The criminal mind has always intrigued those on the right side of the law, and nothing proves that quite like the myriad of crime movies that Hollywood pumps out each year. From high-stakes heists to brutal murders and everything in between, there hasn't been a single crime that's not been shown on the silver screen at one point or another (Heck, we even make movies about fraud these days) and those who break the law have always made for compelling characters.
Indeed, some of the greatest directors currently working in Hollywood today have made telling stories about bold bank robbers and conceiving criminal kingpins into an art form. So, what are the best crime movies ever made? Well, why are you asking? You're not a cop, are you? You're not. Good. Right then, we can show you our list of the finest films in the genre. Just don't tell your friends where you found them, OK?
10. Uncut Gems
Director: Benny and Josh Safdie
Released: 2019
The cinematic equivalent of a panic attack, Uncut Gems is genuinely one of the most stressful movie experiences you'll ever have – and one of the best Netflix thrillers available. However, with the Safie brothers directing, what did you expect? Still, if you can cope with its unrelenting pace, frantic energy, and characters making some of the worst decisions ever, you're in for a treat because Uncut Gems is one of the finest character-driven crime movies ever made. It's not an entirely stressful experience either; Adam Sandler gives a career-best performance as the lovable rogue and gambling addict Howard Ratner, bringing some much-needed comic relief to proceedings in between the aforementioned bad decisions.
RELATED: Uncut Gems review: "Adam Sandler is off-the-scale good"
9. The Untouchables
Director: Brian De Palma
Released: 1987
A melodramatic crime movie from Brian De Palma set during the American prohibition, The Untouchables tells the true story of Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) and his supposedly incorruptible team of prohibition agents, as they try to bring down the Kingpin of Crime, Al Capone (Robert De Niro). A thrilling throwback to the best gangster movies of old, The Untouchables has been accused of lapsing at times into sensationalism and caricature, but honestly, you can't fault it for its stylish storytelling, Ennio Morricone's sweeping score and incredible cast. While Costner and De Niro are both excellent in their own way, they're overshadowed by the late great Sean Connery's Oscar-winning turn as grizzled veteran Jim Malone.
8. Dog Day Afternoon
Director: Sidney Lumet
Released: 1975
More farce than a crime movie, Dog Day Afternoon follows a group of thieves led by Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) and their disastrous attempt to rob a bank. We know this sounds like the set-up for a zany adventure, but don't go thinking this is some over-the-top comedy. While there's an irreverent streak of humor running through the film, Dog Day Afternoon is ultimately an exceptionally well-constructed and tragic drama. In a career that boasts some of the best performances ever put to celluloid, Pacino is on top form as Sonny, giving him a depth and complexity that belies the silliness of his situation, while director Sidney Lumet manages to keep the chaos at bay by focusing on the human drama at the heart of this sensational story.
7. Ocean's Eleven
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Released: 2001
As sleazy as a Las Vegas crooner and every bit as charming, Ocean's Eleven is a slick remake of the '60s classic that deftly balances some great comedy beats with the complexity and thrills of the best heist movies. Starring George Clooney as the smooth-as-silk Danny Ocean and a supporting cast that features more A-listers than the MET Gala red carpet, this witty and stylish film is cooler than the other side of the pillow. While you could accuse it of putting style over substance, Ocean's is an awful lot of fun, and its clever third act reveals that, much like Danny Ocean himself, there's more going on with this film under the surface.
6. High and Low
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Released: 1963
A lesser-known film in the West from Akira Kurosawa, High and Low is a deliciously dramatic police procedural that's as gripping as any modern thriller. Our hero is Kingo Gondo (Torune Mifune), a wealthy businessman who finds himself at the center of a botched kidnapping plot. A tense and anxious story, High and Low's plot may not be the most complex to modern audiences. Still, it's elevated by Kurosawa's keen eye for engaging visuals, Mifune's ferocious performance, and a clever subtext about Japan's class system.
5. The Departed
Director: Martin Scorsese
Released: 2006
A remake of Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's Infernal Affairs from the one and only Martin Scorsese, The Departed is a grim tale of police corruption and deception. While it may not be Scorsese's most original work, it's elevated by its high-stakes cat-and-mouse plot, moody cinematography, and astounding lead performances, making it one of Marty's most watchable movies to date and one of the best thrillers in decades. Speaking of performances, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio are both incredible as two cops on opposite sides of the coin, with DiCaprio, in particular, giving his most sympathetic performance ever that doesn't involve a sinking ship.
4. Scarface
Director: Brian De Palma
Released: 1983
Directed by Brian De Palma and written by Oliver Stone, Scarface was initially dismissed by critics for its overblown performances, gratuitous violence, and bloated runtime. Thankfully, time has been kind to the tale of Tony Montana (Al Pacino), and his meteoric rise from desperate refugee to drug kingpin has been rightly recognised not as one of the best cult-classic movies but for what it really is: an indulgent and over-the-top epic that revels in the chaos of crime. Deliberately eschewing the veneer of respectability The Godfather gave the genre, De Palma's criminal world is one of dark deeds and indulgence. It's a place where bad men do bad things because it pays well and feels good. In the hands of a lesser director, this would undoubtedly feel grotesque, but De Palma's wry humor pervades Scarface, leaving the viewer with the distinct feeling there's a joke going on they don't quite understand.
3. Reservoir Dogs
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Released: 1992
Reservoir Dogs is a profane and anarchic neo-noir that serves as the prototype upon which Tarantino's auteurship is based. More than that, though, it's a wildly entertaining and twitchy film that thrums with untapped violent energy that occasionally bursts to the fore to delight audiences with scenes of bloody carnage. Like all of Tarantino's films, it's soaked in irony, dark humor, and clever dialogue, yet it lacks the slightly smarmy tone of his later work. Perhaps the film's greatest achievement, though, is in ruining the song 'Stuck In The Middle With You' for film fans the world over who now associate the upbeat folk song with mutilation and torture.
2. Goodfellas
Director: Martin Scorsese
Released: 1990
Arguably Martin Scorsese's finest film, the second-best mob movie ever made, and one of the best '90s movies, Goodfellas is an intimate and thrilling glimpse into the fascinating and frightening criminal world told through the eyes of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) and his associates in the Lucchese crime family. What can be said about Goodfellas that's not been said before? It's a truly astonishing piece of filmmaking that's impeccably directed, boasts some of the most legendary cinematography in the history of cinema, and has a cast packed with so many stars you need a telescope to take them all in. Still, an enraged gangster had a gun to our head and demanded we tell them the secret of the film's success; we'd have to admit it's in the writing. The script is just packed with some of the most memorable moments and unforgettable characters in the history of cinema.
1. The Godfather
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Released: 1972
A boundary-pushing triumph of storytelling and one of the most influential movies ever made, Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather offers a more dignified but no less brutal take on the criminal world than other gangster movies. Known for its complex themes and compelling characters, The Godfather's restraint and veneer of respectability belies a dark story and gripping story about the corrupting nature of revenge and power, all of which is brought to life by one of the most impressive casts ever assembled. The film's true power lies in its legacy, though. It inspired so many of the movies that came after it, both in and outside of the crime genre, and without it the landscape of television and film would be unrecognizable. Decades later, The Godfather remains the best gangster movie of all-time.
Looking for the next great crime film? Check out list of all the upcoming movies to see if something catches your attention.
