Crime backdrop

Crime movies

A deep dive into the underworld of gangsters, detectives, and heists where the line between right and wrong blurs.

Subgenres include: Organized Crime, Heist, Con Artist Crime.

One Battle After Another

1. One Battle After Another

Thriller Crime Comedy Survival Thriller Narcotics Crime
7.7

20252h 42min

United States

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Former revolutionary—now a paranoid alcoholic—Bob Ferguson is forced to save his own daughter from an enemy from the past: Colonel Lockjaw, who has reason to believe the girl is his daughter too.

Themes

Resistance under pressure, Off-grid survival, State power vs rights, Interracial bonds under strain, Xenophobia and extremism, Betrayal within movements

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Seaspiracy

2. Seaspiracy

Documentary Crime Social & Political Documentary
8.1

20211h 29min

Faroe Islands, Japan

Director: Ali Tabrizi

Passionate about ocean life, a filmmaker sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species — and uncovers an alarming global conspiracy.

Themes

Fishing net governance failures, Worker exploitation ethics, Deep sea fishing regulation, Environmental crisis governance, Political corruption accountability, Environmental destruction accountability

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

No Other Choice

3. No Other Choice

Comedy Crime Thriller Prison Crime Domestic Thriller
7.6

20252h 19min

South Korea, France

Director: Park Chan-wook

After being suddenly fired, Man Su’s life changes completely. He needs to find money to keep the house and provide a decent life for his family. With no other options, he decides to kill every potential competitor to land the job he wants.

Themes

Economic precarity, Desperation and violence, Deception in job pursuit, Family stress under debt, Competition for employment, Consequences of buyouts


Joker

4. Joker

Crime Thriller Drama Organized Crime Mind Game Thriller
8.3

20192h 2min

Canada, United States

Director: Todd Phillips

Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian, lives in a shabby apartment with his mother and suffers from mental disorders. Working as a clown, he faces cruelty from colleagues and random passersby every day, all too eager to humiliate him. After one such incident, he decides to respond with extreme violence.

Themes

Economic precarity and social service cuts, Social neglect of the downtrodden, Urban alienation and identity crisis, Media sensationalism and spectacle, Mental illness and stigma, Crowd violence and unrest

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

It Was Just an Accident

5. It Was Just an Accident

Drama Thriller Crime Mystery
7.5

20251h 43min

Iran, France

Director: Jafar Panahi

An unassuming mechanic is reminded of his time in an Iranian prison when he encounters a man he suspects to be his sadistic jailhouse captor.


The Seed of the Sacred Fig

6. The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Drama Thriller Crime Political Drama Political Thriller
7.6

20242h 47min

France, Germany

Director: Mohammad Rasoulof

Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.

Themes

Surveillance and coercion, Authoritarian control over justice, Paranoia within the family, Mistrust of institutions, Duty vs family protection, Political unrest shaping decisions

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Hulu
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Batman

7. The Batman

Crime Mystery Thriller Serial Killer Crime Investigation Mystery
7.8

20222h 57min

United States

Director: Matt Reeves

In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.

Themes

Power and manipulation, Systemic political corruption, Organized crime infiltration, Urban noir atmosphere, Vigilante justice vs institutions, Social injustice and inequality

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

John Wick: Chapter 4

8. John Wick: Chapter 4

Action Thriller Crime Epic Action Organized Crime
7.6

20232h 50min

Germany, United States

Director: Chad Stahelski

With the price on his head ever increasing, John Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.

Themes

Loyalty under duress, Consequences of violence, Shifting alliances and betrayals, Power politics and exile, Leadership and reconciliation, Global underworld networks, Ritual dueling and tradition

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Anatomy of a Fall

9. Anatomy of a Fall

Thriller Mystery Crime Courtroom Thriller Whodunit
7.6

20232h 31min

France

Director: Justine Triet

A woman is suspected of her husband's murder, and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the sole witness.

Themes

Mother son relationship, Moral dilemma, Bisexual woman, Courtroom drama, Autopsy inquiry

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Hulu
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Secret Agent

10. The Secret Agent

Crime Drama Thriller Political Thriller Organized Crime
7.3

20252h 41min

Brazil, France

Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho

Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting.

Themes

Resistance and exile, Memory and displacement, Refugee shelter networks, Police corruption and violence, Military dictatorship effects