Yes, you'll find Scorsese on our list, but directors like Guy Ritchie and others are also worthy of their spots among the crime genre's best voices. The 16 best

Yes, you'll find Scorsese on our list, but directors like Guy Ritchie and others are also worthy of their spots among the crime genre's best voices.

The 16 best crime movies on Netflix that blur the line between right and wrong

Yes, you'll find Scorsese on our list, but directors like Guy Ritchie and others are also worthy of their spots among the crime genre's best voices.

By Kevin Jacobsen

and Dennis Perkins

on August 7, 2025 06:40AM EDT

Aubrey Plaza as Emily Benetto in 'Emily the Criminal'; Idris Elba as Rufus Buck in 'The Harder They Fall'; Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran in 'The Irishman'. Credit:

Roadside Attractions/Courtesy Everett Collection; David Lee/Netflix; Netflix

There are few things more compelling than crime. Just ask filmmakers, who, since 1903's *The Great Train Robbery*, have understood the built-in dramatic possibilities of people doing things they should not. But there are all kinds of crime (and all kinds of criminals), some with more reason than others to steal, rob, murder, and otherwise wreak havoc.

In this list of the best crime movies currently on Netflix, you'll find home invaders, bank robbers, long cons, and spur-of-the-moment sprees, all for your viewing pleasure.

22 July (2018)

Isak Bakli Aglen as Torje Hanssen and Jonas Strand Gravli as Viljar Hanssen in '22 July'. Erik Aavatsmark/Netflix

Based on true events, *22 July* reconstructs one of the worst days in Norwegian history when a white nationalist terrorist killed 77 people via explosives and gunfire. Director Paul Greengrass, who helmed such pulse-pounding thrillers as *United 93* (2006) and *The Bourne Ultimatum* (2007), delivers another tense experience here as we follow the terrorist, Anders Behring Breivik (Anders Danielsen Lie), as he shows no mercy to his victims. Be warned, though, EW's critic notes: "*22 July *is exceptionally choreographed," but "tough to sit through." The film is a harrowing look at the banality of evil in its most dangerous form. —*Kevin Jacobsen*

Where to watch *22 July*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B– (read the review)

**Director: **Paul Greengrass

**Cast: **Anders Danielsen Lie, Jon Øigarden

American Gangster (2007)

Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas and Josh Brolin as Detective Trupo in 'American Gangster'.

Universal/Courtesy Everett

Director Ridley Scott and Denzel Washington proved to be a potent combination with this absorbing gangster epic. Washington portrays Frank Lucas, the real-life drug kingpin who smuggled heroin into the United States via servicemen returning home from the Vietnam War. Meanwhile, as the film explores how Lucas created his empire, Det. Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) is hot on his trail, exhausting great efforts to take him down. *American Gangster* is "like *The Godfather*, *Serpico*, *Scarface*, and *The French Connection *all mashed in a blender," writes EW's critic, "along with a heavy helping of synthetic cocktail mix." —*K.J.***

Where to watch *American Gangster*: Netflix through Aug. 31

**EW grade:** B (read the review)

**Director:** Ridley Scott

**Cast:** Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr., Josh Brolin, Ted Levine, Armand Assante, John Ortiz, John Hawkes, RZA, Ruby Dee

The Departed (2006)

Leonardo DiCaprio as Billy Costigan Jr. and Jack Nicholson as Frank Costello in 'The Departed'.

Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection

Martin Scorsese is a master of the crime genre, and *The Departed* is one of the more entertaining demonstrations of his strengths as a director. A remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film *Infernal Affairs*, the film centers on the fine line between cop and criminal, as a spy working for an Irish Mob boss and an undercover officer play a high-stakes game of cat and mouse...er, rat. With an all-star cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, and Jack Nicholson, the crime saga was a big hit with critics and audiences upon its 2006 release and won Scorsese his overdue Oscar for Best Director, while the film won Best Picture in addition to awards for its screenplay and editing. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Departed*: Netflix

**EW grade:** (Read the review)

**Director:** Martin Scorsese

**Cast:** Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin**

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)

Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman in 'El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie'. Ben Rothstein/Netflix

Sure, this sequel film following Jesse Pinkman's struggle to leave his criminal past behind (after escaping those neo-Nazis in the *Breaking Bad* finale) might be little more than another few episodes of the hit series. But who's complaining about that? Especially as Aaron Paul returns to his career-making role, and series creator Vince Gilligan returns as writer and director.

As Gilligan proved with his equally showstopping spinoff series *Better Call Saul*, he's adept at fleshing out his characters' pasts and futures with equal skill. Returning shattered to an Albuquerque reeling from his meth-cooking work, Paul's Pinkman is as weighed down by guilt over his actions as he is by the gathered forces hunting him. Seeking out old allies and accomplices (among others, this marked the last on-screen appearance of Robert Forster as criminal "disappearer" Ed Galbraith) as he plots his next move, Pinkman must contend with the damage he's done to himself and everyone in his life, all while contemplating whether he deserves a fresh start at all. Paul has never been better than as the tortured Pinkman. —*Dennis Perkins*

Where to watch *El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B+ (read the review)

**Director:** Vince Gilligan

**Cast: **Aaron Paul, Jesse Plemons, Krysten Ritter, Charles Baker, Matt Jones, Robert Forster, Jonathan Banks, Bryan Cranston

Emily the Criminal (2022)

Aubrey Plaza as Emily Benetto in 'Emily the Criminal'. Roadside Attractions/Vertical Entertainment

This is what happens when student loan debt is so insurmountable that it causes you to take drastic action. Aubrey Plaza plays Emily, a woman working as a delivery driver for a catering service whose minor criminal record prevents her from attaining a better job. With crippling debt, she turns to a life of credit card fraud, which provides fast money and she soon finds herself having a knack for the business and her ambitions inevitably grow larger. Plaza pulls off one of her best performances yet, with a distinct New Jersey accent to boot. "She makes Emily's tumble into the underworld believable — and more importantly, interesting," hails EW's critic. "She may be a wanton criminal, but she's also a woman very much for these times: Not the antiheroine we knew we needed, maybe, but one that we deserve." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Emily the Criminal*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B+ (read the review)

**Director: **John Patton Ford

**Cast: **Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Gina Gershon

The Gentlemen (2020)

Charlie Hunnam as Raymond Smith and Colin Farrell as Coach in 'The Gentlemen'.

STX Films/Courtesy Everett Collection

Early in his career, Guy Ritchie established himself as one of the go-tos for twisty crime comedy, and this well-received saga full of backstabbing and double-crossings proved he still had the goods. Cannabis tycoon Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) is looking to sell his massively profitable business to an American billionaire (Jeremy Strong), but outside forces take great pains to acquire the business for themselves. EW's critic calls *The Gentlemen* "slick, silly fun — a giddy exercise in freewheeling nihilism, played to the hilt." You can also watch the spinoff TV series on Netflix. —*K.J.***

Where to watch *The Gentlemen*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B– (read the review)

**Director:** Guy Ritchie

**Cast:** Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc in 'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery'. Netflix

A crime is afoot, and, once again, Benoit Blanc suspects foul play. Daniel Craig reprises his deliciously fun role as the private detective in this standalone sequel to 2019's *Knives Out*, as he joins a murder mystery party hosted by tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton). When a guest ends up actually dying, fingers are pointed among the group of friends and Blanc goes about trying to solve the murder. But this is just the tip of the iceberg, as there are so many more layers to this onion than one could even predict.

Featuring gasp-worthy twists and a committed ensemble (particularly Kate Hudson and Janelle Monáe), *Glass Onion* is an entertaining mystery with a healthy dose of social satire. As EW's critic writes, writer-director Rian Johnson has "no shortage of ammunition for his rat-a-tat takes on pop-culture ephemera and the navel-gazing delusions of wealth and fame." —*K.J.***

Where to watch *Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B+ (read the review)

**Director: **Rian Johnson

**Cast: **Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista

The Good Nurse (2022)

Eddie Redmayne as Charles Cullen and Jessica Chastain as Amy Loughren in 'The Good Nurse'. Courtesy of TIFF

This slow-burn crime drama is all the more chilling knowing it's based on a true story. Jessica Chastain plays Amy Loughren, an ICU night nurse who discovers that her friend and colleague, Charlie Cullen (Eddie Redmayne), has been secretly killing patients. A pair of police detectives on the case convince Amy — who is also dealing with a heart condition — to find a way to get Charlie to reveal the truth.

*The Good Nurse* drew particular praise for its central performances by Chastain and Redmayne. "Chastain, tremulous yet determined, brings something gratifyingly grounded to her everywoman hero," EW's critic writes, "and an eerie, pitch-perfect Redmayne, wearing Charlie's nice-guy drag like a battering ram, lets his mask slip so incrementally that the final scenes feel like a true terrifying rupture." Redmayne earned nominations at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and BAFTAs for his performance. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Good Nurse*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B+ (read the review)

**Director: **Tobias Lindholm

**Cast: **Jessica Chastain, Eddie Redmayne, Nnamdi Asomugha, Kim Dickens, Noah Emmerich

The Harder They Fall (2021)

Regina King as Trudy Smith, Idris Elba as Rufus Buck, and LaKeith Stanfield as Cherokee Bill in 'The Harder They Fall'. David Lee/Netflix

Against the backdrop of the Old West, outlaw Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) is ready for revenge. Having witnessed his parents' murder at a young age by the villainous Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), Love and his gang seek out the dastardly criminal, recently freed from prison. Together with his gang and his lover, Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz), Love prepares to finally seek justice for his childhood trauma. Propelled by kinetic energy, committed performances, and a dynamic soundtrack, *The Harder They Fall* also made headlines as one of the only mainstream Westerns to feature an all-Black cast among its principal characters. The film assembled newer stars like Majors and Beetz with familiar favorites like Elba, Regina King, and Delroy Lindo, and the cast earned numerous ensemble award nominations among critics' groups. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Harder They Fall*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B (read the review)

**Director: **Jeymes Samuel

**Cast: **Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, LaKeith Stanfield, RJ Cyler, Danielle Deadwyler

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The Highwaymen (2019)

Woody Harrelson as Maney Gault and Kevin Costner as Frank Hamer in 'The Highwaymen'. Netflix

*Bonnie and Clyde* stunned audiences when it premiered in the summer of 1967, revolutionizing cinema with its casual broadcasting of gratuitous sex and violence. *The Highwaymen* (2019), the story of the two Texas rangers charged with hunting down the bank robbers, doesn't take the same guns-blazing approach, but remains a worthy follow-up to one of Hollywood's best-known crime stories. Less of an action film than a character study with occasional stunt sequences, *The Highwaymen* stars Woody Harrelson and Kevin Costner as past-their-prime patrolmen, pulled out of their desultory retirements and returned to the job — and their old partnership — by a put-upon Texas governor (Kathy Bates).

Directed by John Lee Hancock with an eye toward authenticity — the crew filmed the climactic showdown on the same stretch of road where the outlaws were ambushed in May of 1934 — Costner says the experience of shooting the final scene was "haunting." A slow-burn Depression-era buddy cop film with historical roots, EW critic writes, "*The Highwaymen* is a leisurely ride with a pair of actors who know how to do a lot by not doing too much." —*D.P.*

Where to watch *The Highwaymen*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B (read the review)

**Director: **John Lee Hancock

**Cast: **Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson, Kathy Bates, John Carroll Lynch, Kim Dickens, Thomas Mann******

Holy Spider (2022)

Zar Amir-Ebrahimi as Arezoo Rahimi in 'Holy Spider'. Wild Bunch/Courtesy Everett Collection

Based on true events, this harrowing Persian-language film tells the story of Saeed Hanaei, the serial killer who murdered multiple sex workers in Iran in the early-2000s. Here, the investigation is told from the perspective of a fictional journalist, Arezoo Rahimi (Zar Amir Ebrahimi), who faces deep-seated sexism on her path to the truth and puts her own life in danger to get a confession out of Hanaei. Operating as both a gripping crime thriller and a trenchant social commentary about systemic misogyny, *Holy Spider* was a favorite when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022, with Amir Ebrahimi winning the Best Actress prize. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Holy Spider*: Netflix

**Director:** Ali Abbasi

**Cast: **Mehdi Bajestani, Zar Amir Ebrahimi

The Irishman (2019)

Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa and Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran in 'The Irishman'. Netflix

Now that Netflix has cited this Martin Scorsese Mob movie as one of the "expensive vanity projects" the streamer will no longer be producing, it's about time to check out the old-timer filmmaker's collaboration with longtime muse Robert De Niro. Based on a biography of supposed Mafia hitman (and self-professed murderer of Teamster head Jimmy Hoffa), Frank Sheeran, *The Irishman* sees Scorsese once more returning to that specific criminal underworld, legendary stars in tow. In addition to De Niro's Sheeran, Hoffa himself is played by Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel plays mobster Angelo Bruno, and Joe Pesci (lured out of retirement by De Niro) plays mob boss Russell Bufalino.

And if you're wondering how those septuagenarian stars can play middle-aged, 1950s–1970s versions of their real-life characters, you can thank that Netflix money. The streamer allowed Scorsese to experiment with groundbreaking (and mostly successful) de-aging tricks as De Niro's elderly assassin looks back on his improbably eventful life of crime. So, does *The Irishman* qualify as a "vanity project?" Possibly. But it's not vanity when you're Martin Scorsese, continuing the career-long exploration of the links between power, violence, greed, and the American dream. —*D.P.*

Where to watch *The Irishman*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B+ (read the review)

**Director:** Martin Scorsese

**Cast: **Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Anna Paquin, Ray Romano, Stephen Graham, Bobby Cannavale

Lost Girls (2020)

Oona Laurence as Sarra Gilbert, Amy Ryan as Mari Gilbert, Thomasin McKenzie as Sherre Gilbert, and Miriam Shor as Lorraine in 'Lost Girls'. Jessica Kourkounis/Netflix

Based on true events, *Lost Girls* focuses on the aftermath of unspeakable crimes rather than the crimes themselves. Amy Ryan stars as Mari Gilbert, the real-life mother who pressured investigators to find her missing daughter, leading to the uncovering of several murders by the still-unknown Long Island serial killer. The mystery drama, directed by Oscar-nominated documentarian Liz Garbus, drew raves for its humanizing of the victims. "To the people who love them," writes EW's critic, "they're still daughters and sisters, mothers and friends. And Garbus, a much-awarded documentarian...works hard to make them seen in her narrative-feature debut." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Lost Girls*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B (read the review)

**Director: **Liz Garbus

**Cast: **Amy Ryan, Thomasin McKenzie, Lola Kirke, Oona Laurence, Dean Winters, Miriam Shor, Reed Birney, Kevin Corrigan, Gabriel Byrne

Rebel Ridge (2024)

Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond and AnnaSophia Robb as Summer McBride in 'Rebel Ridge'.

Allyson Riggs/Netflix

This muscular, Emmy-nominated crime thriller is one of the most satisfying made-for-Netflix films in years. Like a modern-day *Rambo*, the film centers on a Marine Corps veteran named Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) who is hoping to post bail for his cousin, only to have his funds confiscated by a pair of dirty police officers. After trying to get his money back, he runs into obstacles at nearly every turn, forcing him to take matters into his own hands. It's a gripping action film with a badass star turn from Pierre that also has a lot on its mind about systemic corruption and the tension between cops and civilians. —*K.J.***

Where to watch *Rebel Ridge*: Netflix

**Director:** Jeremy Saulnier

**Cast:** Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, Emory Cohen, Steve Zissis, James Cromwell

Sicario (2015)

Victor Garber as Dave Jennings (center) and Emily Blunt as Kate Macer (right) in 'Sicario'.

Richard Foreman Jr./Lionsgate

There are no easy solutions in *Sicario*, Denis Villeneuve's nerve-wracking thriller about an FBI special agent tasked with taking down the leader of a Mexican drug cartel. As Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) joins a task force and heads to the El Paso-Juarez border, she discovers there's more to the mission than she once assumed, and the force isn't all that interested in playing by the rules. Unbearably tense and packed with a talented ensemble of actors, "*Sicario* is a brilliant action thriller with the smarts of a message movie," writes EW's critic. "And the message is this: Are we willing to bend the rules and sell our souls to fight a war that will probably never be won?" —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Sicario*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A (read the review)

**Director:** Denis Villeneuve

**Cast:** Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Jon Bernthal, Daniel Kaluuya

The White Tiger (2021)

Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Pinky Shah in 'The White Tiger'. Tejinder Singh Khamkha/Netflix

An enterprising Indian man does whatever he can to break free of a life of servitude in this sprawling crime drama. Young Balram (Adarsh Gourav) works as a chauffeur for a rich couple (Rajkummar Rao and Priyanka Chopra Jonas), who treat him with respect but still keep the boundaries of their different classes in place. One night, a deadly accident leads to Balram having to take the blame for it, which sends him down a path of exploiting his boss and trying to find a way out so that he can be his own boss.

*The White Tiger* earned huge critical acclaim, with EW's critic praising the central performance by Gourav, "whose soulful combination of sheer will and vulnerability should, in a just world, win him the kind of accolades that helped make *Slumdog*'s Dev Patel a star." Gourav received a BAFTA nomination for his turn, while writer-director Ramin Bahrani earned an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The White Tiger*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B+ (read the review)

**Director: **Ramin Bahrani

**Cast: **Adarsh Gourav, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Rajkummar Rao

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