From the streets of New York to faraway castles, crime films are a versatile genre that can be applied to any setting. While films like The Godfather, Goodfellas, City of God, and Gone Girl are insanely popular and have garnered acclaim, there are plenty of others that deserve love.
Thankfully, there is plenty of time to sit back, relax, and watch cops and crooks on the small screen, Netflix is already full of major titles like Drive, The Irishman, and El Camino but what about those that have fallen under people’s radars? Here are ten great hidden-gem crime films to stream on the service.
10 Road To Perdition (2002)
Sam Mendes (1917, Skyfall) directed Road to Perdition, based on the graphic novel of the same name. Released in 2002, this crime film stars Tom Hanks as a depression-era, Irish Mob enforcer, traveling with his son to gain vengeance after their family is murdered.
The film was acclaimed for the performances of Hanks and co-star Paul Newman but what sets it apart is the cinematography by Conrad Hall, who shot films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Cool Hand Luke. It’s a gorgeous film that is reminiscent of Edward Hopper's paintings.
9 Alpha Dog (2006)
Based on a true story, Alpha Dog stars Emile Hirsch in a film inspired by real murders. It is an unflinching and disturbing experience that never lets the audiences catch their breath. It also features Justin Timberlake in what is arguably his best performance.
While not for everyone, this film is a rewarding and enthralling thriller about the dangers of hedonistic and psychotic teens. The film also features heavyweights like Sharon Stone, Bruce Willis, Harry Dean Stanton, Anton Yelchin, and Ben Foster.
8 Bandits (2001)
Bandits is a twisted film starring Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thorton as two bank robbers. During a job, they kidnap a woman (played by Cate Blanchett), that they both promptly fall in love with. Barry Levinson (Rain Man, Wag the Dog) uses his deft hand to balance some dark comedy with thrilling drama.
The film was acclaimed, specifically for Thorton and Blanchett, with being nominated for numerous accolades. It’s a different kind of love story that Levinson manages to direct so well, making for one of the most underrated films of the early 2000s.
7 Molly’s Game (2017)
Aaron Sorkin (known for The Newsroom, The Social Network, A Few Good Men) made his directorial debut with 2017’s Molly’s Game. Starring Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom, an entrepreneur who finds herself as the new target of an FBI investigation when it is discovered that she is running an underground poker empire.
These are high stake games with athletes, celebrities, and even the Russian mafia. Chastain’s performance is among the best in her career and she stars alongside Idris Elba and Kevin Costner in this true-crime romp.
6 Hold The Dark (2018)
Jeremy Saulnier is a master of modern horror, directing films like Green Room and Blue Ruin. This thriller details the grisly death of three children. As most believe it to be caused by wolves, a writer (Jeffery Wright), is hired by a mother in Alaska to track down her six-year-old son.
Hold the Dark is a Netflix exclusive that makes excellent use of director Saulnier’s talents behind the camera and is another fine addition to an already impressive filmography.
5 Lupin The 3rd: Castle Of Cagliostro (1979)
Based on the infamous and ever so popular, fictional, manga, anti-hero, Arsène Lupin III, Castle of Cagliostro was famous director’s Hayao Miyazaki’s feature film debut. This romp follows Lupin and his daring rescue of a princess and the search for a treasure.
One of the best installments in the Lupin series, stylish animation and storytelling served as a catalyst and influence for Miyazaki’s later films.
4 Free Fire (2016)
Free Fire is directed by Ben Wheatley (High Rise) and is about an arms deal gone wrong. So, very wrong. It stars a large ensemble cast, including Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Sharlto Copely, Cillian Murphy, Sam Riley.
Set in Boston in 1979, the film showcases a dangerous shootout between two different gangs after an arms deal gone afoul. Wheatley directs this with a style that is reminiscent of great, 70s crime films that never seem to get made anymore. Echoing the likes of Martin Scorsese’s and Brian DePalma’s works of the era.
3 The Stranger (1946)
While most critics dismissed this Orson Welles-directed, noir film as nothing but cheap entertainment. It also did not help that the similar, Shadow of a Doubt (directed by Alfred Hitchcock) was out at the same time.
Regardless of that, the story of a former Nazi in hiding (played excellently by Welles) is one of the most thrilling film noirs of its time. It is a daring and bold affair, and of the earliest films that used footage of the Holocaust. If anything, for our era of political unrest, it is a film that captures how truly dangerous hatred can be in modern times.
2 A Most Violent Year (2014)
Deliberately paced, brooding, and gripping, J.C. Chandor’s A Most Violent Year is a modern masterpiece that is somehow forgotten. Starring Oscar Isaac as Abel Morales, the owner of an oil company succumbing to mounting pressure from local competition, the film has the makings of a modern crime epic à la The Godfather.
The film also stars Jessica Chastain, Alessandro Nivola, David Oyelowo, Albert Brooks, and Catalina Sandino Moreno.
1 Killing Them Softly (2012)
Botched card games, gruesome murders, and one of the best Brad Pitt performances ever, Killing Them Softly is probably one of the most underrated films of the 2010s, ever. After two crooks decide to rob a mob car game, two hitmen, played by Pitt and James Gandolfini, are hired to exact revenge.
Richard Jenkins and Ray Liotta also lend their talents here. Its bleak tone might not be for everybody but it is an absolutely hard-hitting piece of neo-noir filmmaking that also serves as a satire of American capitalism and unrest during the 2008 recession.
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