You’re looking for a list of the best crime movies of all time. Maybe you want to find action crime films, or crime thrillers, or perhaps even a crime comedy movie or a crime drama. We’ve got you covered.
In this post, we’ve compiled a list of the best crime movies of all-time, including American crime movies and the top crime films from around the world. All of these movies are worth a watch, so pop some corn, call your lawyer, pour a glass of your favorite pruno, and start the show.
Best Crime Movies of All Time
Preface for our best crime movie list
Crime movies can mean a lot of things, so we’ve decided to leave most courtroom drama, superhero films, and criminals motivated by ideology rather than personal gain. We also rank our list based on how well the movie represents the crime genre over other genres and then take into account the actual quality of the film.
For instance, Gone Girl and Memento are great films that could fall into the crime genre, but they don’t represent the crime genre, as well as films, focused on a life a crime like films such as Goodfellas and Heat.
Now… less talk. More Crime!
AUSTRALIAN CRIME MOVIES
73. Animal Kingdom (2012)
Animal Kingdom • Trailer
This Australian crime film is one of the top crime movies because of it's authenticity as well as the cast. It was so good they’ve since made a television series based on the film.
IN CONCLUSION
ANIMAL KINGDOM
The film is loosely based on the Melbourne crime scene in the 1980s and the Pettingills crime family. Also, the random revenge murder of two patrolmen recreates the 1988 Walsh Street police shootings.
INDEPENDENT CRIME MOVIES
72. Good Time (2017)
Good Time • Trailer
Before they put Adam Sandler through the wringer, the Safdie Brothers concocted this "gem." A white-knuckle ride from start to finish and any doubts about Robert Pattinson's acting ability were decidedly vanquished. This is one of the best crime drama movies, and while it is very dramatic it also one of the best crime thrillers out there.
IN CONCLUSION
GOOD TIME
The scene in the subway was shot during rush hour with real passengers on the 7 train. In order to shoot unnoticed, they directed Pattinson by text messages while the camera and crew was filming in the same wagon.
BEST CRIME DRAMA MOVIES
71. The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)
The Place Beyond the Pines • Trailer
This film is one of the best crime movies because it brings many new ideas to a crime genre. It works well as a crime thriller, crime drama, and crime action movie at various points.
IN CONCLUSION
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
The method Luke (Ryan Gosling) and Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) use to rob the banks was the actual method "Friday Night Robber" Carl Gugasian successfully used for over thirty years.
BEST AMERICAN CRIME MOVIES
70. Lawless (2012)
Lawless • Trailer
Great crime movies often use authentic stories that help bring you into a specific world of crime, and that’s what this film does so well.
IN CONCLUSION
LAWLESS
The Russian title of this film translates as "The Drunkest County in the World".
BEST ACTION COMEDY MOVIES
69. Last Man Standing (1996)
Last Man Standing • Trailer
This is one of the best crime movies that is both haunting and unique. It’s a great crime movie that combines two worlds of crime that aren’t commonly explored in a single story.
IN CONCLUSION
LAST MAN STANDING
Walter Hill considered this a "free adaptation" of Yojimbo (1961) rather than a remake, calling the idea of remaking Akira Kurosawa's film "a foolish endeavor."
BEST COMEDY CRIME MOVIES
68. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang • Trailer
This is one of the best dark comedy movies and one of the top crime movies in general. Shane Black has gone on to make more in the future, but there was something about this film that was the best.
IN CONCLUSION
KISS KISS BANG BANG
Shane Black had been suffering from writer's block. It ultimately took him over a year and a half to write the script for this film. He then had enormous trouble trying to sell it.
BEST CRIME DRAMA MOVIES
67. Drive (2011)
Drive • Trailer
This is a really strong crime drama movie, and one of the only really well made crime romance films. There are some great uses of color and definitely one of the best soundtracks in crime genre, but this is a great date night crime movie as well.
IN CONCLUSION
DRIVE
After Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn removed much of the Driver's dialogue, Bryan Cranston felt that his character, Shannon, should make up for the lack of talking in the film, and thus made Shannon a motormouth. Much of his dialogue is improvised.
BEST CRIME DRAMA MOVIE
66. The Town (2010)
The Town • Trailer
This crime thriller takes some great cues from the best crime movies including Heat and The Departed. Ben Affleck shows off his directorial prowess with a really good American crime movie.
IN CONCLUSION
DRIVE
Ben Affleck cited The Departed (2006), Heat (1995), Mystic River (2003), and The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) as influences on this film. Of them, Affleck said "All are R-rated movies in that same vein, and the movies I used as the gold standard of success here."
BEST CRIME MOVIES
65. The Score (2001)
The Score • Trailer
This really is a great crime film and a fun crime thriller where you don’t know who will come out on top. If you’ve never seen this crime film, you should give it a watch as soon as possible.
IN CONCLUSION
THE SCORE
This is the only movie to star Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando, the first actors to win Academy Awards for playing the same role, that of Vito Corleone in The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974).
TOP CRIME MOVIES
64. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels • Trailer
This very much is more of a great crime comedy movie as opposed to anything else, but definitely lead to many great action crime movies.
IN CONCLUSION
LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS
The film was having trouble finding an American distributor when Trudie Styler called an acquaintance of hers - Tom Cruise. He attended a screening and loved the film. Matthew Vaughn later recalled, "It was hysterical. You had all these mid-level executives sitting there, and Cruise walked in. He saw them all sit up and pay attention, all getting on their phones, and suddenly all these senior executives joined the screening ... At the end, Tom got up in front of everyone and said 'This is the best movie I've seen in years, you guys would be fools not to buy it.'"
BRITISH CRIME MOVIES
63. Layer Cake (2004)
Layer Cake • Trailer
This is one of the top crime movies many crime genre fans didn’t see. It’s also the film that launched both Daniel Craig’s and Tom Hardy’s careers, as well as directing career for Matthew Vaughn.
IN CONCLUSION
LAYER CAKE
It was Daniel Craig's performance in this film that caused Barbara Broccoli to take notice and think he might be a good fit for James Bond.
BEST CRIME COMEDY MOVIES
62. American Hustle (2013)
American Hustle • Trailer
While this is one of the best crime movies out there, it is very different from many of the other crime films on this list. No big shootouts or classic organized crime, but still plenty of good crime to watch.
IN CONCLUSION
AMERICAN HUSTLE
According to Christian Bale, much of the movie was improvised. So during the shooting of the film, he noted to writer and director David O. Russell, "You realize that this is going to change the plot greatly down track." To which Russell replied, "Christian, I hate plots. I am all about characters, that's it."
CRIME THRILLER MOVIES
61. Killing them Softly (2012)
Killing them Softly • Trailer
This is one of the top crime movies because, similar to many other Andrew Dominik films, is a tone poem that’s trying to talk about the themes of crime and criminals with a classic plot.
IN CONCLUSION
KILLING THEM SOFTLY
The first feature film to use Kodak's 500T 5230 film stock.
GOOD CRIME MOVIES
60. The Fast and the Furious (2001)
The Fast and the Furious • Trailer
While this has become one of the biggest blockbuster franchises of all time, this began with a really great action crime movie.
IN CONCLUSION
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS
There are over 15,000 individual sound effects in the first street race.
ACTION CRIME MOVIES
59. Point Break (1991)
Point Break • Trailer
As you may have guessed, this crime movie inspired The Fast and the Furious, and it is one of the best action crime movies.
IN CONCLUSION
POINT BREAK
This was Kathryn Bigelow's highest grossing film until Zero Dark Thirty (2012).
CLASSIC CRIME MOVIES
58. Mean Streets (1973)
Mean Street • Trailer
Before you had every other great Scorsese crime movie, you had this film. Many modern crime movies have this film to thank.
IN CONCLUSION
MEAN STREETS
Brian De Palma helped Martin Scorsese edit some scenes in this movie.
BEST COMEDY CRIME MOVIES
57. In Bruges (2008)
In Bruges • Trailer
This really is more of a crime drama movies but it is also a really strong crime comedy movie. Definitely worth a watch.
IN CONCLUSION
IN BRUGES
The painting that occasions comment even from Ray is "The Last Judgment" by Hieronymus Bosch. Bosch-like symbolism recurs throughout the movie (the dwarf is one example), suggesting that Ray and Ken may indeed encounter their own Last Judgment - or that the waiting period in Bruges is akin to purgatory.
BEST CRIME MOVIES
56. Easy Rider (1969)
Easy Rider • Trailer
This film has one of the most appropriate titles ever made because this crime film doesn’t play by hard a fast filmmaking rules, and has changed the way we look at filmmaking in general.
IN CONCLUSION
IN BRUGES
Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda did not write a full script for the movie, and made most of it up as they went along. They didn't hire a crew, but instead picked up hippies at communes across the country, and used friends and passers-by to hold the cameras, and were drunk and stoned most of the time.
BEST CRIME MOVIES
55. New Jack City (1991)
New Jack City • Trailer
This is one of the best crime drama movies ever made and it’s very similar to Scarface in how it feels like a criminal telling of Icarus. It shows the rise of a man who just won’t stop rising until his wings melt.
IN CONCLUSION
NEW JACK SITY
The chase between Scotty and Pookie was improvised. The original idea was for the chase to be a car chase, but the movie had gone over budget and was in danger of being shut down. Chris Rock, instead, hopped on a bicycle, and Ice-T chased him on foot.
BEST DRUG CRIME MOVIES
54. A Scanner Darkly (2006)
A Scanner Darkly • Trailer
This is one of the best crime movies of all time because it takes a unique approach not only to the filmmaking but also the story.
IN CONCLUSION
NEW JACK SITY
According to Writer and Director Richard Linklater, filming was completed in twenty-three days. The animation took eighteen months.
COMIC BOOK CRIME MOVIES
53. Sin City (2005)
Sin City • Trailer
Similar to the last film on our list, this is a very unique crime film and works as a crime action movie, a crime comedy, and a crime thriller.
IN CONCLUSION
SIN CITY
Directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller planned each shot in the movie by using the panels from the original book as storyboard.
ROMANCE CRIME MOVIES
52. The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
The Thomas Crown Affair • Trailer
Beyond being one of the greatest crime films of all time is how this is slick and sexy and fun. It also works as a really strong crime thriller, and the tonal shifts in the film are really natural and seamless.
IN CONCLUSION
THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR
The idea of unusual heat in the museum rendering thermal cameras useless, came from Director John McTiernan's Predator (1987). In that movie, McTiernan's thermal cameras began to fail, when the jungle temperature broke ninety degrees Fahrenheit (thirty-two degrees Celsius).
BEST CRIME DRAMA MOVIES
51. Traffic (2000)
Traffic • Trailer
Traffic is a very unique crime movie because it takes a look at crime in a three different storylines during the same time period. This is one of the best crime films ever made because it is painfully real.
IN CONCLUSION
TRAFFIC
Director Steven Soderbergh is known as being first camera on many of his films, as a result, he was operating the camera for most of the shooting.
BEST DRAMA CRIME MOVIES
50. Donnie Brasco (1997)
Donnie Brasco • Trailer
As far as crime films go, this is one of the most authentic you’ll ever watch. It has a similar tone and sensibility to Goodfellas but without the stylized approach.
IN CONCLUSION
DONNIE BRASCO
Joseph D. Pistone said in an interview in the special features on the DVD that he was supposed to be undercover for a few months. It ended up being six years. His family was moved across the country after nine months. He rarely saw them.
BEST COMEDY CRIME MOVIES
49. Matchstick Men (2003)
Matchstick Men • Trailer
This is one of those crime movies that doesn’t have guns and heists, but it’s still one of the best crime movies ever made and one of the only comedy crime movies made by Ridley Scott.
IN CONCLUSION
MATCHSTICK MEN
The airport scenes, set at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), were actually filmed in the main entrance of the Anaheim Convention Center, a mile south of Disneyland.
BEST CRIME MOVIES
48. Eastern Promises (2007)
Eastern Promises • Trailer
This is easily one of the best crime drama movies ever made, and it's one of the great examples on how to shoot a thrilling movie fights.
IN CONCLUSION
EASTERN PROMISES
For the bathhouse fight scene, the scene was choreographed with the actors instead of stuntmen. The actors had to train in specific fighting styles chosen for their characters and it took two days to shoot on location in London.
TRUE CRIME MOVIES
47. Blow (2001)
Blow • Trailer
This is a crime movie that really takes you inside the inner workings of drug trafficking and the life of a man who lived a life of crime.
IN CONCLUSION
BLOW
According to the director's commentary, the tape that George Jung leaves for his father near the end of the movie is a verbatim transcript of a tape that the real George Jung recorded under similar circumstances.
TOP CRIME MOVIES
46. Jackie Brown (1997)
Jackie Brown • Trailer
It’s true that Quentin Tarantino makes some of the best crime movies out there and this crime film is no exception.
IN CONCLUSION
JACKIE BROWN
When Pam Grier walked in to audition for Quentin Tarantino, "there were all my posters from twenty years ago, when I was just a piss and vinegar kid", she recalled. "And I said, 'Did you put these up because I was coming over?' And he said, 'No. I was gonna take them down because you were coming over!'"
BEST COMEDY CRIME MOVIES
45. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Catch Me If You Can • Trailer
This is one of those crime comedy movies that is just plain fun to watch and it's one of Spielberg's best movies and, frankly, quite underrated.
IN CONCLUSION
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
The film shows Frank Abagnale, Jr. on the FBI's Most Wanted list. In real life, however, he never made the list - it's reserved for violent criminals.
BEST CRIME MOVIES
44. True Romance (1993)
True Romance • Trailer
This is one of those great crime movies that was written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by the legendary Tony Scott.
IN CONCLUSION
TRUE ROMANCE
The motel room fight scene between Alabama (Patricia Arquette) and Virgil (James Gandolfini) took five days to shoot.
ACTION CRIME MOVIES
43. RocknRolla (2008)
RocknRolla • Trailer
Guy Ritchie really does make some of the best crime movies out there, and this is his second film on our list of the best crime movies.
IN CONCLUSION
ROCKNROLLA
Christopher Nolan said that it was his performance in this film that convinced him to cast Tom Hardy in Inception (2010) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
GANG CRIME MOVIES
42. Menace II Society (1993)
Menace II Society • Trailer
As far as American crime movies go, this film is one of the most authentic, partly due to the lack of conventional star power.
IN CONCLUSION
MENACE II SOCIETY
Tupac Shakur was originally cast to play Sharif, but was fired which led to a physical fight with co-Director Allen Hughes. Shakur was charged with assault and battery.
OSCAR WINNING CRIME MOVIES
41. The Sting (1973)
The Sting • Trailer
This crime comedy movie won the Oscar for best picture and is one of the most beloved films of all time.
IN CONCLUSION
THE STING
Edith Head won her 8th and final Best Costume Design Academy Award for this film. "Just imagine," she said during her acceptance speech. "Dressing the two handsomest men in the world and then getting this."
VIOLENT CRIME MOVIES
40. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Bonnie and Clyde • Trailer
This is one of those American crime movies that really changed the landscape of filmmaking and how movies were received.
IN CONCLUSION
BONNIE AND CLYDE
One of Director Arthur Penn's intentions was to make the character of Blanche as hysterical as possible, so that it would make Bonnie look even cooler.
BEST CRIME DRAMA MOVIES
39. Road to Perdition (2002)
Road to Perdition • Trailer
As far as crime drama movies go, this is one of those crime films that shows the connection between family and a life of crime. Director Scott Mendes may be more famous for working on films like American Beauty, Skyfall, and 1917, but his work in Road to Perdition is certainly some of his best.
IN CONCLUSION
ROAD TO PERDITION
The movie is dedicated to cinematographer Conrad L. Hall, whose died soon after, as did Paul Newman.
TOP CRIME MOVIES
38. Public Enemies (2009)
Public Enemies • Trailer
Michael Mann makes some of the top crime movies out there, and this action crime movie showcases tons of classic criminals in their heyday.
IN CONCLUSION
PUBLIC ENEMIES
While filming on location in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a boy, aged eleven, told Johnny Depp he loved his Fedora hat, and would like to have one like it. Depp told the boy he would see what he could do about that. After filming finished, Depp sent the boy the hat in the mail.
AMERICAN CRIME MOVIES
37. The Untouchables (1987)
The Untouchables • Trailer
Similar to our last film, this is a crime thriller takes place in the days of Al Capone and the golden age of organized crime.
IN CONCLUSION
THE UNTOUCHABLES
Albert H. Wolff, the last survivor of the real-life Untouchables, was a consultant on this movie, and helped Kevin Costner with his portrayal of Eliot Ness.
WHITE COLLAR CRIME MOVIES
36. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
The Wolf of Wall Street • Trailer
Some of the best crime movies of all time are centered around white collar crime, which is just as damaging to law abiding folk.
IN CONCLUSION
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
Martin Scorsese has confirmed that some of the editing is odd on purpose, especially the scenes where one or more characters are high, every time Jordan is seen taking drugs the scenes that follow have continuity issues and often flow oddly.
EUROPEAN CRIME MOVIES
35. Ronin (1998)
Ronin • Trailer
Action crime movies require a few things to be really great, and this film has one of the best examples on how to shoot an exciting car chase.
IN CONCLUSION
RONIN
Skipp Sudduth requested to do his own stunt driving during the car chases, and John Frankenheimer agreed. Frankenheimer told Sudduth, "I don't wanna see any brake lights."
TARANTINO CRIME MOVIES
34. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Reservoir Dogs • Trailer
While this film is one of best Tarantino movies, it’s also a great example of a really good American crime movie.
IN CONCLUSION
RESERVOIR DOGS
In an interview on BBC in 2009, Quentin Tarantino said he was proud that the movie is often on top ten heist movies, even though you never actually see the heist.
CRIME THRILLER MOVIES
33. Blow Out (1981)
Blow Out • Trailer
Brian De Palma not only makes the best crime thriller movies, but he also understands how to merge the crime drama genre into his films.
IN CONCLUSION
BLOW OUT
Quentin Tarantino stated in an interview that this film is his favorite Brian De Palma movie. In fact, Tarantino cast John Travolta in Pulp Fiction (1994) because he liked his performance in this movie so much.
BEST CRIME DRAMA FILMS
32. Taxi Driver (1976)
Taxi Driver Scene Breakdown • Subscribe on YouTube
This is easily one of the best crime drama movies ever made, and instead of focusing on crime as a plot device is is explored through a character’s relationship with crime and perceived justice.
IN CONCLUSION
TAXI DRIVER
Director Martin Scorsese claims that the most important shot in the movie is when Bickle is on the phone trying to get another date with Betsy. The camera moves to the side slowly and pans down the long, empty hallway next to Bickle, as if to suggest that the phone conversation is too painful and pathetic to bear.
ACTION COMEDY CRIME FILM
31. Baby Driver (2017)
Baby Driver • Trailer
Action crime movies can be a lot of fun, and director Edgar Wright does a great job creating conflict by mixing a good-hearted character in the lead role surrounded by greedy criminals. Best of both worlds.
IN CONCLUSION
BABY DRIVER
In almost every scene where no music is playing, you can hear a slight ringing in the background (the sound of Baby's tinnitus).
TOP CRIME FILMS
30. Collateral (2004)
Collateral • Trailer
This particular crime film is one of the best crime thriller movies out there that has really strong characters and a really great plot.
IN CONCLUSION
COLLATERAL
According to Michael Mann, Vincent is a man able to get in and out of anywhere without anyone recognizing or remembering him. To prepare for the movie, Tom Cruise had to make FedEx deliveries in a crowded Los Angeles market without anyone recognizing him.
BEST CRIME FILMS
29. The Bad Sleep Well (1960)
The Bad Sleep Well • Trailer
Akira Kurosawa is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, and this is one of the top crime movies you will have the pleasure of viewing.
IN CONCLUSION
THE BAD SLEEP WELL
'Kyoko Kagawa' wore both uneven shoes and a knee brace to help make her character's limp more believable and real.
CRIME DRAMA MOVIES
28. On the Waterfront (1954)
On The Waterfront • On the Waterfront
This crime film is one of the best crime drama movies of all time and yet another one of Marlon Brando's best movies.
IN CONCLUSION
ON THE WATERFRONT
Sam Spiegel forgot to pay for rear-projection equipment, hence the reason why the cab where Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger play out the film's most famous scene has blinds.
ACTION CRIME MOVIES
27. Gangs of New York (2002)
Gangs of New York • Trailer
This is one of the best action crime movies of all time, especially made by Martin Scorsese, which gives us some important variety.
IN CONCLUSION
GANGS OF NEW YORK
Leonardo DiCaprio accidentally broke Daniel Day-Lewis' nose while filming a fight scene. Day-Lewis continued to film the scene despite the injury.
GREAT CRIME MOVIES
26. Thief (1981)
Thief • Trailer
This is one of the best crime movies out there and a great character study into the life of an actual authentic criminal.
IN CONCLUSION
THIEF
After The Godfather (1972), this is James Caan's favorite film of his own. He has stated that his monologue in the diner is the scene of which he is most proud in his career.
DARK COMEDY CRIME MOVIES
25. Fargo (1996)
Fargo • Trailer
Beyond being one of the great crime comedy movies, it’s also a really fun crime thriller. It’s just one of the best crime movies of all time.
IN CONCLUSION
FARGO
William H. Macy stated in an interview that, despite evidence to the contrary, he did hardly any ad-libbing at all. Most of his character's stuttering mannerisms were written in the script exactly the way he does them in the film.
NOIR CRIME FILMS
24. Double Indemnity (1944)
Double Indemnity • Trailer
While this really is more of a detective noir film, it’s hard to have a list of the best crime films of all time without this movie.
IN CONCLUSION
DOUBLE INDEMNITY
The scene where Neff and Dietrichson can't get their car started after the murder was added by Billy Wilder after his car wouldn't start at the end of a shooting day.
BEST CRIME DRAMA MOVIES
23. Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown • Trailer
This film is both a really great crime drama movie as well as a really suspenseful crime thriller movie.
IN CONCLUSION
CHINA TOWN
Jack Nicholson is present in every scene of the film.
CLASSIC CRIME MOVIES
22. Touch of Evil (1958)
Touch of Evil • Trailer
This crime film is from Orson Welles and it serves as one of the best crime thriller movies and an origin of the suspenseful long take.
IN CONCLUSION
TOUCH OF EVIL
Orson Welles said that this was the most fun he'd ever had filming a picture, unlike most of his Hollywood films, because he wasn't troubled by studio interference (until after he completed the picture, anyway).
BEST CRIME THRILLER MOVIES
21. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Maltese Falcon • Trailer
If you want to see how many of the best crime thriller movies were made you need to start at the early parts, and that means this crime film.
IN CONCLUSION
MALTESE FALCONS
Two "Maltese Falcons" were used because Humphrey Bogart accidentally dropped the original during shooting. It is on display in the movie museum at Warner Bros. studios; its tail feathers are visibly dented from when Bogart dropped it.
ACTION CRIME MOVIES
20. The French Connection (1971)
The French Connection • Trailer
This is one of the best crime thriller movies ever made, as well as being one of the great action crime movies of all time.
IN CONCLUSION
THE FRENCH CONNECTION
The car crash during the chase sequence, at the intersection of Stillwell Ave. and 86th St., was unplanned and was included because of its realism. The man whose car was hit had just left his house a few blocks from the intersection to go to work and was unaware that a car chase was being filmed. The producers later paid the bill for the repairs to his car.
BEST COMEDY CRIME MOVIES
19. Snatch (2000)
Snatch • Trailer
This is the best crime movie made by director Guy Ritchie, and possibly the best British crime movie ever made. It’s also a really strong crime comedy movie that solidified Ritchie’s unique style.
IN CONCLUSION
SNATCH
Every mistake that Sol, Vincent and Tyrone make were inspired by various late-night TV shows about real-life crimes gone horribly wrong.
COMEDY CRIME FILMS
18. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Ocean's Eleven • Trailer
This remake from Steven Soderbergh is one of the best crime comedy movies ever made and was followed by some great sequels.
IN CONCLUSION
OCEAN'S ELEVEN
Steven Soderbergh used a 45-degree shutter effect for the flashback scenes. It causes the film to be exposed to light for less time than usual and results in more of a choppy feel.
ORGANIZED CRIME MOVIES
17. American Gangster (2007)
"Somebody Or Nobody" Scene • American Gangster
American Gangster is a great organized crime movie and definitely the best crime movie made by director Ridley Scott.
IN CONCLUSION
AMERICAN GANGSTER
Ridley Scott recalls that this production was one of the most massive undertakings of his career. There were 360 scenes filmed in over 180 different locations.
OSCAR WINNING CRIME MOVIES
16. The Usual Suspects (1995)
The Usual Suspects • Trailer
This crime thriller movie launched the career of Bryan Singer and Chistopher McQuarrie. Definitely a top crime film with much to learn from the Oscar-winning Usual Suspects screenplay.
IN CONCLUSION
THE USUAL SUSPECT
Christopher McQuarrie had previously worked for a detective agency, and this influenced the depiction of criminals and law enforcement officials in the script.
CRIME DRAMA MOVIES
15. Carlito’s Way (1993)
Carlito's Way • Trailer
This Brain De Palma film is one of the best crime drama movies ever made and it shows a criminal who wants to redeem himself.
IN CONCLUSION
CARLITO'S WAY
The exterior of the hospital where Carlito visits his bedridden attorney is the same one where Vito Corleone is taken in The Godfather (1972), also starring Al Pacino.
AMERICAN CRIME THRILLER MOVIES
14. Training Day (2001)
Training Day • Trailer
This is one of the best crime thriller movies ever made and it shows how the lines of crime and crime fighter are often blurred.
IN CONCLUSION
TRAINING DAY
The license plate on Alonzo's car is "ORP 967" obviously a nod to Officer Rafael Perez, the disgraced L.A.P.D. officer who was born in 1967, and on whom the character was based.
FOREIGN CRIME FILMS
13. City of God (2002)
City of God • Trailer
If you’ve never seen this film you should as soon as possible because it’s one of the most authentic and one of the best crime movies of all time.
IN CONCLUSION
CITY OF GOD
All the amateur actors were recruited from "favelas" (slums) in Rio de Janeiro, and a couple of them--Buscapé/Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues), for example--actually lived in the Cidade de Deus (City of God) itself.
OSCAR WINNING CRIME FILMS
12. The Departed (2006)
The Departed • Trailer
This is not only one of Jack Nicholson's best performances, but the only film that has resulted in Martin Scorsese winning best picture.
IN CONCLUSION
THE DEPARTED
When receiving the top award from the Director's Guild of America for this film, Martin Scorsese said that this "is the first movie I have ever done with a plot."
OSCAR WINNING CRIME THRILLER
11. No Country for Old Men (2007)
No Country for Old Men • Trailer
As far as crime thriller movies go, there are few as suspenseful as this movie. Featuring one of the best antagonists of all time, the film is also one of the best Coen Brothers movies.
IN CONCLUSION
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
The case that held the money in this film was the same case that was also used for the same purpose in Fargo (1996).
GREAT CRIME FILMS
10. The Killing (1956)
The Killing • Trailer
This is one of Kubrick's best movies and definitely laid the groundwork for countless crime movies afterword. The non-linear structure is just as revolutionary as anything you've seen — and The Killing pulled it off decades ago.
IN CONCLUSION
THE KILLING
Initial test screenings were poor, citing the non-linear structure as the main problem. Stanley Kubrick was forced to go back and edit the film in a linear fashion, actually making the film even more confusing. In the end, it was released in its original form, and is often cited as being a huge influence on other non-linear films like Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994).
TRUE CRIME DRAMA
9. Casino (1995)
Casino • Trailer
This is definitely one of the top Martin Scorsese movies of all time, and many feel this is a better crime film than Goodfellas.
IN CONCLUSION
CASINO
The costume budget for the film was $1 million. Robert De Niro had seventy different costumes throughout the film, Sharon Stone had forty. Both were allowed to keep their costumes afterwards.
BEST AMERICAN CRIME MOVIES
8. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood • Trailer
Of course, this is one of the best American crime movies even though the entire film was made with an Italian crew and an Italian director.
IN CONCLUSION
ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA
The street view of Manhattan Bridge (as seen in the film's poster) can be seen from Washington Street, Brooklyn, New York.
OSCAR WINNING CRIME FILMS
7. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Pulp Fiction • Trailer
As Quentin Tarantino has said himself, he wanted to take all of the classic crime tropes from his favorite films and combine them together in a way that was visually and narratively interesting.
IN CONCLUSION
PULP FICTION
Chronologically, the last scene in the movie is Butch and Fabienne riding away on a chopper. The first sound you can hear in the movie is of the same chopper's engine.
BEST CRIME FILMS OF ALL TIME
6. Scarface (1983)
Scarface • Trailer
Scarface is one of those crime drama movies that you can’t get out of your head once you’ve seen it. All of your criminal adjacent friends and acquaintances have Scarface posters on their wall with the best anti-hero on it — Tony Montana.
IN CONCLUSION
SCARFACE
Tony Montana uses "yeyo" as slang for cocaine. Al Pacino learned the word while learning the Cuban accent, and ad-libbed it during the chainsaw scene. Brian De Palma liked it enough to keep using it throughout the film.
GREAT CRIME FILMS
5. L.A. Confidential (1997)
L.A. Confidential • Trailer
As far as crime thriller movies go, this is the best ever made. It’s not a good crime film, it’s a perfect crime film and great crime thriller.
IN CONCLUSION
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
Russell Crowe based his performance on that of Sterling Hayden in Stanley Kubrick's The Killing (1956) "for that beefy manliness that came out of World War II".
BEST CRIME DRAMAS
4. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
The Godfather: Part II • Trailer
Many believe this crime film is actually better than its predecessor, but regardless of where you place this film it is undeniably one of the top crime films ever made.
IN CONCLUSION
THE GODFATHER PART II
Francis Ford Coppola had a horrible time directing The Godfather (1972) and asked to pick a different director for the sequel, while taking the title of producer for himself. He chose Martin Scorsese, who the film executives rejected. Thus, Coppola agreed to direct the film, with a few conditions.
ORGANIZED CRIME DRAMAS
3. Goodfellas (1990)
Goodfellas • Trailer
This may be the most important crime film ever to be made, because the criminals in this film are highly unlikeable. While the movie humanizes gangsters, it also shows them for who they really are.
IN CONCLUSION
GOODFELLAS
According to Henry Hill, whose life was the basis for the book and film, Joe Pesci's portrayal of Tommy DeSimone was 90-99% accurate, with one notable exception. The real Tommy DeSimone was massively built.
BEST CRIME MOVIES
2. Heat (1995)
Heat • Trailer
While many great crime movies take place in America, this is the ultimate modern American crime movie. It’s one of the greatest action crime movies which includes the greatest heist scene of all time and one of Robert De Niro best performances.
IN CONCLUSION
HEAT
Rather than dubbing in the gunshots during the bank robbery shoot-out, Michael Mann had microphones carefully placed around the set so that the audio could be captured live. This added to the impact of the scene, because it sounded like no other gunfight shown on-screen.
BEST CRIME MOVIE OF ALL TIME
1. The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather • Trailer
The Godfather is the best crime movie of all time as well as the front runner for the greatest overall film of all time. It’s safe to say that it’s The Godfather of American crime films and crime dramas.
IN CONCLUSION
THE GODFATHER
Don Vito Corleone's distinctive voice was based on real-life mobster Frank Costello. Marlon Brando had seen him on television during the Estes Kefauver hearings in 1951, and imitated his husky whisper in the film.
Up Next
The Best Movie Shootouts
Let us know which are the best crime movies of all time in the comments, and then check out our other posts on films and filmmaking. Check out the next post, the The Best Movie Shootouts of All Time.
Up Next: Best Movie Shootouts →
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Gorky Park is better than all but the top ten of these selections.
Baby Driver above Taxi Driver? No Dog Day Afternoon?
Half of these movies I would never watch for a second time.
Killing Zoe (French bank robbery) with Quentin Tarantino influence and The Friends of Eddie Coyle (Massachusetts bank robberies) starring Robert Mitchum are top 50 crime movies.