Last updated March 2024
Craving extraordinarily spectacular Best Crime Movies? We assembled 30 marvelous, critic- and user-acclaimed Best Crime Movies ready for your immediate streaming enjoyment. With near perfect scores from IMDB and widespread praise from our knowledgeable user community, these elite titles are as sensationally great as entertainment gets! Help fellow fans uncover overlooked gems by voting for your personal favorites. We value members who take the time to contribute phenomenal recommendations!
The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (1992)
Plot Summary:
The multigenerational saga of the rise and fall of the Corleone crime family
Duration: 583 min
IMDB Rating: 9.3/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: crime boss, cosa nostra, sicilian mafia, mafia, mobster, gangsta, horse, mob hit, boys' choir, christmas, village, revenge, attorney, teacher, wedding, escape, violence, pregnancy, hitman, fishing, party, female nudity, fbi, betrayal, murder
The Godfather (1972)
Plot Summary:
Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge
Duration: 175 min
IMDB Rating: 9.2/10
IMDB Votes: 20000000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: mafia, organized crime, gangster, greed, revenge, mob boss, crime family, cosa nostra, wedding, pride and honor, corruption, murder, gang war, crime boss, shooting, violence, patriarch, father son relationship, corrupt cop, betrayal, family relations, dysfunctional family, criminal heroes, godfather, rise to power
The Dark Knight (2008)
Plot Summary:
Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker
Duration: 152 min
IMDB Rating: 9.0/10
IMDB Votes: 28000000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: superhero, batman, heroes, secret identity, tragic hero, psychopath, moral dilemma, corruption, organized crime, villain, comic book, joker, double life, good versus evil, vigilante, rivalry, clown, gotham city, revenge, evil clown, insanity, dark hero, super villain, psychological manipulation, billionaire
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Plot Summary:
In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba
Duration: 202 min
IMDB Rating: 9.0/10
IMDB Votes: 13000000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: mafia, organized crime, cosa nostra, revenge, ambition, melancholy, mob boss, corruption, corrupt politician, mobster, gangster, murder, crime boss, immigrant, gangsta, rise to the top, immigration, business, gang, violence, italian immigrant, anti hero, underworld, criminal heroes, dialogue
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Plot Summary:
A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time
Duration: 154 min
IMDB Rating: 8.9/10
IMDB Votes: 22000000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: gangster, dark humor, organized crime, gunfight, violence, hitman, overdose, multiple storylines, violent, killings, drug, storytelling, cocaine, crime gone awry, shootout, foul language, rape, drug dealer, dialogue, drug dealing, corpse, car accident, criminal heroes, redemption, assassin
Goodfellas (1990)
Plot Summary:
The true story of Henry Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian Brooklyn kid who is adopted by neighbourhood gangsters at an early age and climbs the ranks of a Mafia family under the guidance of Jimmy Conway
Duration: 145 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 12000000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: organized crime, mafia, gangster, rise and fall, cosa nostra, criminal, mentor, badass, friends, italian mafia, biopic, mobster, violence, mob hit, betrayal, robbery, infidelity, dialogue, fbi, drug, criminal heroes, corruption, greed, gang violence, drug addiction
Jai Bhim (2021)
Plot Summary:
A pregnant woman from a primitive tribal community, searches desperately for her husband, who is missing from police custody. So as to find her husband and seek justice for them, as their voice, a High Court advocate rises in support. Will their battle for justice succeed?
Duration: 164 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 213000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: India, USA
Plot tags: lawyer, courtroom, investigation, poverty, theft, crime investigation, criminal, dysfunctional family, poor family, human rights, mission, jury, criminal justice, judgment, trial, biopic, innovation, prison, justice, wife, police brutality, tamil, telugu, bollywood, indigenous
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2006)
Plot Summary:
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair is a complete edit of the two-part martial arts action films Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2. The film was originally scheduled to be released as one part. However, due to the film's over 4 hour running time, it was split into two parts
Duration: 247 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: revenge, sword, girl fight, wedding, martial arts, violence, brutality, twists and turns, death, murder, justice, fight scenes, serial killer, dark humor, betrayal, heroine, pregnant bride, kung fu, gang, assassin, tough guy, femme fatale, gore, badass female lead, katana
The Green Mile (1999)
Plot Summary:
A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the cellblock's head guard, Paul Edgecomb, recognizes Coffey's miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man's execution
Duration: 189 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 14000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: USA
Plot tags: prison, death penalty, stephen king, death row, magic realism, supernatural, convict, false accusation, life & death, electric chair, life philosophy, psychic, justice, jail, execution, confined, prison life, tragic hero, death sentence, human nature, life is a bitch, good versus evil, prisoner, healing power, supernatural ability
Se7en (1995)
Plot Summary:
Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Sommerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case
Duration: 127 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 18000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, investigation, twists and turns, psychopath, police, psychology, mind game, macabre, insanity, murder, police investigation, maniac, killings, sin, plot twist, powerful ending, psycho, police detective, murder investigation, serial murder, riddles and clues, violence, killing spree, master criminal, murder mystery
City of God (2002)
Plot Summary:
Cidade de Deus is a shantytown that started during the 1960s and became one of Rio de Janeiro’s most dangerous places in the beginning of the 1980s. To tell the story of this place, the movie describes the life of various characters, all seen by the point of view of the narrator, Buscapé. Buscapé was raised in a very violent environment. Despite the feeling that all odds were against him, he finds out that life can be seen with other eyes
Duration: 130 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 788000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Brazil, France, Germany
Plot tags: gang, coming of age, organized crime, society, gang war, juvenile delinquency, storytelling, life is a bitch, photographer, journalism, favela, police corruption, street gang, urban ghetto life, drug dealing, ghetto, violence, photography, gangster, revenge, poverty, urban ghetto, drug, children, social decay
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Plot Summary:
FBI trainee, Clarice Starling ventures into a maximum-security asylum to pick the diseased brain of Hannibal Lecter, a psychiatrist turned homicidal cannibal. Starling needs clues to help her capture a serial killer. But her Faustian relationship with Lecter soon leads to his escape, and now two deranged killers are on the loose
Duration: 118 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 15000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, psychopath, investigation, murder, psychology, cannibalism, kidnapping, maniac, murder investigation, cannibal, mind game, brutality, twists and turns, fbi, bad guy wins, killings, strong female lead, psycho killer, psychiatrist, psychologist, female protagonist, profiler, female agent, disturbed individual, sadistic killer
Hero (1987)
Plot Summary:
Sakthivelu Nayakar (Kamal Hassan), the protagonist, is born to an anti-government union leader. The child Velu is tricked by the police into locating his father
Duration: 145 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: India
Plot tags: criminal heroes, gangster, revenge, rise to power, corruption, dialogue, hindu, corrupt, underworld, based on real people, innovation, indian mafia, mafia, power, father daughter relationship, childhood, organized crime, father son relationship, respect, loss of wife, loss of son, moral ambiguity, religion, gang war, melancholy
Commander (1991)
Plot Summary:
Surya is an orphan raised in a slum. He finds a friend in the local Godfather. They rule the town and forms a parallel government. Things are well until new district collect, step -brother of Surya takes charge. Surya finds his mom and decides to surrender
Duration: 157 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama
Country: India, Philippines
Plot tags: orphan, friendship, gangster, tragic love, innovation, asian gangster, abandoned baby, prison, criminal, rain, organized crime, slum, widow, police station, hugging, guilt, love interest, teenage mother, bail, birth mother, unwed mother, gang, gratitude, mother son relationship, tamil
The Departed (2006)
Plot Summary:
To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop curries favor with the mob kingpin, a career criminal rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there's a mole among them
Duration: 151 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 14000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Hong Kong
Plot tags: mafia, police, organized crime, mole, mobster, undercover cop, twists and turns, violence, undercover, gunfight, corruption, working undercover, gangster, mind game, cop, police corruption, forensics, law enforcement, plot twist, police investigation, espionage, irish mob, undercover police officer, spy, dialogue
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Plot Summary:
Held in an L.A. interrogation room, Verbal Kint attempts to convince the feds that a mythic crime lord, Keyser Soze, not only exists, but was also responsible for drawing him and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro harbor – leaving few survivors. Verbal lures his interrogators with an incredible story of the crime lord's almost supernatural prowess
Duration: 106 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 11000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Germany
Plot tags: twists and turns, plot twist, heist, master criminal, organized crime, criminal, manipulation, caper, gangster, great ending, interrogation, whodunit, investigation, dishonesty, mafia, conspiracy, murder mystery, underworld, mind game, puzzle, boat, psychopath, corruption, mysterious character, criminal heroes
Operation 'Y' & Other Shurik's Adventures (1965)
Plot Summary:
The film consists of three independent parts: "Workmate", "Déjà vu" and "Operation Y". The plot follows the adventures of Shurik (alternative spelling — Shourick), the naive and nerdy Soviet student who often gets into ludicrous situations but always finds a way out very neatly. "Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures" was a hit movie and became the leader of Soviet film distribution in 1965
Duration: 95 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: Soviet Union
Plot tags: construction worker, warehouse, petty criminal, workplace, community service, nothing goes right, goofy hero, misfit partners, disorder, rivalry, burglary, love and romance, student life, university student, exam, fight, modernism, revenge, bully, robbery, male female relationship, embezzlement, studying, thief, anti hero
American History X (1998)
Plot Summary:
Derek Vineyard is paroled after serving 3 years in prison for killing two thugs who tried to break into/steal his truck. Through his brother, Danny Vineyard's narration, we learn that before going to prison, Derek was a skinhead and the leader of a violent white supremacist gang that committed acts of racial crime throughout L.A. and his actions greatly influenced Danny. Reformed and fresh out of prison, Derek severs contact with the gang and becomes determined to keep Danny from going down the same violent path as he did
Duration: 119 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 12000000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: skinhead, prison, racism, gang, neo nazi, nazism, racial slur, character change, juvenile delinquency, rape, african american, racial prejudice, violent, murder, interracial friendship, neo nazism, hate crime, society, prejudice, youth, politics, redemption, prison rape, jail, xenophobia
Léon: The Professional (1994)
Plot Summary:
Leon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, Mathilda's thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Leon's footsteps
Duration: 110 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 12000000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France, USA
Plot tags: hitman, mentor, organized crime, friendship, revenge, loneliness, sniper, murder, loner, killings, redemption, life philosophy, corruption, shooting, dark hero, gunfight, assassin, killer child, fight scenes, nymphet, orphan, police corruption, lone wolves, mafia, older man younger woman relationship
Thani Oruvan (2015)
Plot Summary:
An idealistic cop and an ambitious scientist-businessman indulge in a high-stake battle of wits
Duration: 160 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 21000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: India
Plot tags: police officer, good versus evil, police, revenge, heroes, violence, scientist, death, murder, crime boss, brutality, chase, vengeance, rivalry, society, mob boss, gang war, mad scientist, arch villain, crime family, criminal heroes, gangster, genius, secret service, cop
Joker (2019)
Plot Summary:
During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure
Duration: 122 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 14000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Plot tags: mental illness, villain, mental disorder, psycho, loneliness, psychopath, comedian, psychological trauma, insanity, character change, social problems, social decay, mental patient, bad attitude, evil clown, clown, evil, sociopath, serial killer, revenge, rage, loner, murder, fighting the system, stand up comedian
High and Low (1963)
Plot Summary:
An executive of a shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and held for ransom
Duration: 143 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 51000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Plot tags: police, ransom, samurai, tragedy, secrets, visceral, character study, psychopath, mistaken identity, chauffeur, missing person, rescue, class differences, child kidnapping, chase, law enforcement, disorder, dishonesty, investigation, police investigation, kidnapping, drug addiction, police officer, sacrifice, police procedural
Black Friday (2004)
Plot Summary:
Under torture, Indian gangster Tiger Memon confesses to his involvement in a plot to set off explosives throughout Bombay. The police choose not to believe him, however, and bombs tear through the city that Friday, wreaking havoc and polarizing the citizens of Bombay. Through a series of interviews, DCP Rakesh Maria comes closer to discovering who the leader of the conspiracy is, but it soon becomes clear that a foreign power must be involved
Duration: 143 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, History
Country: India
Plot tags: terrorism, terrorist, politics, muslim, interrogation, investigation, life is a bitch, legal, society, law enforcement, journalism, bomb, innocence, protest, conspiracy, religious intolerance, police, multiple storylines, hindu, islam, conflict, war crime, renaissance, terrorist attack, threat
Gentlemen of Fortune (1971)
Plot Summary:
A kindergarten director Troshkin is a dead ringer for a criminal nicknamed "Docent" who stole the priceless
Duration: 88 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: Soviet Union
Plot tags: lookalikes, criminal heroes, cons and scams, disguise, petty criminal, secret agent, kindergarten, chess, russian mafia, art theft, escape, undercover, chases and races, disorder, dishonesty, love, prison, prison escape, children, teacher, desert, criminal, journey, school teacher, road trip
Drishyam 2 (2021)
Plot Summary:
7 years after the events of Drishyam, the family lives with the trauma from that fateful night. A gripping tale of an investigation and a family threatened by it. Will Georgekutty be able to protect his family this time?
Duration: 152 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 40000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Plot tags: investigation, dysfunctional family, family secret, family relations, neighbor, father daughter relationship, husband wife relationship, neighbor neighbor relationship, fish out of water, criminal, life is a bitch, social problems, relationship problems, family problems, secret, money problems, marital problem, plot twist, perfect crime, police, funeral, interrogation, witness, skeleton, casting
Raatchasan (2018)
Plot Summary:
A serial killer is murdering school girls, and a newbie cop has to track him down before the victim count increases
Duration: 170 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 49000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: India
Plot tags: serial killer, police, spy, life & death, intrigue, hate, murder, psycho, investigation, secret service, murder mystery, entertainment, plot twist, innovation, rookie, police investigation, child kidnapping, school, teacher, schoolgirl, interrogation, rich and poor, fashion, child abduction, tamil
K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022)
Plot Summary:
The blood-soaked land of Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) has a new overlord now - Rocky, whose name strikes fear in the heart of his foes. His allies look up to Rocky as their Savior, the government sees him as a threat to law and order; enemies are clamoring for revenge and conspiring for his downfall. Bloodier battles and darker days await as Rocky continues on his quest for unchallenged supremacy
Duration: 166 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 145000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Plot tags: organized crime, fight, ship, gold, greed, one man army, society, heroism, rags to riches, innovation, helicopter, death of protagonist, father son relationship, government, machine gun, death of wife, criminal as protagonist, flashback, fistfight, action violence, shootout, gangster, plot twist, undercover, mafia
Scarface (1983)
Plot Summary:
After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall
Duration: 170 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 896000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: gangster, mafia, organized crime, gunfight, drug lord, mob boss, drug cartel, drug dealing, cocaine, drug abuse, ambition, violence, badass, criminal heroes, rise and fall, drug, addiction, death of protagonist, drug addiction, corruption, criminal as protagonist, villain as protagonist, gory, mobster, ambitious
Drishyam (2013)
Plot Summary:
Georgekutty lives a happy life with his wife and daughters. Things take a turn when his daughter gets indecently filmed using a hidden camera, by the son of a police inspector
Duration: 160 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 43000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Plot tags: family in danger, police investigation, family relations, police, murder, twists and turns, obsession, parents and children, law enforcement, family in crisis, life turned upside down, blackmail, murder mystery, who done it, plot twist, innovation, great escape, death, hidden camera, false evidence, family problems, dishonesty, criminal heroes, unlikely criminals, police officer
Who Pays the Piper (1983)
Plot Summary:
Two zanies open a photography studio. They score a partnership with a gossip magazine that suddenly thrusts them into a world of corruption, murder, and hijinks
Duration: 132 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: India
Plot tags: hindu, innovation, murder, investigation, betrayal, alcohol abuse, destiny, rivalry, bribery, contests and competitions, disorder, journal, monkey, photographer, alcoholic, puppy, corruption, photograph, corrupt cop, drunkenness, unhappy ending, corpse, magazine, satire, corrupt