Best tv shows like American Crime
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
An anthology drama focusing on all aspects of the U.S. criminal justice system dealing with crimes committed in America.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: anthology, tense, realistic, serious, exciting, suspense, detective, grindhouse, gloomy
Best tv shows and movies like American Crime (2015):
Similar in 79%
Seven Seconds (2018)
Plot Summary:
Tensions run high between African American citizens and Caucasian cops in Jersey City when a teenage African American boy is critically injured by a cop.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, serious, rough, anthology, melancholic, suspenseful, political, twisted, dark
Similar in 78%
Outsiders (2016)
Plot Summary:
A struggle for power and control set in the rugged and mysterious hills of Appalachia, "Outsiders" tells the story of the Farrell clan, a family of outsiders who've been in these parts since before anyone can remember. Living off the grid and above the law on their mountaintop homestead, they'll protect their world and defend their way of life using any means necessary.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, suspense, suspenseful, anime, spooky
Similar in 78%
In Justice (2006)
Plot Summary:
In Justice is an American television police procedural created by Michelle King and Robert King. The series began airing on Sunday, January 1, 2006 on ABC as a midseason replacement and assumed its regular night and time on Friday, January 6, 2006 at 9 p.m. EST. It was cancelled after its 13-episode run on March 31, 2006. The series was simulcast in Canada on CTV. In the UK In Justice was shown on UKTV Gold beginning September 17, 2006 and was later repeated on ABC1 in 2007.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 588
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: captivating, realistic, psychological, serious
Similar in 83%
The Guardian (2001)
Plot Summary:
Nick Fallin is a hotshot lawyer working at his father's ultrasuccessful Pittsburgh law firm. Unfortunately, the high life has gotten the best of Nick. Arrested for drug use, he's sentenced to do 1,500 hours of community service, somehow to be squeezed into his 24/7 cutthroat world of mergers, acquisitions and board meetings. Reluctantly, he's now The Guardian - a part-time child advocate at Legal Aid Services, where one case after another is an eye-opening instance of kids caught up in difficult circumstances.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: rough, realistic, suspenseful, semi serious, sensitive
Similar in 87%
Gone (2017)
Plot Summary:
The survivor of a famous child-abduction case joins a special task force dedicated to solving abductions and missing person cases.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Germany, France, USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: captivating, suspense, detective, serious, social, compassionate, thrilling
Similar in 87%
The Slap (2015)
Plot Summary:
A family drama that explodes from one small incident where a man slaps another couple's misbehaving child. This seemingly minor domestic dispute pulls the family apart, exposes long-held secrets, and ignites a lawsuit that challenges the core values of all who are pulled into it.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, realistic, psychological, captivating
Similar in 90%
Common (2014)
Plot Summary:
Multi-award-winning writer Jimmy McGovern's brand new film based on the UK's controversial joint enterprise law. Jimmy McGovern's gritty drama stars Nico Mirallegro as guileless 17 year old Johnjo O'Shea, who goes from innocent bystander to accessory to premeditated murder after giving a few friends a lift.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: tense, thought provoking, serious, realistic, crime drama, bleak, gloomy
Similar in 88%
Judging Amy (1999)
Plot Summary:
Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly. Its main character is a judge who serves in a family court, and in addition to the family-related cases that she adjudicates, many episodes of the show focus on her own experiences as a divorced mother, and on the experiences of her mother, a social worker who works in the field of child welfare. This series was based on the life experiences of Brenneman's mother.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, realistic, touching, serious
Similar in 82%
Untouched (2017)
Plot Summary:
Untouched is the story of a reluctant attorney's struggle with inner demons while defending a teenage girl accused of murdering her newborn. When the "Hostess City of the South" is rocked by the horrific crime, Mitchell Thomas III becomes strangely compelled to defend the firm's newest client. Mitch and the girl connect and her circumstances exhume memories that begin to consume him. While his mother (Eleanor) rallies for a quick resolution in order to save the prestigious reputation of the girl's father from tabloid embarrassment, Mitch digs deeper into the Tybee community that hides the secret to the girl's pregnancy. The more he uncovers about his client's history, the more he drinks to escape the demons from his own past. Mitch realizes that in order to save this young woman, he must face the darkest events of his past. He works against his mother and an unforgiving city to acquit the young woman and mend is his own crippling wounds.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 162
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, realistic, suspense, grindhouse, independent film, gloomy, surprise ending
Similar in 90%
Heavens Fall (2006)
Plot Summary:
Successful New York attorney Sam Leibowitz travels to the South in 1933 to defend nine young black men accused of raping two women on an Alabama freight train.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: serious, sincere, disturbing, independent film, uplifting, emotional, realistic
Similar in 86%
Murder in the First (2014)
Plot Summary:
Murder in the First follows homicide detectives Terry English and Hildy Mulligan as they investigate a multitude of tragedies in San Francisco.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: exciting, detective, tense, suspense, suspenseful, sexy
Similar in 87%
Shark (2006)
Plot Summary:
Notorious Los Angeles defense attorney Sebastian Stark becomes disillusioned with his career after his successful defense of a wife-abuser results in the wife's death. After more than a month trying to come to grips with his situation, he is invited by the Los Angeles district attorney to become a public prosecutor so he can apply his unorthodox-but-effective talents to putting guilty people away instead of putting them back on the street.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, tense, suspense
Similar in 85%
Jake and the Fatman (1987)
Plot Summary:
Jake and the Fatman is a television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder was a spin-off of this series.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: detective, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 75%
Murder One (1995)
Plot Summary:
Theodore 'Teddy' Hoffman is a highly-regarded defense attorney in a prestigious Los Angeles law firm. Having successfully defended the wealthy but suspicious Richard Cross in a much-publicised murder trial, he is now involved in the defense of Neil Avedon, a famous young actor who has been suffering from severe drug and alcohol problems - and has been charged with the murder for which Cross was acquitted.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, exciting, detective, thrilling, sincere, serious, realistic, contemplative, vintage
Similar in 82%
The Jury (2004)
Plot Summary:
Set in New York City, the series brings the viewer into the jury room to watch the deliberators try to answer the many questions posed during a trial. As facts are exposed through flashbacks of testimony and crime footage, viewers will form their own opinions about the guilt or innocence of the defendant. Following each verdict, a final flashback will let viewers see the crime as it actually happened and reveal whether or not the jury made the right decision.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 144
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing, rough, bleak
Similar in 84%
Silent Witness (2011)
Plot Summary:
Prominent defense attorney Tony Lord returns to his hometown to defend an old friend, a teacher accused of murdering one of his students. The case re-opens the heartache from Tony's own high school days, when he was a student falsely accused of murdering his first love.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 585
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: realistic, tense, captivating, psychological, serious, suspenseful
Similar in 80%
Law & Order Los Angeles (2010)
Plot Summary:
Law & Order: LA, originally titled Law & Order: Los Angeles, is an American police procedural and legal drama television series set in Los Angeles, where it was produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and developed by Blake Masters, it premiered on NBC on September 29, 2010, as a spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama Law & Order. The show received a full season pickup on October 18, 2010. On January 18, 2011, however, NBC announced that it was putting the series on hold indefinitely. According to a representative of the show, the scheduling change was not caused entirely by the recent cast shake-up. The network later announced a return date for the series, April 11, 2011; and the final episode scheduled for July 11, 2011. Law & Order: LA was canceled by NBC on May 13, 2011.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, realistic, suspenseful, detective, crime drama, rough, bleak, gloomy
Similar in 84%
Robbery Homicide Division (2002)
Plot Summary:
Robbery Homicide Division was an American police procedural television series on CBS, created by Barry Schindel with executive producer Michael Mann. Schindel has been nominated for three Emmy Awards.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 403
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, rough, serious, suspenseful, exciting, captivating, realistic
Similar in 86%
Reckless (2014)
Plot Summary:
A gorgeous Yankee litigator and a charming southern attorney must hide their intense mutual attraction as a police sex scandal threatens to tear the city of Charleston, S.C. apart. .
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, tense, serious, sexy, touching, captivating
Similar in 86%
The Defenders (2010)
Plot Summary:
The Defenders is a drama about two colorful Las Vegas defense attorneys who go all-in when it comes to representing their clients. Nick and Pete are the local go-to guys with an eclectic client list who are still looking to hit their own jackpot.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, exciting, suspense, tense, suspenseful
Similar in 76%
100 Centre Street (2001)
Plot Summary:
100 Centre Street is an American legal drama created by Sidney Lumet and starring Alan Arkin, Val Avery, Bobby Cannavale, Joel de la Fuente and Paula Devicq.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 201
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, thought provoking, realistic, suspenseful, gloomy
Similar in 87%
Red Widow (2013)
Plot Summary:
When Marta Walraven's mob husband is brutally murdered, she takes on gangsters and the FBI to unveil the truth about his death. As she digs into this dark underworld, she'll test her own strength, relying on her resourcefulness, determination and family ties like never before. To get out of this mob, she needs to beat the bad guys at their own deadly game.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, suspenseful, realistic, captivating, exciting
Similar in 88%
Life of Crime (2013)
Plot Summary:
A female cop becomes obsessed with tracking down the killer of a 15-year-old girl, and hunts him over the course of her 28 year career in the force.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 730
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 132 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, realistic, suspenseful, detective, period piece, rough, serious
Similar in 79%
Shots Fired (2017)
Plot Summary:
A media storm sets off when an African-American cop kills a white teenager in a small North Carolina town.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, captivating, suspense, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing, detective, crime drama
Similar in 87%
Bosch (2014)
Plot Summary:
Based on Michael Connelly's best-selling novels, these are the stories of relentless LAPD homicide Detective Harry Bosch who pursues justice at all costs. But behind his tireless momentum is a man who is haunted by his past and struggles to remain loyal to his personal code: “Everybody counts or nobody counts.”.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 81000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 51 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, exciting, detective, neo noir, tense, crime drama, mind blowing, crime thriller, gloomy
Similar in 89%
Secrets and Lies (2015)
Plot Summary:
Detective Andrea Cornell is a tough, thorough Homicide Detective who leaves no stone unturned. Her unwavering dedication to her job makes her the most formidable opponent - or a highly valuable ally.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, suspenseful, captivating, realistic, detective, idiotic
Similar in 82%
Your Honor (2020)
Plot Summary:
The son of a respected judge is involved in a hit-and-run that leads to a high-stakes game of lies, deceit and impossible choices. A legal thriller that rips through all strata of New Orleans society.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 64000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 57 min
Plot tags: thrilling, serious, emotional, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 90%
The Defenders (1961)
Plot Summary:
The Defenders is an American courtroom drama series that ran on CBS from 1961–1965. It starred E. G. Marshall and Robert Reed as father-and-son defense attorneys who specialized in legally complex cases, with defendants such as neo-Nazis, conscientious objectors, civil rights demonstrators, a schoolteacher fired for being an atheist, an author accused of pornography, and a physician charged in a mercy killing. It was created by television writer Reginald Rose. The Museum of Broadcast Communications called it "perhaps the most socially conscious series the medium has ever seen", a show "singularly resonant with New Frontier liberalism." In 2002, The Defenders was ranked #31 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. and in 2013 TV Guide ranked it #8 in its list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 486
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, realistic, thought provoking, clever, talky, retro, contemplative, vintage
Similar in 77%
The Night Of (2016)
Plot Summary:
After a night of partying with a female stranger, a man wakes up to find her stabbed to death and is charged with her murder.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 167000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 525 min
Plot tags: suspense, realistic, atmospheric, tense, psychological, serious, detective, thought provoking, clever, enigmatic
Similar in 90%
Better Call Saul (2015)
Plot Summary:
Six years before Saul Goodman meets Walter White. We meet him when the man who will become Saul Goodman is known as Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer searching for his destiny, and, more immediately, hustling to make ends meet. Working alongside, and, often, against Jimmy, is “fixer” Mike Erhmantraut. The series will track Jimmy's transformation into Saul Goodman, the man who puts “criminal” in “criminal lawyer".
IMDB Rating: 9.0
IMDB Votes: 620000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 3154 min
Plot tags: witty, stylized, tense, realistic, captivating, psychological, crime drama, dark comedy, neo noir, semi serious