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.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

911. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Comedy Crime Mystery Thriller Satire
7.5

20051h 42min

United States

Director: Shane Black

A petty thief posing as an actor has one shot in Hollywood and a dead body on his hands. As the detective trains him for a role that looks more like a murder rap, every hour pulls him deeper into a real-life crime script he can't improvise his way out of.

Themes

Deception through misdirection, Thief masquerading as investigator, Neo-noir atmosphere, Series of murders motif, Whodunit structure, Los angeles setting

Available on

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

Harsh Times

912. Harsh Times

Crime Drama Thriller Action Organized Crime
6.8

20051h 56min

United States

Director: David Ayer

Jim Davis is an ex-Army Ranger who finds himself slipping back into his old life of petty crime after a job offer from the LAPD evaporates. His best friend is pressured by his girlfriend Sylvia to find a job, but Jim is more interested in hanging out and making cash from small heists, while trying to get a law enforcement job so he can marry his Mexican girlfriend.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Loyalty under pressure, Risk and consequence, Economic desperation pushes crime, Military past shaping behavior, Ptsd-driven violence

Available on

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

Revolver

913. Revolver

Drama Thriller Crime Mystery Mind Game Thriller
6.3

20051h 55min

France, United Kingdom

Director: Guy Ritchie

Hotshot gambler Jake Green is long on bravado and seriously short of common sense. Rarely is he allowed in any casino because he's a bona fide winner and, in fact, has taken so much money over the years that he's the sole client of his accountant elder brother, Billy. Invited to a private game, Jake is in fear of losing his life.

Themes

Deception within crime networks, Trust and betrayal under pressure, Debt as leverage and control, Illusion of luck and mastery, Risk, Ego vs money, Violence, And retaliation

Available on

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

Green Street Hooligans

914. Green Street Hooligans

Crime Drama Organized Crime Coming-of-Age Drama
7.4

20051h 49min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Lexi Alexander

After being wrongfully expelled from Harvard University, American Matt Buckner flees to his sister's home in England. Once there, he is befriended by her charming and dangerous brother-in-law, Pete Dunham, and introduced to the underworld of British football hooliganism. Matt learns to stand his ground through a friendship that develops against the backdrop of this secret and often violent world. 'Green Street Hooligans' is a story of loyalty, trust and the sometimes brutal consequences of living close to the edge.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Reputation and belonging, Betrayal within groups, Outsider initiation into subculture, Power dynamics and loyalty, Violence as social currency

Available on

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

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

915. The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Crime Drama Horror Thriller Legal Drama
6.7

20052h 2min

United States

Director: Scott Derrickson

When a younger girl called Emily Rose dies, everyone puts blame on the exorcism which was performed on her by Father Moore prior to her death. The priest is arrested on suspicion of murder. The trial begins with lawyer Erin Bruner representing Moore, but it is not going to be easy, as no one wants to believe what Father Moore says is true.

Themes

Science versus faith, Public scrutiny of belief, Legal accountability of clergy, Institutional pressure, Medical explanation vs spiritual claim, Reliance on testimony and evidence

Available on

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

Paradise Now

916. Paradise Now

Crime Thriller Drama War Political Thriller
7.4

20051h 30min

France, Germany

Director: Hany Abu-Assad

Two childhood friends are recruited for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv.

Themes

Palestinian-israeli conflict, Civil war pressures, Unemployment shaping choices, Suicide mission tension, Friendship under pressure, Deception and coercion

Available on

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

The Business

917. The Business

Drama Action Thriller Crime Organized Crime
6.6

20051h 36min

United Kingdom

Director: Nick Love

During the '80s, a young man named Frankie dreams of escaping London's South East region, and his mother's thug of a boyfriend gives him just the opportunity. After beating up the abusive beau, Frankie runs off to Spain, where he lands a job delivering a package to the dapper Playboy Charlie, a gangster who takes him under his wing. Working as Charlie's driver, Frankie is immersed in a world of fast cars and pretty women -- but all the excess could be his undoing.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Loyalty vs betrayal, Class aspiration and escape, Illicit economy and risk, Corruption and control, Addiction and escalation

Available on

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

Pusher III

918. Pusher III

Action Thriller Crime
7.3

20051h 48min

Denmark

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Milo is aging, he is planning his daughter's 25th birthday, and his shipment of heroin turns out to be 10,000 pills of ecstasy. When Milo tries to sell the pills anyway, all Hell breaks loose and his only chance is to ask for help from his ex-henchman and old friend Radovan.


Rosario Tijeras

919. Rosario Tijeras

Crime Romance Drama
6.3

20052h 6min

Brazil, Colombia

Director: Emilio Maillé

Rosario Tijeras has been abused by men all her life, initially by her stepfather. Years later, she works as a paid assassin, seducing men and killing them when they least expect it. She meets Emilio, a wealthy womanizer, and his best friend, Antonio, at a nightclub, and starts an affair with Emilio despite Antonio's growing feelings for her. But circumstances bring her closer to Antonio, until her past catches up with her in a devastating way.


The Protector

920. The Protector

Action Crime Drama Thriller Martial Arts Action
7.0

20051h 45min

Thailand

Director: Prachya Pinkaew

A young fighter named Kham must go to Australia to retrieve his stolen elephant. With the help of a Thai-born Australian detective, Kham must take on all comers, including a gang led by an evil woman and her two deadly bodyguards.

Themes

Law enforcement pressure, Duty versus lineage, Elephant guardianship, Local political corruption, Transnational crime, Gang violence, Survival through combat

Available on

Apple TV
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.