Best On Netflix

The 17 Crime Movies On Netflix With The Highest Rotten Tomatoes Scores

By Claire Spellberg @c_spellberg

Published April 23, 2019, 8:30 a.m. ET

photo collage of Kill Bill The Departed Pulp Fiction — Ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes Critic Scores!Photos: Everett Collection; Illustration: Dillen Phelps

Strangers on a Train (1951) — ***Strangers on a Train***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 classic tells the story of -- you guessed it -- two strangers who meet on a train and agree to exchange murders. After the first man, a psychopath named Bruno, completes the first murder, he begins pressuring the tennis pro, Guy, to follow through with his end of the bargain, but Guy is hesitant. Hitchcock fans are sure to enjoy this fast-paced thriller, which is widely considered one of the acclaimed director's best films.
[Stream Strangers on a Train on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Gil Birmingham and Jeff Bridges in Hell or High Water — ***Hell or High Water***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
David Mackenzie's 2016 Western follows two brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) who rob a series of banks in order to save their family's Texas ranch. But of course there's no Western without a sheriff: the brothers are being pursued by two Texas Rangers (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham) who are hot on the thieves' heels. *Hell or High Water* went on to be nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture, so if you're looking for a critically-acclaimed drama to stream, Mackenzie's film is the one for you.
[Stream Hell or High Water on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs — ***The Silence of the Lambs***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
*The Silence of the Lambs* may be considered a horror film, but it's also a crime movie at heart. Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, an FBI trainee assigned to interview famed serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). Starling hopes that Lecter's insight will help find another violent killer, nicknamed "Buffalo Bill," but it soon becomes clear that Lecter expects something in return. *The Silence of the Lambs* went on to win all five major categories at the Oscars, and for good reason: it will leave you chilled to the bone.
[Stream The Silence of the Lambs on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

William Holden in The Wild Bunch — ***The Wild Bunch***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Nothing says "crime movie" quite like an old fashioned Western. This 1969 epic follows an aging outlaw named Pike Bishop (William Holden) as he leads his gang in various crimes along the Mexico-U.S. border in the early 1900s. As Pike and his outlaws rob a railroad office, square off against a band of bounty hunters, and run afoul of the Mexican Federal Army, they learn about the dangers of the Wild Wild West and the true price of brotherhood.
[Stream The Wild Bunch on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction — ***Pulp Fiction***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Quentin Tarantino's non-linear crime masterpiece takes elements from other films on this list and spins them into something totally new. Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta star as Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega, hitmen partners tasked with retrieving a briefcase for their boss. What happens next is.... well, it's better if you just watch *Pulp Fiction* for yourself.
[Stream Pulp Fiction on Netflix]Photo: Miramax

Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men — ***No Country For Old Men***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
The Coen brothers' *No Country For Old Men* tells the story of a Texas sheriff, a Vietnam war veteran, and a hitman who spend their days locked in a cat-and-mouse game in the Texas desert. When Llewelyn Moss finds $2 million in an abandoned truck -- a drug deal gone wrong -- he can't believe his luck, but it's not long before an enigmatic killer begins hunting him. Will Moss get away with the money? Will the sheriff catch the hitman who's been terrorizing his town? Watch this Best Picture winner to find out.
[Stream No Country For Old Men on Netflix]Photo: Miramax

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in Hot Fuzz — ***Hot Fuzz***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Inject some laughs into your crime movie binge-watch with *Hot Fuzz*, Edgar Wright's 2007 buddy cop comedy. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost star as Sergeant Nick Angel and Police Constable Danny Butterman, British police officers investigating a series of mysterious deaths. Along the way, Angel and Danny uncover a supermarket scheme, tangle with an evil Neighbourhood Watch Alliance, and battle corruption within their own department. You know, the usual stuff.
[Stream Hot Fuzz on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin in The Departed — ***The Departed***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Martin Scorsese's 2006 cop drama is one you won't want to miss. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Billy Costigan, a young cop who finally gets his shot when he goes undercover with a local crime syndicate. As he encounters various shady figures and learns that there may be a mole in the department, he realizes he's bitten off way more than he can chew. With an A-list cast including Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and more, *The Departed* is truly a film for the ages.
[Stream The Departed on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo in Zodiac — ***Zodiac***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
If you're a serial killer fan (and by that we mean a fan of serial killer movies, not people), David Fincher's *Zodiac* is a must-see. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Robert Graysmith, a political cartoonist who becomes obsessed with the "Zodiac" killer, a mass murderer that terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alongside crime reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) and police inspector Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo), Graysmith begins to investigate the murders, but despite a few new leads, their digging goes nowhere. Fincher spent months researching the infamously-unsolved case before filming, lending *Zodiac* a creepy-yet-genuine quality that sets it apart from other films in the crime thriller genre.
[Stream Zodiac on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange — ***A Clockwork Orange***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Stanley Kubrick's *A Clockwork* Orange may leave you shaking your head, but that's part of its appeal. The 1971 dystopian drama follows delinquent Alex (Malcolm McDowell) and his small group of thug friends. After participating in a night of "ultra-violence," they're rounded up by the government and subjected to an experimental "rehab" program. Has reality gotten a little too close to the fictionalized world of *A Clockwork Orange*? Possibly. Is that going to prevent us from watching it? No way.
[Stream A Clockwork Orange on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty in Bonnie and Clyde — ***Bonnie and Clyde***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Are you desperate for more Bonnie & Clyde after watching *The Highwaymen*? If so, you're in luck: the original 1967 crime drama hit Netflix just last month. As Bonnie and Clyde (Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway) attempt to evade capture, they engage in a series of holdups and murders that make them truly deserving of the term "Partners in Crime."
[Stream Bonnie and Clyde on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges in Thunderbolt and Lightfood — ***Thunderbolt and Lightfoot***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
Get ready for some old-school Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges. This 1974 drama follows two oddly-named criminals, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, as they travel to Montana to rob a Western Union office. The newfound partners' plan involves a fair amount of deceit, but if they pull it off, they stand to make a boatload of money -- a challenge any crook would gladly accept.
[Stream Thunderbolt and Lightfoot on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

***Once Upon a Time in America***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
This 1984 crime drama from Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone stars Robert De Niro and James Woods as young Jewish men who rise in the ranks of the organized crime world in 1920s New York. De Niro and Woods' characters lead a group of youths from the Jewish ghetto in various criminal enterprises, including bootlegging, providing "muscle," and running robberies. *Once Upon a Time in America* was nominated for a slew of awards, but before you sit down to stream it, make sure that you're ready to commit to the almost four-hour-long epic.
[Stream Once Upon a Time in America on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Uma Thurman in Kill Bill Vol. 1 — ***Kill Bill: Volume 1***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
Another Tarantino special, *Kill Bill: Volume 1* tells the story of the Bride (Uma Thurman), an assassin who swears revenge on her former teammates after they attempt to kill her unborn child. The Bride's quest takes her to Japan, where she battles the Tokyo yakuza (somewhat like a gangster). A few murders later, the Bride has almost approached her true target, her former boss Bill (David Carradine) and his squad of assassins.
[Stream Kill Bill: Volume 1 on Netflix]Photo: Miramax

Uma Thurman in Kill Bill Vol. 2 — ***Kill Bill: Volume 2***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
Fast forward to *Kill Bill: Volume 2*, the second installment in Tarantino's martial arts franchise. The sequel sets up an epic face-off between the Bride and Bill, who is revealed to be her former lover and the father of her daughter, B.B. No spoilers here, but know this: Tarantino originally intended for *Kill Bill* to be a single film, so if you want the intended viewing experience, be sure to queue 'em up back-to-back.
[Stream Kill Bill: Volume 2 on Netflix]Photo: Miramax

Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell in In Bruges — ***In Bruges***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
Martin McDonagh's Golden Globe-winning film stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two Irish hitmen hiding out in Bruges, Belgium. As the two await further orders from their boss (Ralph Fiennes), they meet a variety of charming characters, including Chloe, a drug dealer, and Jimmy, a dwarf actor. However, reality soon comes back to bite them, as the men are forced to reckon with the consequences of their actions, both in Bruges and at home.
[Stream In Bruges on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Ryan Gosling in Beyond the Pines — ***The Place Beyond the Pines***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
Tatted up Ryan Gosling! A supporting cast that includes Rose Byrne, Mahershala Ali, and Bradley Cooper! Drug-busting rookie cops looking to prove themselves! Derek Cianfrance's 2012 drama about a motorcycle-riding bank robber and the young cop on his tail has everything you could possibly want in a crime movie. Plus, it's the film where Gosling and Eva Mendes first met. Need we say more?
[Stream The Place Beyond the Pines on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Russell Crowe and Carla Gugino in American Gangster — ***American Gangster***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
With a run-time of two hours and 36 minutes, you're going to want to settle in with some popcorn for this 2007 drama. *American Gangster* is loosely based on real-life criminal Frank Lucas (played by Denzel Washington), a gangster and drug smuggler operating in Harlem in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Lucas' criminal enterprise catches the eye of Det. Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), who is on a quest to bring down the drug trade -- and the corrupt NYPD officers who enable it. With supporting performances from Ciwetel Ejiofor, Ruby Dee, Cuba Gooding Jr., and more. *American Gangster* is a searing drama you won't soon forget.
[Stream American Gangster on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

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In the mood for a criminally good binge-watch? There are hundreds of crime movies on Netflix right now, so if you’re looking for a murder-filled movie marathon, you’re in luck. Netflix’s library is filled with dramas of all shapes and sizes, which means that no matter your criminal preferences — Are you more of a robbery person? Been on a serial killer kick recently? — you should have no problem finding a critically-acclaimed movie to watch.

Fans of all things bone-chilling will feel right at home in Netflix’s “Crime Movies” library. If you’re in the mood to venture inside the mind of a murderer, The Silence of the Lambs and Zodiac are available to stream — and considering that Mindhunter Season 2 is still months away, those should hold you over in the meantime. Looking for something a bit more old-school? Be sure to check out The Wild Bunch, Strangers on a Train, Bonnie and Clyde, and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, the latter of which stars a very young (and very cute!) Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges. And of course, Netflix also has police stories galore, from the comedic (Hot Fuzz) to the Western-inspired (Hell or High Water) to the corrupt cop classics (The Departed).

And now, without further ado: the best cop dramas, crime capers, gangster epics, and murder mysteries available to stream. These are the 17 best crime movies on Netflix, ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes Critic Scores.