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 Reckoning

971. The Reckoning

Crime Drama Mystery Historical Drama Whodunit
6.4

20041h 52min

Spain, United Kingdom

Director: Paul McGuigan

In 14th Century England, this tale of murder and mystery follows a fugitive priest who falls in with a troupe of actors. As they arrive in a small town, the actors encounter a woman being sentenced to death for practicing witchcraft and murder. Discarding the expected bible stories, the actors now stage a performance based on the crime. Through the performance of the play, they discover a mystery.

Themes

Class inequality, Public spectacle, Unreliable testimony, Mob justice, Art as inquiry, Power and revolt

Available on

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

Maria Full of Grace

972. Maria Full of Grace

Drama Thriller Crime Narcotics Crime Tragic Drama
7.4

20041h 41min

Ecuador, Colombia

Director: Joshua Marston

A pregnant Colombian teenager becomes a drug mule to make some desperately needed money for her family.

Themes

Economic precarity, Exploitative labor conditions, Migration pressures, Trafficking risk, Pregnancy vulnerability, Family obligation

Available on

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

Monster

973. Monster

Crime Drama Serial Killer Crime Tragic Drama
7.3

20031h 49min

United States, Germany

Director: Patty Jenkins

In 1989, prostitute Aileen Wuornos befriends and enters a relationship with a young woman named Selby. Determined to straighten out her life, Aileen's limited education lands her back on the corner. She's raped by a trick, who she kills. A string of murder and robbery follows that ultimately leads Aileen to becoming America's first female serial killer.

Themes

Economic precarity, Trauma and abuse, Survival through exploitation, Self-preservation under pressure, Prostitution as economy, Gendered violence

Available on

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

Bad Santa

974. Bad Santa

Drama Comedy Crime Dark Comedy Con Artist Crime
7.0

20031h 32min

United States, Germany

Director: Terry Zwigoff

You'd better watch out - Santa Claus Willie T. Soke is coming to town, and he doesn't care if you've been naughty or nice. Wille's favorite holiday tradition is to fill his sacks with loot lifted from shopping malls across the country. But this year his plot gets derailed by a wisecracking store detective, a sexy bartender, and a kid who's convinced Willie is the real Santa Claus.

Themes

Deception and disguise, Crime under pressure, Blackmail and extortion, Addiction and self-destruction, Child vulnerability, Protective guardianship

Available on

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

Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer

975. Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer

Documentary Crime True Crime Documentary Serial Killer Crime
7.1

20031h 29min

United Kingdom

Director: Nick Broomfield

British documentarian Nick Broomfield creates a follow-up piece to his 1992 documentary of the serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a highway prostitute who was convicted of killing six men in Florida between 1989 and 1990. Interviewing an increasingly mentally unstable Wuornos, Broomfield captures the distorted mind of a murderer whom the state of Florida deems of sound mind -- and therefore fit to execute. Throughout the film, Broomfield includes footage of his testimony at Wuornos' trial.

Themes

Death penalty scrutiny, Post-conviction appeals, Trauma under trial, Legal strategy under pressure, Finances and ethics in defense, State vs defense tension

Available on

Amazon Video
The Roku Channel
Plex Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Kontroll

976. Kontroll

Comedy Crime Drama Thriller Serial Killer Crime
7.6

20031h 47min

Hungary

Director: Nimród Antal

A tale about a strange young man, Bulcsú, and the fellow ticket inspectors on his team who work aboard the subterranean Budapest Metro. A tale about racing along the tracks, and about a mysterious serial killer. And a tale about love.

Themes

Urban claustrophobic paranoia, Violence and anxiety in daily life, Rivalries and loyalties at work, Routine policing under pressure, Underground pursuit dynamics, Love amid danger

Available on

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

Wonderland

977. Wonderland

Crime Mystery Drama Organized Crime Investigation Mystery
6.5

20031h 44min

Canada, United States

Director: James Cox

On the afternoon of July 1, 1981, Los Angeles police responded to a distress call on Wonderland Avenue and discovered a grisly quadruple homicide. The police investigation that followed uncovered two versions of the events leading up to the brutal murders - both involving legendary porn actor John Holmes.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Desperation and debt, Violence and retaliation, Crime group dynamics, Illusion of control, Consequences of illicit crime

Available on

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

Ruby & Quentin

978. Ruby & Quentin

Comedy Crime Buddy Comedy Heist
7.1

20031h 25min

France, Italy

Director: Francis Veber

After hiding his loot and getting thrown in jail, brooding outlaw Ruby befriends Quentin, a dim-witted and garrulous giant. After Quentin botches a solo escape attempt, they make a break together. Unable to shake the clumsy Quentin, Ruby is forced to take him along as he pursues his former partners in crime to avenge the death of the woman he loved and get to the money.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Power dynamics in crime, Jealousy and rivalry, Deception and alliance, Survival in confinement, Trust versus exploitation, Identity through disguise

Available on

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

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman

979. Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman

Fantasy Animation Adventure Crime Animated Fantasy Adventure
6.7

20031h 14min

United States

Director: Tim Maltby

As if the Penguin wasn't enough to contend with, a new vigilante has surfaced in Gotham City, and her strong-arm tactics give Batman cause for concern. Being the World's Greatest Detective and The Dark Knight, he sets out to uncover her identity while stopping a dangerous criminal plot.

Themes

Deception through masquerade, Vigilante justice vs law, Collaboration under threat, Revenge and vendetta cycles, Authority corruption and control, Weapon trafficking networks

Available on

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

The Memory of a Killer

980. The Memory of a Killer

Crime Thriller Action Serial Killer Crime Investigation Suspense
7.2

20031h 54min

Belgium, Netherlands

Director: Erik Van Looy

Vincke and Verstuyft are one of the best detective teams of the Antwerp police force. When they are confronted with the disappearance of a top official and the murder of two prostitutes, the trail leads to the almost retired assassin Angelo Ledda. Since Ledda starts showing symptoms of Alzheimer's, it's getting more and more difficult to complete his contracts. When he has to murder a 12-year old call-girl, he refuses and becomes a target himself. While Vincke and Verstuyft are chasing him and counting the corpses, Ledda is taking care of his employers.

Themes

The burden of past choices. innocence vs exploitation. the fragility of memory and identity. corruption within authority. redemption through sacrifice

Available on

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