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.

The Purity of Vengeance

381. The Purity of Vengeance

Crime Thriller Mystery Drama Detective Mystery Crime
7.4

20181h 58min

Denmark, Germany

Director: Christoffer Boe

Overview

Copenhagen, 2018. A frightening discovery is made in an old apartment. The subsequent investigation of Department Q leads them to an infamous institution for girls that was suddenly closed in the early sixties.

Themes

Betrayal and loyalty, State sponsored eugenics, Gendered medical control, Secret hearings, Nordic noir, Traumatized woman

Available on

Viaplay Amazon Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Bad Times at the El Royale

382. Bad Times at the El Royale

Thriller Mystery Crime Drama Mind Game Thriller
7.1

20182h 21min

United States, Canada

Director: Drew Goddard

Overview

Lake Tahoe, 1969. Seven strangers, each one with a secret to bury, meet at El Royale, a decadent motel with a dark past. In the course of a fateful night, everyone will have one last shot at redemption.

Themes

1960s mood, Casino strategy, Vietnam war haunt, Audio tape manipulation, Motel room control, Hippie persona tension

Available on

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

The House That Jack Built

383. The House That Jack Built

Drama Horror Crime Thriller Serial Killer Crime
6.8

20182h 32min

Denmark, France

Director: Lars von Trier

Overview

Failed architect, engineer and vicious murderer Jack narrates the details of some of his most elaborately orchestrated crimes, each of them a towering piece of art that defines his life's work as a serial killer for twelve years.

Themes

Power imbalance, Obsessive control, Abusive domination, Art through violence, Dehumanization and objectification, Psychological deterioration

Available on

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

22 July

384. 22 July

Crime Drama History Thriller Historical Event
6.8

20182h 23min

United States

Director: Paul Greengrass

Overview

On 22 July 2011, neo-Nazi terrorist Anders Behring Breivik murdered 77 young people attending a Labour Party Youth Camp on Utøya Island outside of Oslo. This three-part story focuses on the survivors, the political leadership of Norway, and the lawyers involved.

Themes

Survivor resilience, Collective trauma, Neo-nazism ideology, Summer camp context, Legal ethics, State accountability

Available on

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

Border

385. Border

Fantasy Drama Crime Supernatural Fantasy Psychological Drama
7.0

20181h 50min

Denmark, Sweden

Director: Ali Abbasi

Overview

When a border guard with a sixth sense for identifying smugglers encounters the first person she cannot prove is guilty, she is forced to confront terrifying revelations about herself and humankind.

Themes

Deception and trust, Moral ambiguity under pressure, Otherness and belonging, Boundaries of humanity and myth, Marginalization of outsiders, Trauma and retaliation legacy

Available on

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

The Old Man & the Gun

386. The Old Man & the Gun

Comedy Crime Drama Heist Psychological Drama
6.7

20181h 34min

United States

Director: David Lowery

Overview

The true story of Forrest Tucker, from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Wrapped up in the pursuit are a detective, who becomes captivated with Forrest’s commitment to his craft, and a woman, who loves him in spite of his chosen profession.

Themes

Media spectacle, Assumed identity, Aging criminal allure, Nonviolent heists, Family questions, Affection beyond crime

Available on

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

Paskal

387. Paskal

Action War Drama History Adventure
6.5

20181h 55min

Director: Adrian Teh

Overview

The true events of Lieutenant Commander Arman Anwar of PASKAL, an elite unit in the Royal Malaysian Navy, and his team's mission to rescue the MV Bunga Laurel, a tanker which was hijacked by Somalian Pirates in 2011.


A Twelve-Year Night

388. A Twelve-Year Night

Drama Crime History Historical Event Historical Drama
7.5

20182h 2min

Argentina, Spain

Director: Álvaro Brechner

Overview

Uruguay, 1973. Having been crushed by the military dictatorship, surviving members of the Tupamaro guerillas are imprisoned and tortured. They must find a way to endure the coming 12 years.

Themes

Isolation and confinement, Political imprisonment, Psychological torment, Strategic deception by authorities, Bureaucratic abuse, Family pressure as leverage

Available on

Night Flight Plus
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Negotiation

389. The Negotiation

Crime Action Thriller
6.7

20181h 54min

Director: Lee Jong-suk

Overview

An ace crisis negotiator attempts to figure out the real motivation of a man who has kidnapped two people and crack his calm demeanour.


White Boy Rick

390. White Boy Rick

Crime Drama Narcotics Crime Coming-of-Age Drama
6.5

20181h 51min

United States

Director: Yann Demange

Overview

The story of Richard Wershe Jr., a teenager who became an undercover informant for the police during the 1980s, and was ultimately arrested for drug trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.

Themes

Economic precarity, Deception and coercion, Law enforcement pressure, Family strain under crime, Informant dynamics, Illicit economy lure

Available on

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