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.

Spy Game

1071. Spy Game

Action Crime Thriller Spy Action Political Thriller
7.1

20012h 6min

France, Germany

Director: Tony Scott

On the day of his retirement, a veteran CIA agent learns that his former protégé has been arrested in China, is sentenced to die the next morning in Beijing, and that the CIA is considering letting that happen to avoid an international scandal.

Themes

Deception in intelligence work, Loyalty versus retirement duty, Bureaucratic pressure to avoid intervention, Media leverage in crisis, Misdirection of directives, Civilian sacrifice for mission

Available on

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

Heist

1072. Heist

Action Crime Drama Thriller Heist
6.5

20011h 47min

United States

Director: David Mamet

Joe Moore has a job he loves. He's a thief. His job goes sour when he gets caught on security camera tape. His fence, Bergman, reneges on the money he's owed, and his wife may be betraying him with the fence's young lieutenant. Moore and his partner, Bobby Blane, and their utility man, Pinky Pincus, find themselves broke, betrayed, and blackmailed. Moore is forced to commit his crew to do one last big job.

Themes

Aging hero under pressure, Criminal gang dynamics, Blackmail leverage, Jewelry heist temptation, Gold heist risk, Double cross consequences

Available on

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

The Man Who Wasn't There

1073. The Man Who Wasn't There

Crime Drama Organized Crime Psychological Drama
7.5

20011h 56min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Joel Coen

A tale of murder, crime and punishment set in the summer of 1949. Ed Crane, a barber in a small California town, is dissatisfied with his life, but his wife Doris' infidelity and a mysterious opportunity presents him with a chance to change it.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Risk and consequence, Economic desperation, Marital strain and infidelity, Moral ambiguity in crime, Hardboiled justice

Available on

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

Read My Lips

1074. Read My Lips

Crime Drama Romance Thriller Relationship Drama
7.3

20011h 55min

France

Director: Jacques Audiard

She is almost deaf and she lip-reads. He is an ex-convict. She wants to help him. He thinks no one can help except himself.

Themes

Class inequality, Unconventional partnership, Resilience through collaboration, Deception in crime, Workplace disrespect, Lip-reading as agency

Available on

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

Bandits

1075. Bandits

Comedy Crime Buddy Comedy Heist
6.5

20012h 3min

United States, Switzerland

Director: Barry Levinson

After escaping from prison, Joe and Terry go on a crime spree, robbing banks through Oregon and California in order to finance their scheme for a new life south of the border. Unfortunately, things get more complicated when they meet Kate, who runs into them with her car. She joins the bandits on their cross-country spree, and eventually she steals something, too: their hearts.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Deception and performance, Domestic life vs crime, Media framing of crime, Group dynamics in crime, Risk and improvisation

Available on

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

The Cat's Meow

1076. The Cat's Meow

Drama Mystery Thriller Crime History
6.4

20011h 54min

Germany, United Kingdom

Director: Peter Bogdanovich

Semi-true story of the Hollywood murder that occurred at a star-studded gathering aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924.

Themes

Deception and reputation, Ambition and risk, Power dynamics under glamour, Blackmail pressure, Gossip economy, Loyalty versus self-interest

Available on

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

All About Lily Chou-Chou

1077. All About Lily Chou-Chou

Drama Crime Coming-of-Age Drama
7.5

20012h 26min

Japan

Director: Shunji Iwai

Charts the troubled teenage years of students Yūichi Hasumi and Shūsuke Hoshino, exploring the shifting and complex power dynamics of their relationship against the backdrop of Yūichi's love for the dreamy and abstract music of pop star Lily Chou-Chou.

Themes

Coming of age pressures, Bullying power dynamics, Junior high school hierarchies, Middle school coercion, Kendo club influence, Online belonging and pressure

Available on

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

Training Day

1078. Training Day

Action Crime Drama Narcotics Crime Psychological Drama
7.8

20012h 2min

United States

Director: Antoine Fuqua

On his first day on the job, rookie cop Jake is partnered with Alonzo, a seasoned detective in the narcotics unit. Within the first few hours, Jake starts to doubt the methods and approaches Alonzo uses.

Themes

Moral compromise, Police corruption, War on drugs, Drug trafficking, Power under pressure, Police brutality, Street violence

Available on

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

Lantana

1079. Lantana

Crime Drama Mystery Detective Mystery Crime Investigation Mystery
7.2

20012h 1min

Germany, Australia

Director: Ray Lawrence

Plagued with grief over the murder of her daughter, Valerie Somers suspects that her husband John is cheating on her. When Valerie disappears, Detective Leon Zat attempts to solve the mystery of her absence. A complex web of love, sex and deceit emerges -- drawing in four related couples whose various partners are distrustful and suspicious about each other's involvement.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Marital strain, Family fragility, Infidelity and trust, Grief and coping, Police investigation impact

Available on

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

Vidocq

1080. Vidocq

Fantasy Action Thriller Crime Science Fiction
6.4

20011h 38min

France

Director: Pitof

Paris, 1830. In the heart of the town, Vidocq, a famous detective, disappears as he fights the Alchemist, an assassin that he has been pursuing for a few months. His young biographer, Etienne Boisset, decides to avenge Vidocq's death and takes the investigation on...

Themes

Deception and disguise, Age as currency, Obsession with youth, Elite complicity, Moral cost of progress, Exploitation of the vulnerable

Available on

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