Crime: 145

Carlito’s Way (1993) is an American crime drama film helmed by Brian De Palma and written by David Koepp. The screenplay is based on the novels Carlito’s Way (1975) and After Hours (1979) written by Judge Edwin Torres. Set in 1975 New York, the story follows Carlito Brigante’s release from prison after serving five years of a thirty-year sentence. His close friend and lawyer, Dave Kleinfeld, uses a legal loophole to get him out. Despite his initial plans to leave behind his criminal ways, ...

Where the Day Takes You (1992), an American drama film directed by Marc Rocco, follows a group of young people who create their own supportive family on the streets of Los Angeles. King, their leader, has been living on the streets for many years and recently returned from serving a two-month prison sentence for assault. Upon his release, he notices that the group (including himself, Greg, Little J, Crasher, and Brenda) has fallen apart. King seeks revenge on Tommy Ray for killing his girlfriend and enlists the help of Heather, a 17-year-old from Chicago. One night while stealing car stereos, Greg and Little J get into ...

Directed by Abel Ferrara, Bad Lieutenant (1992) is an American neo-noir crime film that follows an unnamed NYPD police lieutenant portrayed by Harvey Keitel. The story begins with the lieutenant dropping off his two sons at Catholic school before indulging in cocaine and driving to Union Square where he discovers a double homicide. In exchange for drugs from the crime scene, the lieutenant gives a bag of drugs to a dealer, smoking crack during the transaction. He then proceeds to get drunk and participate in a threesome with two women at an apartment before visiting a ...

Quentin Tarantino’s film, Reservoir Dogs (1992), follows a group of eight men as they carry out a diamond heist. They all use aliases except for the boss, Joe Cabot, and his son, ‘Nice Guy’ Eddie Cabot. While having breakfast at a diner, things take a dangerous turn when they realize the job was a setup and their fellow thief, Blonde, has gone rogue. With Brown dead and Blue and Blonde missing, White and Orange flee to their hideout where they meet up with Pink. As tensions rise between the men over what to do next, White is angered by the fact that Blonde was even hired in the first place due to his ...

Thelma & Louise (1991), an American crime drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri, follows the journey of two friends as they escape their mundane lives in Arkansas for a weekend getaway at a fishing cabin in the mountains. Thelma is married to a disrespectful and controlling carpet salesman named Darryl, while Louise works as a sassy waitress in a diner and has an on-and-off relationship with musician Jimmy. As they make their way to the cabin, they make a pit stop at a roadhouse bar where Thelma ends up dancing with an overly flirtatious ...

The American crime film, The Godfather Part III (1990), was produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Co-written with Mario Puzo, the screenplay follows the story of Michael Corleone who is approaching 60 in 1979. Wracked with guilt over his ruthless rise to power, Michael donates millions to charitable causes. He is also dealing with the aftermath of ordering his brother’s murder. Michael and his ex-wife Kay are divorced, and their children Anthony and Mary reside with Kay. During a reception at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral honoring Michael, which takes ...

King of New York (1990), a neo-noir directed by Abel Ferrara and written by Nicholas St. John, follows drug lord Frank White as he attempts to gain control over New York City’s criminal underworld. Following his release from Sing Sing Penitentiary, White and his crew, led by his loyal associate Jimmy Jump, solidify their power by eliminating rival groups such as the Colombian drug cartel and Triad. In one instance, White personally takes out a Mafia boss who refuses to cooperate with him. The notorious actions of White and his team attract the attention of the ...

Goodfellas (1990) is a biographical crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese. Set in Brooklyn during the mid-1950s, the film follows Henry Hill as he becomes infatuated with the Mafia lifestyle in his Italian-American neighborhood. Working under caporegime Paulie Cicero and alongside his fellow delinquents Jimmy ‘the Gent’ Conway and Tommy DeVito, Henry starts off as a fence for Jimmy and gradually progresses to more serious crimes. The trio spends their evenings at the Copacabana nightclub, indulging in their glamorous lifestyle surrounded by women. Despite initial concerns about Henry’s criminal ...

Directed by Joseph Ruben, True Believer (1989) is an American courtroom drama that follows burnt-out attorney Eddie Dodd on a new case. Dodd has abandoned his civil rights work and now defends drug dealers, but with the help of idealistic legal clerk Roger Baron, he takes on the case of Shu Kai Kim. Kim, a young Korean man who has spent eight years in prison for a gang-related murder in New York’s Chinatown, has killed another inmate in self-defense. Despite his troubled past, Kim’s mother strongly believes in her son’s innocence. Dodd and Baron’s investigation uncovers a conspiracy involving ...

For Queen and Country (1988) is a crime drama film co-written and directed by Martin Stellman. Set during the height of The Troubles, the story follows Black British paratrooper Reuben James, who is attacked by IRA militants while leaving a pub in Northern Ireland. He is rescued by fellow soldier and Londoner Tony, also known as ‘Fish’. Together with another soldier from London, Bob Harper, they later fight in the Falkland Islands in 1982. After leaving the army in 1988, Reuben returns to his old East End neighbourhood in London, where he faces harassment from police officers like Challoner and Kilcoyne. ...

Less than Zero (1987) is an American drama film directed by Marek Kanievska, which is based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis. Clay Easton, a dutiful college freshman on the East Coast, returns home to Los Angeles for Christmas to find that things have changed drastically since he last left. His former high school girlfriend and now model, Blair, has fallen into cocaine addiction and has been involved with Clay’s old friend Julian Wells. Julian’s life has taken a turn for the worse after his record company failed, leaving him with a drug ...

The American police procedural television series, 21 Jump Street (1987–1991), aired on Fox network and in first-run syndication from April 12, 1987 to April 27, 1991. Over the course of its run, the show produced 103 episodes and followed a team of youthful-looking undercover officers as they investigated crimes in schools, gangs, and other teenage settings. Initially planned to be named Jump Street Chapel after their base of operations in a deconsecrated church building, the title was changed at Fox’s request to avoid confusion with a religious program. The series also launched Johnny Depp’s acting ...

The American film, The Untouchables (1987), was directed by Brian De Palma, produced by Art Linson, and written by David Mamet. It is set in Chicago during Prohibition, where notorious gangster Al Capone controls the illegal liquor industry. Bureau of Prohibition agent Eliot Ness is assigned to stop Capone’s illegal activities. His first attempt at a raid is unsuccessful due to corrupt police officers tipping off Capone. However, he meets veteran officer James Malone, who opposes corruption and offers to assist Ness. ...

The film The Sicilian (1987), directed by Michael Cimino, is a sweeping historical crime drama. Its screenplay was written by Steve Shagan and later revised by both Cimino and Gore Vidal, based on Mario Puzo’s novel of the same title from 1984. The story follows Salvatore Giuliano, a notorious bandit who leads a group of rebels in an attempt to liberate Sicily from Italian control during the early 1950s and turn it into ...

River’s Edge (1986), an American crime drama film directed by Tim Hunter and written by Neal Jimenez, is set in Northern California. One day, pre-teen Tim tosses his sister’s doll into a nearby river and spots a teenager named John smoking on the other side. Later, at a convenience store, Tim sees John getting denied the sale of beer and decides to steal two cans for himself. When John leaves the store and heads towards his car, he discovers that Tim has placed the stolen beer on his front seat. Taking advantage of their encounter, Tim joins John on a trip to ...

The American crime drama TV series, Crime Story (1986–1988), was created by Chuck Adamson and Gustave Reininger, and produced by Michael Mann. It aired on NBC for two seasons from September 18, 1986 to May 10, 1988. The show debuted with a two-hour pilot that had previously been shown in theaters and garnered a viewership of over 30 million. Originally airing on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. opposite ABC’s Moonlighting, it was later moved to Fridays at 10 p.m. before eventually settling on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. during the fall of ...

Year of the Dragon (1985) is an American neo-noir crime thriller film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino. It follows the story of Stanley White, a highly decorated police captain and Vietnam War veteran who is assigned to New York City’s Chinatown. Desperate to rid the city of Chinese organized crime, White becomes fixated on taking down Joey Tai, a young man who relentlessly climbs the ranks of the Triads. As their rivalry intensifies, they unravel the fragile peace that has long existed between the Triads and the local police precinct. Meanwhile, other criminal groups such as the Italian Mob and Thai ...

Point of No Return (1985) is a Polish crime comedy directed by Juliusz Machulski. Serving as a follow-up to its predecessor, Vabank (1981), the film brings back our familiar characters who find themselves tangled in a fierce rivalry between a former safecracker and a corrupt bank manager. After breaking out of prison with the help of an old accomplice, former banker Kramer seeks retribution against his enemy, Kwinto. In response to this threat, Kwinto enlists the help of his old gang. The story culminates in Kramer’s apparent victory as he boards a flight to Zurich, Switzerland – but first, they ...

Once Upon a Time in America (1984) is an epic crime film co-written and directed by Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone. In 1933, three thugs scour the city for a man known as ‘Noodles’ to extract information from him through violent means. They eventually end up at a wayang theater, where the owners lead them to a secret opium den within the establishment and warn Noodles of their presence. However, Noodles is not bothered by their threats as he is under the influence of drugs and reading a newspaper detailing the deaths of bootleggers Patrick Goldberg, Philip Stein and Maximilian Bercovicz. He remembers ...

Scarface (1983) is an American crime drama film, directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone, and starring Al Pacino. The movie is a newer version of the 1932 film with the same title, which was based on a novel published in 1930 by Armitage Trail. In 1980, Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee and former convict, arrives in Miami during the Mariel boatlift. He’s sent to a refugee camp alongside his closest friend Manny Ribera, as well as their companions Angel and ...