By virtue of belonging to thecrime genre, there’s a good chance any crime movie is going to get a little dark at some point. Some will be darker than others of course, but these films will naturally deal with characters who act outside the law, with some criminal characters portrayed sympathetically and others depicted as villains. After all, multiple actions can be considered “crimes,” meaning crime movies could well strike all sorts of tones.
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The following crime films, however, stand out for how realistic and gritty they are. While not all of the following are 100% realistic, they do feel more grounded and authentic than the average crime movie. For those who appreciate a crime film that captures something genuine, regardless of whether it tells a true story or not, the following movies are certainly worth checking out.
10’Straight Time' (1978)
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
A slow-burn 1970s crime movie,Straight Timefollows a burglar played byDustin Hoffmanwho gets released on parole, only to find life on the outside has become tougher since being labeled as an ex-con. Work’s hard to come by, money’s tighter than ever, and his uncaring probation officer just makes things worse. Ultimately, his circumstances make him turn back to a life of crime.
With most of the first half following the protagonist’s attempts to reintegrate into society, and the second half a rebellion against it, it’s an interestingly structured, empathetic, and effective look at a real-life situation for many. It’s also got an impressive cast beyond Hoffman, includingGary Busey,Kathy Bates, andHarry Dean Stanton.
9’Blue Collar' (1978)
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
ThoughPaul Schrader’sbest known for his screenplays, he’s also directed an impressive number of great movies, withBlue Collarbeing one of the best. It’s a tense and engaging film about three workers who are fed up with their low wages and decide to steal from their union, only for this to lead to unforeseen consequences.
It has a particularly grimy aesthetic that makes the film’s events feel visceral and as though they’re really happening, with the naturalistic performances also adding to this feeling.Harvey KeitelandYaphet Kottoare great as you’d expect, but it’sRichard Pryorwho ends up stealing the show. Though he was best known for his standup and comedic performances, inBlue Collar, he proves he was a great dramatic actor too.
8’Taxi Driver' (1976)
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Few crime movies dig into their protagonist’s state of mind likeTaxi Driverdoes. It’s a dark and uncompromising film that stands asMartin Scorsese’sfirst full-blown masterpiece, centering on an insomniac Vietnam veteran who takes up driving taxis as a way to spend his nights.
Being exposed to the darker side of New York City influences his mind in unexpected ways, and as he comes to hate the world in which he lives, he lashes out against it in increasingly violent ways.Taxi Driver’sa movie that takes its time in showing its main character change and become more unhinged, but does so in an incredibly effective way that ensures the film remains a disturbing watch almost 50 years on from release.
7’Casino' (1995)
Serving asGoodfellas’darker and more violent younger sibling,Casinomight well be one of the most mean-spirited mainstream gangster movies of all time. Scorsese went all out in depicting the ruthlessness of the Las Vegas mob back in the 1970s, back when they controlled the city’s lucrative casinos and therefore, essentially by extension, the city itself.
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With an average rating of8.2/10 on IMDb, it doesn’t quite rank alongsideGoodfellas, but it’s not far behind. And one thing’s for sure: if IMDb rankings were decided based on how violent and bleak a movie was,Casinowould easily have a higher average rating than its older sibling from 1990.
6’No Country for Old Men' (2007)
No Country for Old Menis one of the bleakest Westerns of all time as well as one of the most downbeat crime films in recent memory. It depicts a lawless and violent world where death seems to lurk around every corner and no one’s safe. In large part, this is because of the ruthless Anton Chigurh stopping at nothing to regain $2 million in cash that a lone hunter found at the site of a drug deal that got deadly.
Just like in life, people can - and do - die with little warning. Even worse, the film goes to great lengths to show there’s little those on the so-called right side of the law can do to stop those on the wrong side. In the end, the movie’s evenbleak enough to end without much resolution, because that’s just how things go in life sometimes…
5’Reservoir Dogs' (1992)
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
Quentin Tarantinomade quite a stir with his hard-hitting debut feature filmReservoir Dogs. It shook the world upon release and still holds up as intense and grisly today, telling the story of a jewelry store heist gone wrong, and the tension between the thieves who begin to suspect that someone in the gang is an undercover cop.
Reservoir Dogsfeels gritty and down-to-earth because of its low-budget look, use of real locations over sets, and refusal to shy away from the gory effects of violence. It’s a tough, hard-nosed movie that worked as an effective tone-setter for Tarantino’s later films, with his debut establishing him instantly as a directorial force to be reckoned with.
4’City of God' (2002)
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
Serving as both a coming-of-age film and a crime epic with an ensemble cast,City of Godis a Brazilian movie that takes place in the slums of Rio. It primarily centers on two kids whose paths diverge drastically as they grow into teenagers, with one becoming an influential figure within the city’s criminal underworld, while the other does everything he can to escape the city.
With a rating of8.6/10 on IMDb, it stands as one of the highest-rated crime films on the entire site. It’s also one of the most frenetic, grounded, and disturbing, given it’s an uncompromising look at a life of crime in Rio, with things being extra difficult to watch at times because those who are involved in such a lifestyle are so young.
3’Se7en' (1995)
A crime/thriller about tracking down a serial killer who’s basing his murders on the seven deadly sins,Se7enis a relentless and consistently dark police procedural. Rain is a constant presence throughout most of the movie’s duration, creating a dour atmosphere that’s matched when it comes to grimness by the gruesome crime scenes that the killer leaves for police to find.
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It’s the kind of movie that doesn’t exactly start cheery, yet it only gets more twisted and stomach-churning as it goes along. There are scenes towards the end that are particularly infamous for how they can take a first-time viewer off guard, making this onehighly-rated filmthat’s not exactly easy to watch.
2’Goodfellas' (1990)
IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
Crime movies don’t get much better thanGoodfellas. It tells the sort of rise-and-fall narrative popular in many classic gangster movies, but does so in a way that feels more realistic and less preachy. It’s got style and vibrancy -especially when it comes to the soundtrack- but the story itself is a dark and brutally real one.
Still, the fact much ofGoodfellasis fun to watch stops it from being one of the darkest crime movies out there (and certainly not as bleak as Scorsese’s 1995 spiritual sequelCasino), but it doesn’t pull any punches when it needs to hammer certain harsh truths home. It strikes an effective balance between entertainment and despair, making for a thrilling rollercoaster ride of a crime movie.
1’The Godfather Part II' (1974)
IMDb Rating: 9.0/10
Not only isThe Godfather Part IIone of thehighest-rated crime films on IMDb, but it’s alsoone of the highest-rated Best Picture winnersaccording to the site’s users. It’s earned a reputation for being one of the best sequels of all time, continuing the story of the Corleone family after Michael takes over as boss while also flashing back to show the rise of Vito, Michael’s father, from his youth in Italy to his eventual mob boss status in New York City.
The firstGodfatherwasn’t exactly a happy or light-hearted movie, but there was a still romanticism (or at least classiness) to the mafia lifestyle depicted, mainly thanks to Vito’s leadership. Michael, on the other hand, is a colder and more calculating boss, with his emergence as the film’s protagonist makingThe Godfather Part IIconsiderably darker and more disturbing than its predecessor.
