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.

Traitor

821. Traitor

Drama Action Thriller Crime Political Thriller
6.9

20081h 54min

United States

Director: Jeffrey Nachmanoff

When straight arrow FBI agent Roy Clayton heads up the investigation into a dangerous international conspiracy, all clues seem to lead back to former U.S. Special Operations officer Samir Horn.

Themes

Faith under pressure, Car bomb threat, Prison exposure, Escape strategies, Traitor loyalties, Kidnapping networks

Available on

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

The Flyboys

822. The Flyboys

Adventure Action Crime
6.8

20081h 44min

Director: Rocco DeVilliers

Two boys from a small town find their courage tested when they accidentally stow away aboard an airplane owned by the mob...


Pineapple Express

823. Pineapple Express

Action Comedy Crime High-Concept Comedy Narcotics Crime
6.9

20081h 51min

United States

Director: David Gordon Green

A stoner and his dealer are forced to go on the run from the police after the pothead witnesses a cop commit a murder.

Themes

Loyalty under threat, Witness under pressure, Drug culture vs law, Crime and pursuit risk, Trust in allies

Available on

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

Boy A

824. Boy A

Crime Drama Serial Killer Crime Tragic Drama
7.6

20081h 46min

United Kingdom

Director: John Crowley

Freed after a lengthy term in a juvenile detention center, convicted child killer Jack Burridge finds work as a deliveryman and begins dating co-worker Michelle. While out on the road one day, Jack notices a distressed child, and, after reuniting the girl with her family, becomes a local celebrity. But when a local newspaper unearths his past, Jack must cope with the anger of citizens who fear for the safety of their children.

Themes

Media sensationalism, Reintegration challenges, Moral ambiguity in rehabilitation, Public perception vs private life, Stigma after wrongdoing, Trust vs disclosure

Available on

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

Felon

825. Felon

Crime Drama Thriller Action Prison Crime
7.4

20081h 43min

United States

Director: Ric Roman Waugh

A family man convicted of killing an intruder must cope with life afterward in the violent penal system.

Themes

Deception and coercion, Institutional corruption, Penal system brutality, Family strain under incarceration, Power dynamics in prisons, Violence for protection

Available on

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

The Dark Knight

826. The Dark Knight

Drama Action Crime Thriller Superhero Action
9.1

20082h 32min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Christopher Nolan

Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.

Themes

Moral authority vs vigilantism, Public perception of hero, Corruption and reform tension, Chaos as tactic, Dual identity and performance, Law vs extra-legal action

Available on

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

Batman: Gotham Knight

827. Batman: Gotham Knight

Science Fiction Action Crime Animation Drama
6.7

20081h 16min

Japan, United States

Director: Futoshi Higashide

Six interlocking stories reveal Bruce Wayne's earliest adventures as Batman and the steps he took to become the grim avenger of Gotham City.

Themes

Deception and coercion, Vigilante accountability, Fragmented vigilante justice, Trauma and super power, Super power dynamics, City vigilante fear

Available on

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

Wanted

828. Wanted

Action Thriller Crime Superhero Action Mind Game Thriller
6.7

20081h 50min

United States

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

Doormat Wesley Gibson is an office worker whose life is going nowhere. He meets an attractive woman named Fox and discovers that his recently murdered father - whom Wesley never knew - belonged to the Fraternity, a secret society of assassins which takes its orders from Fate itself. Fox and Sloan, the Fraternity's leader, teach Wesley, through intense training, to tap into dormant powers and hone his innate killing skills. Though he enjoys his newfound abilities, he begins to suspect that there is more to the Fraternity than meets the eye.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Loyalty under pressure, Hidden powers and training, Fate versus autonomy, Control through manipulation, Profit-driven deception

Available on

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

JCVD

829. JCVD

Drama Action Comedy Crime Entertainment Industry Drama
7.0

20081h 36min

Belgium, France

Director: Mabrouk El Mechri

Between his tax problems and his legal battle with his wife for the custody of his daughter, these are hard times for the action movie star who finds that even Steven Seagal has pinched a role from him! This fictionalized version of Jean-Claude Van Damme returns to the country of his birth to seek the peace and tranquility he can no longer enjoy in the United States, but inadvertently gets involved in a bank robbery with hostages.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Family conflict, Career vulnerability, Performative fame, Custody pressures, Media circus

Available on

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

Revanche

830. Revanche

Crime Drama Romance Thriller Organized Crime
7.5

20082h 1min

Austria

Director: Götz Spielmann

A bank job on the edge of nowhere erupts into chaos when ex-con Alex floors the getaway car and a single shot from rural cop Robert tears through the windshield—and through Tamara’s future. As her body falls still, guilt, rage, and grief ignite a dangerous collision course between a brothel enforcer, a broken marriage, and a quiet village that can’t stay innocent.

Themes

Extramarital affair, Deception and risk, Loss and longing, Prostitution dynamics, Brothel environment, Bank robbery

Available on

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