Top 30 Ranked

Best Crime Movies of 2020, Ranked

Gritty Noir and High Stakes Heists of the Year

Explore the best crime thrillers and dark dramas. From gangland hits to twisted mysteries, discover the top action and suspense films released in the year.

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About 2020 Crime Movies

The year 2020 was a period of forced introspection for the film industry, but for the crime genre, it provided a unique opportunity to pivot away from the explosive and toward the psychological. With traditional theaters largely shuttered and the global population confined to their living rooms, the crime films that defined the year were less about grand bank heists and more about the suffocating weight of consequence. It was a year where the genre felt uncomfortably intimate, reflecting a world that was already feeling the walls close in.

One of the most striking entries was Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman, a film that weaponized the aesthetics of a neon colored romantic comedy to deliver a punishing critique of systemic violence and complicity. While it officially debuted at festivals earlier, its wide arrival in 2020 solidified it as a cultural lightning rod. It pushed the boundaries of the revenge thriller by refusing to give the audience the easy satisfaction of a typical action climax. Instead, it operated as a forensic examination of trauma, proving that the most terrifying crimes are often the ones that society chooses to ignore.

On the other side of the stylistic spectrum was Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland, which, while categorized as a drama, carried the spirit of the neo western crime films of the seventies. However, if we look toward more traditional genre fare, Rose Glass’s Saint Maud and the gritty intensity of The Devil All the Time showed a fascination with the intersection of criminality and religious fervor. The latter, a sprawling Southern Gothic epic, utilized an ensemble cast to paint a portrait of generational violence. It suggested that crime is not just an act of passion or greed but a dark inheritance passed down through bloodlines.

The most quintessentially 2020 crime film might have been Steven Soderbergh’s Let Them All Talk, or perhaps more fittingly, the rise of the specialized legal thriller. Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 took the historical crime drama and injected it with a kinetic, fast-talking energy that felt vital during a year of intense political upheaval. By focusing on the courtroom as a theater of battle, Sorkin reminded us that the crime genre is often at its best when it examines the friction between the law and true justice.

We also saw the genre embrace a quieter, more methodical pacing in movies like I’m Your Woman. Starring Rachel Brosnahan, the film flipped the traditional mob wife trope on its head. Instead of focusing on the high-flying lifestyle of the gangsters, it centered on the confusion and isolation of a woman forced to go on the run with a baby. It was a deconstruction of the crime mythos that prioritized the logistical nightmare of survival over the thrill of the chase.

Ultimately, 2020 was the year the crime movie stopped looking outward at grand conspiracies and started looking inward at the human cost of transgression. The films that stood out avoided the hollow spectacle of previous years, choosing instead to explore the moral grey zones where most of us actually live. It was a somber, thoughtful, and deeply evocative year for the genre, proving that even when the world stands still, the stories of our failures and fixations remain as loud as ever.

The Complete Rankings

Based on the top picks in drafts on SnakeDrafts

See Top Ten
30
2020 Crime in A Call to Spy (2020)
A Call to Spy
2020

The story of Vera Atkins, a crafty spy recruiter, and two of the first women she selects for Churchill's "secret army": Virginia Hall, a daring American undaunted by a disability and Noor Inayat Khan, a pacifist. These civilian women form an unlikely sisterhood while entangled in dangerous missions to turn the tide of the war.

History
Crime
2h 4m
Lydia Dean Pilcher
Sarah Megan Thomas, Stana Katic, Radhika Apte, Linus Roache
29
2020 Crime in Cross the Line (2020)
Cross the Line
2020

A good-natured man has an unexpected deadly confrontation. Instincts kick in to clean up the mess caused in the name of self-defense but does one really get away free after killing someone?

Thriller
Crime
1h 32m
David Victori
Mario Casas, Elisabeth Larena, Milena Smit, Fernando Valdivielso
28
2020 Crime in Deliver Us from Evil (2020)
Deliver Us from Evil
2020

A retired contract killer goes on a bloody rampage when a young girl finds herself at the mercy of gangland human traffickers and only one man can come to her rescue, with an arsenal of weapons and years of experience in the art of killing.

Crime
Action
1h 48m
Hong Won-chan
Hwang Jung-min, Lee Jung-jae, Park Jeong-min, Moon Choi

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27
2020 Crime in Night in Paradise (2020)
Night in Paradise
2020

An assassin named Tae-goo is offered a chance to switch sides with his rival Bukseong gang, headed by Chairman Doh. Tae-goo rejects the offer that results in the murder of his sister and niece. In revenge, Tae-goo brutally kills Chairman Doh and his men and flees to Jeju Island where he meets Jae-yeon, a terminally ill woman. Though, the henchman of the Bukseong gang, Executive Ma is mercilessly hunting Tae-goo to take revenge.

Crime
Thriller
2h 11m
Park Hoon-jung
Um Tae-goo, Jeon Yeo-been, Cha Seung-won, Lee Ki-young
26
2020 Crime in Psych 2: Lassie Come Home (2020)
Psych 2: Lassie Come Home
2020

After Santa Barbara Police Chief Carlton Lassiter is ambushed and left for dead, Shawn and Gus return to help him and find themselves embroiled in a case involving the personal, the professional – and even the supernatural.

Comedy
Crime
1h 29m
Steve Franks
James Roday Rodriguez, Dulé Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson
25
2020 Crime in Beasts Clawing at Straws (2020)
Beasts Clawing at Straws
2020

A struggling restaurant owner, caring for his sick mom, finds a bag of cash in a sauna locker, while a customs officer gets into trouble when his girlfriend runs off with money he borrowed from a loan shark.

Mystery
Thriller
1h 48m
Kim Yong-hoon
Jeon Do-yeon, Jung Woo-sung, Bae Sung-woo, Youn Yuh-jung
24
2020 Crime in Shock Wave 2 (2020)
Shock Wave 2
2020

After suffering life changing injuries in the line of duty, bomb disposal officer Fung turns his back on the police. But when a devastating series of bombings sweep Hong Kong, the police suspect their former ally may be involved after he is found unconscious at a crime scene. Now faced with memory loss and recalling only fragments of his former life, Fung sets out to uncover the truth and find out who he really is.

Action
Crime
2h 0m
Herman Yau
Andy Lau, Sean Lau Ching-wan, Ni Ni, Tse Kwan-Ho
23
2020 Crime in Ludo (2020)
Ludo
2020

Ludo is about the butterfly effect and how, despite all the chaos and crowd of the world, all our lives are inextricably connected. From a resurfaced sex tape to a rogue suitcase of money, four wildly different stories overlap at the whims of fate, chance and one eccentric criminal.

Crime
Comedy
2h 30m
Anurag Basu
Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Bachchan, Inayat Verma, Rajkummar Rao
22
2020 Crime in Enola Holmes (2020)
Enola Holmes
2020

While searching for her missing mother, intrepid teen Enola Holmes uses her sleuthing skills to outsmart big brother Sherlock and help a runaway lord.

Adventure
Mystery
2h 3m
Harry Bradbeer
Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, Helena Bonham Carter
21
2020 Crime in Psycho-Pass 3: First Inspector (2020)
Psycho-Pass 3: First Inspector
2020

Inspector Kei Mikhail Ignatov finds himself involved with an organization named Bifrost with the possibility of freeing his wife if he betrays Unit One. Koichi Azusawa coordinates an assault on the Public Safety Bureau tower using his hacker Obata, locking down the building and kidnapping Inspector Arata Shindo. Azusawa demands that governor Karina Komiya resign from her position.

Science Fiction
Action
2h 17m
Naoyoshi Shiotani
Takahiro Sakurai, Junichi Suwabe, Yuichi Nakamura, Kaori Nazuka
20
2020 Crime in Innocence (2020)
Innocence
2020

A lawyer tries to prove her mother's innocence and uncover the secrets of a small village with the help of the local mayor. Her mother was accused of murder after the rice wine was poisoned at her husband's funeral, but she is suffering from memory loss and cannot defend herself.

Crime
Thriller
1h 50m
Park Sang-hyeon
Shin Hye-sun, Bae Jong-ok, Huh Joon-ho, Hong Kyung
19
2020 Crime in Enforcement (2020)
Enforcement
2020

The exact details of what took place while Talib Ben Hassi was in police custody remain unclear. Police officers Jens and Mike are on routine patrol in Svalegården's ghetto when news of Talib's death comes in over the radio, igniting uncontrollable, pent-up rage in the ghetto's youth, who lust for revenge. Suddenly, the two officers find themselves fair game and must fight tooth and claw to find a way out.

Action
Crime
1h 48m
Frederik Louis Hviid
Jacob Lohmann, Simon Sears, Tarek Zayat, Issa Khattab
18
2020 Crime in The Heist of the Century (2020)
The Heist of the Century
2020

In 2006, a group of thieves performed what is considered one of the most famous and smart bank heists in the history of Argentina. How they robbed the Rio bank is as surprising as what happened afterwards. This is their story.

Comedy
Thriller
1h 54m
Ariel Winograd
Guillermo Francella, Diego Peretti, Luis Luque, Pablo Rago
17
2020 Crime in The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo (2020)
The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo
2020

After the death of her daughter at the hand of her boyfriend, Marisela Escobedo began to fight for justice not only against the murderer but also against the corrupt Mexican judicial system.

Documentary
Crime
1h 49m
Carlos Pérez Osorio
Juan Manuel Fraire Escobedo, Alejandro Fraire, Blanca Escobedo, Patricia González
16
2020 Crime in The Burnt Orange Heresy (2020)
The Burnt Orange Heresy
2020

Hired to steal a rare painting from one of the most enigmatic painters of all time, an ambitious art dealer becomes consumed by his own greed and insecurity as the operation spins out of control.

Mystery
Thriller
1h 39m
Giuseppe Capotondi
Claes Bang, Elizabeth Debicki, Mick Jagger, Donald Sutherland
15
2020 Crime in Promising Young Woman (2020)
Promising Young Woman
2020

A young woman, traumatized by a tragic event in her past, seeks out vengeance against those who crossed her path.

Thriller
Crime
1h 54m
Emerald Fennell
Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown
14
2020 Crime in Target Number One (2020)
Target Number One
2020

Ex heroin junkie, Daniel Léger, gets involved in a drug deal with the wrong people for the wrong reasons. When the deal goes sour, Daniel gets thrown into a Thai prison and slapped with a 100-year sentence. While he tries to survive his Bangkok incarceration, the news of his conviction captures the attention of Globe and Mail journalist Victor Malarek, who decides to go after the shady undercover cops responsible for wrongly accusing Daniel.

Thriller
Crime
2h 15m
Daniel Roby
Antoine Olivier Pilon, Josh Hartnett, Stephen McHattie, Jim Gaffigan
13
2020 Crime in Villain (2020)
Villain
2020

After 10 years, Eddie Franks is out of prison and trying to stay on the straight and narrow, but his drug-mule brother, Sean has other ideas. Rival gangster brothers demand Sean repay his debt to them, causing Eddie to get tangled in the crossfire, and he ends up using his life savings to calling in favours with mobster friends to try and help.

Crime
Drama
1h 37m
Philip Barantini
Craig Fairbrass, Robert Glenister, Nicholas Aaron, Izuka Hoyle
12
2020 Crime in The Night Clerk (2020)
The Night Clerk
2020

Hotel night clerk Bart Bromley is a highly intelligent young man on the Autism spectrum. When a woman is murdered during his shift, Bart becomes the prime suspect. As the police investigation closes in, Bart makes a personal connection with a beautiful guest named Andrea, but soon realises he must stop the real murderer before she becomes the next victim.

Thriller
Crime
1h 30m
Michael Cristofer
Tye Sheridan, Ana de Armas, John Leguizamo, Helen Hunt
11
2020 Crime in The Tax Collector (2020)
The Tax Collector
2020

David Cuevas is a family man who works as a gangland tax collector for high ranking Los Angeles gang members. He makes collections across the city with his partner Creeper making sure people pay up or will see retaliation. An old threat returns to Los Angeles that puts everything David loves in harm’s way.

Action
Crime
1h 35m
David Ayer
Bobby Soto, Cinthya Carmona, George López, Elpidia Carrillo
10
2020 Crime in Let Him Go (2020)
Let Him Go
2020

Following the loss of their son, a retired sheriff and his wife leave their Montana ranch to rescue their young grandson from the clutches of a dangerous family living off the grid in the Dakotas.

Thriller
Crime
1h 54m
Thomas Bezucha
Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Kayli Carter, Lesley Manville
Why it ranks

Part Western and part domestic thriller, this film captivates with its slow-burn intensity and a staggering emotional gravity. The quiet, steely resolve of its veteran leads elevates a familiar rescue mission into a haunting meditation on family loyalty.

9
2020 Crime in Cut Throat City (2020)
Cut Throat City
2020

Four boyhood friends return to New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina, to find their home decimated and prospects for work swept away. Turning to a local gangster for employment, the crew is hired to pull off a daring casino heist, right in the heart of the city.

Action
Crime
2h 3m
RZA
Shameik Moore, Demetrius Shipp Jr., Denzel Whitaker, Keean Johnson
Why it ranks

RZA delivers a stylized, socially conscious heist drama that vibrates with the frantic energy of post-Katrina New Orleans. It is a bold, visually ambitious attempt to marry genre thrills with a poignant critique of systemic failure.

8
2020 Crime in The Silencing (2020)
The Silencing
2020

A reformed hunter becomes involved in a deadly game of cat and mouse when he and the local sheriff set out to track a vicious killer who may have kidnapped his daughter years ago.

Thriller
Action
1h 33m
Robin Pront
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Annabelle Wallis, Zahn McClarnon, Melanie Scrofano
Why it ranks

A grimy, atmospheric procedural that uses its desolate wilderness setting to amplify a sense of encroaching dread. The film distinguishes itself through a visceral focus on the hunter-versus-hunted dynamic within a rugged, blue-collar framework.

7
2020 Crime in Arkansas (2020)
Arkansas
2020

Kyle and Swin live by the orders of an Arkansas-based drug kingpin named Frog, whom they've never met. But when a deal goes horribly wrong, the consequences are deadly.

Crime
Thriller
1h 57m
Clark Duke
Liam Hemsworth, Clark Duke, Vince Vaughn, John Malkovich
Why it ranks

This deadpan neo-noir captures a specific brand of low-rent Dixie nihilism with deceptive ease. Clark Duke’s directorial debut finds its rhythm in the juxtaposition of mundane bureaucracy and the sudden, sharp edges of the illegal drug trade.

6
2020 Crime in Capone (2020)
Capone
2020

The 47-year old Al Capone, after 10 years in prison, starts suffering from dementia and comes to be haunted by his violent past.

Crime
Drama
1h 43m
Josh Trank
Why it ranks

Tom Hardy’s grotesque, guttural performance transforms this biopic into a surrealist fever dream of cognitive decline. It bypasses traditional mobster tropes to focus on the haunting, psychological rot of a dying titan.

5
2020 Crime in The Devil All the Time (2020)
The Devil All the Time
2020

In Knockemstiff, Ohio and its neighboring backwoods, sinister characters converge around young Arvin Russell as he fights the evil forces that threaten him and his family.

Crime
Drama
2h 18m
Antonio Campos
Why it ranks

A suffocating, southern-gothic tapestry where faith and violence collide with devastating precision. The film excels as a grim exploration of generational trauma, anchored by a chillingly eclectic ensemble that finds the beauty in the macabre.

4
2020 Crime in Honest Thief (2020)
Honest Thief
2020

A bank robber tries to turn himself in because he's falling in love and wants to live an honest life...but when he realizes the Feds are more corrupt than him, he must fight back to clear his name.

Thriller
Action
1h 39m
Mark Williams
Liam Neeson, Kate Walsh, Jai Courtney, Jeffrey Donovan
Why it ranks

Liam Neeson anchors this lean, meat-and-potatoes thriller with a grounded performance that favors character tension over spectacle. The film thrives on its stripped-down efficiency and a refreshing earnestness rarely found in modern pulp.

3
2020 Crime in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
2020

Harley Quinn joins forces with a singer, an assassin and a police detective to help a young girl who had a hit placed on her after she stole a rare diamond from a crime lord.

Action
Crime
1h 49m
Cathy Yan
Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett
Why it ranks

Cathy Yan delivers a vibrant, glitter-bombed riot that reimagines the Gotham crime landscape through a prism of anarchic feminine energy. Its bone-crunching choreography and non-linear chaos provide a refreshing jolt to the standard vigilante narrative.

2
2020 Crime in Bad Boys for Life (2020)
Bad Boys for Life
2020

Marcus and Mike are forced to confront new threats, career changes, and midlife crises as they join the newly created elite team AMMO of the Miami police department to take down the ruthless Armando Armas, the vicious leader of a Miami drug cartel.

Thriller
Action
2h 4m
Adil El Arbi
Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig
Why it ranks

This revival injects a surprising amount of soul and legacy into the high-octane buddy cop formula. It succeeds by leaning into the vulnerability of its aging leads while maintaining a kinetic, neon-soaked visual flair.

1
2020 Crime in The Gentlemen (2020)
The Gentlemen
2020

American expat Mickey Pearson has built a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he’s looking to cash out of the business forever it triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.

Comedy
Crime
Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong
Why it ranks

Guy Ritchie returns to his quintessential form with a swaggering, hyper-verbal labyrinth of London's underworld. It is a masterful reclamation of the gangster genre that prioritizes sharp-tongued wit and sophisticated narrative folding over simple thuggery.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about this list and SnakeDrafts

The 2020 crime movies highlighted in this listicle leaned towards psychological depth over traditional action, focusing on the consequences of crime in an intimate and introspective manner. Films like The Devil All the Time and Promising Young Woman emphasize dark drama and twisted moral dilemmas, reflecting the year's unique global context.

Several movies in the 2020 crime list combined genres effectively, including The Gentlemen, which blends comedy with crime, and Bad Boys for Life and Birds of Prey, which mix intense action and thriller elements with crime narratives. These blends make them standout examples of how crime films explored different tones during that year.

Yes, Capone is a significant historical crime drama in this 2020 list, portraying the later years of the infamous gangster Al Capone. This film offers a deep dive into the consequences of a criminal life, contrasting with the more contemporary settings of other movies.

The 2020 crime movies often reflect a shift toward more character-driven stories with psychological tension, likely influenced by the pandemic's constraints on filmmaking and release strategies. With limited theatrical releases, films such as The Silent and Honest Thief focus on suspense and intimate narratives rather than grandiose action sequences.

Many films in this list experiment with narrative style, such as Promising Young Woman's blend of thriller and dark social commentary, and Arkansas’ combination of crime thriller with mystery. These approaches present crime from fresh angles, emphasizing complex characters and moral ambiguity.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) stands out with its strong female leads and feminist themes, featuring Harley Quinn and her allies fighting against oppressive crime figures. This film offers a vibrant and empowering take on the crime genre in 2020.

Yes, Let Him Go incorporates western elements into its crime thriller narrative, creating a tense atmosphere that diverges from traditional urban crime settings. Arkansas also brings a mystery dimension to its crime and thriller aspects, enriching the genre blend of 2020's offerings.
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