Skip to main content
  • TotalFilm
  • Edge
  • Newsarama
  • Retrogamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Ryan Gosling in The Place Beyond the Pines
Streaming Services 3 new to Prime Video movies you should watch this weekend (March 7–March 8)
Misery
Streaming Services 3 new to Netflix movies I recommend you watch this weekend (March 7–March 8)
Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Sherlock Holmes during the new show, Young Sherlock.
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (March 6-8)
Barry Keoghan as Duke Shelby walking in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Crime Movies Netflix's new Peaky Blinders movie debuts to rave reviews and a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score
Cillian Murphy as Tommy in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Movies The 25 best movies on Netflix to watch right now
(L to R) Steven Yeun as Detective Mike Ro, Matt Damon as Lieutenant Dane Dumars, Ben Affleck as Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne, and Kyle Chandler as DEA Agent Mateo 'Matty' Nix in The Rip.
Action Movies The 25 best Netflix action movies to watch right now
The Lion King is undoubtedly one of the best movies on Disney Plus
Movies The 30 best movies on Disney Plus to watch right now
One Piece
Netflix The 25 best shows on Netflix to watch in 2026
Glen Powell as Becket in How to Make a Killing
Comedy Movies How to Make a Killing is Glen Powell's latest mid-budget movie, and I hope he never stops making them
Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
Streaming Services The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
Walton Goggins as the Ghoul in Fallout season 2
TV The 25 best shows on Amazon Prime Video to watch right now
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in Sonic 3
Amazon Prime Video The 25 best movies on Prime Video to watch right now
David Lynch as Gordon Cole and Laura Dern as Diane in Twin Peaks: The Return.
Streaming Services The 25 best shows on Paramount Plus to watch right now
The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time: pictures of Alien, Arrival, Terminator, Brazil and 2001.
Sci-Fi Movies The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time
Some of the cast of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2. Anna Sawai, Takehiro Hira, Ren Watabe, and Kiersey Clemons
Apple TV Plus The 25 best shows on Apple TV to watch right now
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

40 Most Likeable Movie Criminals

Features
By Joshua Winning published 6 February 2014

They do bad so good

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

The Fortune Cookie (1966)

The Movie Criminal: Harry Hinkle (Jack Lemmon), who's convinced by his brother-in-law - lawyer William (Walter Matthau) - to pretend he's paralysed after being injured by a football player.

All so they can claim a massive insurance payout.

Why We Like Him: Harry's a begrudging criminal at best, and only goes along with the plan in an attempt to win back his ex-wife.

Plus who doesn't love watching Lemmon and Matthau go nose-to-nose?

Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid (1969)

The Movie Criminals: Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and 'Sundance Kid' Harry Longabaugh (Robert Redford), who form the Hole-in-the-Wall gang, a band of train-raiding bounty hunters.

Why We Like Them: Even when the odds are stacked against them, Butch and Sundance remain optimistic - going so far as attempting to take on a Bolivian bank despite knowing little Spanish to make their demands.

Now that's the kind of gung-ho attitude we admire.

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

The Movie Criminal: Brit-hating Otto (Kevin Kline), a weapons man who's called on by gangster George Thomason to help him take on a London heist.

Why We Like Him: He sings opera, draws strength from the stench of his own armpits and is a hopeless romantic.

It's IMPOSSIBLE to hate this guy.

You may like
  • Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather. The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
  • Ryan Gosling as Court Gentry in The Gray Man. The 25 best Netflix thrillers to watch right now
  • (L to R) Steven Yeun as Detective Mike Ro, Matt Damon as Lieutenant Dane Dumars, Ben Affleck as Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne, and Kyle Chandler as DEA Agent Mateo 'Matty' Nix in The Rip. The 25 best Netflix action movies to watch right now

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

The Movie Criminal: Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.) messes up a burglary and escapes police capture by hiding at an audition.

When he impresses the movie producers, he finds himself signed up for a film - and encountering investigator Perry Van Shrike (Val Kilmer).

Why We Like Him: We love a good case of mistaken identity, and Lockhart's attempts to live up to the lies he's created are hilarious.

Plus he gets to spout some absolutely golden dialogue, thanks to writer/director Shane Black.

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

The Movie Criminal: Martin Blank (John Cusack), an assassin who's increasingly disillusioned with his morbid working life.

It's the perfect time, then, for him to reflect on his chosen profession while attending his 10 year high school reunion…

Why We Like Him: Yes, Blank makes his living killing people, but he's also a regular guy dealing with regular life problems.

Like a high school reunion, for example, and the confusing/explosive passions of his ex-girlfriend.

X-Men (2000)

The Movie Criminal: Erik Lehnsherr (Ian McKellen), better known as the mutant Magneto.

He takes the law into his own hands when he hatches a plan to show prejudicial non-mutants who's boss by turning them all into mutants. Muwahahaha.

Why We Like Him: Magneto's got style by the stackload - not least thanks to his ability to manipulate anything made of metal.

He's also nifty when it comes to a one-liner or two ("Humans and their guns!"), meaning he's also one of the cattiest mutants you'll ever meet.

True Romance (1993)

The Movie Criminal: Clarence Worley (Christian Slater), who becomes a criminal sort of by accident when he kills a drug dealer, nabs his stash and decides to sell it on to a film producer.

Why We Like Him: Clarence is also a hopeless romantic, falling for hooker Alabama (Patricia Arquette).

We just want these kids to be happy - even if they make some pretty idiotic choices.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Batman Returns (1992)

The Movie Criminal: Shy secretary Selena Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer). After being shoved out of a window by her boss (Christopher Walken), Selena transforms into Catwoman, and she ain't taking any prisoners in her quest for vengeance.

File this one under: Vigilante.

Why We Like Her:
Um, you've seen her outfit, right?

Aside from looking hella awesome, Catwoman's also one of the coolest comic anti-heroines - as strong and smart as any man.

Thelma & Louise (1991)

The Movie Criminals: Regular small-town gals Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon), who are forced to go on the run when Louise shoots and kills a man who attacked Thelma.

They burn rubber on their way to Mexico - and safety.

Why We Like Them: For the very fact that they're not career criminals - nowhere near. They're two women caught up in overwhelmingly awful circumstances.

Also, we love the way Louise shrieks "God dammit Thelma!" every five minutes.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The Movie Criminal: Red (Morgan Freeman), a resident of Shawshank Sate Penitentiary.

He's there for life having killed somebody as an impressionable youth. "Only guilty man in Shawshank."

Why We Like Him: Red's the kind of wise, genuine and warm older guy you could only ever dream of meeting in prison.

He talks sense and he looks out for new inmate Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), even procuring a pretty important Riya Hayworth poster for him…

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4

Current page: Page 3

Prev Page Page 2 Next Page Page 4
Joshua Winning
Social Links Navigation

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.  

Read more
Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
 
 
Ryan Gosling as Court Gentry in The Gray Man.
The 25 best Netflix thrillers to watch right now
 
 
(L to R) Steven Yeun as Detective Mike Ro, Matt Damon as Lieutenant Dane Dumars, Ben Affleck as Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne, and Kyle Chandler as DEA Agent Mateo 'Matty' Nix in The Rip.
The 25 best Netflix action movies to watch right now
 
 
Keanu Reeves as FBI Agent Johnny Utah and Patrick Swayze as Bodhi "Bodhisattva" in the movie Point Break.
The best movies on Hulu to watch right now
 
 
Sam Rockwell as The Man From the Future in Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die got me in the mood for more time-travelling fun and these 6 sci-fi comedies fit the bill
 
 
Superman kisses Lois Lane in James Gunn's Superman
The 20 best movies on HBO Max to watch right now
 
 
Latest in Movies
Dafne Keen brandishing her claws as Laura/X-23 in Deadpool and Wolverine
Marvel fans are debating whether Dafne Keen should become Wolverine or stay as X-23, and I've already chosen a side
 
 
Five Nights at Freddy's 2
After the first two movies were written by Scott Cawthon, Five Nights at Freddy's 3 reportedly has new screenwriters
 
 
Mortal Kombat movie
Mortal Kombat 2 star joins in with Street Fighter movie beef after Game Awards dig because he "loves a good rivalry"
 
 
Fujino and Kyomoto eating in Look Back
Live-action adaptation of Chainsaw Man creator's Look Back will escape Japanese cinemas and come to the west
 
 
Aang, Sokka and Katara standing on a stone wall during the series Avatar: The Last Airbender
Aang director confirms the next Avatar movie has wrapped, but seems to be still fighting for a theatrical release
 
 
Princess Rosalina in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer
Certified Nintendo fangirl and Rosalina actor Brie Larson says Super Mario Galaxy is one of her favorite games
 
 
Latest in Features
BG3
The future of RPGs is isometric
 
 
Photo of a Mario nendoroid figure holding a microSD Express card with a Turtle Beach Switch 2 case in the background.
These Mario Day-inspired Switch 2 accessories will power up your console more than a super star
 
 
Underside of Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptop with glass viewing window and RGB fans
We could get a shock when 2026 gaming laptop prices are unveiled, here's what you need to know about buying this year
 
 
Emily Rudd as Nami and Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy in Netflix's One Piece
One Piece season 2 ending explained: Who is Mr. Zero? Who dies? Will there be a season 3?
 
 
In Hitman World of Assassination, Agent 47 sits at the departure gate in an airport during the loading screen
After weeks spent locked into Hitman's Freelancer mode, I realize there's one vital thing 007 First Light needs to learn
 
 
Mario gadgets, accessories, and games on a blue background
The ultimate Mario Day starter pack, kit up for the plumber's big day
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Elsa Bloodshot in Marvel Rivals
    1
    Marvel Rivals devs felt "panic" at the thought of going into the live-service graveyard that just claimed Highguard
  2. 2
    Diablo 4's Lord of Hatred expansion will be "really f*cking hard" at its highest difficulty, dev threatens
  3. 3
    Marvel fans are debating whether Dafne Keen should become Wolverine or stay as X-23, and I've already chosen a side
  4. 4
    "I wouldn't rule out a Palworld 2.0," says Pocketpair publishing head, but don't expect a "No Man's Sky situation"
  5. 5
    Peak came about after a bet between Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure leads to see whose game would sell more

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...