Crime: 145

The crime film, The Bling Ring (2013), was written and directed by Sofia Coppola. After quietly transferring to Indian Hills High School in Agoura Hills, California, Marc Hall is quickly befriended by Rebecca Ahn, who has an unhealthy obsession with fame. Despite his reservations, Marc agrees to accompany Rebecca on her thieving ventures, where they target unlocked cars for cash and credit cards. As they continue to hang out after school, Marc begins to view Rebecca as a sisterly figure. One day, she asks if he knows anyone who is out of town and he suggests a wealthy acquaintance currently in Jamaica. Persuaded by ...

The Counselor (2013), directed by Ridley Scott and written by Cormac McCarthy, is a crime thriller film. In Mexico, cocaine is transported in barrels inside a sewage truck across the border to the United States. The drug is then stored at a sewage treatment plant. To purchase an engagement ring for his girlfriend Laura, The Counselor travels to Amsterdam to meet with a diamond dealer. Upon returning to the United States, he attends a party in Texas hosted by drug dealer Reiner and his girlfriend Malkina. During their conversation, The Counselor reveals his involvement in ...

The British TV movie, The Great Train Robbery (2013), is a two-part miniseries written by Chris Chibnall and aired on BBC One in December 2013. It depicts the infamous event that occurred on August 8th, 1963, through the eyes of both the robbers and the police. In the first episode, A Robber’s Tale, we witness the meticulous planning and successful execution of the robbery. The second episode, A Copper’s Tale, focuses on the law enforcement’s investigation and arrest of most of the robbers. Interestingly enough, A Robber’s Tale premiered on the same day as Ronnie Biggs’ passing.

Unit 7 (2012) is a gripping Spanish crime drama action thriller directed by Alberto Rodríguez and co-written with Rafael Cobos. This critically acclaimed film earned 16 Goya Award nominations. Set in Seville, Andalusia, the story unfolds in the four years leading up to the 1992 Universal Exposition. It portrays the significant social changes that accompanied this major event, focusing on the city’s transformation before and after the World Expo. The plot centers on the dedicated members of Unit 7, a fictional police unit known for their exceptional rate of drug ...

End of Watch (2012) is an American action thriller film written and directed by David Ayer. It follows the story of Los Angeles Police Department officers Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, who are not only close friends but also partners in the LAPD’s Newton Division. The two are responsible for patrolling a high crime area in South Central. Taylor, a Marine Corps veteran, documents their duty as part of a college project following their return from an officer-involved shooting. During a public disturbance call, Tre, a member of the Bloods gang, directs racial slurs at Zavala, who responds by agreeing to engage in a ...

Savages (2012) is an American action thriller film directed by Oliver Stone, based on Don Winslow’s novel of the same name. It follows best friends Chon and Ben, marijuana growers in Laguna Beach. After smuggling seeds out of Afghanistan, Chon, a former Navy SEAL, teams up with Ben, a University of California graduate in business and botany. With their unique strain of marijuana gaining popularity, the pair amass wealth while also dedicating time and money to charitable efforts in Africa and Asia. They are also both openly involved with Ophelia Sage. However, their ...

The film The Place Beyond the Pines (2012), directed by Derek Cianfrance and written by Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, and Darius Marder from a story by Cianfrance and Coccio follows the journey of Luke Glanton, a motorcycle stuntman with a traveling carnival. In Schenectady, he reconnects with his former lover Romina Gutierrez, who is now in a relationship with Kofi Kancam. To his ...

Rampart (2011) is a gripping crime drama directed and co-written by Oren Moverman and James Ellroy. The film follows Dave Brown, a seasoned member of the LAPD’s Rampart Division with over two decades of experience. In the midst of training a new officer, Brown resorts to violence to extract information from a suspect regarding a meth lab location. After his shift, he returns home to his two daughters and two ex-wives, who also happen to be sisters. A late-night visit to a piano bar leads to a spontaneous one-night stand with a stranger. However, Brown’s fate ...

Wild Bill (2011), a British crime comedy drama film directed by Dexter Fletcher, follows the story of a recently paroled man. After serving an eight year sentence for drug offenses, he returns home to East London to find his two sons, Dean and Jimmy. However, their mother has abandoned them and Dean has been taking care of both himself and his younger brother. Despite this, Dean makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with Bill. As Bill tries to adjust to life on the outside, he is offered a chance to return to illegal activities by his former associates Dickie and Terry. Knowing the consequences of getting caught ...

Neon Flesh (2010) is a neo-noir thriller with comedic undertones directed by Paco Cabezas. Following his release, Ricky reunites with his mother, Pura, who has resorted to prostitution to make ends meet. Pura has been saving up money to fulfill Ricky’s wish of opening a brothel, but her untimely death in a car accident changes everything. Determined to honor her memory, Ricky decides to pursue his own dream and open a high-end brothel. To achieve this goal, he enlists the aid of his former cellmate, Angelito, and friend, Carlos. However, their pursuit becomes complicated when they become targets of the ruthless El ...

Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014) is a popular American period crime drama created by Terence Winter and aired on HBO. It takes place primarily in Atlantic City, New Jersey during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and features Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson, a notorious criminal. Winter drew inspiration from Nelson Johnson’s 2002 non-fiction book, Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City, which focuses on the real-life kingpin Enoch L. ...

Dolan’s Cadillac (2009) is a Canadian crime film that features an all-star cast, including Wes Bentley, Christian Slater and Emmanuelle Vaugier. It tells the story of Tom Robinson, a middle school history teacher living in Las Vegas with his beloved wife Elizabeth. During a horseback riding trip in the desert, Elizabeth stumbles upon a human trafficking operation turned deadly when gangster Jimmy Dolan kills two Coyotes and one illegal alien. In her escape from Dolan’s men, Elizabeth drops her phone which they ...

Southland (2009–2013), a crime drama TV series, was created by writer Ann Biderman and produced by Warner Bros. Television. It initially aired on NBC in 2009 for one season before being picked up by TNT for four more seasons from 2010 to 2013. The first season on NBC ran for seven episodes, airing from April 9 to May 21. Shortly after the finale, it was announced that Southland would return for a second season with an initial order of 13 episodes starting September 25. However, its premiere was pushed back to October 23 due to the need for more promotion. Unfortunately, two weeks before the scheduled premiere, ...

Polytechnique (2009), a Canadian drama film directed and written by Denis Villeneuve and Jacques Davidts, follows the actions of a troubled young man. Armed with a rifle, he leaves a message for his mother before heading to Polytechnique Montreal – an engineering school – and interrupting a class. With his weapon in hand, he orders the men to leave while commanding the women to stay. When they hesitate, he fires into the ceiling to prove the gravity of his intent. He then proceeds to express disdain towards feminists, despite some of the women denying any ...

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) is an American black comedy crime drama film directed by is evacuating a police precinct. While packing up another officer’s locker, he discovers that a prisoner may still be inside despite the evacuation orders. He investigates and finds the prisoner at risk of drowning due to rising floodwaters. McDonagh and his partner, Stevie Pruit, debate whether to wait for the fire department or intervene themselves. Ultimately, McDonagh jumps in and rescues the prisoner, injuring his back in the process. He is prescribed Vicodin for pain management and is praised by the department for his bravery, receiving a medal and ...

Public Enemies (2009), an American biographical crime drama film directed by Michael Mann, follows notorious criminal John Dillinger as he attempts to evade the law and continue his life of crime in 1933. With a screenplay co-written by Ronan Bennett and Ann Biderman, the movie begins with Dillinger’s daring escape from the Indiana State Penitentiary alongside his crew. Tragically, his mentor Walter Dietrich is killed during the jailbreak. After changing their clothes and finding refuge at a safe house on Chicago’s east side, Dillinger and his accomplices carry out a series of bank robberies while FBI agent ...

In his directorial debut, Martin McDonagh brings us In Bruges (2008), a black comedy-drama crime thriller. Following orders, inexperienced hitman Ray unintentionally shoots a young boy instead of his target, a priest during confession. Along with his mentor Ken, Ray travels to Bruges as instructed by their employer Harry, to wait for further instructions. While Ken finds the city enchanting and peaceful, Ray is unimpressed and unhappy. However, their boredom is momentarily interrupted when they come across a movie being filmed with a dwarf actor. This entertains Ray greatly. During his time in Bruges, Ray also meets Chloë – a local drug dealer who is working as ...

Il divo (2008) is a biographical drama directed by Paolo Sorrentino that delves into the life of former Italian Prime Minister, Giulio Andreotti. The film competed at the Cannes Film Festival and received the prestigious Jury Prize. It follows Andreotti’s political career, which was plagued by accusations of Mafia connections and scandalous events such as his seventh election in 1992, his unsuccessful attempt at becoming President, and his controversial trial in 1995. As the film begins, Giulio Andreotti reflects on his ability to endure a tumultuous political career, unlike his ...

RocknRolla (2008), a gangster crime comedy film by Guy Ritchie, follows the story of mob boss Lenny Cole as he dominates London’s real estate business with help from corrupt councillor and right-hand man Archy. When billionaire Russian businessman Uri Omovich plans a lucrative land deal, everyone in the city wants a piece of it — including Stella, Uri’s devious accountant, and a gang known as ‘The Wild Bunch’ led by small-time crook ‘One-Two’, his partner ‘Mumbles’, and their driver ‘Handsome Bob’. In exchange for €7,000,000 to bribe the Council, Uri lends ...

Breaking Bad (2008–2013), an American neo-Western crime drama TV series, was created and produced by Vince Gilligan and aired on AMC from January 20, 2008 to September 29, 2013. It ran for five seasons and had a total of 62 episodes. Filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the show follows the story of Walter White. He is a high school chemistry teacher who is dealing with stage-three lung cancer and feeling underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited. To secure his family’s financial future before he dies, White turns to a life of crime. His former student Jesse Pinkman becomes his partner as they produce and distribute ...