Crime is one of the most compelling plot devices in film. Heist movies like Ocean’s Eleven (both Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 version and Lewis Milestone’s 1960 iteration with the Rat Pack) use it to provide lighthearted entertainment. Meanwhile, more dramatic options like The Town (2010) and Boyz n the Hood (1991) delve into the violence and devastation that crime can bring.
No matter the tone, crime movies never fail to incite tension and suspense. It’s no wonder the genre has been a fan favorite since narrative filmmaking took off at the turn of the century. Ahead, 20 crime film masterpieces that belong on any movie fan’s watchlist.
20
‘The Big Sleep’ (1946)
Howard Hawks’ The Big Sleep epitomizes American film noir. Based on the novel by noir maestro Raymond Chandler, the 1946 film is the second classic noir film to bring together Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, coming only two years after the success of To Have and Have Not (1944). The two remain well known for their on-screen partnership, which was infused with the chemistry that the real-life couple shared off-screen.
In The Big Sleep, private detective Philip Marlowe (Bogart) is hired by General Sternwood (Charles Waldron) to help settle his youngest daughter’s (Martha Vickers) gambling debts. The further Marlowe digs, however, the more he discovers the violence and complexity that lies at the root of the case. He also falls in love with Sternwood’s oldest daughter, Vivian (Lauren Bacall), along the way.
19
‘Thelma & Louise’ (1991)
Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise is legendary in part for its all-star cast. It stars Geena Davis as the titular Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise, and it also features Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, and Christopher McDonald (of Happy Gilmore [1996] fame). It also marks Brad Pitt’s career breakout, catalyzing later lead roles in films like Interview with the Vampire (1994), Se7en (1995), and Fight Club (1999).
But Thelma & Louise is about more than just its actors. It straddles the road movie, feminist revenge narrative, and buddy comedy, melding a heartwarming friendship story with the most devastating elements of the crime genre. Screenwriter Callie Khouri deservedly won an Oscar for her work on the film.
18
‘Fargo’ (1996)
Fargo may have been released in 1996, but it remains significant in the American imagination and even spurred an FX television spinoff series in 2014. The film, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, takes place in small-town Minnesota, and is named after the real-life town of Fargo, North Dakota, which sits on the Minnesota border. It follows a pregnant police officer (Frances McDormand) and struggling car salesman (William H. Macy) amid an amusing and blood-soaked descent into crime and madness.
Most crime films are rife with foul language and violence, particularly since their protagonists are often gangsters themselves. Fargo, however, juxtaposes violent crime with the concept of “Minnesota nice.” In true Coen Brothers fashion, this results in a hilarious and even nonsensical film of contrasts.
17
‘Bonnie and Clyde’ (1967)
The true (and often inflated) story of Bonnie and Clyde has loomed large in the American imagination since the real-life couple set off on their crime spree during the Great Depression. But no film captures the drama of this notorious ordeal like Arthur Penn’s 1967 masterpiece, Bonnie and Clyde. Starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty in their most iconic roles, the film enraptured global audiences and ushered in a new era in American cinema.
With its overt violence, open sexuality, and sympathy for flawed characters (i.e., bank robbers), Bonnie and Clyde marked the beginning of the New Hollywood era. Along with films like The Graduate (1967) and Easy Rider (1969), Bonnie and Clyde departed from previous generations’ adherence to traditional values and societal norms. Moreover, these films experimented with choppy, expressive editing techniques that nod to the French New Wave. Thus, Bonnie and Clyde isn’t just a great crime film. It’s a bridge between classical Hollywood and contemporary American cinema.
16
‘Clue’ (1985)
Just because a movie is about crime and murder, that doesn’t mean it needs to be serious. And no film drives this point home better than Clue. This 1985 cult classic by Jonathan Lynn is based on the board game Clue, which has been a global hit since its 1949 release. The premise of the game, in which players pose as characters who each have a motive for committing a murder during a dinner party, is recreated in the film, which has three alternate endings.
While the film received lackluster reviews upon its release, it has since become a cult classic. Irreverent and filled with tongue-in-cheek social commentary, Clue offers laughs and suspense at every turn. Furthermore, its multiple endings capture the joy—and mystery—of the game itself.
15
‘Chinatown’ (1974)
During the 1930s and 1940s, noir films swept the United States, inspired in part by a bleak economy and a reckoning with the global devastation of two world wars. However, with Chinatown, Roman Polanski proved that these themes would be just as relevant in 1974 as they were in 1945. A neo-noir masterpiece, Chinatown swept the 47th Academy Awards and remains one of the most iconic and frequently quoted films in the American canon.
Like most noir films, Chinatown is characterized by its bleak outlook, moral ambiguity, and nihilistic protagonist. Even its most famous line—”Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown”—belies an inherent pessimism and alludes to a ceaseless cycle of violence. The outlook is appropriate for the era, which also produced hyper-realistic dramas like Taxi Driver (1976) and Apocalypse Now (1979), but it also helped rewrite the previously saccharine perspective of Hollywood films.
14
‘The Shawshank Redemption’ (1994)
Most crime films explore the rise, climax, and eventual fall of career criminals, or they delve into law enforcement’s struggle to keep violence at bay. The Shawshank Redemption, however, takes a look at criminals’ lives post-conviction. Directed by Frank Darabont and based on the Stephen King novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, the 1994 drama saw immediate commercial and critical success and is considered a modern classic.
Unlike many of the other crime films on this list, The Shawshank Redemption is about more than crime and punishment. It also questions the American justice system, exploring everything from recidivism to mass incarceration to the prosecution of the innocent. It remains beloved for its compelling storyline and uplifting ending.
13
‘Snatch’ (2000)
With his roster of British heist films, Guy Ritchie has just about crafted his own genre. His first feature, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) established his reputation for witty dialogue laden with dry, irreverent British humor. Snatch perfected this, however, and featured an even more elaborate heist than its predecessor.
Snatch has the perfect balance of grit, comedy, and wit, revolving around an undeniably charming cast of characters played by the likes of Benicio del Toro, Brad Pitt, and Jason Statham. The film became synonymous with the dynamic editing and black comedy that would come to define Ritchie’s work. Today, it remains a favorite among viewers and critics alike, topping best-of lists on IMDb and The New York Times.
12
‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ (1944)
In 1944, Frank Capra released his film adaptation of the 1939 Joseph Kesselring play, Arsenic and Old Lace. The story follows a young man, Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant), who finds out on his wedding night that his sweet, elderly aunts are serial killers. At the same time, Mortimer’s serial killer brother (Raymond Massey) appears with a dead body.
Pulled in multiple directions by competing familial crises and his impatient new wife, Mortimer spends most of the night running around, looking for dead bodies, and evading mortal danger. Grant depicts this high-stress situation with hilarious comedic timing, bringing a slapstick sensibility to the macabre plot. Arsenic and Old Lace is the ultimate crime-based black comedy.
11
‘Oldboy’ (2003)
Park Chan-wook is one of the greatest modern masters of suspense and crime dramas. Recent films such as The Handmaiden (2016) and Decision to Leave (2022) have solidified his reputation within the neo-noir genre, leading critics and viewers alike to wait anxiously for his next release. Still, none of his work has made a splash quite like his 2003 thriller, Oldboy.
Universally regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, Oldboy is a visual treat in spite of its macabre scenes and disturbing plot points. Park has especially been praised for his unique cinematography, including a single-shot fight scene in a corridor that has since been deemed iconic. Quentin Tarantino himself praised the film “to anyone who would listen,” according to the Seattle Times, with Park marveling that the Pulp Fiction director was able to recall even the most minute details of the film.
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