed

A remake of the 2002 film Infernal Affairs, Martin Scorcese's The Departed is one of the definitive crime epics. It follows Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a Massachusetts State Police officer who serves as an informant for mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), and Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), an undercover cop placed within Costello's organization. Both Sullivan and Costigan scramble to uncover the other's identity in order to save their own lives from the wrath of Costello and his gang.

The Boston movie wouldn’t be the same without Martin Scorsese’s triumphant, ribald, hard-boiled classic The Departed. The film is most unanimously considered the peak of the subgenre and won Best Picture and Best Director in 2006.

The Departed is eminently rewatchable and compulsively entertaining

Inspired by the life of mobster Whitey Bulger, the film is a winding tale of cops and robbers and honor among thieves. The lives of police detectives, politicians, and petty criminals overlap and blur in Whitey’s orbit, destroying lives, loves, and reputations in the process. The Departed features one of Jack Nicholson’s most iconic performances as Bulger, and makes compelling use of many of the subgenre’s mainstays , including Damon and Mark Wahlberg , whose performance is particularly memorable . Like The Town, The Departed is eminently rewatchable and compulsively entertaining, combining Scorsese’s masterful style with the narrative structure of a particularly good crime novel.

From 'Elvis' to 'The Pianist': 20 Best Biopic Movies of the 21st Century (So Far)

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Oppenheimer , Christopher Nolan 's most anticipated biopic will soon hit theaters this summer (July 21), marking not only Nolan's return but also the newest installment in the biopic genre, which is currently popular in Hollywood. In the meantime, there are tons of great biopics of the 21st century that fans can watch.

What is a biopic? A biopic (short for "biographical picture") is a non-fictional film that depicts the tale of a real person's life. Biopic movies are usually about a historical figure or a well-known individual. However, they can be about anyone as long as the subject exists. A biopic film must focus on a single protagonist and portray the narrative of that person's life across many years (rather than simply one event or era in their life).

Biopics are the goldmines of Hollywood movies, regardless of whose life they show. Many of these films served as stepping stones in the careers of their filmmakers and actors, helping to launch them to stardom. Even though many excellent biopics are produced each year, a special few have gone above and beyond after the turn of the millennia.

Updated on March 30, 2023, by Jessie Nguyen:

20 'bohemian rhapsody' (2018).

Bohemian Rhapsody tells the story of the British rock band Queen and their lead singer, Freddie Mercury , played by Rami Malek . The film traces the band’s rise to fame, from their early days playing small gigs to their legendary performance at Live Aid in 1985. It also explores Mercury’s relationships with his bandmates, as well as his romantic ones and his struggle with his sexuality.

Bohemian Rhapsody nevertheless serves as a good reminder of the band's musical brilliance and Freddie's singular stage presence owing to the film's aesthetically stunning musical moments and Malek's dominating leading role. Despite its limitations, the movie is still an exquisite tribute to the band and its dedicated fans.

Watch on Hulu

19 'A Beautiful Mind' (2001)

Inspired by the 1998 biography of the same name by Sylvia Nasar , A Beautiful Mind chronicles the life of John Forbes Nash Jr. ( Russell Crowe ), who went through it all – from fame's pinnacles to its darkest abysses. He was a mathematical prodigy who was on the verge of receiving international renown when he made an astounding discovery early in his career. Yet he quickly finds himself embarking on a torturous and terrifying quest of self-discovery.

A Beautiful Mind has become one of the most engaging and well-liked movies of all time, despite issues with tone and structure as well as some significant absences from Nash's real life. Because Nash's life is the focus of the film rather than his mental health , and because of Russell Crowe's stirring portrayal, Nash is given a second chance to relive both his success and his failure.

Watch on Prime Video

18 'Elvis' (2022)

Elvis chronicles the life story of American music legend Elvis Presley , played by Austin Butler , from his youth to his 1950s rise to rock and roll stardom while retaining a complicated bond with Colonel Tom Parker ( Tom Hanks ), his manager.

Butler's spectacular portrayal of Elvis humanized the legend by bringing down the spotlight from his physical gestures to the enormous, gruff voice to reveal the troubled man hiding behind the timeless God of Rock. In addition, the wild singing, set design, reenactment of iconic incidents, and compelling performers give the impression that audiences are viewing a documentary instead.

Watch on Max

17 'Ray' (2004)

Ray tells the story of the legendary musician Ray Charles ( Jamie Foxx ) and his struggles with blindness, poverty, and addiction, as well as his relationships with the women in his life. It also delves into Charles' musical career, including his experimentation with different genres such as R&B, gospel, and country, and his collaborations with other musicians.

Ray is a moving and inspiring film that offers a window into the life of one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, and the struggles and triumphs that shaped his extraordinary career. Also, the acting is strong, the directing is deft, the storyline is insightful, and Foxx gives an outstanding performance.

Watch on Netflix

16 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013)

The story of 1990s stock trader Jordan Belfort , whose company, Stratton Oakmont, participated in unprecedented levels of corruption and fraud, is told in Martin Scorsese 's smash biopic The Wolf of Wall Street .

Scorsese's picture is the ultimate of excess, with Leonardo DiCaprio as Belfort giving a truly outrageous performance. As they are in many of Scorsese’s films , the sins are visited upon the sinner, but the "Wolf" warns us at the end that no number of cautionary stories will prevent future generations from engaging in short-sighted, amoral, selfish ambitions.

Watch on Fubo

15 'A Hidden Life' (2019)

Based on the true story of Franz Jägerstätter , an Austrian farmer who refused to fight for the Nazis during World War II, The Hidden Life follows Franz ( August Diehl ) as he lives a quiet life with his family in the small village of St. Radegund. When war breaks out, Franz is called up to serve in the German army, but he refuses to swear allegiance to Hitler and fight for the Nazis.

Through a genuine account of faith, family, and the indomitable human spirit in the face of extreme persecution, director Terrence Malick presents the viewers with a rare image of a special kind of hero. Additionally, it serves as an engaging and oftentimes moving example of how regular people respond to the ills of the world.

14 'Lincoln' (2012)

Lincoln follows the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln ( Daniel Day-Lewis ), as he navigates the political landscape of the Civil War era, trying to garner support for the amendment from both Republicans and Democrats. It also focuses on the final months of his presidency and his efforts to pass the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which would abolish slavery.

Lincoln is one of Steven Spielberg 's most methodical efforts as a director, and it is undeniably a respectable, absorbing film. Additionally, despite having a history lesson at its center, it is deftly concealed by one outstanding performance and a number of steadfast supporting characters.

13 'Capote' (2005)

Capote tells the story of Truman Capote ( Philip Seymour Hoffman ), a famous American writer, as he travels to Kansas to investigate and write about the brutal murders of the Clutter family in 1959, which later becomes the basis for his novel, In Cold Blood . The film explores Capote’s relationship with the murderers, Richard ‘Dick’ Hickock ( Mark Pellegrino ) and Perry Smith ( Clifton Collins Jr. ), as he spends them with them in jail.

Hoffman offers a captivating portrayal of and perspective on a troubled character who is nonetheless regarded by many as one of America's best authors. Moreover, Bennett Miller was able to convey the complexity of human brains and relationships, as well as the source of artistic inspiration, thanks to a fantastic screenplay.

Watch on Roku

12 'I, Tonya' (2017)

After her husband ordered an assault on her opponent, Nancy Kerrigan , Tonya Harding ( Margot Robbie ) went from one of the most skilled athletes in the country to a worldwide laughingstock. Her troubles as an outcast, her dysfunctional family, and her outspoken nature were all depicted in the film.

Craig Gillespie 's film does more than convey Harding's story, it completely reframes the narrative and rewrites her as the hero of her own story in a complicated but persuasive way. I, Tonya also provides Robbie with her first opportunity to demonstrate her entire range as an actor, and she is radiant.

11 'Dallas Buyers Club' (2013)

Dallas Buyers Club follows Ronald Woodroof ( Matthew McConaughey ), a philandering, drug addict, and homophobic electrician from Texas, living a carefree life until his doctor diagnoses him with HIV/AIDS, which will likely kill him in 30 days. Woodroof discovers an experimental medicine that can potentially prolong his life and establishes the titular "Dallas Buyers Club" to import the drug from Mexico to anyone who needs it.

The combination of sharp character study and moving pharmaceutical docudrama is lively and memorable at just under two hours. Moreover, McConaughey and Jared Leto ’s transformative performances are the reason to visit this biopic. Not only do they successfully give voice to the disaffected of the 1980s, but to everyone who is suddenly confronted with unfathomable challenges.

10 'Hidden Figures' (2016)

Loosely based on the 2016 non-fiction book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly , Hidden Figures chronicles the story of a group of female Black mathematicians (played by Taraji P. Henson , Octavia Spencer , and Janelle Monáe ) who played crucial roles in NASA during the early stages of the US space program.

With its recognizable period-piece perspective on a neglected moment in space history, Hidden Figures maintains optimism for what science and technology may accomplish when the sharpest minds work together. Moreover, the film respectfully honors the unheralded female heroines of history by featuring three exceptional performances from the three leads.

Watch on Disney+

9 'Milk' (2008)

Milk is about the life of an openly gay activist and politician, Harvey Milk (played by Sean Penn ), who became the first LGBTQ+ person elected to public office in California. The film chronicles the period from Milk's 40th birthday until his horrific killing in 1978, using archival footage from his life.

The film, directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Dustin Lance Black , immerses us in the political process as Penn's brilliant performance captures Milk's playful intellectual personality. Furthermore, by combining 1970s news footage with newly shot sequences, Van Sant constructed his film around some massive, screen-filling set pieces, making the audience feel as if they had stepped inside the story.

8 'The King's Speech' (2010)

When Albert "Bertie" George 's father, King George V , dies and his brother King Edward VIII chooses love over the kingdom, he is compelled to crown himself king. The King's Speech depicts the narrative of King George VI 's friendship with his speech therapist, who helped the king overcome his stutter to confidently address his subjects.

Instead of being a film about a monarch triumphantly leading his folks to victory, it is about a would-be king battling to find his voice and the strength to lead his people through one of the most challenging periods in their history. Colin Firth as Bertie also imbues his restrained character with complexity, dignity, and wit, making a lasting impression.

Watch on Plex

7 '12 Years a Slave' (2013)

Solomon Northup (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor ) was a free Black man from New York who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. For a dozen terrifying years, he was subjected to various forms of torture and wickedness before being free once more.

Though 12 Years a Slave is full of intriguing characters, Ejiofor steals the show by maintaining the character's dignity throughout. Moreover, director Steve McQueen immerses the spectators in an unforgivably hideous era from which there is no way out. It's about as intense as a biopic can go and many viewers deem this movie to be too heartbreaking for a second screening .

6 'The Pianist' (2002)

Based on the autobiographical book of the same name by a Polish-Jewish pianist, composer, and Holocaust survivor, Władysław Szpilman , The Pianist follows Szpilman ( Adrien Brody ), who after being forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, loses contact with his family as a result of Operation Reinhard. He then hides in various places among the rubble of Warsaw from this point until the captives of the concentration camps are released.

The unflinching anti-war film is a masterpiece about the struggle between good and evil, the tenacity and mercy of art, and the horrific personal toll left by one of history's worst moments. Like many films about the Holocaust, The Pianist can be difficult to see, but it's important to remember what happened and Brody was mesmerizing in it.

5 'The Social Network' (2010)

Though it wasn’t perfectly accurate, The Social Network covers the narrative of Facebook's early years and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg ’s ( Jesse Eisenberg ) initial social decline, starting with the break-up of his romantic relationship with Erica Albright ( Rooney Mara ) and concluding with the tragic end of his friendship with co-founder Eduardo Saverin ( Andrew Garfield ).

The film is one of the best performing and acclaimed films of 2010 , thanks to screenwriter Aaron Sorkin 's typical quick-witted writing and Jesse Eisenberg's riveting portrayal of the renowned social network creator. Moreover, everyone in the film is on the verge of snapping, which adds to the film's authenticity and realism.

4 'Catch Me If You Can' (2002)

Catch Me If You Can follows Frank Abagnale Jr. (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), a skilled con man who pretended to be a doctor, lawyer, and pilot while only being 21 years old. Meanwhile, Tom Hanks ' FBI agent Carl Hanratty gets obsessed with finding Frank and later succeeds in persuading Frank to become an FBI assistant for atonement.

The story was brought to life by Steven Spielberg's skill as a filmmaker, exquisite cinematography, elegant editing, brilliant script, and a beautiful score by John Williams . Not to mention DiCaprio and Hanks' incredible chemistry and performances resulting in a gentle, charmingly adventurous film that makes you feel wonderful.

3 'BlacKkKlansman' (2018)

Based on Ron Stallworth ’s 2014 memoir Black Klansman , BlacKkKlansman takes place in the 1970s in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and follows the city's first Black detective ( John David Washington ) as he attempts to infiltrate and out the local Ku Klux Klan chapter.

BlacKkKlansman is timely because it engages in a crucial national dialogue that is full of metaphors and juxtapositions. Moreover, the chemistry between Washington and Adam Driver is crucial to keep the film's rhythm enjoyable as the movie alternates between comedy and crime . Also, through their characters, viewers feel like they have just walked through the lane of history in over two hours.

2 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' (2018)

Melissa McCarthy plays Lee Israel , a struggling writer who seeks to revive her career by selling counterfeit letters from celebrities who have died. Can You Ever Forgive Me? by Marielle Heller is one of the finest contemporary films on economic hardship and ethical compromise.

The biopic is an intellectually interesting drama due to the contradiction between blatant deception, undeniable necessity, and a group of victims who, presumably, can afford to be fooled. Moreover, McCarthy's impressive performance is both fierce and compassionate at the same time, constantly improving the material and stealing every scene she is in.

1 'Selma' (2014)

Selma was praised for its historical authenticity as it followed Martin Luther King Jr. as he fought for Black voting rights. The film follows King's frenetic three months leading up to the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. Their efforts directly contributed to President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The film focuses primarily on King's role in the events without diminishing the importance of the other leaders' contributions to molding this pivotal moment in American history. Moreover, the screenplay by Paul Webb and David Oyelowo ’s performance as King gives us a profound, gratifying depiction of King as a man capable of errors, self-doubt, and pain.

Watch on Showtime

NEXT: Great Biopics That Got Surprisingly Dark

Aileen Wuornos

Serial killer Aileen Wuornos led a vagabond lifestyle as a sex worker before she was found guilty of murdering six men in Florida in 1989 and 1990.

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Who Was Aileen Wuornos?

Quick facts, young aileen wuornos, ex-husband lewis fell, girlfriend tyria moore, murder victims, arrest, trial, and conviction, death and last words, movie and television portrayals.

FULL NAME: Aileen Carol Wuornos BORN: February 29, 1956 DIED: October 9, 2002 BIRTHPLACE: Rochester, Michigan SPOUSE: Lewis Fell (1976) CHILD: 1 son ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Pisces

Aileen Wuornos was born as Aileen Carol Pittman on February 29, 1956, in Rochester, Michigan. Her parents, Diane Wuornos and Leo Pittman, divorced before her birth. After Diane, a teen mother, abandoned Aileen and her older brother, Keith, Diane’s parents legally adopted the two young children. Aileen never knew her biological father, who was eventually imprisoned for child rape and died by suicide while in custody.

Aileen grew up in nearby Troy, Michigan, with her adoptive parents, Keith, and two older adoptive siblings (her biological aunt and uncle). A fire scarred her face when she was a young girl. She developed an explosive temper and found it difficult to make friends.

Around age 10, Wuornos learned that her parents were actually her biological grandparents. (Media reports later drew comparisons between Wuornos and serial killer Ted Bundy , who was also raised believing his grandparents were his parents for several years.) This knowledge added more tension to an unhappy household; her grandfather Lauri was a harsh disciplinarian who once had Wuornos watch him drown a kitten. Wuornos later stated she was physically and sexually abused by her grandfather and had sexual relations with her brother during childhood.

As an 11-year-old, Wuornos was offering sexual favors to boys she knew if they paid her or gave her cigarettes, resulting in the derogatory nickname “cigarette pig.” Sex work further isolated Wuornos from her peers.

Wuornos ran away from home on multiple occasions and eventually was sent to juvenile detention. At 14, Lauri sent a pregnant Aileen to a Detroit home for unwed mothers. She told her family the pregnancy was the result of rape but later offered different explanations. She gave birth to a boy in March 1971; her infant son was given up for adoption.

After giving birth, Wuornos dropped out of school and bounced between juvenile detention, the Wuornos house, and sleeping in the woods or abandoned cars. Her grandmother Britta, who had struggled with alcoholism, died from cirrhosis of the liver on July 7, 1971. By this point, Lauri refused to care for his 15-year-old granddaughter any longer.

Less than five years later, in March 1976, Lauri died by suicide, according to Sue Russell’s book Lethal Intent ; Aileen didn’t attend the funeral. By that time, she had hitchhiked across the country while continuing to engage in sex work.

In Florida, she met wealthy yachtsman Lewis Gratz Fell. The 20-year-old Wuornos and Fell, who was about five decades her senior, got married in May 1976.

The union was short-lived: Fell left Wuornos within a month. He stated she had “a violent and ungovernable temper” and had beaten him with his cane. Wuornos asserted he had been the one to attack her. The two officially divorced on July 19, 1976.

That same month, her brother, Keith, died from cancer.

Wuornos was arrested during the mid-1970s for assault, disturbing the peace, and disorderly conduct. In the early 1980s, she served time for armed robbery after drunkenly attempting to rob a convenience store while, according to Peter Vronsky’s book Female Serial Killers , wearing a bikini. Wuornos’ record of criminality also included forged checks, resisting arrest, theft, and drunk driving. Some crimes were attributed to fake names Wuornos had a habit of using.

In June 1986, Wuornos, now calling herself “Lee,” met 24-year-old Tyria Moore at a gay bar in Daytona, Florida. The two started an intense 4.5-year relationship and began living together. While Moore held jobs as a housekeeper or maid, Wuornos engaged in sex work along Florida highways. A possessive Wuornos didn’t like it when her partner went to work or interacted with others. They frequently moved to various motels, apartments, and mobile home communities in Dayton and elsewhere in Florida.

It was during their involvement that Wuornos’ criminal activity took a murderous turn. Caught up in the investigation, Moore eventually turned against her girlfriend by helping the authorities.

Watch Monster or Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman , two movies inspired by the life of Aileen Wuornos

From late 1989 into the fall of 1990, Wuornos fatally shot seven middle-aged and older men near highways in north and central Florida.

Her first victim was Richard Mallory, a 51-year-old repair shop owner who was known to frequently hire sex workers. He was last seen on November 30, 1989. According to Moore’s testimony, the next day, Wuornos told Moore she had killed a man. On December 13, 1989, Mallory’s body was found at an illegal dumping site in the woods.

Five more dead men were discovered over subsequent months. The body of construction worker David Spears, 43, was found on June 1, 1990. Part-time rodeo worker Charles Carskaddon, 40, went missing on May 31, 1990; his remains were found on June 6. On August 4, 1990, five days after he was reported missing, salesman Troy Burress, 50, was found dead. Charles “Dick” Humphreys, 56, a child abuse investigator, was found on September 12, 1990 . Walter Antonio, a trucker and reserve police officer who was in his 60s, was discovered on November 19, 1990.

Throughout this time, Wuornos often returned home with new possessions to pawn and cars that she had “borrowed.” She used a variety of aliases when she pawned items belonging to her victims, which made tracking her more difficult. But in July 1990, authorities examined the vehicle of Peter Siems, a 65-year-old missionary who’d gone missing the previous month. Witnesses described seeing Wuornos and Moore leave the car, and a print from the door handle was a match for Wuornos.

In the fall of 1990, reports that authorities were looking for two women suspected of murder prompted Moore to flee Florida and leave Wuornos. On January 9, 1991, Wuornos was arrested at The Last Resort bar in Port Orange, Florida, on an outstanding charge. Soon afterward, police tracked down Moore in Pennsylvania; she made a deal to gather evidence against Wuornos in order to avoid prosecution.

In mid-January, Wuornos admitted to murder in a phone call with Moore, saying she’d committed her crimes because she was desperately in love and wanted them to stay together. After her phone confession to Moore, and against the advice of counsel, police videotaped Wuornos as she confessed to seven murders. The public was fascinated by the case, due in part to the lurid nature of the crimes and erroneous media descriptions of Wuornos as the country’s first female serial killer. She was dubbed “the Damsel of Death.” Among the people who reached out to Wuornos were an evangelical Christian couple, who went on to legally adopt her.

Wuornos was first prosecuted for Mallory’s murder. During the January 1992 trial, Wuornos asserted she had been raped and assaulted by Mallory, details that didn’t match her video confession. Although not revealed in court, Mallory had previously served time for attempting sexual assault. However, no other sex workers came forward to recount a previous violent encounter with Mallory.

A jury found Wuornos, then 35, guilty of first-degree murder and robbery on January 27, 1992. The judge gave Wuornos the death penalty on January 31. Two months later, Wuornos opted to plead no contest to the murders of Spears, Burress, and Humphreys. She then submitted separate guilty pleas for the murders of Carskaddon and Antonio. She received a death sentence for each plea. Siems’ body has not been recovered, and Wuornos wasn’t charged with his murder.

Wuornos initially maintained she had killed her victims in self-defense, though she later retracted these statements. Police believed she had killed men who’d either picked her up or had stopped to help her on the highway.

After a decade on death row, Wuornos decided to fire her appeals lawyers, who were working for a stay of execution. Although a court-appointed attorney argued that comments made by Wuornos suggested she was profoundly disconnected from reality, in April 2002, the Florida Supreme Court ruled she was able to fire her attorneys.

In early October 2002, Florida Governor Jeb Bush lifted a temporary stay of execution after three psychiatrists deemed Wuornos mentally competent to understand the death penalty and the reasons for its implementation.

Wuornos was executed by lethal injection on October 9, 2002, in Starke, Florida. She was 46 years old. Her reported last words were, “I’d just like to say I’m sailing with the Rock, and I’ll be back. Like Independence Day with Jesus, June 6, like the movie, big mothership and all. I’ll be back.”

Wuornos’ remains were cremated and scattered by a tree in Michigan.

In addition to books and the opera Wuornos , Wuornos’ story has been closely profiled in movies. British documentarian Nick Broomfield created two works: Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer in 1993 and, a decade later, Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer , which was co-directed by Joan Churchill.

Actor Charlize Theron , often known for a glamorous screen persona, underwent a major physical and emotional transformation to portray Wuornos in 2003’s Monster , written and directed by Patty Jenkins and co-starring Christina Ricci as Selby Wall, a character inspired by Tyria Moore. In a riveting performance that was grueling to watch and hailed by critic Roger Ebert as a cinematic milestone, Theron won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2004. However, Monster garnered some controversy over the accuracy and scope of its details.

Wuornos’ life continues to fascinate the creative industry, with actor Lily Rabe portraying Wournos in Season 5 of American Horror Story . The 2021 movie Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman was inspired by Wuornos’ ill-fated marriage to Lewis Fell.

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us !

The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us

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The 9 best things to watch this weekend, from the 'Mad Max: Fury Road' prequel to every 'Alien' movie

• Shows like "Emily in Paris" and "Bel-Air" returned for new seasons this week.
• Two theatrical releases from this year are now streaming.
• True crime fans can watch a new Laci Peterson docuseries on Netflix.

There's a wide variety of movies and shows available to stream this weekend.

On the TV front, series like "Emily in Paris" and "Bel-Air" are both back and premiering new episodes. If you're looking for non-fiction, "American Murder: Laci Peterson" and "Chimp Crazy" are out now.

There are two picks worth highlighting for action movies: "Furiosa," which has come to Max after premiering in theaters, and the streaming-only movie "Jackpot!" starring John Cena and Awkwafina.

Here's a complete rundown of all the best movies, shows, and documentaries to stream this weekend, broken down by what kind of entertainment you're looking for.

If you want action-adventure, "Furiosa" is now streaming.

The "Mad Max: Fury Road" prequel stars Chris Hemsworth as the villain Dementus and Anya Taylor-Joy as the younger version of Charlize Theron's character.

If you skipped out on seeing it in theaters (which, let's be honest, you probably did, based on its box-office performance ), now's your chance.

Streaming on: Max

Or for action-comedy, watch "Jackpot!"

The new action comedy (from "Bridesmaids" director Paul Feig ) stars Awkwafina as a struggling actress who wins the lottery in near-future Los Angeles. The only problem? It's legal for losers to kill the winner before sundown that day and claim their winnings.

John Cena costars as an "amateur lottery protection agent" who's tasked with keeping her alive in exchange for some of the money.

Streaming on: Prime Video

For horror fans, there's "Immaculate."

This has been one of my top horror movies of the year so far. Sydney Sweeney stars as a young nun at a creepy Italian convent in a far departure from "Anyone But You."

Come for the eerie vibes, stay for the absolutely bonkers ending scene .

Streaming on: Hulu

True crime fans can check out "American Murder: Laci Peterson."

The three-episode docuseries (from acclaimed true-crime director Skye Borgman) examines the disturbing case of Laci Peterson, who was eight months pregnant with her first child when she was killed. Her husband Scott Peterson , who later confessed to having an affair, was eventually convicted of her brutal murder. (Peterson is currently attempting to prove his innocence and have his conviction overturned.)

Streaming on: Netflix

"Emily in Paris" is back for a new season.

The frothy Netflix hit, starring Lily Collins as American transplant Emily Cooper, returns for its fourth season.

So is "Bel-Air."

The dramatic reimagining of the beloved Will Smith sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (which, reminder, was inspired by a viral fan-made video uploaded to YouTube back in 2019) returns for its third season.

Streaming on: Peacock

If you're looking for dark comedy, tune into "Bad Monkey."

Vince Vaughn plays Andrew Yancy, a former Miami detective turned restaurant health inspector. The show was developed by "Ted Lasso" co-creator Bill Lawrence, and adapted from the book of the same name by Carl Hiaasen.

Streaming on: Apple TV+

For a wild true story, check out "Chimp Crazy."

"Tiger King" director Eric Goode returns with this four-part new docuseries about a nurse-turned-exotic animal broker who called herself the "Dolly Parton of chimps."

All the "Alien" movies are streaming on Hulu.

You can catch up on every movie in the "Alien" franchise before you see the latest, "Alien: Romulus," in theaters.

Conveniently, all six of them — the original " Alien," "Aliens," "Alien 3," "Alien Resurrection," "Prometheus," and "Alien: Covenant" — are on the same streamer.

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The 10 Best Crime TV Shows of the Last Decade

10. Person of Interest

Person of Interest is one of the most exciting procedural crime shows that leads you through an overarching storyline to the interesting consequence that makes the whole show special. | © Amazon

9. Mr. Robot

While initially planned as a movie, Mr. Robot appeared to be an interesting series with an original style and characters. One of the most amazing aspects of the show is that even from the oblique beginning, it seemed pointed toward a very specific end. | © Amazon

Lucifer is an amazing show that blends crime, romance, and fantasy. It never gets boring and keeps people entertained until the very last series. | © Netflix

7. Daredevil

Even though Daredevil is pretty slow in the first few episodes, it gets progressively better thanks to some fantastic action scenes and a compelling plot. By its end, it really feels like a complete story with developed characters. | © Disney

Narcos is a great biographical show that combines history, drama, intrigue, and action. It shows the rise and fall of one of the most notorious drug lords, Pablo Escobar, in a gritty and realistic way. | © Netflix

5. The Boys

The Boys is worth watching if you’re drawn to shows with nuanced and compelling characters. It captures your attention from the first episode. It's slightly sad to see a show that was mean to satirize the MCU basically become that, but hey ho. | © Amazon

4. True Detective

True Detective has incredible acting, a superb narrative, and some truly magnetic characters. Although none of the later seasons were able to reach the heights of the first, it remains a solid show. | © HBO

3. Peaky Blinders

Cillian Murphy is hard not to fall for when watching Peaky Blinders. But seriously, there's more to the show than just Cillian, each season is a blast, and they give you just enough action to keep it constantly engaging. | © Netflix

2. Better Call Saul

If you like Breaking Bad, you'll enjoy Better Call Saul. This show has a slower pace than BB, but the character exploration is deeper and the quality of writing is perhaps even more impressive. | © Netflix

1. Sherlock

Some critics consider Sherlock a poorly-written show elevated by superb acting, but we disagree, and love almost everything about this show. And the way it adapts a number of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories for the modern day is particularly impressive. | © BBC

True crime stories are everywhere and they're not fading away over time. In this list, we've ranked the 10 best crime TV shows of the last decade. These titles will keep you on the edge of your seat, delivering resolutions that are sure to surprise you.

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