Best movies like The French Detective
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
When political thugs murder an opponent's volunteer and also kill a cop, chief inspector Verjeat believes the politician who hired them is as guilty as the murderous goon. Verjeat's pursuit of the councilman, Lardatte, gets him a warning from his superiors. When he embarrasses Lardatte while disarming a hostage (the dead volunteer's father), Verjeat is told he's being transferred within a week. He speeds up his hunt for the goon and, with Lefévre, one of his young detectives, he engineers a complicated scheme to buy more time before the transfer. How should Verjeat play out his values of honor and duty?.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: France
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: crime drama, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, detective, freeze frame, poliziottesco, french noir
Best tv shows and movies like The French Detective (1975):
Similar in 85%
Last Known Address (1970)
Plot Summary:
Marceau Léonetti (Lino Ventura), a competent and energetic officer stops by chance the son of an influential lawyer driving under the influence of alcohol. A few months later, the lawyer falsely accuses Léonetti as being violent and incompetent. As a result Marceau is transferred to a small police station, where he meets young and beautiful Jeanne (Marlène Jobert). Soon they are faced with a tough investigation.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: neo noir, detective, crime drama, tense, rough, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing
Similar in 80%
Two Men in Town (1973)
Plot Summary:
A former bank robber is released after 10 years in prison. He gets help from a social-worker, but gets harassed by an old cop from his past.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: psychological, bleak, serious, neo noir, realistic, suspenseful, gloomy, tragic ending, poliziottesco
Similar in 84%
Diary of a Chambermaid (1964)
Plot Summary:
Celestine has a new job as a chambermaid for the quirky M. Monteil, his wife and her father. When the father dies, Celestine decides to quit her job and leave, but when a young girl is raped and murdered, Celestine believes that the Monteils' groundskeeper, Joseph, is guilty, and stays on in order to prove it. She uses her sexuality and the promise of marriage to get Joseph to confess -- but things do not go as planned.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: bleak, enigmatic, harsh, cynical, political, art house, biting, social, spiritual, artsy
Similar in 88%
Cop or Hood (1979)
Plot Summary:
When the local police inspector was found dead in a prostitute's house, police division commissioner Stan Borowitz is sent to investigate the situation. Posing as the prostitute's long-lost brother "Antonio Cerruti," he discovers a mare's nest of police corruption. In fact, in this comedy thriller the whole town is corrupt. If they were closely examined, Stan's methods for pursuing this investigation might embarrass the police. For instance, he drives into a criminal's house in a fancy, expensive race car. In another incident, he callously blows up a casino owned by Musard , one of the town's crime bosses. On that occasion, he first forces Musard to remove his clothes, and the poor criminal watches his casino explode from across the square while standing naked in a phone booth. Meanwhile, Stan seduces the lovely Edmonde.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: suspense, disturbing, tense, suspenseful, neo noir, freeze frame, french noir
Similar in 77%
Someone Behind the Door (1971)
Plot Summary:
A brain doctor (Anthony Perkins) with an unfaithful wife (Jill Ireland) brings home an amnesiac (Charles Bronson) and gets him to commit murder.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: slasher, psychological, tense, serious, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing, neo noir, psychotronic, poliziottesco
Similar in 89%
The Seventh Juror (1962)
Plot Summary:
In a moment of madness a middle-aged, married and respectable pharmacist kills a young woman who is sun-bathing by a lake. Unable to take in what he has done, he flees from the scene of the crime and behaves as if nothing has happened. Eventually her boyfriend is charged with the crime and, in a strange twist of fate, the killer finds himself serving on the jury.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 942
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: France
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: noir, neo noir, psychological thriller, crying, french noir
Similar in 81%
The Nark (1982)
Plot Summary:
A Paris police detective (Richard Berry) plays rough with a prostitute (Nathalie Baye) and her pimp/lover (Philippe Léotard), whom he wants as an informant.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: neo noir, anthology, detective, rough, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, crying, eighties
Similar in 75%
The Grissom Gang (1971)
Plot Summary:
The Grissom Gang is a remake of the notorious 1949 British melodrama No Orchids For Miss Blandish. Kim Darby plays a 1920s-era debutante who is kidnapped and held for ransom. Her captors are the Grissoms, a family comprised of sadists and morons, and headed by Ma Barker clone Irene Dailey. One of the Grissoms, played by Scott Wilson, takes a liking to his prisoner, which results in a bloody breakdown of the family unit. Both The Grissom Gang and the original No Orchids For Miss Blandish were inspired by the best-seller by James Hadley Chase, though neither film retains Chase's original ending.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: neo noir, independent film, tense, clever, serious, realistic, suspenseful, cynical, biting, crying
Similar in 78%
Second Breath (1966)
Plot Summary:
With his customary restraint and ruthless attention to detail, director Jean-Pierre Melville follows the parallel tracks of French underworld criminal Gu (the inimitable Lino Ventura), escaped from prison and roped into one last robbery, and the suave inspector, Blot (Paul Meurisse), relentlessly seeking him. The implosive Le deuxième souffle captures the pathos, loneliness, and excitement of a life in the shadows with methodical suspense and harrowing authenticity, and contains one of the most thrilling heist sequences Melville ever shot.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: France
Duration: 150 min
Plot tags: neo noir, noir, black and white, crime drama, exciting, atmospheric, clever, bleak, serious, realistic
Similar in 78%
Who Killed Pasolini? (1995)
Plot Summary:
The story of the murder of a poet, a man, a great film director: Pier Paolo Pasolini. The story begin with the arrest of "Pelosi", a young man then accused of the murder of the poet. All the investigation about the crime is about the question: "Was ONLY the "Pelosi" to kill Pasolini?" The help of a Policeman, Trepalle put in evidence a trouble: Was Pasolini killed because of his accuses to some politicians?.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 634
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: sincere, thought provoking, bleak, serious, realistic, disturbing, controversial, intellectual
Similar in 89%
Brass (1985)
Plot Summary:
The Chief of Detectives of the New York Police Department, is a tough cop who has worked his way up the ladder from being on a beat.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 133
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, detective
Similar in 86%
The Sicilian Clan (1969)
Plot Summary:
Roger Santet is a convicted murderer sprung from prison by the Sicilian clan headed by the aging Vittorio Manalese. They conspire to steal a large cache of jewels from an exhibit in Rome. As they are preparing for the heist, the mobster's American friend Tony Nicosia suggests that a better way to get the rocks would be to hijack the transport plane while it is en route to New York. The dogged inspector Le Goff is using all the available resources to thwart their plans. Though the heist itself is successful, Santet finds himself trapped by the mob because of his fling with Manalese's daughter-in-law.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: noir, neo noir, crime drama, exciting, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, poliziottesco, french noir
Similar in 90%
The Young Americans (1993)
Plot Summary:
Experienced New York Police Detective John Harris is sent to London to help a local task force investigate a series of gangster killings organized by a new player in town, an American.With the help of a young teen wronged by gangsters, Harris navigates London's seedy, drug-fueled underworld in order to take down its new criminal empire.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK, France
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: hood, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, independent film
Similar in 79%
The Badge (2015)
Plot Summary:
The only difference between a cop and a criminal is The Badge. Detective Vince McKinley and his partner Martin Goulet have to solve the biggest case of their careers: a series of evidence have been stolen from their own precinct. Through out the case, Vince discovers that the person responsible could be one of his closest friend. The Badge brings a unique view on how trust and friendship can switch to blood in an instant.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 19
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, realistic, suspenseful, rough
Similar in 76%
Paris by Night (2012)
Plot Summary:
Police commander Simon Weiss, head of the division that supervises Paris’s demi-monde, starts out on his nightly tour of bars, discos and strip clubs, making sure once again that the owners don’t bend the rules too far. Weiss knows he’s between a rock and hard place: it’s obvious that criminal gangs run rampant in his special domain, and even more obvious that they’re protected by higher-ups in the department.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: France
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: neo noir, serious, suspenseful, suspense, enigmatic, noir, crime drama, tense, rough, realistic
Similar in 90%
Flic Story (1975)
Plot Summary:
The film story depicts Emile Buisson, following the death of his wife and child, escaping from a psychiatric institution in 1947 and returning to Paris. Buisson, who three years later would become France's public enemy number one, begins a murderous rampage through the French capital.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, suspenseful, neo noir, suspense, cult classic, period piece, detective, tense, realistic
Similar in 77%
Under Suspicion (1981)
Plot Summary:
A police inspector, suspecting an attorney of two child sex murders, has him held for a questioning session that goes on for hours.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, tense, disturbing, neo noir, psychological thriller, serious, gloomy, twist ending, anthology, crime drama
Similar in 76%
Fort Apache the Bronx (1981)
Plot Summary:
From the sight of a police officer this movie depicts the life in New York's infamous South Bronx. In the center is "Fort Apache", as the officers call their police station, which really seems like an outpost in enemy's country. The story follows officer Murphy, who seems to be a tuff cynic, but in truth he's a moralist with a sense for justice.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: detective, bleak, realistic, grim, hood, crime drama, perverse, rough, serious, captivating
Similar in 81%
Pasha (1968)
Plot Summary:
Six months before his retirement from the criminal police, inspector Joss finds his colleague Gouvion dead, in a poorly faked suicide attempt. Joss loses his temper, and investigates on his own, which leads him through the bas-fond of Paris.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: detective, crime drama, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, poliziottesco, microfilm
Similar in 79%
Money (1983)
Plot Summary:
A forged 500-franc note is cynically passed from person to person and shop to shop, until it falls into the hands of a genuine innocent who doesn't see it for what it is - which will have devastating consequences on his life, causing him to turn to crime and murder.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: France, Switzerland
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: spiritual, slow cinema, depressing, neo noir, sad, contemplative, anthology, cynical, grim, aesthetic
Similar in 77%
Happy New Year (1973)
Plot Summary:
Gangster (Lino Ventura) with his accomplice (Charles Gérard), prepares to take part in the "first psychological hold-up in the history of crime". Next door to the jewellers of Van Cleef & Arpels, on the Croisette, in Cannes, the find the shop of a beautiful antiques dealer (Françoise Fabian) who befriends the group. The driver and the antiques dealer fall in love. He is friendly but unrefined, she is cultivated and independent, but discovers that talking with Simon shows up her vanity, and she desires a simple and clean love. The hold-up which had been planned for a long time by the driver is shown to be more sophisticated than his methods of seduction.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: clever, humorous, realistic, stylized, semi serious, non-linear, detective, freeze frame, poliziottesco
Similar in 87%
The Valachi Papers (1972)
Plot Summary:
When Joe Valachi (Charles Bronson) has a price put on his head by Don Vito Genovese (Lino Ventura), he must take desperate steps to protect himself while in prison. An unsuccessful attempt to slit his throat puts him over the edge to break the sacred code of silence.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: tense, rough, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, neo noir, poliziottesco
Similar in 82%
Prince of the City (1981)
Plot Summary:
New York City detective Daniel Ciello agrees to help the United States Department of Justice help eliminate corruption in the police department, as long as he will not have to turn in any close friends. In doing so, Ciello uncovers a conspiracy within the force to smuggle drugs to street informants.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 167 min
Plot tags: tense, neo noir, detective, bleak, realistic, epic, political, crime drama, grim, sincere
Similar in 89%
The Night Caller (1975)
Plot Summary:
A serial-killer frightens Paris by phoning young ladies at night, telling them insults about their lives. Minos, as he calls himself, wants to prevent the world from free women and he targets at first these ones. Commissaire Letellier is given the investigation and he has hard work with the maniac.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: neo noir, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, psychological thriller, cult classic, poliziottesco, exciting, slasher
Similar in 88%
The Glass Shield (1994)
Plot Summary:
J.J. is a rookie in the Sheriff's Department and the first black officer at that station. Racial tensions run high in the department as some of J.J.'s fellow officers resent his presence. His only real friend is the other new trooper, the first female officer to work there, who also suffers similar discrimination in the otherwise all-white-male work environment. When J.J. becomes increasingly aware of police corruption during the murder trial of Teddy Woods, whom he helped to arrest, he faces difficult decisions and puts himself into grave personal danger in the service of justice.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: France, USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: tense, harsh, rough, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing, neo noir, thought provoking
Similar in 78%
Le Samurai (1967)
Plot Summary:
Hitman Jef Costello is a perfectionist who always carefully plans his murders and who never gets caught.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 56000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: neo noir, atmospheric, tense, suspenseful, bleak, suspense, visual, meditative, witty, art house
Similar in 76%
The Onion Field (1979)
Plot Summary:
Greg Powell, a disturbed ex-con, recruits Jimmy Youngblood (Smith) a petty thief, as partner in crime. Powell panics when they two of are pulled over by two cops for tail lights. Powell decides to kidnap the cops and Smith goes along with his crazy scheme. They drive out to a deserted onion field in Bakersfield, where one cop is killed and the other escapes. The film explores the consequences.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: neo noir, atmospheric, psychological, realistic, rough, serious, disturbing, detective, bleak, emotional
Similar in 79%
Romanzo Criminale (2005)
Plot Summary:
The Lebanese has a dream: to conquer the underworld of Rome. To carry out this feat without precedent he puts together a ruthless and highly organized gang. Their progress and changes in leadership take place over 25 years, from the 1970s into the 90s, and are inseparably intertwined with the dark history of modern Italy: terrorism, kidnappings and corruption at the highest levels of government.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Italy, France, UK
Duration: 152 min
Plot tags: serious, stylized, rough, captivating, realistic, erotic, hood, poliziottesco, neo noir, bleak
Similar in 84%
Dark Blue (2002)
Plot Summary:
Set during the Rodney King riots, a robbery homicide investigation triggers a series of events that will cause a corrupt LAPD officer to question his tactics.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, Germany
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: neo noir, tense, detective, harsh, intense, stylized, serious, captivating, suspenseful, disturbing
Similar in 81%
Night Falls on Manhattan (1996)
Plot Summary:
A newly elected District attorney finds himself in the middle of a police corruption investigation that may involve his father and his partner.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: suspense, talky, serious, realistic, neo noir, suspense thriller, tense, bleak, suspenseful, detective