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.

Zulu

931. Zulu

Crime Drama Thriller Political Drama Political Thriller
6.7

20131h 50min

South Africa, France

Director: Jérôme Salle

As a child, Ali Neuman narrowly escaped being murdered by Inkhata, a militant political party at war with Nelson Mandela's African National Congress. Only he and his mother survived the carnage of those years. But as with many survivors, the psychological scars remain.

Themes

Trauma and memory, Apartheid legacy, Justice and corruption, Private militia power, Tik drug trade, Police complicity, State violence and science

Available on

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

American Hustle

932. American Hustle

Drama Crime Con Artist Crime
7.2

20132h 18min

United States

Director: David O. Russell

A conman and his seductive partner are forced to work for a wild FBI agent, who pushes them into a world of Jersey power-brokers and the Mafia.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Political corruption, Social mobility through crime, Alliances under pressure, Financial fraud

Available on

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

The Mafia Kills Only in Summer

933. The Mafia Kills Only in Summer

Romance Comedy Crime Drama Romantic Comedy
7.1

20131h 30min

Italy

Director: Pif

While Arturo tries to gain the love of Flora, he witnesses the history of Sicily from 1969 to 1992, miraculously dodging the crimes of the Mafia and supporting as a journalist the heroic struggle of the judges and policemen who fought this infamous organization.

Themes

Legal guardians under threat, Justice system sacrifice, Civic duty under pressure, Legacy of legality, Public memory and history

Available on

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

Dom Hemingway

934. Dom Hemingway

Comedy Crime Drama Dark Comedy Organized Crime
6.1

20131h 33min

United Kingdom

Director: Richard Shepard

After spending 12 years in prison for keeping his mouth shut, notorious safe-cracker Dom Hemingway is back on the streets of London looking to collect what he's owed.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Loyalty under pressure, Economic desperation, Consequences of crime, Impulsive violence, Fatherhood and abandonment

Available on

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

Out of the Furnace

935. Out of the Furnace

Thriller Drama Crime Organized Crime Revenge Thriller
6.7

20131h 56min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Scott Cooper

Two brothers live in the economically-depressed Rust Belt, when a cruel twist of fate lands one in prison. His brother is then lured into one of the most violent crime rings in the Northeast.

Themes

Trauma shaping behavior, Economic precarity under debt, Crime networks exploit debt, Rust belt decay under strain, Justice through retaliation, Family obligation under danger

Available on

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

Hwayi: A Monster Boy

936. Hwayi: A Monster Boy

Action Thriller Crime Kidnapping & Captivity Thriller Organized Crime
7.0

20132h 5min

South Korea

Director: Jang Joon-hwan

After being kidnapped as a small child and raised by the five men who abducted him, a teenage boy is now forced to join their life in crime.

Themes

Revenge dynamics, Betrayal within crime groups, Loyalty to kin vs autonomy, Identity forged by upbringing, Police pursuit vs gang life, Power dynamics in criminal networks

Available on

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

A Touch of Sin

937. A Touch of Sin

Drama Crime
7.1

20132h 11min

Director: Jia Zhangke

Four independent stories set in modern China about random acts of violence.


A Wolf at the Door

938. A Wolf at the Door

Drama Thriller Crime Kidnapping & Captivity Thriller Organized Crime
7.4

20131h 38min

Brazil

Director: Fernando Coimbra

Love turns to hate and panic breeds suspicion as two parents deal with the kidnapping of their child.

Themes

Extramarital affair consequences, Two parents under strain, Panic breeds suspicion, Kidnapping context as social rupture, Loss of trust and violence, Power dynamics and manipulation

Available on

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

The Keeper of Lost Causes

939. The Keeper of Lost Causes

Thriller Mystery Crime Investigation Suspense Investigation Mystery
7.2

20131h 33min

Denmark, Germany

Director: Mikkel Nørgaard

Denmark, 2013. Police officers Carl Mørck and Hafez el-Assad, sole members of Department Q, which is focused on closing cold cases, investigate the disappearance of politician Merete Lynggaard, vanished when she and her brother were traveling aboard a ferry five years ago.

Themes

Bureaucratic pressure, Political vulnerability, Persistent cold cases, Vengeance and trauma, Duty under risk, Childhood consequences

Available on

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

Runner Runner

940. Runner Runner

Crime Thriller Drama Con Artist Crime Computer Threat Thriller
5.6

20131h 28min

United States

Director: Brad Furman

When a poor college student who cracks an online poker game goes bust, he arranges a face-to-face with the man he thinks cheated him, a sly offshore entrepreneur.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Gambling debt, Corrupt policing, Power versus vulnerability, Experimentation and control, Underground crime networks

Available on

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