Have you ever wondered why we love crime movies so much?
Maybe it’s because crime movies show us the dark corners of life that we so comfortably ignore at family dinners. Or because we enjoy being detectives and watching bad people do bad things, while we ourselves are comfortably sitting on the couch eating chips and there is no risk of going to jail.
The best part is that a great crime thriller gives us a taste of the dangerous life and we still stay 100% safe. In 2025, these classic and modern crime films are more popular than ever. People love to watch them late at night on streaming sites like Netflix and re-watch them with friends, and their surprising twists remain the hot topic of conversation for years.
Ready to make your nights a little bit darker? (hehe, in a good way!) double lock your doors, slience your phones, and grab a big bowl of popcorn. Check out this awesome watchlist of best crime movies handpicked by FactEgg. It’s got everything modern masterpieces and timeless classics. Don’t miss these 10 amazing films for 2025, that are ranked from #10 to #1. Happy watching!
The French Connection (1971)
Let’s start our list with a classic crime film. The French Connection is action-packed from start to finish. It stars Gene Hackman as Papa Doyle, a New York cop so stubborn that if his own grandmother hid heroin in a cookie tin, he’d handcuff her too. Just imagine what a scene that would be at a family Sunday dinner!
Now the question is, what makes this movie so special? Before this movie, most thrillers were just flashy and fake, more show-off, less reality. But The French Connection has real New York streets, angry screaming drivers, and that awesome car chase that even today would make new movies blush. That car chase under the Rocklin train line is a total riot. You’ll grip the couch like you’re driving and forget to breathe.
Here’s a fun fact: That dangerous chase scene was filmed without permission. An accident actually happened, but the townspeople shrugged it off, as if nothing had happened. That’s just how New York was in the seventies, a tough city and tough people.
And if you’re a fan of car chases, be sure to check out Bullitt. The chase in that movie made Steve McQueen a star in an era when memes and TikTok didn’t even exist!
Director: William Friedkin
Starring: Gene Hackman, Fernado Rey, Roy Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco, Marcel Bozzuffi
IMDb Rating: 7.7
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Now let’s move on to the hot and dusty land of Texas, where you can still watch a great modern crime thriller in 2025. In No Country for Old Men, a man named Llewellyn Moss played by Josh Brolin finds a truck in the desert filled with money, bodies, and heroin. Of course he takes the money, but in a crime movie, getting free money means danger is lurking behind.
Then comes Javier Bardem (Anton Sheger), who is perhaps the coolest but most dangerous maniac. His haircut is such that you just have to say, “Enough!” When this guy is after you, the chances of escaping are very slim. His coin toss is still legendary. If he flips a coin for your life, don’t bet on it, just run away!
This modern crime thriller is also great because it doesn’t have big explosions or noise, but rather silence, danger, and a tension that will take your breath away. This film sinks into your heart and mind and stays there for a long time. As you watch, you won’t realize how long you’ve been holding your breath.
Fun fact: The Coen brothers took this weird haircut from an old photo. The lesson is, never trust a guy with a bolt gun in his hand and hair that looks like someone cut it in the dark.
If you want to watch crime movies in 2025 that will challenge your brain, make your heart race, and keep you in suspense without any cheap explosions, then this is the movie for you.
Director: Joel & Ethan Coen
Starring: Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Mystic River (2003)
If you’re looking for a crime drama that hits straight to the heart, Mystic River is for you. This deep and emotional story tells how hidden secrets from childhood can ruin a person’s entire life as they grow up.
The story begins with three childhood friends, who are separated after a tragic event. Years later, Jimmy’s daughter is murdered and old secrets come to the surface like a ghost you can never bury. The past knocks on the door and no one is prepared for it.
The acting in this film is superb. Sean Penn’s performance is so genuine that it can bring tears to your eyes. Tim Robbins proves that a crime drama doesn’t need car chases or a hail of bullets to break your heart. Sometimes, a single look says it all.
Listen to the fun fact: This story was written by renowned Boston crime writer Dennis Lehane. If you’ve seen Gone Bay Gone or Shutter Island, you know how many dark secrets Boston’s deserted streets and old buildings hold.
And if you like dark crime thrillers set in Boston, check out The Town too. More secrets, more heists, and that special Boston accent you’ll want to copy!
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon
IMDb Rating: 7.9
Gone Girl (2014)
Is your relationship really as good as you think it is or are you just one fight away from turning your life into a mystery crime movie? Meet Nick and Amy Dunn. A couple who seem perfect from the outside, but Amy suddenly disappears on their wedding anniversary. Everyone immediately thinks Nick is guilty, but the truth is so dangerous that no crime podcast can match it.
Director David Fincher turns this modern crime thriller into a mind-bending game. Rosamund Pike’s performance is so brilliant it’s scary to watch. Her cool-girl dialogue cuts through the trust in relationships like a knife through a cake.
The funny thing is that Fincher is known for his perfectionism. He shot many scenes over and over again so that every word and every pause was exactly right. Even those awkward silences that shake you to the core were part of the whole planning.
If you want to see more of David Fincher’s masterpieces, check out Zodiac. True crime, true mystery, and another excuse to lock the doors before bed.
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike
IMDb Rating: 8.1
Heat (1995)
Now it’s the turn of an iconic heist movie that every crime movie fan should watch at least once. Heat gives us the match of our dreams: Al Pacino vs. Robert De Niro. On one side is a tough cop who never gives up, on the other side is a professional thief whose only rule is to never get so attached to anything that you can’t give up in thirty seconds.
When these two legends sit down for a cup of coffee, the scene becomes a complete magic. You can feel that both respect each other but in their hearts they want to send the other to prison and die. This scene is like two lions circling each other, waiting for their chance.
And that downtown shootout? It looks so real that even real bank robbers plan their escape after watching it. By the way, we don’t recommend that you do the same. Not really.
If you like clever and interesting heists, then check out Inside Man starring Denzel Washington. The film is smart, stylish, and has an ending so powerful that you’ll feel like the villain who outsmarted everyone and got away with it.
Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer
IMDb Rating: 8.3
Oldboy (2003)
If you think you know revenge, believe me, you haven’t seen real revenge until you’ve seen Old Boy. One moment, Oh Dae-su character played by Choi Min-sik is living his normal life, the next, someone locks him in a small room for fifteen years, without any reason. When he finally breaks out, his goal is not just freedom, he wants revenge. But the truth he finds is more terrifying and painful than any prison.
This Korean revenge thriller is also remembered for its famous fight scene. The hallway fight with the hammer was filmed in a single take and took several days to perfect.
And listen to lead actor Choi Min-sik deliver every punch himself. No stuntmen, no fake fighting, just pure passion, a hammer and the fire of revenge.
If you want to see more Korean crime stories, be sure to check out I Saw the Devil. Warning, this Korean crime movie is definitely not for the faint of heart.
Director: Park Chan-wook
Starring: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae
IMDb Rating: 8.3
Prisoners (2013)
If you like suspenseful and dark crime thrillers, watch Prisoners tonight. Two little girls suddenly disappear on Thanksgiving Day. The police do their best, but it’s not enough. A helpless father, played by Hugh Jackman, decides he’s not going to sit idly by. He’ll do whatever it takes.
Detective Loki, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, tries his best not to let him cross the line of no return. There are no dangerous car chases in this crime film. Just quiet fear, panic, and that nagging question that lingers somewhere in every parent’s heart. How far would you go to save your child?
Director Denis Villeneuve later made Dune and Blade Runner 2049, but Prisoners proves he doesn’t need science fiction to keep you in your seat.
If you like Boston mysteries and stories of missing children, be sure to check out Gone Bay Gone. And yes, don’t forget to lock your doors after watching.
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Memories of Murder (2003)
Before Parasite, Bong Joon-ho gave Korea its first major serial killer movie, Memories of Murder. In this true-crime film, two small-town detectives try to track down a ruthless killer in rain-soaked fields and deserted villages. They have no modern machinery, only stubbornness, passion, and muddy boots.
This original case remained unsolved for decades and haunted the entire country until DNA revealed the true killer in 2019. Imagine how many years such a ghost lives on in the heart.
This true crime film is part dark comedy, part terrifying horror, and completely unforgettable. The final close-up shot of Song Kang-ho’s face will stick in your mind for years like an unresolved question that won’t let go.
If you liked Parasite, this is a must-see. This is where Bong Joon-ho’s dark genius first shines.
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung
IMDb Rating: 8.1
The Departed (2006)
Who’s the rat and who’s the cop? The undercover game reaches its ultimate limit in The Departed. A brave cop infiltrates the mafia while a clever mafia man hides in the police. Both are in a hurry to catch the other before a secret is revealed.
Martin Scorsese proves once again that he is the king of modern gangster movies. This undercover crime film is mind-bending. Leonardo DiCaprio breaks into a sweat in every scene, Matt Damon lies so effortlessly that you start to believe it, and Jack Nicholson steals the show every time he comes on screen.
Interestingly, the rat that appears at the end was Jack’s idea. So many endings were filmed that even the actors themselves didn’t know which was the real twist.
If you like clever undercover crime stories, check out Infernal Affairs. This is the original Hong Kong film that spawned this classic.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson
IMDb Rating: 8.5
Se7en (1995)
Finally comes the serial killer thriller that still scares people to this day. In Seven, Morgan Freeman act as a Detective Somerset wants to retire, wanting peace and quiet, but young Brad Pitt (Mills) still believes he can clean up this dirty town. Together, the two go after a killer who kills with the seven deadly sins as his crime list.
What’s in that box? You remember that scene, right? If you don’t, grab a blanket, turn off the lights, and get ready to scream at the TV because that’s what everyone was like when they first saw it.
Director David Fincher didn’t even ask the producers to change the ending. Brad Pitt’s final scream wasn’t in the script at all. He was overcome with emotion at that moment, and that scream lives on in the minds of every crime fan to this day.
If you want more true crime thrills, watch Zodiac. and try to solve these mysteries yourself. Good luck detective.
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey
IMDb Rating: 8.6
More great crime movies — if your heart isn’t full yet!
If you think this list is incomplete — then, sir, write down these few bonus picks as well. Suspense and crime will be double the fun in 2025!
- Zodiac (2007) — More David Fincher, more real fear.
- Chinatown (1974) — Jack Nicholson at his best.
- The Usual Suspects (1995) — The twist that changed cinema.
- Scarface (1983) — Salute to the history of the crime movie.
- Wind River (2017) — Murder in the snow, secrets hidden in the cold.
Your ultimate crime movies checklist for 2025
The best crime movies don’t just show us the bad guys. They show us the things we hide, the things we fear, and what we can do if pushed too far. So lock the door, get the popcorn ready, and put on one of these crime classics tonight.
About FactEgg
At FactEgg, we love movies, mysteries, and interesting lists that keep your mind curious. Bookmark us for more watch lists like this and let us know in the comments. Which crime movie surprised you the most? What is the twist that keeps you up until 3 a.m.? Let us know, we want to hear all your guilty favorites.