It’s so chilling to watch a movie with the warning that it’s based on a true story. This is especially true when it comes to crime films. True crime TV shows and movies have grown so much in popularity. Every year, dozens of new films and documentaries are released on Netflix. Even more films make it to theaters and other streaming platforms like Hulu. In fact, true crime films are so popular that on streaming sites there are categories dedicated to them. On Netflix, for instance, you can search through hundreds of crime films under the genre of True Crime, where you’ll find movies, TV series, docuseries, documentaries, and more.
Movies based on a true story though aren’t entirely true. You should note that some movies are only loosely based on an idea or true story. Maybe the names of the people remain the same, but the details of the story change. This is either done to protect the people involved in the case or to add more drama and entertainment. (Are you interested in learning about real cases and famous criminals? After this article, check out the most famous female criminals in history. Maybe they’ve already made movies on them.)
True crime doesn’t always surround death or murder. Crime films can be about dramatic heists, scams, and burglaries. Some even include multiple crimes at once. Some of the best crime movies based on real-life stories are “Lost Girls,” “Public Enemy,” “Donnie Brasco,” and “The Old Man & The Gun.”
To determine the best crime movies based on true stories, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of May 2024, weighting all ratings equally. Only movies with at least 3,500 user reviews on IMDb were considered. Cast information is from IMDb.
50. The Mule (2018)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (139,729 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (4,286 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (190 reviews)
- Starring: Clint Eastwood, Patrick L. Reyes, Cesar De León
49. Black Mass (2015)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (183,426 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (19,468 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (290 reviews)
- Starring: Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dakota Johnson
48. Big Eyes (2014)
Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company
Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (94,734 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (32,657 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (194 reviews)
- Starring: Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Danny Huston
47. Conviction (2010)
Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (44,798 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (32,786 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (192 reviews)
- Starring: Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Melissa Leo
46. All the Money in the World (2017)
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (86,497 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (6,660 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (258 reviews)
- Starring: Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg
45. Imperium (2016)
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate Premiere
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate Premiere
- IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (44,180 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (8,713 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (73 reviews)
- Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Toni Collette, Tracy Letts
44. The Infiltrator (2016)
Source: Courtesy of Broad Green Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Broad Green Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (75,017 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (19,098 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (179 reviews)
- Starring: Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger
43. Hustlers (2019)
Source: Courtesy of STX Entertainment
Source: Courtesy of STX Entertainment
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (90,980 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (16,665 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (353 reviews)
- Starring: Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles
42. Kill the Messenger (2014)
Source: Courtesy of Focus Features
Source: Courtesy of Focus Features
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (47,361 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (16,640 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (131 reviews)
- Starring: Jeremy Renner, Robert Patrick, Jena Sims
41. Eden (2012)
Source: Courtesy of Phase 4 Films
Source: Courtesy of Phase 4 Films
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (8,972 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (3,274 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (40 reviews)
- Starring: Jamie Chung, Beau Bridges, Matt O’Leary
40. The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (11,954 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (6,064 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (22 reviews)
- Starring: Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Pat Hingle
39. Brubaker (1980)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (18,442 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (6,671 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (24 reviews)
- Starring: Robert Redford, Yaphet Kotto, Morgan Freeman
38. Bronson (2008)
Source: Courtesy of Magnet Releasing
Source: Courtesy of Magnet Releasing
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (133,342 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (17,268 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (83 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Hardy, Kelly Adams, Luing Andrews
37. Breach (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (60,266 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (377,402 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (178 reviews)
- Starring: Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Dennis Haysbert
36. The Old Man & the Gun (2018)
Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (46,992 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 62% (3,035 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (270 reviews)
- Starring: Robert Redford, Casey Affleck, Sissy Spacek
35. In the Valley of Elah (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Independent Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Warner Independent Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (73,451 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (29,342 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (164 reviews)
- Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Jonathan Tucker
34. Bomb City (2017)
Source: Courtesy of Gravitas Ventures
Source: Courtesy of Gravitas Ventures
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (8,226 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (538 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (12 reviews)
- Starring: Dave Davis, Glenn Morshower, Luke Shelton
33. The Bank Job (2008)
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate Films
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate Films
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (183,366 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (253,974 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (149 reviews)
- Starring: Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Stephen Campbell Moore
32. Nothing But the Truth (2008)
Source: Courtesy of Freestyle Releasing
Source: Courtesy of Freestyle Releasing
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (38,666 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (12,784 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (60 reviews)
- Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Vera Farmiga
31. River’s Edge (1986)
Source: Courtesy of Island Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Island Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (18,731 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (9,141 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (40 reviews)
- Starring: Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye
30. A Prayer Before Dawn (2017)
Source: Courtesy of A24
Source: Courtesy of A24
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (24,259 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (1,843 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (63 reviews)
- Starring: Joe Cole, Vithaya Pansringarm, Cherry Miko
29. American Made (2017)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (188,290 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (26,388 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (270 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright
28. Monster (2003)
Source: Courtesy of Bontonfilm A.S.
Source: Courtesy of Bontonfilm A.S.
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (153,800 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (84,875 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (190 reviews)
- Starring: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern
27. The Report (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Source: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (44,830 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (1,058 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (240 reviews)
- Starring: Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm
26. American Hustle (2013)
Source: Courtesy of GEM Entertainment
Source: Courtesy of GEM Entertainment
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (482,276 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (176,085 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (294 reviews)
- Starring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper
25. American Animals (2018)
Source: Courtesy of MoviePass Films
Source: Courtesy of MoviePass Films
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (41,862 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (2,945 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (215 reviews)
- Starring: Spencer Reinhard, Warren Lipka, Eric Borsuk
24. Molly’s Game (2017)
Source: Courtesy of STX Entertainment
Source: Courtesy of STX Entertainment
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (175,167 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (12,125 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (304 reviews)
- Starring: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner
23. Patriots Day (2016)
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (104,734 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (26,155 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (237 reviews)
- Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan, J.K. Simmons
22. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (1,418,467 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (181,234 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (286 reviews)
- Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie
21. American Gangster (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (430,167 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (831,085 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (216 reviews)
- Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor
20. Richard Jewell (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (89,300 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (6,121 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (292 reviews)
- Starring: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley
19. Thief (1981)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (28,472 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (7,277 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (31 reviews)
- Starring: James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Willie Nelson
18. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)
Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (53,185 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (3,178 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (319 reviews)
- Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Dolly Wells
17. Boys Don’t Cry (1999)
Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (99,183 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (70,021 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (79 reviews)
- Starring: Hilary Swank, Chloë Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard
16. In Cold Blood (1967)
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (27,162 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (8,650 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (40 reviews)
- Starring: Robert Blake, Scott Wilson, John Forsythe
15. Mississippi Burning (1988)
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (102,449 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (39,510 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (25 reviews)
- Starring: Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand
14. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Source: Courtesy of Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (114,618 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (56,616 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (64 reviews)
- Starring: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard
13. BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Source: Courtesy of Focus Features
Source: Courtesy of Focus Features
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (267,485 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (11,678 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (447 reviews)
- Starring: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier
12. Donnie Brasco (1997)
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (311,956 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (204,292 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (56 reviews)
- Starring: Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Michael Madsen
11. Serpico (1973)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (125,176 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (53,804 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (41 reviews)
- Starring: Al Pacino, John Randolph, Jack Kehoe
10. Dead Man Walking (1995)
Source: Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (96,636 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (61,910 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (61 reviews)
- Starring: Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Robert Prosky
9. Fruitvale Station (2013)
Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company
Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (82,531 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (39,286 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (214 reviews)
- Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer
8. The Irishman (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (392,363 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (1,057 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (453 reviews)
- Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci
7. Just Mercy (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (68,990 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 99% (11,827 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (305 reviews)
- Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson
6. Captain Phillips (2013)
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (465,186 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (152,646 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (279 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman
5. The French Connection (1971)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (124,768 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (44,428 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (83 reviews)
- Starring: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey
4. Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (16,795 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (5,490 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (35 reviews)
- Starring: Charles Chaplin, Mady Correll, Allison Roddan
3. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (259,430 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (110,314 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (48 reviews)
- Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Penelope Allen
2. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Source: Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution
Source: Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (989,753 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (749,469 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (203 reviews)
- Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken
1. Spotlight (2015)
Source: Courtesy of Open Road Films
Source: Courtesy of Open Road Films
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (473,059 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (70,627 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (375 reviews)
- Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams