If you are looking for the best crime movies of all time, you are in the right place. This genre is one of the most compelling ones in Hollywood. It is thrilling to see criminal masterminds executing their plans.
There are many things to think of regarding crime movies. Some people like the ones that show detectives going on adventures, solving a mystery, or bringing justice for the victims. Others, on the other hand, may prefer darker films that have violence, with someone committing a heinous act. No matter what you like, there is something here for your taste. This genre has many fans and picking the top ones was not an easy task, but here they are. TechTrends put together a list of the best crime movies of all time. Let’s get to it without further ado.
Best Crime Movies of All Time
Some of the movies on this list are old classics and some are newer. These films focus on the storyline of criminals and some might be based on true stories. In this article, you will see the best crime movies of all time. Crime is part of life’s reality. Despite being uncomfortable to talk about, when they are shown in movies, they are entertaining.
12. Casino 1995
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- Stars: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Sharon Stone, Frank Vincent, John Manca
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 79%, IMDb 8.2
Casino was directed by Martin Scorsese and is a pretty ambitious, entertaining film, despite being a mess. Robert De Niro performs as Sam “Ace” Rothstein, who is a Jewish American gangster in charge of the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. This character is based on Fran Rosenthal, the real life mafioso. Although he does his best to remain above the fray, the glamour of sin city destroys him, his wife as well as his friend. At the beginning of going to the Tangiers Casino, he was a great success, but as time goes on, his problems with mob enforcer Nicky, played by Joe Pesci, his wife Ginger, and many other puts Sam in danger. This is one of the best crime movies of all time and an adaptation of Nicholas Pileggi’s book.
Read more: Best Robert De Niro Movies of All Time
11. Se7en 1995
- Genre: Crime/Mystery
- Director: David Fincher
- Stars: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 82%, IMDb 8.6
One of the best crime movies of all time is Seven directed by David Fincher. The movie shows a classic young buck who becomes a partner of a veteran who is on the verge of retiring. Brad Pitt plays the role of a hardheaded rookie who has recently joined the homicide department as a detective. He then starts to track a serial killer who is obsessed with the seven deadly sins with the help of Somerset (Morgan Freeman). The two come across horrors that even Somerset, with that level of experience, has never faced. Pitt’s performance was remarkably great, giving a genuinely flawed and rough nature. The end climax is indeed one of Pitt’s most dramatic and greatest performances, masterfully showing what one might feel like in such a situation.
Read more: Best Drama Movies of All Time
10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 2011
- Genre: Mystery/Thriller
- Director: David Fincher
- Stars: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Stellan Skarsgård, Michael Nyqvist, Robin Wright
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 86%, IMDb 7.8
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is yet another one of the best must-see crime movies of all time and it revolves around Daniel Craig’s Mikael Blomkvist. He is a journalist and his career is on the rocks in this mystery/thriller. He gets the help of a computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander, played by Rooney Mara, and he wants to solve the killing of a rich girl who went missing 40 years ago. According to the girl’s uncle, she was killed by one of the family members and he wants Mikael to help him find the answers he is looking for. We highly recommend this wonderful movie.
Read more: Best Mystery Movies of All Time
9. Mystic River 2003
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Stars: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laura Linney, Laurence Fishburne
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 88%, IMDb 7.9
Mystic River is the nineth one on the list of the best crime films ever. Ex-con Jimmy Marcus’ daughter, played by Emmy Rossum, gets murdered. He then finds out that two of his childhood friends are involved in it. The last person to see her is Dave, a blue-collar worker. Sean is a detective on homicide and he is heading up to the case. While investigations are proceeding, Jimmy does one of his own investigations through his own contacts. Suspecting Dave, Jimmy takes matters into his own hands.
8. Heat 1995
- Genre: Crime/Action
- Director: Michael Mann
- Stars: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer, Diane Venora, Ashley Judd
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 88%, IMDb 8.3
The movie Heat is quite remarkable and De Niro plays the role of a master criminal. Al Pacino portrays the role of a veteran cop, with the two playing cat and mouse game in the three-hour movie. courtesy of the two actor’s commitment, the movie works great and another reason for its success is the mechanics of the plot, which are quite compelling. This film shows how the criminal and the cop are not that different. This also makes it to the list of the best crime movies of all time that you might want to add to your watchlist.
Read more: Best Action Movies of 2022
7. The Departed 2006
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- Stars: Matt Damon, Vera Farmiga, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 90%, IMDb 8.5
Another one of the best crime movies of all time is The Departed, which was directed by one of the world’s best directors, Martin Scorsese, and he won an Oscar for his direction in this movie. The story follows Boston’s Irish Mafia, with Frank Costello, played by Jack Nicholson, being the boss. He sends one of his best men, Colin Sullivan, portrayed by Matt Damon, to infiltrate the police. What they are not aware of is that the police are also doing the same, with Officer Billy Costigan, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, going into the Mafia. Both organizations then find out that there is a mole amongst them.
Read more: Best Leonardo DiCaprio Movies of All Time
6. American Hustle 2013
- Genre: Drama/Crime
- Director: David O. Russell
- Stars: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 92%, IMDb 7.2
American Hustle is also one of the Best crime movies of all time, where he plays the role of Irving Rosenfeld. Bradley Cooper features as an FBI agent undercover who was able to turn a pair of grifters, played by Christian Bale and Amy Adams. Jennifer Lawrence also performed in the movie and brought a comedic sensibility to the genre of crime thriller. Bale can be very funny if he is given the chance, but since he is known for his ability to play dark characters, this became one of his most underrated aspects. In this crime history, however, he was handed a role as a con artist, who aids the FBI in a frantic fraud case with his partner Sydney Prosser.
Read more: Best Bradley Cooper Movies of All Time
5. Pulp Fiction 1994
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Stars: Quentin Tarantino, John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 92%, IMDb 8.9
Pulp Fiction is yet another one of the best crime movies of all time, with John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson playing the roles of hitmen. This masterpiece and classic is a unique movie with Quentin Tarantino theme. The story has three parts, jumping from one story to another, but they are not chronologically ordered. However, they make a connection between the characters. We highly recommend this classic film.
4. Fargo 1996
- Genre: Crime/Thriller
- Director: Ethan Coen
- Stars: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 94%, IMDb 8.1
Another one of the best crime movies of all time is Fargo, which is a reality-based crime drama. It happens in Minnesota in 1987. William H. Macy plays the role of Jerry Lundegaard, who is a car salesman in debt, so desperate for money. For this reason, he hires two thugs played by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare to kidnap his wife. Jerry gets the ransom from her wealthy father, portrayed by Harve Presnell. He pays those two thugs a small portion and have the rest to pay his debts. When the thugs shoot a state trooper, their scheme gets destroyed.
Read more: Best Thriller Movies of All Time
3. The Silence of the Lambs 1991
- Genre: Thriller/Horror
- Director: Jonathan Demme
- Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Ted Levine, Frank Seals Jr., Brooke Smith
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 95%, IMDb 8.6
By far the best crime movie ever is The Silence of the Lambs, where Anthony Hopkins plays Dr. Hannibal Lector. Hopkins plays alongside Jodie Foster in this thriller/horror that is regarded as one of the greatest movies ever. The two actors won their first Academy Award for Best Actor and Best Actress for this movie and their performance. In addition, the movie won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Clarice Starling, played by Foster, is a top student at the training academy of the FBI. She is asked to interview Dr. Hannibal Lector, who is a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath. He is behind bars as he committed acts of murder and cannibalism. Starling is believed to be able to draw Lector out to give an insight into a case.
2. Goodfellas 1990
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- Stars: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Paul Sorvino, Lorraine Bracco
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 96%, IMDb 8.7
Another one of the best crime movies of all time directed by Martin Scorsese is Goodfellas, which creates a sense of family among criminals. Aside from money, girls and great food, there is the feeling of acceptance from peers that makes Henry Hill, played by Ray Liotta want to be a wise guy. He forms a bond with fatherly Jimmy Conway, played by Robert De Niro, and Tommy DeVito, portrayed by Joe Pesci, who won the Oscar for his performance. For this reason, the ending of their brotherhood is kind of tragic. However, prior to that, it is a quite lively and a very entertaining mafia movie, courtesy of The Godfather.
Despite not having the showiest role in Goodfellas, his performance was crucial to the tale of the movie. the movie revolves around Henry Hill, a mafia who has a good relationship with De Niro’s character. Although he mostly appeared as protagonists in Scorsese’s movies, his role in this film was charming and insidious. Goodfellas is yet another one of the best crime films of all time.
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1. The Godfather 1972
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Director: Francis Ford Coppola
- Stars: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 97%, IMDb 9.2
The Godfather is one of the best crime movies of all time and Ground Zero for all the subsequent mafia movies. The indelible characters portrayed by an impressive cast made this movie epic. Moreover, the director worked Mario Puzo’s Mafia novel like a virtuoso, with the ultimate pick inside a Mafia family’s life and the weaknesses it brings along.