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 Art of the Steal

651. The Art of the Steal

Comedy Crime Dark Comedy Heist
6.3

20131h 30min

Canada, United States

Director: Jonathan Sobol

Crunch Calhoun, a third-rate motorcycle daredevil and part-time art thief, teams up with his snaky brother to steal one of the most valuable books in the world. But it's not just about the book for Crunch — he's keen to rewrite some chapters of his own past as well.

Themes

Risk versus reward, Brotherhood under pressure, Trust versus betrayal, Art as leverage, Deception and forgery, Loyalty questioned

Available on

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

Prisoners

652. Prisoners

Drama Thriller Crime Kidnapping & Captivity Thriller Detective Mystery Crime
8.2

20132h 33min

United States

Director: Denis Villeneuve

A desperate family man steps outside the law and turns into a brutal captor, while a methodical detective hunts for the missing girls by the book. As the father’s improvised prison collides with the detective’s careful investigation, the line between protector and criminal shatters in the search for two vanished children.

Themes

Parental desperation drives abduction, Investigator perseverance under pressure, Secrecy versus exposure, War on god motive, Trauma handling within families

Available on

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

A Single Shot

653. A Single Shot

Drama Crime Thriller Organized Crime Investigation Suspense
5.7

20131h 56min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: David M. Rosenthal

The tragic death of a beautiful young girl starts a tense and atmospheric game of cat and mouse between hunter John Moon and the hardened backwater criminals out for his blood.

Themes

Revenge and consequences, Economic desperation, Isolation and paranoia, Trust and betrayal, Moral ambiguity under stress, Threats and coercion

Available on

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

Life of Crime

654. Life of Crime

Comedy Crime Dark Comedy Con Artist Crime
5.8

20131h 34min

United States

Director: Daniel Schechter

Two common criminals get more than they bargained for after kidnapping the wife of a corrupt real-estate developer who shows no interest in paying the $1 million dollar ransom for her safe return.

Themes

Class inequality, Deception and manipulation, Loyalty under pressure, Moral ambiguity, Wealth and crime, Ransom dynamics, Marital infidelity

Available on

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

Unforgiven

655. Unforgiven

Action Crime Drama Western
7.0

20132h 15min

Director: Sang-il Lee

An old swordsman, his former comrade and a young braggart are hired by prostitutes to track down bandits who mutilated one of the women.


The Family

656. The Family

Crime Comedy Action Organized Crime Dark Comedy
6.3

20131h 51min

France, United States

Director: Luc Besson

After ratting out his Mafia cohorts, Giovanni Manzoni and his family enter the Witness Protection Program and relocate to a sleepy town in France. Despite the best efforts of their handler to keep them in line, Giovanni (now called Fred Blake), his wife and children can't help but resort to doing things the "family" way. However, their dependence on such old habits places everyone in danger from vengeful mobsters.

Themes

Deception under protection, Loyalty vs old habits, Family violence escalation, Hidden crime networks, Reinvention under duress, Public confrontation with crime

Available on

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

Machete Kills

657. Machete Kills

Action Crime Thriller One-Person Army Organized Crime
5.6

20131h 48min

United States, Russia

Director: Robert Rodriguez

Ex-Federale agent Machete is recruited by the President of the United States for a mission which would be impossible for any mortal man – he must take down a madman revolutionary and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has hatched a plan to spread war and anarchy across the planet.

Themes

Technology as control, Betrayal through deception, Corruption under pressure, Global threat manipulation, Military complicity, Power via manipulation

Available on

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

Closed Circuit

658. Closed Circuit

Mystery Drama Crime Thriller Legal Drama
6.2

20131h 36min

United Kingdom

Director: John Crowley

A high-profile terrorism case unexpectedly binds together two ex-lovers on the defense team - testing the limits of their loyalties and placing their lives in jeopardy.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Deception and trust, Secrecy vs transparency, Institutional complicity and accountability, State power and civil liberties, Immigration and belonging

Available on

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

I Spit on Your Grave 2

659. I Spit on Your Grave 2

Thriller Horror Crime Kidnapping & Captivity Thriller Gore Horror
5.7

20131h 46min

United States

Director: Steven R. Monroe

Broke, and in desperate need to update her portfolio, New York City model Katie calls a number from a tear-off flyer offering free photos. But this innocent attempt quickly turns into an unthinkable kidnapping nightmare where she's ripped away from everyone and everything she knows.

Themes

Power and control, Trauma and recovery, Survival under threat, Revenge dynamics, Exploitation and violence, Victim agency

Available on

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

Blood Ties

660. Blood Ties

Thriller Crime Drama Organized Crime Cover-Up Thriller
6.5

20132h 8min

France, United States

Director: Guillaume Canet

Two brothers, on either side of the law, face off over organized crime in Brooklyn during the 1970s.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Brotherly divide by crime, Crime and legitimacy, Dual identities under law, Revenge within a family, Family ties under crime

Available on

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