Whether from the investigators’ point of view or the perpetrators: Crime fiction satisfies our fascination with abysmal evil and asks questions that get under our skin: How is it that crimes are committed? Are all of us capable of truly evil deeds? And exactly when does good become evil?
Also, Netflix is aware of the incredible popularity of crime stories. It has some genre jewels up its sleeve, which might belong to the same treasure chest, but which could not sparkle more differently. There are murders in the first classes of the passenger train. The own intellectuality is stroked utilizing crime, humorously investigated or the action-packed coup of a lifetime is carried out. The motto is: Crime doesn’t pay, but exciting crime thrillers do.
Fracture (2007)
It all seems crystal clear: Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) is caught with a gun in his hand next to his wife’s corpse right at the crime scene; the policeman who was called is the dead wife’s lover. What is unusual is that Crawford immediately and without further ado admits to being the murderer – which pleases the up-and-coming prosecutor William Beachum (Ryan Gosling) because he handles such a case easily. But everything turns out quite differently than expected, for Crawford has planned the perfect murder…
High gloss noble thriller with two Hollywood heavyweights who fight a perfidious psychological duel at eye level. Perfect, ambitious and highly suspenseful!
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
![Murder on the Orient Express | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Mq4m3yAoW8E/hqdefault.jpg "9 Best Crime Movies on Netflix 2")
This remake of the 1974 crime thriller starring Peter Ustinov, again based on Agatha Christie’s bestseller of the same name, features a reunion with master detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh), who must here, the title suggests, investigate a murder on the elegant Orient Express. With its beautiful images, this crime chamber play features an illustrious cast of suspects: Besides Johnny Depp and Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Pfeiffer and Olivia Colman, among others, have to face the detective’s critical questions and fear his extraordinary sleuthing skills.
An emphatically old-fashioned and classically staged “whodunit” flick that looks beneath the glittering surface of high-society in the best “Columbo” style and comes up with a surprising final twist. Aesthetically pleasing and charming but not as good as the original.
The Nice Guys (2016)
![The Nice Guys - Main Trailer [HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GQR5zsLHbYw/hqdefault.jpg "9 Best Crime Movies on Netflix 3")
Ryan Gosling can still do it once: This time, he plays a washed-up private detective in the 1970s who has to solve the death of a porn star and the mystery of a missing girl together with rough cop Russell Crowe. The two unequal partners uncover a massive conspiracy in the course of their investigation. Diplomatics and subtlety are required, which is hard for both…
The chemistry between Gosling and Crowe makes this crime buddy comedy an entertaining and briskly staged genre highlight. It’s okay to laugh even when it’s about crime.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
The renowned business journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) struggles with his reputation, so he gladly accepts the assignment of the rich industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer): He is supposed to find out what happened to the latter’s niece Harriet. His investigation leads to a lonely Swedish coastline submerged in ice, with Blomkvist assisted by the emotionally involved but brilliant detective Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). This case takes on proportions that neither of them would have ever imagined…
Star director David Fincher stays true to the gloomy mood of the original Swedish film, itself based on the opening novel of Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium” trilogy, delivering a crime thriller that is both poetic and nerve-wracking in the style of the “Nordic Noir” genre.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6hZkvrFIj0
This weird hodgepodge of drug thriller, crime thriller, gangster film and comedy is still considered Guy Ritchie’s best film: morals are in vain here, but black British humor and unpolished visual aesthetics make the film, celebrated as a cult among cineastes, appear remarkably grounded and dirty.
The story is told by four petty criminals who want to (or rather have to) pay off their immensely high debts by stealing money from rich drug dealers. It is evident that this will not work out well. It is absurd, over-the-top, extraordinary, and a thriller that gives its genre a skillful right hook.
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Of course, in a list of crime movies, the most famous detective in the world can’t be missing – even if the 2009 version starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law is more of an action-fantasy adventure, but still, its basic premise is reminiscent of a crime thriller: Although Holmes and Watson (Law) were able to convict Lord Blackwood, who was one of the most cold-blooded murderers of the 19th century, and the latter is hanged, it appears that the case is not closed: because even after Blackwood’s death, the killings continue. Has the latter actually kept the promise he made on the gallows to return from the realm of the dead?
As an action superhero dealing with the supernatural, Sherlock Holmes works better than expected. “Sherlock Holmes” is an image-rich CGI popcorn blockbuster that barely gives you time to catch your breath and adds a much-needed aura of freshness to the classic. The delight in trial and error is evident down to the smallest corner of the scene. Cheeky, vibrant, exciting!
Burn After Reading (2008)
Suppose Brad Pitt, George Clooney, John Malcovich, Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand voluntarily pull down the buffoonery and make fun of themselves. In that case, only the Coen brothers can be behind it. When a crime thriller becomes such a persiflage of its own genre without becoming an end in itself, but instead a wickedly funny trip, then only the Coen brothers can be responsible for it.
In focus is a CD with secret CIA data, which is accidentally found in the gym, where, say, do not work the brightest candles on the cake (divinely self-deprecating: Brad Pitt). Naturally, the latter unconsciously get involved with the CIA. The CIA doesn’t come off well in “Burn After Reading” either, of course. Like nobody here, really. And that is exactly why this film is simply brilliant.
Murder Mystery (2019)
Along with his wife (Jennifer Aniston), a policeman from New York (Adam Sandler) is finally taking the long-promised trip to Europe. While on the plane, a chance acquaintance unexpectedly invites them to a confidential family reunion on the luxury yacht of an elderly billionaire. But when the latter is murdered, the two are soon considered prime suspects. Good thing the two of them know a thing or two about whodunits…
Every good movie doesn’t have to be a cinematic masterpiece for the ages: This pleasingly old-fashioned yet modern crime thriller takes its cues from classic crime films and is both homage and satire. Its easily digestible plot is entertaining and invites the viewer to guess along. At the same time, the well-acted actors and actresses provide additional esprit. This is one of the most successful Netflix films of all time.
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Yet another crime grotesque that would establish the career of one of the greatest directors of our time: In Reservoir Dogs, which centers on a botched heist, Quentin Tarantino already shows his passionate penchant for exuberant but psycho- and socially-analytical violence, over-the-top action and, of course, easygoing guys, cool patter and a wacky soundtrack.
Smashing all genre conventions, but surprisingly moralistic and almost minimalist in the end, this low-budget film is a profoundly cynical parable about loyalty, trust, ethics and, of course, violence.
