165 Best Crime Movies to Watch (Page 9)

Detective Forst isn’t a mindbending, totally original crime thriller that would revolutionize the detective genre, but sometimes we just want something familiar. The thriller adaptation of Remigiusz Mróz’s book series mostly sticks to the classic tropes, with eerily strung up bodies being investigated by the gruff, hardened detective, portrayed well by Borys Szyc. It’s not immediately clear what brought Forst to the mountains– whatever it was, it’s enough to gain the mistrust of his new station, and it’s possibly the reason behind his splitting migraines– but that’s part of the fun, as an additional mystery alongside who is behind the murders. That being said, the show plans to depict a whole series, so the ending of its first season might exasperate viewers who just want a complete story. Still, with the striking scenery of the Tatra Mountains, Detective Forst is at least stunning enough to watch, even with all the moody murder mystery tropes onboard.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Aleksandra Grabowska, Borys Szyc, Kamilla Baar, Szymon Wróblewski, Zuzanna Saporznikow

Director: Daniel Jaroszek

Rating: TV-MA

When crime happens at the border between two countries, it’s usually not big enough to earn the attention of two police departments. Criminal Code starts off with a literal bang, with around 50 participants bombing a security firm for a robbery. As the Paraguay and Brazilian police departments find new revelations, including the robbery’s link with a prison breakout, amongst other crimes, both sides want the glory of solving a case this big. However, Benicio just wants justice for his fallen partner, who got caught in the clash in the breakout. It’s not new – the written cases were inspired by actual real-life crimes – but it’s executed well, the whole plot unfolding piece by piece as more evidence presents itself. It’s no wonder this story was chosen to be the first Brazilian police series on Netflix.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Crime, Drama

Actor: Guilherme Faria, Maeve Jinkings, Miguel Nader, Pedro Caetano, Thomas Aquino

Rating: TV-MA

With stories like Gone Girl and the true crime boom of the 2010s, it’s easy to believe that these depictions are harmless– fake crime stories are fictional, after all, and surely, it’s important to discuss real crime in order to prevent it. New Netflix docu-series American Nightmare portrays a real life case itself, but it questions the impact these stories have towards real life. It depicts what used to be called the “real life Gone Girl” kidnapping, whose investigation and media speculation was colored by these stories, which hindered Huskins’ rescue. The case eventually led to the real culprit, but American Nightmare challenges the viewers themselves, as it stretches the case across three episodes, portraying each angle in the true crime flair we’re used to speculating with.

Genre: Documentary

Rating: TV-MA

The docuseries simultaneously revolves around the precedent that spouses are suspect #1 when their partners go missing/are victimized, as well as the angle of Scott Peterson maintaining his innocence. It’s a heartbreaking, dark Christmas Eve case with a dash of classic Netflix sensationalism with the editing being a smidge extra at times. Still, some elements help, like the splendid visuals for the timeline that help the viewer take note of inconsistencies and red flags throughout the story, of which there can be a lot. But like most middle-of-the-road true crime, it drags. And you stay because the story itself is interesting, in spite of everything.

Genre: Crime, Documentary

Actor: Allen Brocchini

Rating: TV-14

This is a pretty easy premise to invest in: psychotic exes. They don’t fumble the bag, either, giving us a series that takes an active stance against a justice system that is often asleep at the wheel in these cases, and spotlights the victims more than anything else which creates some semblance of hope in a tragic genre. The abusive cycle of manipulative behavior is insane—some people just never find fault in themselves or their logic—and the series captures the escalating frustration in the stories. Still, some outcomes give you immense comfort, and when it comes to this genre, that’s a huge win.

Genre: Crime, Documentary

Rating: TV-MA