The 10 Best Crime Movies With Perfect Acting, Ranked

There are plenty of genres that have delivered some of the most elite, industry-defining acting performances in the history of cinema, but one in particular that has made itself worthy of the utmost acclaim is the crime genre. Throughout the years, crime cinema has given us an admirable number of the most widely acclaimed and studied performances in all of big-screen acting.

Here ranked in order of how good the general acting is in them, these are the crime movies that have delivered the highest level of actorial brilliance in film history. From groundbreaking classics like On the Waterfront to modern masterpieces like Prisoners, these movies prove why the crime genre seems to be particularly well-suited for actors to find roles that will completely define the course of their whole careers.

10

‘Prisoners’ (2013)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

One of the most suspenseful movies in film history, Prisoners was Canadian auteur Denis Villeneuve‘s first foray into Hollywood filmmaking, instantly establishing his voice as one of the freshest and most exciting in modern Hollywood. The movie is an absolute masterclass in mood and suspense, an impeccably crafted psychological thriller marvelously written by Aaron Guzikowski and with some of the greatest camerawork of Roger Deakins‘ career.

As great as Prisoners‘ screenplay and visuals are, however, there’s another element that’s the biggest star of the show: the acting. Hugh Jackman delivers a career-best tour-de-force performance, Jake Gyllenhaal counterbalances his intensity with much quieter tension, and supporting performers like Paul Dano and Viola Davis also give their roles their all. In the end, what audiences tend to remember most about Prisoners is the ensemble’s work.

9

‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)

Image via Miramax Films

After the tremendous success of Reservoir Dogs, expectations were high for Quentin Tarantino‘s sophomore effort. Saying that it was even more of a success would be an understatement. Winner of the 1994 Palme d’Or and seven-time Oscar nominee, Pulp Fiction is generally remembered as one of the greatest movies in the history of Hollywood, regardless of genre.

There are many reasons why it’s also one of the most ambitious gangster movies of all time, including its vast gallery of characters—all of them played by stars at the very top of their games. Whether we’re talking about John Travolta in the role that gave him a short-lived career revival, Uma Thurman in her most iconic non-Kill Bill role, or Samuel L. Jackson in the performance that should have earned him an Oscar, there’s nothing to complain about when it comes to Pulp Fiction‘s acting.

8

‘Some Like It Hot’ (1959)

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Billy Wilder was a filmmaker constantly ahead of his time, unafraid of pushing the envelope even during the highly censorial years of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Some Like It Hot came right as the era of Classical American cinema was coming to an end, and since it’s one of those classic comedy movies that have aged remarkably well, many would confidently call it Wilder’s best work ever.

It’s just as much of a gangster picture as it is a rom-com, and its performances work flawlessly in both dimensions. The main attraction here, of course, is the trifecta formed by Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe, who form one of the greatest, funniest, and most unforgettable actorial trios in the entire history of the comedy movie genre.

7

‘The Shawshank Redemption’ (1994)

Image via Columbia Pictures

There are arguably no filmmakers who are better at adapting Stephen King‘s work than Frank Darabont, and even though the author is best known for his horror books, Darabont’s work has particularly shined when adapting King’s non-horror works. Case in point: the prison drama The Shawshank Redemption, which has been the highest-rated film on IMDb for many years.

Indeed, it’s one of those drama films that are perfect from start to finish, and that perfection includes some of the greatest acting that the prison drama genre has ever seen. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman both deliver what may be the most emotionally layered work of their whole careers, and the supporting ensemble—like James Whitmore and Clancy Brown—are all phenomenally moving as well.

6

‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)

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Thomas Harris‘ 1988 novel The Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest thriller books of the 20th century, so it’s only fitting that Jonathan Demme‘s adaptation is one of the most amazing thriller movies ever made. It’s a thriller so remarkably dark, violent, and scary, in fact, that Silence of the Lambs is also widely regarded as one of the greatest masterpieces in all of psychological horror cinema.

It happens to be the latest movie to have won all Big Five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress for Jodie Foster‘s career-defining turn as the brilliant Clarice Starling, and Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins‘ terrifying performance as the iconic cannibal criminal Hannibal Lecter. Those two titanic performances alone are worth the price of admission, which is without mentioning the exceptional supporting work of actors like Scott Glenn and Ted Levine.

5

‘On the Waterfront’ (1954)

Made as a form of cinematic excuse for his having named names during the McCarthyist witch hunt that sought to rid Hollywood of its communist sympathizers, Eliza Kazan‘s On the Waterfront is a crime drama that probably hasn’t aged the best ideologically. However, there’s no way of denying that as a dramatic character study, it’s one of the best crime movies of Hollywood’s Golden Age, about as close to perfection as old-school American cinema comes.

The elephant in the room is Marlon Brando, whose performance in On the Waterfront completely re-defined screen acting in Hollywood, inviting actors to shift from pure theatricality to a more naturalistic and subjective style of performance. Then, you get to talking about stars like Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, and Eva Marie Saint, whose supporting turns are every bit as brilliant and masterfully restrained as Brando’s, even if they’re not often cited with as much historical significance.

4

‘Heat’ (1995)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Michael Mann is one of the greatest action filmmakers of his generation, and Heat is almost universally credited as his magnum opus. One of those classic action thrillers that are perfect from start to finish, it’s a three-hour epic which proves that even slow-burning heist flicks and crime thrillers can be as riveting and attention-grabbing as the fastest-paced action extravaganzas out there.

For Heat, Mann brought big-screen titans Al Pacino and Robert De Niro together 21 years after The Godfather Part II, and the result is one of the biggest explosions of actorial talent in Hollywood history. Add to that a quietly intense Val Kilmer to complement the trifecta, as well as some incredible supporting turns by the likes of Jon Voight and Hank Azaria, and you get one of the most unfrogettable crime film classics of the ’90s.

3

‘Goodfellas’ (1990)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Martin Scorsese has been widely regarded as one of the most immensely talented voices in Hollywood since pretty early into his career. By the time the 1990s rolled in, audiences and critics alike were already fully aware of the wonders he was capable of, but no one could have possibly been prepared for what many still regard as his best film to date: Goodfellas, one of the best crime movies in film history by a country mile.

The movie, based on Nicholas Pileggi‘s non-fiction book Wiseguy and recounting a dramatized version of mafioso Henry Hill‘s rise and fall, has one of the most legendary cast ensembles of the ’90s. Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, and De Niro are pure dynamite together, and the cast is nicely rounded out by further tour-de-force performances by the likes of Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino.

2

‘The Godfather Part II’ (1974)

Image via Paramount Pictures

After the tremendous critical and commercial success of The Godfather, still regarded by many as the greatest film of all time, the bar was set sky-high for its follow-up. Part prequel, part sequel, The Godfather Part II ended up also being one of the greatest crime dramas in film history, an absolutely perfect three-and-a-half-hour-long character-driven epic unlike any other.

It’s the ultimate requiem for the American Dream and one of the best films of the 1970s, and the role that its cast plays in that perfection shouldn’t be underestimated. Al Pacino delivers the greatest and most complex performance of his career, Robert De Niro deservedly won an Oscar for his masterfully multi-layered take on a young version of Brando’s Vito Corleone, and actors like Diane Keaton and John Cazale also deliver career-best work.

1

‘The Godfather’ (1972)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Incredible though its sequel may be in all respects imaginable, most cinephiles would agree that there is simply no topping The Godfather—and certainly not when it comes to acting in the crime genre. Pretty much no one involved in the production of this Francis Ford Coppola picture had any faith that it would be any substantial kind of hit, and they certainly did not predict that it would end up becoming the most universally acclaimed film in Hollywood history.

Indeed, the whole Godfather series is among the most universally acclaimed movie trilogies ever, but when it comes to acting, this is as good as it gets. You get Brando’s Oscar-winning turn as Vito, Pacino’s career-defining turn as Michael, and people like James Caan, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire, Keaton, and Cazale all also delivering performances so potent that in any other project, they would be the standout pieces of acting. But in a project where the acting all across the board is as flawless as in The Godfather, it ends up being the case that everyone gets their chance to shine.