Crime is a tried-and-tested film genre that invites viewers into grimy worlds with seedy, criminal underbellies and morally questionable characters. The best crime movies ever made are often riveting and disturbing, telling thrilling stories that give audiences a glimpse of the dark side of humanity.
For viewers looking for the top crime movies, IMDb users have made it easy for fans to discover the best that the genre has to offer. The highest-rated crime movies on the platform for film buffs include numerous award-winning classics like The Godfather and international hits like City of God. These genre-defining titles that have made it into the top 10 crime movies of all time on IMDb should be considered essential viewing for fans of crime movies.
20
‘Scarface’ (1983)
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
Al Pacino as Tony Montana in Scarface.Image via Universal Pictures
Al Pacino brilliantly portrays one of his most iconic characters, the murderous drug lord Tony Montana, in director Brian De Palma’s award-winning classic, Scarface. Set in Miami, the film depicts Tony’s perilous journey toward dominating the drug trade in the area, no matter the cost. His drug empire inevitably leads to a dangerous position of power, where Tony expects opposition and violence from all sides.
Aside from Al Pacino’s stunning performance that breathed life into the power-hungry character, the film is remembered for its horrible yet exhilarating depiction of the dark underbelly of the drug trade. Through its gritty portrayal of Miami’s drug scene and the rise and fall of its protagonist, Scarface offers viewers a glimpse into the fragile and fleetingly successful life of crime that few individuals live.
19
‘Heat’ (1995)
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
Al Pacino as Lt. Vincent Hanna aiming a gun in HeatImage via Warner Bros.
Directed by Michael Mann, Heat is a seminal crime film that features some incredible performances, especially its two central characters – the master criminal Neil McCauley (flawlessly performed by Robert De Niro) and the dedicated detective Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino). McCauley is the leader of a notorious group of criminals, who is preparing for one last lucrative job before bidding farewell to crime. Lieutenant Hanna is in charge of bringing them to justice, but struggles with personal issues along the way.
A complex game of cat and mouse, Heat focuses on the ingenious ways both sides outwit each other, and the unlikely respect that begins to form between them because of this. When paired with intense action sequences and impressively realistic heists, it’s easy to see why the 1995 masterpiece has held up incredibly well.
18
‘Witness for the Prosecution’ (1957)
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Marlene Dietrich as Christine Vole crying while a judge stands behind her in Witness for the ProsecutionImage via United Artists
Witness for the Prosecution is a genre-defining courtroom drama that revolves around the mind-boggling case of Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power), who is accused of murdering a wealthy woman. Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Charles Laughton) soon agrees to take on Leonard’s case and is determined to prove his innocence, but is shocked when the protagonist’s wife, Christine (Marlene Dietrich), testifies against him, jeopardizing his defense.
Director Billy Wilder’s twisty film is full of jaw-dropping revelations and unexpected turns. Witness for the Prosecution is a masterclass of crafting intricate character backgrounds and relationships, which are all laid on the table as the movie explores the lengths people will go to protect their own interests.
17
‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Image via Warner Bros.
Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has withdrawn from public life while Gotham enjoys a period of relative peace. That stability collapses when the masked mercenary Bane (Tom Hardy) arrives. He plans to seize control of the city. Bruce once again becomes Batman, eventually crossing paths with the thief Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) and police officer John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).
Director Christopher Nolan closes his Batman trilogy with a sprawling crime epic built around corruption. The movie’s massive scale sometimes makes it feel closer to a war film than a conventional crime thriller. The Dark Knight Rises still does revolve around organized violence and a city pushed to the brink of collapse. Bane’s methodical takeover of Gotham cements him as an iconic movie villain, while Bruce’s ultimate struggle provides the trilogy with an appropriately dramatic ending.
16
‘American History X’ (1998)
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
Image via New Line Cinema
Audiences searching for good crime movies don’t need to look further than director Tony Kaye’s American History X. The powerful film revolves around the former neo-Nazi and ex-convict Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton), who struggles to help his younger brother Danny (Edward Furlong) steer clear of his past beliefs and associates.
The film is not for the faint of heart, as it doesn’t shy away from graphic violence and disturbing depictions of racial hatred to get its message across. It’s worth noting that Norton’s award-winning performance elevates the entire movie. American History X manages to tackle serious issues of racism and bigotry, while also offering insight and a unique perspective on the people who fall victim to such ideologies.
15
‘The Usual Suspects’ (1995)
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
Kevin Pollack, Stephen Baldwin, and Gabriel Byrne leaning on a lineup wall with Benicio del Toro reading a card and smiling in The Usual SuspectsImage via Universal Pictures
Director Bryan Singer’s The Usual Suspects is widely regarded as one of the best crime films ever made (with one of the most iconic plot twists everyone knows). The film is centered on a group of career criminals who get together for a disastrous heist, which is soon linked by authorities to a larger conspiracy. The entire movie is mostly hinged on the interrogation of the heist’s only survivor, Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey), who recounts the wild story that wouldn’t be possible without the enigmatic criminal mastermind, Keyser Söze.
Aside from its legendary twist, The Usual Suspects has left a mark on cinematic history with its memorable lineup scene, as well as a number of entertaining lines. The complexity of its plot and genuinely heart-pounding and thrilling moments leading up to its big reveal make it a gripping film from start to finish.
14
‘Léon: The Professional’ (1994)
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
Image via Columbia Pictures
Natalie Portman, Jean Reno, and Gary Oldman star in the French crime-action-thriller Léon: The Professional. The film follows the story of a professional hitman, Léon (Reno), who hesitantly cares for a young girl, Matilda (Portman), after a group of corrupt DEA agents led by Norman Stansfield (Oldman) murders her entire family. An odd duo, Léon and Matilda bond over the young girl’s desire for revenge, and the hitman teacher her everything she needs to know.
With stellar performances from the cast (especially Portman’s career-defining role as Matilda), action-packed sequences, and a wholly original and unconventional dynamic between its lead characters, it’s not surprising that the crime film enjoys the reputation it still has today. Léon: The Professional is a classic in the genre and is remembered for pushing the boundaries of character relationship complexities.
13
‘The Departed’ (2006)
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
The Departed focuses on the messy connection between two men, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), who find themselves on opposing sides in the same crime syndicate. Set in the bustling streets of Boston, Martin Scorsese’s crime thriller movie depicts Billy’s experiences as an undercover cop infiltrating the gang, while Colin attempts to infiltrate the police department. To make things even more complicated, an investigation to expose the mole in the police department raises the pressure.
As the two individuals navigate the complexities of their respective targets in one of the best investigation movies ever, it soon becomes clear that achieving their respective goals won’t be easy. The enthralling film will keep viewers glued to their screens as the protagonists’ journeys build up to an explosive conclusion, and it doesn’t end well for anyone.
12
‘City of God’ (2002)
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
Image via Miramax Films
City of God is a critically acclaimed epic crime movie that revolves around Rio de Janeiro’s eponymous slum. Co-directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, the film depicts criminal activity, poor living conditions, and constant violence in that area. A young and ambitious photographer who grew up there makes it his goal to document significant events and show the world what shouldn’t be ignored.
The terrifying and often jarring way the movie portrays the titular location will leave viewers shocked by the reality within the ‘City of God’ really is. Its frantic pace doesn’t allow for any breaks that are too drawn out, as there’s always some new form of crime or brutality around the corner.
11
‘The Green Mile’ (1999)
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
The renowned classic from director Frank Darabont, The Green Mile follows Warden Supervisor Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) and a new inmate on death row, John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan). John has been accused of a heinous crime that led to the death of two young girls, but his supernatural gifts soon make Paul question whether he’s really guilty.
Those who have seen it know that The Green Mile is a heartbreaking movie that’s too painful to watch again. It’s impossible not to root for the kindhearted and innocent John, who develops a genuine friendship with Paul. John changes everyone around him, and audiences are no exception. The crime element is woven into fantasy and drama, making it a truly absorbing film.
Collider Exclusive · Oscar Best Picture Quiz Which Oscar Best PictureIs Your Perfect Movie? Parasite · Everything Everywhere · Oppenheimer · Birdman · No Country
Five Oscar Best Picture winners. Five completely different visions of what cinema can be — and what it can do to you. One of them is the film that was made for the way your mind works. Ten questions will figure out which one.
🪜Parasite
🌀Everything Everywhere
☢️Oppenheimer
🐦Birdman
🪙No Country for Old Men
FIND YOUR FILM →
01
What kind of film experience do you actually want? The best movies don’t just entertain — they leave something behind.
ASomething that pulls the rug out — that makes me think I’m watching one kind of film and then reveals I’m watching another entirely. BSomething overwhelming — funny, sad, absurd, and genuinely moving, all at once. CSomething grand and weighty — a film that makes me feel the full scale of what I’m watching. DSomething formally daring — a film that pushes what cinema can even do. ESomething lean and relentless — pure tension with no wasted frame.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
Which idea grabs you most in a film? Great films are driven by a central obsession. What’s yours?
AClass, inequality, and what people are willing to do when desperation meets opportunity. BIdentity, family, and the chaos of trying to hold your life together when everything is falling apart. CGenius, moral responsibility, and the catastrophic weight of a decision you can never take back. DEgo, legacy, and the terror of becoming irrelevant while you’re still alive to watch it happen. EEvil, chance, and whether moral order actually exists or if we just tell ourselves it does.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
How do you like your story told? Form is content. The way a story is shaped changes what it means.
AGenre-twisting — I want it to start in one lane and migrate into something completely different. BMaximalist and genre-blending — comedy, action, drama, sci-fi, all in one ride. CEpic and non-linear — cutting between timelines, building a mosaic of cause and consequence. DA single unbroken flow — I want to feel like I’m living it in real time, no cuts to safety. ESpare and precise — every scene doing exactly what it needs to do and nothing more.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
What makes a truly great antagonist? The opposition defines the protagonist. What kind of opposition fascinates you?
AA system — invisible, structural, and almost impossible to fight because it has no single face. BThe self — the ways we sabotage, abandon, and fail the people we love most. CHistory — the unstoppable momentum of events that no single person can stop or redirect. DThe industry — the machinery of culture that chews up talent and spits out irrelevance. EPure, implacable evil — a force so certain of itself it becomes almost philosophical.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
What do you want from a film’s ending? The final note is the one that lingers. What do you want it to sound like?
AShock and inevitability — a conclusion that recontextualises everything that came before it. BEarned emotion — I want to cry, laugh, and feel genuinely hopeful, even if the world is a mess. CDevastation and grandeur — an ending that makes me sit in silence for a few minutes after. DAmbiguity — something that leaves enough open that I’m still thinking about it days later. EBleakness — an honest refusal to pretend the world is tidier than it actually is.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
Which setting pulls you in most? Where a film takes place shapes everything — mood, stakes, what’s even possible.
AA gleaming modern city with a hidden underside — beauty masking rot, wealth masking desperation. BA collapsing suburban life that opens onto something infinite — the multiverse of a single ordinary person. CThe corridors of power and science at a world-historical turning point — where decisions echo for decades. DThe grimy, alive chaos of New York and Hollywood — fame as both destination and trap. EVast, indifferent landscape — desert and highway where violence arrives without warning or reason.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
What cinematic craft impresses you most? Every great film has a signature — a technical or artistic element that makes it unmistakable.
AProduction design and mise-en-scène — every frame composed to carry meaning beneath the surface. BEditing and tonal control — the ability to move between registers without losing the audience. CScore and sound design — music that becomes inseparable from the dread and awe of what you’re watching. DCinematography as performance — the camera not recording events but participating in them. ESilence and restraint — what’s left unsaid and unshown doing more work than any dialogue could.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
What kind of main character do you root for? The protagonist is the lens. Who you choose to follow says something about you.
ASomeone smart and resourceful who makes increasingly dangerous decisions under pressure. BSomeone overwhelmed and ordinary who turns out to be capable of something extraordinary. CA brilliant, tortured figure whose gifts and flaws are inseparable from each other. DA self-destructive artist whose ego is both their superpower and their undoing. EA quiet, principled person trying to make sense of a world that has stopped making sense.
NEXT QUESTION →
09
How do you feel about a film that takes its time? Pace is a choice. Some films sprint; others let tension accumulate slowly, deliberately.
AI love a slow build when I know the payoff is going to be seismic — patience for a devastating reveal. BGive me relentless momentum — I want to feel breathless and emotionally spent by the end. CEpic runtime doesn’t scare me — if the material demands three hours, give me three hours. DI want it to feel propulsive even when nothing is technically happening — restless energy throughout. EDeliberate and unhurried — I want dread to accumulate in the spaces between the action.
NEXT QUESTION →
10
What do you want to feel walking out of the cinema? The best films leave a mark. What kind of mark do you want?
AUnsettled — like I’ve just seen something I can’t fully explain but can’t stop thinking about. BMoved and energised — like the film reminded me what actually matters and gave me something to hold onto. CHumbled — like I’ve been in the presence of something genuinely important and overwhelming. DExhilarated — like I’ve just seen cinema doing something it’s never quite done before. EHaunted — like a cold, quiet dread that stays with me for days.
REVEAL MY FILM →
The Academy Has Decided Your Perfect Film Is…
Your answers have pointed to one Oscar Best Picture winner above all others. This is the film that was made for the way your mind works.
Parasite
You are drawn to films that operate on multiple levels simultaneously — that begin in one genre and quietly, brilliantly migrate into another. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a film about class, desire, and the architecture of inequality that manages to be darkly funny, deeply suspenseful, and genuinely shocking across a single extraordinary running time. Your instinct is for cinema that hides its true intentions until the moment it’s ready to reveal them. Parasite is exactly that — a film that rewards close attention and punishes assumptions, right up to its devastating final image.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
You want it all — and this film gives you all of it. The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most maximalist films ever made: action comedy, multiverse sci-fi, family drama, existential crisis, and a genuinely earned emotional core that sneaks up on you amid the chaos. You are someone who responds to ambition, who doesn’t want cinema to choose between being entertaining and being meaningful. This film refuses that choice entirely. It is overwhelming by design, and its overwhelming nature is precisely the point — because the feeling of being crushed by infinite possibility is exactly what it’s about.
Oppenheimer
You are drawn to cinema on a grand scale — films that understand history not as a backdrop but as a force, and that place their characters inside that force and watch what happens. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a film about the terrifying gap between what we can do and what we should do, told with the full weight of one of the most consequential moments in human history behind it. You want your films to feel important without feeling self-important — to earn their ambition through sheer craft and the gravity of their subject. Oppenheimer does exactly that. It is enormous, complicated, and refuses easy comfort.
Birdman
You are drawn to films that foreground their own construction — that make the how of the filmmaking part of the what it’s about. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, shot to appear as a single continuous take, is cinema examining itself through the cracked mirror of a fading actor’s ego. You respond to formal daring, to the feeling that a film is doing something that probably shouldn’t be possible. Michael Keaton’s performance and Emmanuel Lubezki’s restless camera create something genuinely unlike anything else — a film that is simultaneously about creativity, relevance, self-destruction, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing if your work means anything at all.
No Country for Old Men
You are drawn to cinema that trusts silence, that refuses to explain itself, and that treats dread as a form of meaning. The Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men is a film about the arrival of a new kind of evil — implacable, arbitrary, and utterly indifferent to the moral frameworks we use to make sense of the world. It is one of the most formally controlled films ever made, and its controlled restraint is what makes it so terrifying. You want your films to haunt you, not comfort you. You are not interested in resolution if resolution would be dishonest. No Country for Old Men is honest in a way that most cinema never dares to be.
Image via Universal Pictures.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2)
Image via Warner Bros.-10.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2)
Image via United Artists
Image via Universal Pictures
