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)
DCU Chapter One explained: James Gunn smiling.
Superhero Movies DCU Chapter One: Every movie and show in the new DC cinematic universe
Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal as Agnes and William Shakespeare in Hamnet
Streaming Services 6 of the best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and more (March 2–March 8)
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
One Piece
Netflix The 25 best shows on Netflix to watch in 2026
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
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
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
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in Sonic 3
Amazon Prime Video The 25 best movies on Prime Video to watch right now
Ghostface in Scream (2022)
Horror Movies All 7 Scream movies ranked, from worst to best
Lee Byung-hun as Man-su in No Other Choice
Thriller Movies I thought No Other Choice would finally break Park Chan-wook's streak of Oscars snubs, but it continued a sad trend
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

50 Most Corrupt Movie Cops

Features
By Matt Looker published 3 October 2013

Pariahs of the police world

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

Captain McCluskey - The Godfather (1972)

The Corrupt Cop: Corrupt police captain in service under the Tattaglia family, a rival crime family to the Corleones, and Virgil Sollozo.

Lowest Moment: After being confronted by Michael for removing the guards outside Vito Corleone’s hospital room, McCluskey responds by breaking Michael’s jaw.

Captain Dudley Smith - L.A. Confidential (1997)

The Corrupt Cop: Police captain who, despite looking distinctly like the lovable farmer who took care of Babe, is actually a corrupt official with a hand in LA organised crime, including drugs, blackmail and murder.

You may like
  • 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
  • Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather. The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now

Lowest Moment: Shooting cop Jack Vincennes at point blank range after he made a criminal connection to Smith, and then having the gall to announce to the press that his department will stop at nothing to find Jack’s killer.

Colin Sullivan - The Departed (2006)

The Corrupt Cop: High-achieving policeman who has actually been brought up by mob boss Frank Costello to act as a mole in the police department and is eventually tasked with discovering the identity of the undercover cop in Costello’s own crew.

Lowest Moment: As with Infernal Affairs, having Captain Queenan tailed by Costello’s men who then proceed to kill him in cold blood. The same events seem even worse in this film thanks to Queenan being played by lovely old Martin Sheen.

Dennis Peck - Internal Affairs (1990)

The Corrupt Cop: Role model LAPD cop who actually uses excessive force on suspects, frequently sleeps with his colleagues’ wives and partners and actually ends up killing several people that risk dobbing him in to Internal Affairs.

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.

Lowest Moment: His partner Stretch investigates an abandoned van and gets shot in the chest in the process. It turns out, it was all an arranged hit by Peck, whoc goes on to murder the shooter too.

The Lieutenant - Bad Lieutenant (1992)

The Corrupt Cop: A drug-addicted, gambling, adulterous cop who frequently solicits prostitutes and occasionally dances around the room naked.

Lowest Moment: Pulling over a car for speeding, he lets the two young girls go on the basis that they first take their clothes off and simulate oral sex while he openly masturbates. A speeding ticket would surely have been preferable.

You may like
  • 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
  • Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather. The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now

Officer Dave Brown - Rampart (2011)

The Corrupt Cop: Racist, womanising police officer with rage issues, a complicated home situation and an unfortunate nickname of ‘Date Rape Dave’, which he got after supposedly killing a suspected date rapist.

Lowest Moment: Causing the LAPD a lot of embarrassment during a scandalous time when he is caught on camera beating someone almost to death.

Captain Hank Quinlan - Touch Of Evil (1958)

The Corrupt Cop: A decorated police captain who has been planting evidence on his suspects for years. Does it matter when they ARE guilty though?

Lowest Moment: When drug enforcement officer Miguel Vargas starts investigating his practices, Quinlan kidnaps his wife and frames her for murder. That just makes things personal…

Norman Stansfield - Leon: The Professional (1994)

The Corrupt Cop: Wildly unpredictable, drug-addicted DEA agent with a penchant for Beethoven.

Lowest Moment: Our real introduction to him – murdering Mathilda’s entire family one by one as revenge for her dad dipping into the cocaine he had been secretly stashing for Stansfield.

Detective Alonzo Harris - Training Day (2011)

The Corrupt Cop: A celebrated narcotics officer who spends the day showing rookie Jake Hoyt how ‘real’ police work is conducted. This includes taking a hit of PCP-lined marijuana while on duty, and stealing drug money.

Lowest Moment: Leaving Jake alone in the home of gangster Smiley, whom Jake slowly realises has been paid off to kill him.

Terrence McDonagh - Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans (2009)

The Corrupt Cop: A drug-addicted New Orleans police lieutenant with a prostitute girlfriend and a stack of gambling debts. Prone to seeing singing iguanas and dancing souls.

Lowest Moment: So many, but surely going to a nursing home and threatening to kill an old lady in order to get information about a witness is the lowest of the low.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Current page: Page 5

Prev Page Page 4
Matt Looker
Read more
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
 
 
Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus 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
 
 
Benicio del Toro as Sensei Sergio in One Battle After Another
My favorite character of the year was One Battle After Another's beer-drinking karate instructor
 
 
Superman kisses Lois Lane in James Gunn's Superman
The 20 best movies on HBO Max to watch right now
 
 
Latest in Movies
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
 
 
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
A Nintendo Nostradamus somehow predicted Donald Glover's Yoshi casting in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie over a year ago
 
 
Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary review: "Large scale sci-fi with tons of heart"
 
 
Latest in Features
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
 
 
Glen Powell as Becket in How to Make a Killing
How to Make a Killing is Glen Powell's latest mid-budget movie, and I hope he never stops making them
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Photo of a Mario nendoroid figure holding a microSD Express card with a Turtle Beach Switch 2 case in the background.
    1
    These Mario Day-inspired Switch 2 accessories will power up your console more than a super star
  2. 2
    Pokemon fan artist alleges new Palworld clone Pickmon "stole one of my designs"
  3. 3
    Mortal Kombat 2 star joins in with Street Fighter movie beef after Game Awards dig because he "loves a good rivalry"
  4. 4
    Project Hail Mary review: "Large scale sci-fi with tons of heart"
  5. 5
    My favorite budget Switch 2 headset just got a makeover for Mario Day, and it's pretty super

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...