Shubhabrata Dutta
While crime in any form should not be supported, its popularity as a film genre proves that cinephiles love it. By this, we do not mean that we love it, but to be subjected to the intricacies of a well-thought-out crime does spark interest, excitement, and catharsis (if there is any). Since time immemorial, writers and directors have given us great crime movies with endless possibilities. For lovers of the genre, HBO Max offers some of the best crime movies out there.
16. Ricochet (1991)
A quintessential 90s crime thriller directed by Russell Mulcahy, ‘Ricochet’ follows Assistant District Attorney Nick Styles (Denzel Washington), who is targeted by psychopathic killer Earl Talbot Blake (John Lithgow). Blake has escaped prison eight years after he was put there by Styles when the latter was a rookie cop. The question is: Who will face the gun this time? To find out, you can watch ‘Ricochet’ right here.
15. No Sudden Move (2021)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh, ‘No Sudden Move’ is a gripping crime drama film set against the backdrop of 1950s Detroit. It is about three gangsters recruited for a blackmailing scheme against the family of an accountant of a multinational automotive manufacturer. The guy is told to bring a document from his boss’ safe while his family is held hostage. But when the document turns out fake, the gangsters realize they are part of a larger scheme.
What follows is them trying to figure out who is pulling the strings. With a stellar ensemble that includes Brendan Fraser, Benicio Del Toro, Don Cheadle, Kieran Culkin, David Harbour, Matt Damon, Julia Fox, and Frankie Shaw, ‘No Sudden Move’ offers an unpredictable plot that is a social commentary about how only the corrupted manage to reach and stay at the top. You can watch the movie here.
14. Ronin (1998)
A star-studded action thriller, ‘Ronin’ is directed by John Frankenheimer and stars Robert De Niro, Natascha McElhone, Jean Reno, Sean Bean, Stellan Skarsgård, and Jonathan Pryce. The film follows a group of former operatives who are hired by IRA (Irish Republican Army) operative Deirdre to steal a briefcase from a heavily protected Japanese convoy. However, the danger lies not only in stealing the briefcase from the mercenaries but also in protecting themselves from the shifting loyalties and hidden motives of their peers, including Deirdre. Praised for its action sequences, ‘Ronin’ is a gripping crime movie that is a must-watch. You can stream it here.
13. The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
Written by David Chase and directed by Alan Taylor, ‘The Many Saints of Newark’ is a prequel to the crime drama series ‘The Sopranos’ (also written by David Chase and available on HBO Max) that revolves around New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano aka Anthony John Soprano Sr. This movie shows teenage Tony learning the ways of his mobster uncle Dickie Moltisanti amidst a gang war that’s part of the 1967 Newark riots in New Jersey.
A prequel to a famous crime series is compelling only if it is able to showcase the impending events that we have already seen. ‘The Many Saints of Newark’ is spot on in this case. We get a convincing portrayal of the crime-hit Newark in which Anthony Soprano grows up while assisting his uncle. In other words, we get to see how crime shaped the very personality of the kid who would go on to become the feared mob boss, Tony Soprano. The cast includes Michael Gandolfini, Alessandro Nivola, Michela De Rossi, Jon Bernthal, Ray Liotta, Joey Diaz and Gabriella Piazza. Feel free to check out the film here.
12. The Little Things (2021)
Directed by John Lee Hancock and starring 3 Academy Award winners, namely Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto, ‘The Little Things’ brings Kern County Deputy Sheriff Joe Deacon, a guilt-filled guy, to Los Angeles for what is supposed to be a case of gathering evidence. However, things take a different turn when he finds himself helping L.A. Sheriff Department Sergeant Jim Baxter track down a serial killer going around the city killing women. What makes things intriguing is that the investigation is picking at Deacon’s past, which is dark, perhaps even more than the case at hand. Is the serial killer connected to Deacon in any way? The devil is in the details, or as the title says, the ‘little things.’ You can stream it here.
11. Spring Breakers (2012)
‘Spring Breakers’ follows a group of 4 college-going girlfriends whose lust for adventure brings them face to face with Alien, a rapper/drug dealer/arms dealer. While the guy seems to be all about fun, there’s more to him than meets the eye. While one of the girls gets a hint of his true nature and leaves, the other three remain exposed to Alien’s treatment. Their exploits with Alien are what follows. This comedy crime flick stars Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine as the four girls and James Franco as Alien. A binge-watch-worthy film directed by Harmony Korine, ‘Spring Breakers’ is available to watch right here.
10. American Gangster (2007)
Loosely based on the life of American drug lord Frank Lucas, who operated in Harlem, New York, ‘American Gangster’ is an organic crime drama directed by Ridley Scott (‘Blade Runner,’ ‘Gladiator,’ ‘Body of Lies’). The movie shows how Lucas rose to power as the drug kingpin by buying and importing heroin from Thailand using the coffins of American soldiers, setting new standards for crime during that time. It also shows how the police, led by Detective Richard Roberts, brought down Lucas’s drug syndicate. The way the movie addresses the functioning of an illegal syndicate, its intricacies, and its sheer brutality make it a true-to-form addition to not just our list but any list of crime movies.
Featuring stellar performances by Denzel Washington as Lucas and Russell Crowe as Roberts, the movie received many accolades, including 2 Academy Award nominations, 5 BAFTA nominations, and 3 Golden Globe nominations. The rest of the cast includes Lymari Nadal, Carla Gugino, Josh Brolin, Idris Elba, Norman Reedus, and John Ortiz. You can watch ‘American Gangster’ here.
9. Gangs of New York (2002)
Directed by Martin Scorsese, ‘Gangs of New York’ is a critically acclaimed movie based on Herbert Asbury’s 1927 non-fiction book ‘The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld’ that deals with the rise and fall of the criminal gangs in 19th century New York. The movie shows young Amsterdam Vallon returning to Five Points, a dreary Lower Manhattan district, seeking revenge for the death of his father, who was killed by William “Bill the Butcher” Cutting, leader of the Protestant Confederation of American Natives, 16 years ago.
Meanwhile, Cutting is involved in a gang war, his rival being the Dead Rabbits, an Irish Catholic immigrant gang led by “Priest” Vallon. The cast includes Daniel Day-Lewis as Cutting, Leonardo DiCaprio as Vallon, and Liam Neeson as Vallon, along with Cameron Diaz, Henry Thomas, Jim Broadbent, John C. Reilly and Brendan Gleeson. The Martin Scorsese movie received 10 Oscar nominations, and this itself proves the effectiveness of the film as a true-to-form crime drama. You can stream ‘Gangs of New York’ here.
8. Fargo (1996)
Directed by the Coen Brothers, Joel and Ethan Coen, ‘Fargo’ is a dark comedy that tells the story of two thugs, Carl and Gaer, who are hired by Jerry, who wants to steal from his father-in-law’s money to clear his debts. For this, he plans to get his wife kidnapped and get the money as ransom, but fate intervenes, and three people lose their lives as a result. This brings in police chief Marge Gunderson for investigation. Whether Gunderson sees the end of her investigation and how Jerry finds a way out of this mess that he did not at all expect are what the movie chronicles.
The cast includes William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare, and Frances McDormand in the lead roles, along with Kristin Rudrud, John Carroll Lynch, Steve Reevis, and Harve Presnell. More than anything else, it is the chemistry between Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare, who play the thugs, which makes for most of the dark humor that is spot on and adds to the movie’s nature. You can watch ‘Fargo’ here.
7. Now You See Me (2013)
The first installment of one of the best heist film franchises of all time, ‘Now You See Me’ follows the Four Horsemen, namely J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco). They are a group of robbers/magicians who pull off a heist as a part of their latest magic show. This gets FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and French Interpol agent Alma Dray (Mélanie Laurent) after the group, but when they fail to get any evidence, they reach out to magic debunker Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman). Will the two be able to prevent another heist? Or will the Four Horsemen get away once again? It’s a very entertaining movie with great visuals; you can watch ‘Now You See Me’ right here.
6. True Story (2015)
With Jonah Hill and James Franco in the leads, ‘True Story’ is based on the memoir of the same title by former The New York Times journalist Michael Finkel. After losing his job for making up a story about slavery in Africa, Finkel finds out that Christian Longo, a guy who was arrested for killing his wife and kids (December 2001), used Finkel’s name as an alias. What follows is Finkel meeting Longo in prison to know why he did what he did, as it can help Finkel rebuild his reputation. Featuring great performances by both actors, ‘True Story’ explores the relationship forged between two lead characters, pulled off subtly. You can watch the film here.
5. Killing Them Softly (2012)
Starring Brad Pitt, Vincent Curatola, James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta, and Scoot McNairy, ‘Killing Them Softly’ is based on George V. Higgins’ 1974 novel ‘Cogan’s Trade.’ It shows what happens when two amateur robbers, hired by a guy named Johnny “Squirrel” Amato, rob a poker game run by Markie Trattman and end up destabilizing the criminal economy. To take care of the matter, criminal boss Driver hires hitman Jackie Cogan to sort things out and perhaps kill the ones responsible, albeit softly. A true-to-form neo-noir crime drama directed by Andrew Dominik, ‘Killing Them Softly’ is an appealing watch. You can experience it right here.
4. Black Mass (2015)
‘Black Mass,’ directed by Scott Cooper, is a biographical crime drama based on the life of James “Whitey” Bulger, a notorious criminal hailing from South Boston. It is adapted from the book ‘Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob’ (2001) by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill. The movie shows how the FBI used Bulger’s enmity with the New England Mafia family as leverage to bring down both parties.
But before Bulger could be arrested, he pulled a lot of stunts by taking advantage of the impunity that came with serving as the FBI’s informant and passing on information about the mafia. Johnny Depp plays the role of James “Whitey” Bulger in what can easily be addressed as one of his best performances. Along with Depp, the cast includes Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Sarsgaard, Dakota Johnson, Kevin Bacon, David Harbour, and Juno Temple. You can watch this gripping movie right here.
3. The Batman (2022)
Directed by Matt Reeves, ‘The Batman’ is a superhero movie that serves as an authentic crime drama as well due to its dark plot showcasing the underbelly of the fictional Gotham City. In it, Batman takes on Edward Nashton, aka Riddler, and Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, aka Penguin. Reeves’ dark take on the character and the world separates this one from the other Batman movies and does manage to establish the gritty nature of the titular character, who, despite being a human underneath, can be a ruthless entity serving vengeance on those who deserve it. Robert Pattinson plays Bruce Wayne/Batman, while the rest of the cast includes Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Paul Dano as Riddler, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as Officer James Gordon, and Andy Serkis as Alfred. You can experience this dark tale right here.
2. Eastern Promises (2007)
Directed by David Cronenberg, ‘Eastern Promises’ is a must-watch crime drama that pins the rules, aka values, within a crime family against the moral principles of humanity. We have Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen), who is a member of a Russian crime family based in London, and Anna (Naomi Watts), who is a midwife in a London hospital. Anna comes across a diary carrying horrific details of a patient’s (a trafficked teenager named Tatiana) relationship with a Russian mafia boss, Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl). When Seymon finds out that Anna has evidence that can compromise the family, he first warns her and then sends Nikolai to “take care” of the matter. This leads to a string of events propelled by revenge, deceit, death, and especially the past. One of the best directorial ventures of Cronenberg, ‘Eastern Promises’ can be streamed right here.
1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
A cult classic written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, ‘Pulp Fiction’ is a non-linear crime movie that connects four different stories of violence and crime in Los Angeles. As for the characters, we have two hitmen, Vincent and Jules; their boss Marsellus Wallace; his wife, Mia, who is an actress; a boxer, Butch Coolidge; and two robbers, Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. How these people’s lives intertwine is shown in the most dramatic and comedic manner.
The stellar cast includes Hollywood biggies like John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, and Ving Rhames. The movie received a total of 26 nominations across all award shows and is considered one of the most influential films ever made. You can experience this classic here.
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