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The Best Crime Dramas of All Time

The Best Crime Dramas of All Time

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It’s hard to not fall in love with a good crime drama. One of the most popular, wide-ranging, thought-provoking, and downright exciting genres of film out there, crime dramas offer a glimpse into the lives and high-stakes exploits of criminals and those who seek to bring them down. Out of the countless crime dramas out there, these are the best of all time.

What defines a crime drama, exactly? To put it most simply, it’s a drama about crime. It builds its narrative around criminal activity – from theft to fraud to murder to organized crime – and the cops, detectives, and others who investigate and attempt to solve those crimes.

The best crime dramas are character-driven, featuring well-developed characters who undergo some kind of personal development over the course of the film. They explore the ethics and psychological aspects of crime and the criminal justice system, questioning what’s right and wrong and making us understand – and possibly even identify with – the criminals and those who pursue them. They might also address broader social issues like corruption and the impact of crime on communities, and offer plenty of opportunity for great acting, directing, screenwriting, and cinematography. And there’s also no lack of tension, suspense, and edge-of-your-seat moments.

To determine the best crime dramas, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of May 2024, weighting all ratings equally. Only movies with at least 1,000 reviews on IMDb were considered, and documentaries were not excluded. Cast information is from IMDb.

A great crime drama can make the viewer feel like they’re on a roller coaster ride, hanging on for dear life while barreling headlong towards a satisfying conclusion. And if you’re looking for some lighter fare, these are 20 must-watch romance films.

50. Mystic River (2003)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (436,927 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (203,679 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (206 reviews)
  • Cast: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon

49. Brute Force (1947)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (9,738 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (1,647 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (18 reviews)
  • Cast: Burt Lancaster, Hume Cronyn, Charles Bickford

48. Blood Simple (1984)

Source: Courtesy of Circle Films

Source: Courtesy of Circle Films
  • IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (92,147 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (39,229 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (104 reviews)
  • Cast: John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya

47. Miller’s Crossing (1990)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (130,940 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (50,596 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (61 reviews)
  • Cast: Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, John Turturro

46. Nightcrawler (2014)

Source: Courtesy of Open Road Films

Source: Courtesy of Open Road Films
  • IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (495,525 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (86,557 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (274 reviews)
  • Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton

45. The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (9,765 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (1,436 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (27 reviews)
  • Cast: Robert Mitchum, Peter Boyle, Richard Jordan

44. Scarface (1983)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (778,547 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (488,892 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (71 reviews)
  • Cast: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer

43. The Big Clock (1948)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (8,228 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (1,414 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (9 reviews)
  • Cast: Ray Milland, Maureen O’Sullivan, Charles Laughton

42. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema

Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
  • IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (100,832 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (41,047 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (55 reviews)
  • Cast: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin

41. Blue Collar (1978)

Harvey Keitel, Yaphet Kotto, and Richard Pryor in Blue Collar (1978)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (8,010 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (3,293 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (42 reviews)
  • Cast: Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel, Yaphet Kotto

40. The Breaking Point (1950)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (3,180 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (337 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (11 reviews)
  • Cast: John Garfield, Patricia Neal, Phyllis Thaxter

39. The Public Enemy (1931)

The Public Enemy (1931) | James Cagney and Edward Woods in The Public Enemy (1931)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (20,233 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (7,548 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (32 reviews)
  • Cast: James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward Woods

38. No Country for Old Men (2007)

Source: Courtesy of Miramax

Source: Courtesy of Miramax
  • IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (900,943 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (399,547 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (288 reviews)
  • Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin

37. Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
  • IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (20,596 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (5,853 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (31 reviews)
  • Cast: Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis

36. The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (25,351 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (7,131 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (35 reviews)
  • Cast: Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen

35. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (8,264 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (1,495 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (15 reviews)
  • Cast: Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Gary Merrill

34. Heat (1995)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (606,225 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (222,169 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (84 reviews)
  • Cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer

33. Rope (1948)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (136,102 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (39,058 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (50 reviews)
  • Cast: James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger

32. The Narrow Margin (1952)

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (7,429 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (1,139 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (11 reviews)
  • Cast: Charles McGraw, Marie Windsor, Jacqueline White

31. Se7en (1995)

Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema

Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
  • IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,517,067 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (468,879 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (82 reviews)
  • Cast: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey

30. True Romance (1993)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (216,812 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (192,545 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (54 reviews)
  • Cast: Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper

29. The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (85,564 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (24,773 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (77 reviews)
  • Cast: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish

28. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Source: Courtesy of The Ladd Company

Source: Courtesy of The Ladd Company
  • IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (329,016 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (75,039 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (54 reviews)
  • Cast: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern

27. In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (70,923 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (23,226 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (55 reviews)
  • Cast: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates

26. The Killers (1946)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (20,266 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (3,801 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (34 reviews)
  • Cast: Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O’Brien

25. Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (132,951 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (144,364 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (70 reviews)
  • Cast: Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Hudhail Al-Amir

24. Fury (1936)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (11,947 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (3,095 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (16 reviews)
  • Cast: Sylvia Sidney, Spencer Tracy, Walter Abel

23. Out of the Past (1947)

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (34,978 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (8,035 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (39 reviews)
  • Cast: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas

22. Touch of Evil (1958)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (101,523 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (31,261 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (79 reviews)
  • Cast: Charlton Heston, Orson Welles, Janet Leigh

21. A Bronx Tale (1993)

Source: Courtesy of Savoy Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Savoy Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (144,660 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (66,875 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (30 reviews)
  • Cast: Robert De Niro, Chazz Palminteri, Lillo Brancato

20. The Roaring Twenties (1939)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (13,465 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (5,095 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (14 reviews)
  • Cast: James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Priscilla Lane

19. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (304,336 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (179,186 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (66 reviews)
  • Cast: Gregory Peck, John Megna, Frank Overton

18. Fargo (1996)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  • IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (643,417 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (234,520 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (102 reviews)
  • Cast: William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi

17. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (13,561 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (3,185 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (27 reviews)
  • Cast: Paul Muni, Glenda Farrell, Helen Vinson

16. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Source: Courtesy of Miramax

Source: Courtesy of Miramax
  • IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (958,136 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (446,711 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (71 reviews)
  • Cast: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen

15. The Killing (1956)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (85,754 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (22,285 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (42 reviews)
  • Cast: Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Vince Edwards

14. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (67,341 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (12,420 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (50 reviews)
  • Cast: James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara

13. The Departed (2006)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (1,241,061 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (738,191 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (283 reviews)
  • Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson

12. Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (20,694 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (9,550 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (22 reviews)
  • Cast: James Cagney, Pat O’Brien, Humphrey Bogart

11. Taxi Driver (1976)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (761,825 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (260,919 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (94 reviews)
  • Cast: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd

10. On the Waterfront (1954)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (148,492 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (52,268 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (105 reviews)
  • Cast: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb

9. L.A. Confidential (1997)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (551,824 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (150,890 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (115 reviews)
  • Cast: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce

8. Double Indemnity (1944)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (150,031 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (35,812 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (92 reviews)
  • Cast: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson

7. Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros./Seven Arts

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros./Seven Arts
  • IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (170,093 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (63,767 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (53 reviews)
  • Cast: Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Strother Martin

6. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,332,128 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (847,443 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (104 reviews)
  • Cast: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Lawrence A. Bonney

5. Pulp Fiction (1994)

Source: Courtesy of Miramax

Source: Courtesy of Miramax
  • IMDb user rating: 8.9/10 (1,909,111 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (1,128,444 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (108 reviews)
  • Cast: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson

4. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (116,454 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (9,011 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (33 reviews)
  • Cast: Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton

3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 9.0/10 (1,183,912 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (411,793 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (114 reviews)
  • Cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall

2. 12 Angry Men (1957)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 9.0/10 (702,293 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (105,515 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (55 reviews)
  • Cast: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam

1. The Godfather (1972)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 9.2/10 (1,704,373 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 98% (734,439 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (133 reviews)
  • Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan
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