The Best Crime Movies on Netflix

The best crime movies on Netflix have a lot in common. There's usually a fair amount of blood, violence, sex, or drugs. It's not to say that they must have all of them, but I doubt you're going to find a good crime movie on Netflix that doesn't have a least one of them. But more than that, I believe the best crime movies are the ones that always keep you guessing on what the next step is going to be. We've all seen the cookie cutter crime story played out a hundred times, but the crime movies below break away from the mold and bring something new to the table.

Get the Gringo

Talk about hell in a Mexican jail. You know, you always hear the stories about getting locked up abroad and how horrible it is. I can't say for sure that this is an accurate depiction of what it's like to be in prison in Mexico, but if it is, this is a pure nightmare. I honestly thought the days of Mal Gibson were over but he can back with a vengeance in this one. I haven't seen him shoot a gun since Lethal Weapon! I liked how he got to interject a little bit of that Gibson wit and humor in this one even though the plot is pretty brutal. What I didn't know is that he co-wrote Get the Gringo. It seems he can still command an audience the way he used to. It's unfortunate that he fell off (with the rant) a few years ago, but I think everyone makes mistakes and deserves a second chance. There's an aspect to Get the Gringo that comes off as insanely evil preying on the poor children of Mexico. It kind of hits you out of the blue but doesn't do any damage to the entertainment. It's great to see ol "Riggs" back in action.

The Mule

For whatever reason, some good movies on Netflix get swept under the rug and no one sees them. I guess it's possible because The Mule is an Australian movie and maybe it gets more exposure on the Australian Netflix platform? Either way, you are missing out on a great crime thriller with The Mule. Once things get up and running you really start to squirm in your seat on this one. More than anything you start to feel for the man character because he seems to be the only genuine person in the story. I mean sure, take a look at the premise and you might run from this one but you really shouldn't. Does it have some seriously gross scenes? It sure does. Does it have a lot of great acting, actors, and laughs? It sure does. I did a little more digging this time around and I found that it actually is a true story. So that's got to count for something right? It's at the top of the Netflix crime movies so give it a try. You might just be on the edge of your seat the whole time.

Cheap Thrills

So I'll let you guys in on a little secret. Pat Healy is starting to make some pretty good crime movies on Netflix! I randomly started searching for movies that he's directed or written and it turns out that he's starting to really produce some fun ones. Cheap Thrills is the story of a man down on his luck and in desperate need of making money to provide for his family. He bumps into an old friend and things spiral out of control from there. Did I mention this one is full of blood? Because it is. Lots of it. I can't say that I've ever been as desperate as Pat Healy's character in this movie but I do know that money problems are no fun. Money seems to drive every character in this movie crazy and one way or another it fuels them to do increasingly horrible things. There's always a clock ticking in the background, like jeopardy, and that must be why people start to be willing to risk life and limb. Cheap thrills is well worth it.

Take Me

Next up, another great Pat Healy movie. Take Me stars Pat Healy and Taylor Schilling as the kidnapper and kidnapped. The thing is Healy's character runs a kidnap for hire business. Sounds legit right? Well, maybe not. But he does manage to help people deal with things like eating disorders or smoking so there's got to be a method to his madness. Although, once Taylor Schilling hits the scene as his newest client, it's hard to tell who the crazy one is. You really have to give him credit for all the hard work he puts into his job. He literally stakes out peoples houses and stalks them like a real psycho would. In a way, he studies them so he can um, ahem, kidnap them better! Healy actually comes off as the perfect character for this role because he kind of gives off the creepy kidnapper guy vibe. The only thing that might be creepier than his role is Taylor Schilling's. She is pretty much a psycho in Take Me. You'll never guess what's going on because she's just so sporadic the whole time. They worked great together going back in forth in this off the wall thriller.

Filth

James McAvoy stars in this dark and drug laden story of a corrupt cop's life. He almost pretends to be a good one. Well actually, he doesn't even seem to pretend much. McAvoy's character is a depraved, and not to mention bigoted, soul who cares nothing of the world including myself. It's not an easy downward spiral to watch as the laughs turn into a more queasy feeling of seeing a man sinking as low as he can go. Filth has a lot of non-stop action and it continues to keep the pace throughout the film. You don't really need to look any further than the trailer though. You can easily get a glimpse of what the movie might be like and if you're a little more of a reserved person, I would actually recommend you avoid this one. It's one of the good crime movies on Netflix, but it might not be for the faint of heart.

I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore

When you first start watching I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore it feels like it's just going to be a quirky type of movie about a girl who's fed up with the world and decides to do something about it. In a way, it does have that aspect to the movie, but there is a whole lot more in store for you. Did you plan on there being blood and lots of it? Cause I didn't. That's just one of the many good surprises I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore will bring to the table. What starts as an innocent expression of frustration from the main character quickly turns into a violent clash of comedy and violence. Elijah Woods plays a really eccentric role in this one and it's hard to guess what his real intentions are. More than just a crime movie, I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore would fit in as a Netflix crime drama movie and one of the best Netflix thrillers. You can watch this one more than once and still won't be disappointed. It's definitely one of the best crime movies on Netflix.

A Lonely Place to Die

I'm really surprised that A Lonely Place to Die is still on Netflix. Netflix usually removes all the good movies but this one has withstood the test of time. A Lonely Place to Die is about a group of hikers that come across a girl trapped in an underground pit. You really don't know what's going on in this one to start. Watching the first 20 minutes makes you prepare yourself for the characters to get betrayed by the ones they're trying to help. A Lonely Place to Die is an action packed thriller that keeps your mind running with the never ending momentum. I always recommend movies with beautiful scenery and a lot of the time it's from a hiker's view just like this one. It's really hard for mystery and thriller movies on Netflix to be unpredictable, and although you may predict some of the parts of this movie, I don't think you will predict everything and that's usually enough to keep you entertained.

Bronson

Man, Tom Hardy really went all out on this one. Bronson is the true story of infamous English prisoner Michael Peterson and how he loved spending nearly half his life in prison. I would nominate Bronson to be one of the best true crime movies on Netflix. This may have been the first movie that made me realize what a great actor Tom Hardy is. Even the real Michael Peterson said that he was pleased with his performance and complimented him on building up enough muscle to portray his character correctly. Throughout his life, Bronson seemed to love to have bloody battles with the guards on a daily basis. He famously would grease himself up and strip naked to prepare for the fights and I'm sorry to say that Tom Hardy really takes that to heart. I'm not a huge fan of male nudity, so just keep that in mind if you aren't either. But besides that, Tom Hardy absolutely crushed his role in Bronson. He comes off as a caged, wild, animal one minute and a quiet introspective man the next. Bronson definitely has to be one of the best British crime dramas on Netflix.

HeadHunters

I have raved about HeadHunters more times than I can count, but it absolutely deserves to be on a list of the best crime movies on Netflix. HeadHunters will really have your head spinning as you race through the movie from one grisly act to the next. One thing I always love about Scandinavian movies on Netflix is that everything seems so clean and pristine. I supposed it's the minimalistic views that they have but I really want a Scandinavian designed house like the ones in HeadHunters. What's ironic about my "clean" description is the dirty, gritty, scenes that show up in this movie. It's not a perfect film (and none really are) but it's a smart crime movie that puts you in the uncomfortable position of wondering how he's going to manage to get out of the situation the main character finds himself in.

I've seen a ton of Netflix crime movies that were not even worth watching for 5 minutes. It's unfortunate that the crime movies are a dime a dozen these days. But that doesn't mean that we can't still find ones that are not only worth watching but may just turn into some of your favorite crime movies on Netflix. Good crime movies on Netflix disappear quickly though so make sure to take a chance on any of the ones above and you'll be in for one exciting ride. Next time I'm hoping to bring you some of the best crime shows on Netflix, but until then, enjoy these flicks!