Last updated March 2024
Looking for some Best Crime Movies 2003 ? Check out our handpicked collection of 30 must-see Best Crime Movies 2003 you can dive into immediately. Highly acclaimed by both IMDB and our discerning community of users, these Best Crime Movies 2003 earn top marks across the board. Help others separate the wheat from the chaff by voting on the Best Crime Movies 2003 you enjoy most. Your contributions make a real difference!
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Plot Summary:
An assassin is shot at the altar by her ruthless employer, Bill and other members of their assassination circle – but 'The Bride' lives to plot her vengeance. Setting out for some payback, she makes a death list and hunts down those who wronged her, saving Bill for last
Duration: 111 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 12000000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: revenge, vengeance, martial arts, mentor, one man army, mission, female protagonist, heroine, hitman, sword, dark hero, yakuza, fight, female warrior, katana, hate, rape and revenge, vigilante, violent, brutality, gore, organized crime, samurai, dark humor, tough girl
Memories of Murder (2003)
Plot Summary:
1986 Gyunggi Province. The body of a young woman is found brutally raped and murdered. Two months later, a series of rapes and murders commences under similar circumstances. And in a country that had never known such crimes, the dark whispers about a serial murderer grow louder. A special task force is set up in the area, with two local detectives Park Doo-Man and Jo Young-Goo joined by a detective from Seoul who requested to be assigned to the case
Duration: 131 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 208000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: South Korea
Plot tags: serial killer, police, twists and turns, rape, murder investigation, police investigation, murderer, murder, unsolved crime, investigation, murder mystery, true crime, police detective, suspicion, false accusation, violence, chase, killings, killer, police brutality, brutality, assassin, crime investigation, violent, obsession
Dogville (2003)
Plot Summary:
A barren soundstage is stylishly utilized to create a minimalist small-town setting in which a mysterious woman named Grace hides from the criminals who pursue her. The town is two-faced and offers to harbor Grace as long as she can make it worth their effort, so Grace works hard under the employ of various townspeople to win their favor. Tensions flare, however, and Grace's status as a helpless outsider provokes vicious contempt and abuse from the citizens of Dogville
Duration: 178 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 156000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, UK, France, Finland, Norway, Italy
Plot tags: rape, society, twists and turns, morality, female protagonist, rocky mountains, vengeance, haunted by the past, victim, brutality, storytelling, gangster, refugee, existentialism, revenge, art, great ending, sex scene, cruelty, women, feminism, moving, architecture, human rights, hipster
Maqbool (2003)
Plot Summary:
Macbeth meets the Godfather in present-day Bombay. The Scottish tragedy set in the contemporary underworld of India's commercial capital; two corrupt, fortune telling policemen take the roles of the weird sisters, and "Duncan" is Abbaji, the head of a crime family
Duration: 132 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Plot tags: gangster, shakespeare, gang, dishonesty, law enforcement, godparent, right hand man, macbeth, betrayal, corrupt cop, friendship, organized crime, greed, muslim, death of protagonist, hindu, innovation, great escape, wedding, hooligan, wizards and magicians, love and romance, throne, aging, underworld
Mystic River (2003)
Plot Summary:
A story about friendship and loyalty, guilt and vengeance, and the fateful affect the past has on the present
Duration: 138 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 477000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Australia
Plot tags: vengeance, police investigation, murder, sexual abuse, murder mystery, investigation, death in the family, child abuse, loss of child, revenge, tragic event, grief, police, loss of daughter, pedophilia, violence, loss of loved one, underworld, kidnapping, child molester, childhood, tragedy, plot twist, innocence lost, abuse
Gangaajal (2003)
Plot Summary:
An SP Amit Kumar who is given charge of Tezpur police station in Bihar. The area is full of corruption, inefficiency, bribery, nepotism, favoritism and crime with help from the local police. Gradually Amit realizes that the local politician Sadhu Yadav is the one who benefits the most out of it. Amit arrests Sunder Yadav
Duration: 157 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama
Country: India
Plot tags: police station, dishonesty, law enforcement, fighting crime, vigilantism, rivalry, bribery, police corruption, police brutality, criminal's revenge, honest law enforcer, confession, police, police officer, social issues, cop, gory, society, tough law enforcer, corrupt law enforcer, right and wrong, violent content, rape, torture, criminal
Carandiru (2003)
Plot Summary:
Carandiru, a story based on real facts and on the book written by the doctor Drauzio Varella, starts when he decides to carry out an AIDS prevention program inside Latin America’s largest prison: the Casa de Detenção de São Paulo, Carandiru, the victim of one of the darkest days in Brazilian History, when the State of São Paulo’s Military Police, with the excuse for law enforcement, shot to death 111 people
Duration: 145 min
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
IMDB Votes: 21000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Brazil, Argentina, Italy
Plot tags: prison, aids, doctor, police brutality, prison escape, prison life, fighting the system, life is a bitch, confined, protest, fighting illness, regret, human nature, lgbt, injustice, solitary, jail, prison sex, gay, prison riot, survival, hiv, attempted murder, murder, mafia
21 Grams (2003)
Plot Summary:
This is the story of three gentle persons: Paul Rivers an ailing mathematician lovelessly married to an English émigré, Christina Peck, an upper-middle-class suburban housewife, happily married and mother of two little girls, and Jack Jordan, an ex-convict who has found in his Christian faith the strength to raise a family. They will be brought together by a terrible accident that will change their lives. By the final frame, none of them will be the same as they will learn harsh truths about love, faith, courage, desire and guilt, and how chance can change our worlds irretrievably, forever
Duration: 124 min
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
IMDB Votes: 244000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: life is a bitch, guilt, tragedy, grief, drug addiction, multiple storylines, drug addict, drug, loneliness, death, loss, mathematician, hit and run, faith, accident, surgery, suicide attempt, death in the family, plot twist, drug abuse, betrayal, relationships, addiction, widow, desperation
Control (2003)
Plot Summary:
A tale about a strange young man, Bulcsú, his fellow inspectors, who are all without exception likeable characters, a rival ticket inspection team, and racing along the tracks... And a tale about love
Duration: 111 min
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: Hungary
Plot tags: subway, train, workplace, serial killer, social misfits, dark humor, european, underground, love, musician, chess, angel, death, claustrophobia, chase, surrealism, redemption, drinking, distopia, artist, time loop, obsession, misfit, railway, architecture
The Man Who Copied (2003)
Plot Summary:
André, 19, lives in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and works as a photocopier operator. He likes to see his neighbor Sílvia with a pair of binoculars. She works selling clothes. Becoming attracted to her, he tries to get nearer, and goes to her shop to buy something, but finds out that he can't afford it. So he puts the photocopier to other uses, and begins to envisage fishy schemes to earn some money
Duration: 123 min
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: Brazil
Plot tags: love and romance, voyeurism, neighbor, society, shyness, cons and scams, poverty, sex, stalking, moral ambiguity, dream, deception, sexual perversion, painting, heist, explosions, intrigue, samba, troubled, blaxploitation, robbery, interracial romance, fall in love, deadend life, perversion
The Barbarian Invasions (2003)
Plot Summary:
In this belated sequel to 'The Decline of the American Empire', 50-something Montreal college professor, Remy, learns that he is dying of liver cancer. He decides to make amends meet to his friends and family before he dies. He first tries to made peace with his ex-wife Louise, who asks their estranged son Sebastian, a successful businessman living in London, to come home. Sebastian makes the impossible happen, using his contacts and disrupting the entire Canadian system in every way possible to help his father fight his terminal illness to the bitter end, while he also tries to reunite his former friends, Pierre, Alain, Dominique, Diane, and Claude to see their old friend before he passes on
Duration: 99 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 30000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: Canada, France
Plot tags: friendship, illness, philosophy, culture clash, medical, drug addiction, terminal illness, cancer, life, existentialism, loneliness, dysfunctional family, depression, life & death, haunted by the past, corruption, hospital, old age, dying, professor, aging, bittersweet, heroin, estrangement, disability
The Life of David Gale (2003)
Plot Summary:
A man against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row
Duration: 130 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 125000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, Germany, Spain, USA
Plot tags: death penalty, investigation, suicide, death row, fighting the system, professor, reporter, activist, murder, journalism, death sentence, death, prison, false accusation, rape, lawyer, journalist, wrongful conviction, plot twist, courtroom, conspiracy, divorce, innocence, rape accusation, courtroom drama
Zatoichi (2003)
Plot Summary:
Zatôichi is a 19th century blind nomad who makes his living as a gambler and masseur. However, behind this humble facade, he is a master swordsman gifted with a lightning-fast draw and breathtaking precision. While wandering, Zatôichi discovers a remote mountain village at the mercy of Ginzo, a ruthless gang-leader. Ginzo disposes of anyone who gets in his way, especially after hiring the mighty samurai ronin, Hattori, as a bodyguard. After a raucous night of gambling in town, Zatôichi encounters a pair of geishas--as dangerous as they are beautiful--who've come to avenge their parents' murder. As the paths of these and other colorful characters intertwine, Ginzo's henchmen are soon after Zatôichi. With his legendary cane sword at his side, the stage is set for a riveting showdown
Duration: 116 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 51000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Plot tags: samurai, martial arts, sword fight, master warrior, fencing, zatoichi, violence, gang, good versus evil, protector, blind character, swordsman, medieval, escapades, rivalry, assassin, violent, ninja, asian, gory, murder, kung fu, disability, martial artist, japanese history
House of Sand and Fog (2003)
Plot Summary:
Behrani, an Iranian immigrant buys a California bungalow, thinking he can fix it up, sell it again, and make enough money to send his son to college. However, the house is the legal property of former drug addict Kathy. After losing the house in an unfair legal dispute with the county, she is left with nowhere to go. Wanting her house back, she hires a lawyer and befriends a police officer. Neither Kathy nor Behrani have broken the law, so they find themselves involved in a difficult moral dilemma
Duration: 126 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 72000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: life is a bitch, depression, tragedy, eviction, immigrant, justice, tragic event, suicide, american dream, character study, complex characters, relationships, dysfunctional family, manipulation, visceral, honest, loss of son, real estate, female lawyer, human nature, house, muslim, debt, immigration, compassion
I'm Not Scared (2003)
Plot Summary:
While playing outside one day, nine-year-old Michele discovers Filippo, who is chained to the ground at the bottom of a hole. Michele witnesses town baddie Felice nearby and suspects something bad is happening. Michele is unsure whom he should tell about his discovery, eventually spilling the beans to his closest friend. Michele's parents learn of his discovery and warn him to forget what he saw
Duration: 108 min
IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Italy, Spain, UK
Plot tags: childhood, boy, kidnapping, coming of age, rescue, friendship, father son relationship, uncover truth, captivity, children, life is a bitch, confined, bullying, conspiracy, youth, innocence lost, ransom, child kidnapping, summer, storytelling, whodunit, italian mafia, experiment, circus, child
Infernal Affairs II (2003)
Plot Summary:
In this prequel to Mou gaan dou (2002), Chan Wing Yan has just become an undercover cop in the triads while Lau Kin Ming joins the police force. Both the triads and the police find an enemy in a rival crime boss
Duration: 119 min
IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong, Singapore, China
Plot tags: chinese mafia, gangster, triad, organized crime, spy, murder, police, survival, police investigation, twists and turns, rivalry, working undercover, law enforcement, mind game, hidden identity, recruit, police detective, dishonesty, criminal heroes, asian gangster, great ending, mob boss, criminal, mafia, heroic bloodshed
Monster (2003)
Plot Summary:
Aileen Wuornos is an emotionally scarred highway hooker who shoots a sadistic trick who rapes her and ultimately becomes America's first female serial killer
Duration: 109 min
IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
IMDB Votes: 159000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Germany
Plot tags: serial killer, lesbian, prostitute, lesbian love, homeless, mental illness, rape, female serial killer, murder, borderline personality disorder, gay, couples, destructive relationship, female killer, tragic love, lgbtqi, biopic, sexual abuse, prostitution, lesbianism, women, true crime, obsession, misfit, character on the edge
Matchstick Men (2003)
Plot Summary:
A phobic con artist and his protege are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the con artist's teenage daughter arrives unexpectedly
Duration: 116 min
IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
IMDB Votes: 137000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: twists and turns, con artists, cons and scams, mental illness, con men, heist, greed, caper, slick, psychology, plot twist, father daughter relationship, obsession, police investigation, crime gone awry, partner, character study, criminal, misfit, career, family relations, parents and children, self discovery, juvenile delinquency, family reunited
The Memory of a Killer (2003)
Plot Summary:
Vincke and Verstuyft are one of the best detective teams of the Antwerp police force. When they are confronted with the disappearance of a top official and the murder of two prostitutes, the trail leads to the almost retired assassin Angelo Ledda. Since Ledda starts showing symptoms of Alzheimer's, it's getting more and more difficult to complete his contracts. When he has to murder a 12-year old call-girl, he refuses and becomes a target himself. While Vincke and Verstuyft are chasing him and counting the corpses, Ledda is taking care of his employers
Duration: 123 min
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Belgium, Netherlands
Plot tags: hitman, police investigation, murder, memory loss, race against time, assassin, mental illness, law enforcement, one last job, unlikely partners, twists and turns, serial killer, killer, young love, mafia, chess, revenge, police, investigation, violence, kidnapping, torture, corruption, chase, vengeance
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (2003)
Plot Summary:
When the head of a statue sacred to a village is stolen, a young martial artist goes to the big city and finds himself taking on the underworld to retrieve it
Duration: 108 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 77000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: Thailand, France, Hong Kong
Plot tags: martial arts, muay thai, chase, kung fu, one man army, gangster, fighter, violence, martial arts tournament, good versus evil, brutality, heroes, master warrior, revenge, friendship, justice, destiny, artifact, robbery, anger, sadism, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, danger, heroic mission
Bad Santa (2003)
Plot Summary:
A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid, and the security boss discovers the plot
Duration: 92 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 152000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: Germany, USA
Plot tags: dark humor, profanity, christmas, heist, robbery, alcohol abuse, christmas eve, holiday, misfit, bullying, bully, anti hero, christmas season, pretense, cons and scams, antisocial behavior, xmas, safecracker, suburbs, sex scene, criminal heroes, sexual humor, winter, friendship, friends
Ruby & Quentin (2003)
Plot Summary:
After hiding his loot and getting thrown in jail, Ruby, a brooding outlaw encounters Quentin, a dim-witted and garrulous giant who befriends him. After Quentin botches a solo escape attempt, they make a break together. Unable to shake the clumsy Quentin Ruby is forced to take him along as he pursues his former partners in crime to avenge the death of the woman he loved and get to the money
Duration: 85 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 30000
Genere: Comedy, Crime
Country: France, Italy
Plot tags: prison escape, buddies, prison, unlikely partners, buddy, partner, runaway, odd couple, criminal heroes, bank robbery, heist, caper, friendship, justice, mentor, police investigation, life philosophy, henchman, stupidity, unlikely friendships, escape, psychiatry, dumb, mob boss, creativity
Runaway Jury (2003)
Plot Summary:
A juror on the inside and a woman on the outside manipulate a court trial involving a major gun manufacturer
Duration: 127 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 103000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: lawyer, court, courtroom drama, corruption, courtroom, trial, jury, twists and turns, legal, lobbyist, justice, society, righting the wronged, manipulation, greed, fighting the system, law, vengeance, dishonesty, conspiracy, hopes, business, heist, politics, plot twist
Elephant (2003)
Plot Summary:
Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent. The film chronicles the events surrounding a school shooting
Duration: 81 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 96000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: school shooting, mass murder, teacher, bullying, school, violence, teenager, murder, high school, youth, serial killer, boy, teenage girl, suicide, psychopath, radical, student, shooting, classmate, rage, atrocity, violence spree, adolescence, unsettling, revenge
11:14 (2003)
Plot Summary:
Tells the seemingly random yet vitally connected story of a set of incidents that all converge one evening at 11:14pm. The story follows the chain of events of five different characters and five different storylines that all converge to tell the story of murder and deceit
Duration: 86 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 50000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Plot tags: murder, dark humor, accident, twists and turns, chase, vandalism, multiple perspectives, police, obsession, creativity, life philosophy, hit and run, abortion, crime gone awry, disorder, abuse, dishonesty, uncover truth, couple relations, nothing goes right, plot twist, police officer, deception, secret, physical abuse
The Italian Job (2003)
Plot Summary:
Charlie Croker pulled off the crime of a lifetime. The one thing that he didn't plan on was being double-crossed. Along with a drop-dead gorgeous safecracker, Croker and his team take off to re-steal the loot and end up in a pulse-pounding, pedal-to-the-metal chase that careens up, down, above and below the streets of Los Angeles
Duration: 111 min
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
IMDB Votes: 384000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA, France, Italy, UK, Germany
Plot tags: heist, caper, robbery, car chase, vengeance, bank robbery, mentor, perfect crime, gold, revenge, hacker, chase, safecracker, master criminal, theft, criminal's revenge, cons and scams, twists and turns, conspiracy, murder, con artists, gang, hacking, thief, gold bar
Owning Mahowny (2003)
Plot Summary:
Dan Mahowny was a rising star at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. At twenty-four he was assistant manager of a major branch in the heart of Toronto's financial district. To his colleagues he was a workaholic. To his customers, he was astute, decisive and helpful. To his friends, he was a quiet, but humorous man who enjoyed watching sports on television. To his girlfriend, he was shy but engaging. None of them knew the other side of Dan Mahowny--the side that executed the largest single-handed bank fraud in Canadian history, grossing over $10 million in eighteen months to feed his gambling obsession
Duration: 104 min
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Canada, UK
Plot tags: gambling, gambling addiction, addiction, business, embezzlement, poker, casino, greed, police investigation, gambler, banker, embezzler, relationships, loneliness, depression, mental illness, drug addiction, paranoid, redemption, drug abuse, gangster, drug, character study, compulsive gambler, gambling debt
Slim Susie (2003)
Plot Summary:
When Erik, a Stockholm urbanite, learns that his beauty-queen sister, Susie, is missing, he goes to their country roots to look for her. But after talking to the eccentric locals -- including a shy video store clerk and a corrupt police officer -- Erik finds a woman who is not at all like the girl he left behind. Award-winning director Ulf Malmros helms this black comedy infused with hipster flair
Duration: 97 min
IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Country: Sweden
Plot tags: confession, small town, dark humor, gang, family relations, love and romance, dishonesty, teenage boy, missing person, nordic, disappearance, brother sister relationship, road trip, erotica, european, drowning, gangster, success, sibling relationship, rural area, village, village life, sexual relations, couples, urban
Gozu (2003)
Plot Summary:
Minami mistakenly kills a gangster associate of his named Brother. Almost as soon as the murder takes place, the body of the deceased man is gone, prompting Minami to conduct a search. While looking, he finds a mysterious isolated hotel where he decides to take a rest. Not only are the front desk clerks a bit strange, but even the ambiance feels unusual. Minami soon realizes he may have gotten more than he bargained for
Duration: 130 min
IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Plot tags: yakuza, gangster, surrealism, obsession, murder, nightmare, extreme, hitman, mission of murder, mental illness, danger, psychology, macabre, body horror, violent, exploitation, mafia, trippy, dark humor, death, male nudity, japanese mafia, paranoia, twists and turns, ghetto
Intermission (2003)
Plot Summary:
A raucous story of the interweaving lives and loves of small-town delinquents, shady cops, pretty good girls and very bad boys. With Irish guts and grit, lives collide, preconceptions shatter and romance is tested to the extreme. An ill-timed and poorly executed couple's break-up sets off a chain of events affecting everyone in town
Duration: 105 min
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: Ireland, UK
Plot tags: infidelity, justice, multiple storylines, eccentricity, unlikely friendships, heist, couple relations, love and romance, caper, existentialism, gangster, profanity, male female relationship, loneliness, violence, friendship, death, male nudity, working class, drinking, ghetto, gang, fight scenes, irish gangster, trouble