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.

Good People

901. Good People

Thriller Crime Action Domestic Thriller Heist
5.5

20141h 30min

Denmark, Sweden

Director: Henrik Ruben Genz

Tom and Anna Wright, a young American couple, fall into severe debt while renovating Tom's family home in London. As the couple faces the loss of their dream to have a house and start a family, they discover that the tenant in the apartment below them is dead, and he's left behind a stash of cash—$400,000 worth. Though initially hesitant, Tom and Anna decide that the plan is simple: all they have to do is quietly take the money and use only what's necessary to get them out of debt. But when they start spending the money and can't seem to stop, they find themselves the target of a deadly adversary—the thief who stole it—and that's when very bad things start happening to good people.

Themes

Debt pressure, Drug dealer threat, Money manipulation, Detective scrutiny, Cash temptation, House risk

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
The Roku Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Rampage: Capital Punishment

902. Rampage: Capital Punishment

Action Crime Thriller Political Thriller Organized Crime
6.0

20141h 33min

Canada, Germany

Director: Uwe Boll

A man takes over a TV station and holds a number of hostages as a political platform to awaken humanity, instead of money.

Themes

Media as weapon, Violence as political platform, Populist manipulation, Government manipulation, Wealth concentration critique, Public spectacle

Available on

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

Deliver Us from Evil

903. Deliver Us from Evil

Thriller Crime Horror Detective Mystery Crime Supernatural Horror
6.2

20141h 58min

United States

Director: Scott Derrickson

When a frightening wave of violence sweeps through New York City, troubled cop Sarchie fails to find a rational explanation for the bizarre crimes. However, his eyes are opened to a frightening alternate reality when renegade Jesuit priest Mendoza convinces him that demonic possession may be to blame for the gruesome murders. Together, they wage a valiant supernatural struggle to rid the city of an otherworldly evil.

Themes

Iraq war veteran trauma, New york city pressure, Faith vs occult, Moral injury and confession, Investigation under supernatural pressure, Human evil vs demon influence

Available on

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

The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

904. The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

Documentary Crime True Crime Documentary
8.0

20141h 45min

United States

Director: Brian Knappenberger

Programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz achieved groundbreaking work in social justice and political organizing. His passion for open access ensnared him in a legal nightmare that ended with the taking of his own life at the age of 26.

Themes

Open access pressure, Information activist scrutiny, Internet activism risk, Biography framing, Legal system pressure, Free software context

Available on

Hoopla
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

22 Jump Street

905. 22 Jump Street

Crime Comedy Action Buddy Comedy Buddy Action
7.0

20141h 52min

United States

Director: Phil Lord

After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt and Jenko when they go deep undercover at a local college. But when Jenko meets a kindred spirit on the football team, and Schmidt infiltrates the bohemian art major scene, they begin to question their partnership. Now they don't have to just crack the case - they have to figure out if they can have a mature relationship. If these two overgrown adolescents can grow from freshmen into real men, college might be the best thing that ever happened to them.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Identity through disguise, Romantic entanglement, Undercover college investigation, Fraternity social pressure, Buddy cop partnership

Available on

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

The Rover

906. The Rover

Crime Drama Organized Crime Tragic Drama
6.4

20141h 43min

Australia

Director: David Michôd

Ten years after a severe economic collapse in the western world, lawlessness reigns and life is cheap. Eric is a lone drifter, and his car is his only possession. When a gang steals it, Eric comes across the injured Rey, left behind by the car thieves. The pair form an unlikely and uneasy alliance.

Themes

Loyalty under duress, Desolate frontier violence, Uneasy alliances, Post-collapse scarcity, Moral ambiguity in lawlessness, Survival versus humanity

Available on

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

A Hard Day

907. A Hard Day

Crime Thriller Mystery Action Detective Mystery Crime
7.2

20141h 51min

South Korea

Director: Kim Seong-hun

After trying to cover up a car accident that left a man dead, a crooked homicide detective is stalked by a mysterious man claiming to have witnessed the event.

Themes

Loyalty under threat, Police corruption, Deception under pressure, Moral compromise under pressure, Bureaucratic coverups, Greed and collateral damage

Available on

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

Blue Ruin

908. Blue Ruin

Crime Thriller Organized Crime Revenge Thriller
7.1

20141h 31min

United States, France

Director: Jeremy Saulnier

When the quiet life of a beach bum is upended by dreadful news, he sets off for his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. However, he proves an inept assassin and finds himself in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family.

Themes

Neo-noir mood, Vigilante ethics, Isolation under pressure, Family feud, Vengeance drive, Quiet life disruption

Available on

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

Brick Mansions

909. Brick Mansions

Action Crime Drama Epic Action Undercover Sting Crime
5.6

20141h 30min

Canada, France

Director: Camille Delamarre

In a dystopian Detroit, grand houses that once housed the wealthy are now homes of the city's most-dangerous criminals. Surrounding the area is a giant wall to keep the rest of Detroit safe. For undercover cop Damien Collier, every day is a battle against corruption as he struggles to bring his father's killer, Tremaine, to justice. Meanwhile, Damien and an ex-con named Lino work together to save the city from a plot to destroy it.

Themes

Class inequality, Institutional corruption, Law and crime tension, Political manipulation, Development vs displacement, Urban containment

Available on

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

Every Secret Thing

910. Every Secret Thing

Thriller Crime Mystery Investigation Suspense Detective Mystery Crime
6.1

20141h 33min

United States

Director: Amy J. Berg

One clear summer day in a Baltimore suburb, a baby goes missing from her front porch. Two young girls serve seven years for the crime and are released into a town that hasn't fully forgiven or forgotten. Soon, another child is missing, and two detectives are called in to investigate the mystery in a community where everyone seems to have a secret.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Race and lineage tensions, Community secrets and scrutiny, Parental guilt and ambition, Media influence and public perception, Juvenile confinement impact

Available on

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