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.

301. Line of Duty

Line of Duty
Thriller Crime Action Kidnapping & Captivity Thriller Police Procedural
5.3
20191h 38minUnited Kingdom, United States
Director: Steven C. Miller

Overview

Frank Penny is a disgraced cop looking for a shot at redemption. When the police chief's 11-year-old daughter is abducted, Frank goes rogue to try and save her. But to find the girl, Frank will need the help of Ava Brooks, whose live-streaming news channel is broadcasting Frank's every move.

Themes

Moral ambiguity in policing, Time pressure in crises, Live-streamed accountability, Revenge as motivator, Deadly force consequences, Ex-partner complicates decisions

Available on

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

302. Sheep Without a Shepherd

Sheep Without a Shepherd
Crime Mystery Thriller
6.8
20191h 52min
Director: Sam Quah

Overview

Li and his wife A Yu run a small business in Thailand and enjoy a happy home life with their two daughters. When their eldest daughter is violently assaulted, blackmailed and left traumatised by another student, her parents intervene, leading to a dead body which needs to be hidden, and every trace of the boy buried to cover up the accident.


303. Lupin III: The First

Lupin III: The First
Adventure Animation Comedy Crime
6.9
20191h 33min
Director: Takashi Yamazaki

Overview

The iconic "gentleman thief" Lupin III returns in an action-packed, continent-spanning adventure, as Lupin III and his colorful underworld companions race to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Bresson Diary, before it falls into the hands of a dark cabal that will stop at nothing to resurrect the Third Reich.


304. Code 8

Code 8
Science Fiction Action Crime Dystopian Sci-Fi Epic Action
6.1
20191h 39minCanada, United Kingdom
Director: Jeff Chan

Overview

In Lincoln City, some inhabitants have extraordinary abilities. Most live below the poverty line, under the close surveillance of a heavily militarized police force. Connor, a construction worker with powers, involves with a criminal gang to help his ailing mother. (Based on the short film “Code 8,” 2016.)

Themes

Loyalty under coercion, Economic marginalization of powers, Drug economy and crime, Surveillance driven policing, Regulation of powers, Family duty under illness

Available on

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

305. The Immortal

The Immortal
Crime Drama Thriller Organized Crime Revenge Thriller
6.8
20191h 55minItaly, Germany
Director: Marco D'Amore

Overview

After reuniting with his first mentor Bruno and receiving his latest mission, an exiled Ciro is left to fearlessly confront whatever comes his way, navigating a new chapter of gang warfare while grappling with devastating memories of loss and trauma. Weaving between his past as an orphan in Naples' cruel underworld and present as a hardened, cunning assassin with nothing left to lose, Ciro is plunged into the cold, dark depths of a world where immortality is just another form of damnation.

Themes

Loyalty and betrayal, Trauma and memory, Orphan to operative, Survival under criminal code, Mentor influence and control, Factional violence and coercion

Available on

HBO Max
HBO Max Amazon Channel
HBO Max  Amazon Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

306. The Legacy of the Bones

The Legacy of the Bones
Thriller Crime Mystery Investigation Suspense Detective Mystery Crime
6.4
20192h 1minSpain
Director: Fernando González Molina

Overview

Inspector Amaia Salazar must return to the Baztan valley in order to solve a series of suicides that seem to follow a similar pattern.

Themes

Duty under pressure, Family past violence, Community secrecy and harm, Hidden lineage memory, Pregnant investigator burden, Rituals and power

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

307. Only the Animals

Only the Animals
Drama Crime Detective Mystery Crime Psychological Drama
7.1
20191h 56minFrance, Germany
Director: Dominik Moll

Overview

On the frozen highlands of southern France, Evelyne Ducat’s polished, secretive life vanishes into a blizzard, while insurance agent Alice believes she’s merely tending to a routine claim and a stolen affair on Michel’s sheep farm. As a body behind a barn, a maze of hay bales, and a sinkhole emerge, their quiet deceptions spiral into an inescapable reckoning.

Themes

Deception in relationships, Crime and consequence, Secrecy and betrayal, Social and moral tensions, Dual lives and performance, Online scams and crime

Available on

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

308. Knives Out

Knives Out
Comedy Crime Mystery Satire Detective Mystery Crime
7.9
20192h 11minUnited States
Director: Rian Johnson

Overview

When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's untimely death.

Themes

Family pressure, Dependency leverage, Privilege manipulation, Inheritance obligation, Reputation leverage, Household authority

Available on

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

309. Queen & Slim

Queen & Slim
Crime Drama Romance Tragic Drama Dark Romance
7.1
20192h 11minUnited States, Canada
Director: Melina Matsoukas

Overview

While on a forgettable first date together in Ohio, a black man and a black woman are pulled over for a minor traffic infraction. The situation escalates, with sudden and tragic results.

Themes

Racial bias in policing, On the run under surveillance, Media amplification of crime, Solidarity under threat, Survival under systemic violence, Protest and policing dynamics

Available on

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

310. True History of the Kelly Gang

True History of the Kelly Gang
Crime Drama Western Thriller Organized Crime
6.0
20192h 5minAustralia, France
Director: Justin Kurzel

Overview

Set against the badlands of Australia where the English rule with a bloody fist and the Irish endure, Ned Kelly discovers he comes from a line of Irish rebels — an uncompromising army of cross dressing bandits immortalised for terrorising their oppressors back in Ireland. Fuelled by the unfair arrest of his mother, Kelly recruits a wild bunch of warriors to plot one of the most audacious attacks of anarchy and rebellion the country has ever seen.

Themes

Colonial oppression, Bushranger identity, Cross dressing resistance, Irish rebels solidarity, Enduring loyalty under pressure, Australian bush setting

Available on

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