The 10 Greatest Crime Movies Based on Books, Ranked

While cinema and moviemaking continue to be a dominant force in the realm of storytelling, it is far from the only way to tell a compelling original or non-fictional story, as novels and literature have compelled readers for centuries before movies were invented. However, there is often a combination and collaboration between the mediums, with many of the most acclaimed and popular books of all time being adapted and evolved into a visual medium through filmmaking techniques.

No genre shows off this prominence and capabilities like stories of crime and deception, being able to further amplify the themes and energy of these stories, at some points even revolutionizing them as the premiere version of the story. Several of these crime adaptations have become massively acclaimed in their own right, not only becoming legendary in the realm of crime films but also some of the most widely celebrated and greatest films of all time.

10

‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (2011)

Acting as not only an exceptional adaptation of an acclaimed crime novel but also a U.S. remake of an acclaimed Swedish film, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo‘s exceptional crime story is further elevated by the direction of David Fincher. The film follows disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) investigating the disappearance of a weary patriarch’s niece who has been missing for 40 years. He is aided in his search by a punk, tattooed computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), as they uncover immense corruption beyond anything they could have imagined.

While American remakes of international films released so soon after the original film usually diminish the impact and legacy of the original film, Fincher’s masterful directing style further amplifies the story’s tension and mystery. Applying the same sense of stakes and fear utilized in films like Zodiac and Fight Club, Fincher’s take on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo quickly became the defining rendition of the story and one of the best crime movies of the last 25 years.

9

‘L.A. Confidential’ (1997)

A classic noir period piece that harkens back to classic crime stories and the energy of the 50s, L.A. Confidential combines classic and modern filmmaking styles into a beautiful blending of worlds and styles. The film follows three detectives finding themselves in the center of a massive web of lies, corruption, and deception amidst the L.A. police force of the 1950s. The detectives end up using an array of different methods to uncover this endlessly spiraling conspiracy that started with a group of shotgun murders at an all-night diner.

L.A. Confidential acts as one of the purest and most pristine renditions of what a classic police procedural thriller should be, weaving together mystery and heightened tension to create an engaging ride from start to finish. The film acts as one of the defining crime movies of the 90s, seamlessly working as a standalone story despite being adapted from the third film in a full series of crime novels.

8

‘The Irishman’ (2019)

Image via Netflix

Martin Scorsese has created a multitude of legendary crime movie adaptations over the years, including the likes of Goodfellas, Casino, and The Wolf of Wall Street, yet The Irishman sets itself apart from every other film in his career. The film plays off the conventions and trends that Scorsese has used for gangster films throughout his entire career to create a somber and powerful portrait of time, age, and legacy. The real-life story of the original book finds itself translating perfectly as an encapsulation of Scorsese’s filmography, while the adaptation still ends up staying true to the original book.

The film follows the long-lasting life and career of Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a truck driver who finds himself becoming an effective hitman for mobster Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci). Sheeran’s influence finds itself growing more and more amidst the mobster world, eventually landing him a gig working for the powerful Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). However, time finds a way to erode all relationships and friendships, especially in the world of crime and mobsters, with Frank soon being forced to make a painful decision.

7

‘A Clockwork Orange’ (1971)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

One of many critically acclaimed masterpieces from legendary director Stanley Kubrick, A Clockwork Orange manages to bring to life all of the idiosyncratic attributes and quirks of the original novel to life, flourishing on the big screen. The film follows Alexander DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell), the leader of a notorious gang in a dystopian near-future Britain who spends their nights tormenting and raping anyone they come across. After an especially vicious crime spree, DeLarge ends up being captured and becomes the subject of a highly experimental attempt at forced rehabilitation through psychological conditioning.

Kubrick doesn’t shy away from tackling any of the harsh and disturbing content of the original novel; in fact, he even makes slight changes to be even darker and more negative during its final chapter. All the symbolic elements and resonating factors that made the original crime novel such a striking and polarizing work of fiction are maintained in this film. These elements wind up being further amplified by the top-notch performance from McDowell and Kubrick’s enthralling directing style.

6

‘Jackie Brown’ (1997)

One of the more underappreciated films from earlier in the acclaimed career of director Quentin Tarantino, Jackie Brown finds a way to be one of the best of Tarantino’s many crime movies. The film follows the titular Jackie Brown (Pam Grier), a flight attendant who is caught smuggling cash into the country for her gunrunner boss, now forced to be used as a tool by the cops to get to her boss. However, Jackie hatches a plan with the help of a bail bondsman to subvert both the police and her boss so that she can keep all the money for herself.

Much like Tarantino’s other works, the overwhelming amount of style, quotable lines, and characters you instantly root for make Jackie Brown a highly fulfilling and electrifying crime film experience. While the film may be more reserved when it comes to the signature violence and bloodshed that Tarantino is famous for, said reserved nature does not apply to any of the other attributes of Tarantino’s exceptional filmmaking.

5

‘No Country for Old Men’ (2007)

Image via Miramax Films

Often in conversation as one of the most prolific and greatest crime thrillers of the 21st century so far, No Country for Old Men is a monumental feat of tension and dread that has become the magnum opus of the Coen Brothers. The film follows methodical and vicious serial killer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), traveling across the Texas desert in hot pursuit of Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), who has managed to stumble upon $2 million, a group of dead bodies, and loads of heroin. However, local sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is also in pursuit of Anton, creating a deadly race against time.

A great villain can make all the difference when it comes to crime stories, and while Anton Chigurh was already a great villain in the original No Country for Old Men novel, Bardem elevates the character into one of the greatest villains in film history. Blending a psychopathic tendency and action with a slow, calculated approach to each of his actions, Anton exudes pure terror from when he’s first introduced to the very end of the film.

4

‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)

Image via Orion Pictures

Blending together the horror and procedural crime genres to create a cultural phenomenon of the 90s as well as one of the most critically acclaimed movies of all time, The Silence of the Lambs revolutionized both horror and crime movies for generations to come. Adapted from the second book in Thomas Harris‘s series of cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter novels, the film follows young FBI recruit Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) enlisting the help of Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) to take down a new killer threat, Buffalo Bill, before he strikes again.

Harris’s Hannibal Lecter novels were no strangers to film adaptations, with Michael Mann brilliantly adapting the first novel in the series, Manhunter, back in 1986. However, The Silence of the Lambs goes above and beyond with its masterful reinvention of the story and characters, seamlessly evolving them to the cinematic lens and transforming Lecter into an icon of crime/horror filmmaking. The film proved to be so successful that Harris would end up writing a prequel novel following the success and enthusiasm for the character and Hopkins’s perfectly acted performance.

3

‘Double Indemnity’ (1944)

Image via Paramount Pictures

One of the most influential noir films of all time and a defining film from the golden age of Hollywood, Double Indemnity has continued to grow more prolific and timeless in the decades since its release. The film follows a wealthy woman and a calculating insurance agent teaming up in a vicious plot to murder the woman’s husband so that the duo can make massive profits from the double indemnity policy. However, the agent soon gets second thoughts as he deals with the mental quarrel of murdering someone for profit.

While the crime noir film certainly existed before Double Indemnity, it’s difficult to imagine where the genre would be without its revolutionary redefining of what a crime film could be. The film’s masterful performances, striking imagery, and self-reflective messages of adultery and crime would soon become staples of the noir genre as a whole, ushering in a new wave of crime films in its wake.

2

‘The Shawshank Redemption’ (1994)

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While author Stephen King is more commonly recognized for his various horror novels being adapted to film, one of his greatest contributions in terms of cinematic adaptations of his novels is the legendary prison drama, The Shawshank Redemption. The film follows once-upstanding banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), imprisoned for the double murder of his wife and her lover, but he still maintains his innocence. While living a sorrowful and painful life at Shawshank prison, Andy forms an unexpected friendship with other inmates, including an older prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman).

While many stories are quick to paint prison life and prisoners as vicious and violent, The Shawshank Redemption cuts to the true core of pain within prisons, showing dehumanization and pain at every corner. However, stronger than that is the film’s undeniable emboldening of hope and the human spirit, showing that no matter how hard someone is knocked down, there is always a strength and ability to get up. The film has been a legendary icon of American filmmaking ever since its release, often being considered one of the greatest films of all time.

1

‘The Godfather’ (1972)

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One of the important distinctions that comes from the vast majority of novel adaptations is that a completely new and different writer is given the material to work with, as the original author rarely works as a writer for a film adaptation of their work. One of the most prominent and key examples of the opposite comes from one of the most acclaimed films of all time, with The Godfather‘s original author, Mario Puzo, co-writing the film adaptation with Francis Ford Coppola.

The final result is a miraculous feat of filmmaking that does just about everything right in terms of a novel adaptation, staying perfectly true to the themes and story of the original while evolving and creating an experience that only film can provide. Coppola’s stellar directing and the array of exceptional performances breathe new life and soul into Puzo’s already masterpiece of a story, creating more tension and elevating the thematic resonance. The Godfather has proven to be one of the first films people consider when thinking of crime films, as well as one of the greatest filmmaking achievements of all time.