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.

Above Suspicion

341. Above Suspicion

Thriller Crime Action Domestic Thriller Undercover Sting Crime
5.8

20191h 44min

United States

Director: Phillip Noyce

The chilling true story of a newly married FBI poster boy assigned to an Appalachian mountain town in Kentucky. There he is drawn into an illicit affair with an impoverished local woman who becomes his star informant. She sees in him her means of escape; instead, it's a ticket to disaster for both of them.

Themes

Illicit affair consequences, Field office dynamics, Abusive boyfriend tension, Notorious crimes

Available on

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

Shaft

342. Shaft

Action Crime Comedy Mystery Buddy Action
6.4

20191h 51min

United States

Director: Tim Story

JJ, aka John Shaft Jr., may be a cyber security expert with a degree from MIT, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, he needs an education only his dad can provide. Absent throughout JJ’s youth, the legendary locked-and-loaded John Shaft agrees to help his progeny navigate Harlem’s heroin-infested underbelly.

Themes

Family loyalty under strain, Loyalty under pressure, Trust and deception, Intergenerational duty, Crime versus legitimacy, Silence and complicity in crime

Available on

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

First Love

343. First Love

Crime Action Comedy Narcotics Crime Martial Arts Action
6.7

20191h 48min

Japan, United Kingdom

Director: Takashi Miike

One night in Tokyo, Leo, a young boxer, meets his first love, Monica, an imprisoned sex worker. Caught up in a drug-smuggling scheme, they find themselves pursued by a corrupt cop, a yakuza, his nemesis, and a female assassin.

Themes

Loyalty under threat, Fate vs agency, Trauma and addiction, Illness as leverage, Crime underworld pressure, Deception within crime

Available on

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

Avengement

344. Avengement

Crime Action One-Person Army Prison Crime
6.6

20191h 28min

United Kingdom

Director: Jesse V. Johnson

While on a prison furlough, a lowly criminal evades his guards and returns to his old stomping ground to take revenge on the people who turned him into a cold blooded killer.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Revenge fuels violence, Crime and retribution, Brother against brother, Frame up consequences, Loanshark leverage, Pub as arena

Available on

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

The Traitor

345. The Traitor

Drama Crime Thriller Organized Crime Political Thriller
7.1

20192h 31min

Brazil, France

Director: Marco Bellocchio

Palermo, Sicily, 1980. Mafia member Tommaso Buscetta decides to move to Brazil with his family fleeing the constant war between the different clans of the criminal organization. But when, after living several misfortunes, he is forced to return to Italy, he makes a bold decision that will change his life and the destiny of Cosa Nostra forever.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, State versus crime, Collaboration and consequence, Justice through testimony, Fear and public scrutiny, Power and influence networks

Available on

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

Trial by Fire

346. Trial by Fire

Drama Crime Legal Drama
7.1

20192h 7min

United States

Director: Edward Zwick

The tragic and controversial story of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed in Texas for killing his three children after scientific evidence and expert testimony that bolstered his claims of innocence were suppressed.

Themes

Witness manipulation, Evidence suppression, Miscarriage of justice, Death penalty debates, State power vs due process, False testimony dynamics

Available on

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

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

347. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

Action Thriller Crime One-Person Army Organized Crime
7.4

20192h 11min

United States

Director: Chad Stahelski

Super-assassin John Wick returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table, John Wick is excommunicado, but the world’s most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn.

Themes

Betrayal and alliance, Excommunication under pressure, Desert ordeal, Shadowy governance, Alliances of necessity, Loyalty tested

Available on

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

The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil

348. The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil

Crime Action Thriller Serial Killer Crime Investigation Suspense
7.0

20191h 50min

South Korea

Director: Lee Won-tae

After barely surviving a brutal attack by a sadistic serial killer, crime boss Jang Dong-su is left humiliated. Determined to catch the killer known as K, he forms an uneasy alliance with Jung Tae-seok, a relentless and incorruptible detective who often disrupts his illegal business. However, while Jang Dong-su wants K dead, Jung Tae-suk is determined to bring him to justice. With a deal in place—whoever finds K first will decide his fate—the hunt begins, blurring the lines between crime and law.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Deception within alliances, Justice vs vengeance, Collaboration across rival lines, Ambition shaping choices, Evidence-driven pursuit

Available on

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

Charlie Says

349. Charlie Says

Drama Crime Psychological Drama Serial Killer Crime
5.9

20191h 50min

United States

Director: Mary Harron

Three young women were sentenced to death in the infamous Manson murder case, but when the death penalty was lifted, their sentence became life imprisonment. One young graduate student was sent in to teach them – and through her we witness their transformations as they face the reality of their horrific crimes.

Themes

"movie: charlie says. genres: drama, Crime, Drama, Crime main themes: based on novel or book, Biography, Woman director, Based on novel or book, Biography, Woman director full keywords list: based on novel or book, Biography, Woman director, Manson family murders, Charles manson. concept analysis: the film explores the themes of manipulation and the struggle for identity in the face of indoctrination. it serves as a poignant reminder of the psychological scars left by cult influence and the arduous journey towards self-realization and accountability."

Available on

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

The Hustle

350. The Hustle

Comedy Crime Satire Con Artist Crime
5.5

20191h 34min

Spain, United States

Director: Chris Addison

Two female scam artists, one low rent and the other high class, compete to swindle a naïve tech prodigy out of his fortune. A remake of the 1988 comedy "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."

Themes

"movie: the hustle. genres: comedy, Crime, Comedy, Crime main themes: bet, Competition, Affectation, Bet, Competition, Affectation full keywords list: bet, Competition, Affectation, Con artist, Swindler, Remake, Aftercreditsstinger, Con woman, Candid, Satirical, Appreciative, Awestruck, Celebratory, Cheerful, Cliché, Enthusiastic, Euphoric, Mocking, Optimistic. concept analysis: the film explores the complexities of trust and betrayal in relationships, Highlighting how love can complicate even the most calculated schemes. it also critiques the superficiality of wealth and status, Suggesting that true connection transcends material gain."

Available on

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