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.

In Order of Disappearance

921. In Order of Disappearance

Thriller Action Comedy Crime Investigation Suspense
7.1

20141h 55min

Denmark, Norway

Director: Hans Petter Moland

Upstanding community leader Nils has just won an award for "Citizen of the Year" when he learns the news that his son has died of a heroin overdose. Suspecting foul play, Nils begins to investigate, and soon finds himself at the center of an escalating underworld gang war between Serbian drug dealers and a sociopathic criminal mastermind known only as “The Count.”

Themes

Betrayal and shifting loyalties, Revenge and family loyalty, Underworld power struggle, Moral tension in crime

Available on

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

In Secret

922. In Secret

Drama Thriller Crime Romance Historical Drama
6.1

20141h 41min

Hungary, Serbia

Director: Charlie Stratton

In 1860s Paris, a young woman, Therese, is trapped in a loveless marriage to the sickly Camille by her domineering aunt, Madame Raquin. She spends her days behind the counter of a small shop and her evenings watching Madame play dominos with an eclectic group. After she meets her husband’s alluring friend, Laurent, she embarks on an illicit affair that leads to tragic consequences. Based on Emile Zola’s novel, Thérèse Raquin.

Themes

Deception and exposure, Loveless marriage, Social constraint, Family authority, Forbidden affair, Class expectations

Available on

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

RoboCop

923. RoboCop

Science Fiction Action Crime Cyberpunk Epic Action
6.1

20141h 58min

United States

Director: José Padilha

In RoboCop, the year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Overseas, their drones have been used by the military for years, but have been forbidden for law enforcement in America. Now OmniCorp wants to bring their controversial technology to the home front, and they see a golden opportunity to do it. When Alex Murphy – a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit – is critically injured, OmniCorp sees their chance to build a part-man, part-robot police officer. OmniCorp envisions a RoboCop in every city and even more billions for their shareholders, but they never counted on one thing: there is still a man inside the machine.

Themes

Corporate control of law enforcement, Leadership manipulation of policy, Public safety vs civil rights, Human-technology boundary erosion, Deception and transparency, Accountability under surveillance

Available on

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

The Voices

924. The Voices

Comedy Crime Horror Fantasy Dark Comedy
6.3

20141h 44min

Germany, United States

Director: Marjane Satrapi

A mentally unhinged factory worker must decide whether to listen to his talking cat and become a killer, or follow his dog's advice to keep striving for normalcy.

Themes

Voices guiding behavior, Therapy and medication, Mental illness pressures, Dual impulses and control, Pursuit of normalcy, Family trauma legacy

Available on

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

Black Butler

925. Black Butler

Horror Fantasy Action Adventure Mystery
6.1

20141h 59min

Director: Kentaro Otani

Set in the year 2020, following her supposed death, a young woman returns as the son of her noble family to precede the family's prestigious company, with a demon at her side to avenge her parent's murder.


Reasonable Doubt

926. Reasonable Doubt

Crime Thriller Courtroom Thriller Serial Killer Crime
5.7

20141h 31min

United States, Germany

Director: Peter Howitt

When up-and-coming District Attorney Mitch Brockden commits a fatal hit-and-run, he feels compelled to throw the case against the accused criminal who was found with the body and blamed for the crime. Following the trial, Mitch's worst fears come true when he realizes that he acquitted a guilty man, and he soon finds himself on the hunt for the killer before more victims pile up.

Themes

Moral compromise under pressure, Public scrutiny and duty, Deception within justice, Risk of overreach, Trust vs accountability, Collateral consequences of decisions

Available on

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

Redirected

927. Redirected

Action Comedy Crime Thriller Satire
6.4

20141h 39min

Lithuania, United Kingdom

Director: Emilis Vėlyvis

Four friends become stranded in Eastern Europe and have to become hit men, prostitutes, corrupt cops, smugglers and more to make it home.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Money as leverage, Deceit and coercion, Crime under duress, Police corruption under strain, Cross-border chaos

Available on

Fandango At Home
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Once Upon a Time in Shanghai

928. Once Upon a Time in Shanghai

Action Crime
6.7

20141h 35min

Director: Wong Ching-Po

A laborer moves to Shanghai in the hope of becoming rich. But ends up using his kung fu skills to survive. Remake of The Boxer From Shantung.


Ninja: Shadow of a Tear

929. Ninja: Shadow of a Tear

Action Crime Thriller Martial Arts Action Narcotics Crime
6.1

20131h 35min

Thailand, United States

Director: Isaac Florentine

Fight everyone and trust no one: it's the code of survival practiced by martial-arts master Casey Bowman after his life of domestic bliss is shattered by a savage act of violence. Vowing revenge, the fearless American stealthily tracks the killer from Osaka to Bangkok to Rangoon with the help of a wise and crafty sensei. His only clues: a series of victims whose necks bear the distinctive mark of strangulation by barbed wire. Fighting to avenge as well as to survive, Casey must sharpen his razor-like responses and take his battle skills to the next level, even using deep meditation to fake his own death. His target: the sinister drug lord Goro, who is flooding the streets with deadly meth cooked at his remote jungle factory. To prepare for his ultimate confrontation, Casey must finally become an invisible warrior worthy of the name Ninja. But just when his prey is cornered, an unexpected twist shows Casey that his battle is only beginning: he truly can trust no one.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Deception and loyalty, Trauma and endurance, Revenge and violence, Code of survival, Mentor manipulation

Available on

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

The Wolf of Wall Street

930. The Wolf of Wall Street

Crime Drama Comedy Con Artist Crime Satire
8.2

20133h

United States

Director: Martin Scorsese

Broker Jordan Belfort and his friend Donnie start their own brokerage firm. They make money selling penny stocks and blow it all on girls, alcohol, and drugs—until the FBI finally takes an interest in the company.

Themes

Risk and self-destruction, Wealth as performance, Deception and market manipulation, Ethics of money and power, Fame as addictive lure, Rise and fall dynamics

Available on

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