Top 30 Ranked

Best Crime Movies of 2022, Ranked

Unmasking Dark Truths and Gritty Justice

Explore the top crime cinema releases featuring intense thrillers, gritty dramas, and mystery hits from a standout year in film history.

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About 2022 Crime Movies

The crime genre in 2022 felt like a restless animal, pacing back and forth between the high-gloss demands of the blockbuster and the gritty, soul-searching depths of international indie cinema. It was a year where the definition of a crime film seemed to expand, stretching to include everything from maximalist superhero noir to quiet, devastating character studies that functioned as indictments of entire societies.

The most unavoidable entry was Matt Reeves with The Batman. While technically a superhero vehicle, it functioned primarily as a procedural. It leaned heavily into the visual language of David Fincher, trading colorful heroics for a rain-soaked, tactical investigation into systemic corruption. It proved that the marketplace still had a massive appetite for the hardboiled detective archetype, provided the stakes felt grounded in a recognizable, decaying urban reality.

However, the real soul of the genre in 2022 was found in the shadows of the international circuit. Park Chan-wook returned with Decision to Leave, a film that reminded us how the police procedural can be the perfect vessel for an obsessive romance. It was meticulous and dizzying, turning a standard murder investigation into a psychological maze where the investigator and the suspect become inextricable from one another. It was a masterclass in tension, proving that a crime film does not need explosive gunfights to be breathless.

On the more harrowing end of the spectrum was Ali Abbasi with Holy Spider. Based on the true story of the Spider Killer in Iran, the film used the crime framework to launch a blistering attack on misogyny and religious extremism. It was a difficult, often repulsive watch, but it served as a vital reminder that crime cinema at its best acts as a mirror to the darkest corners of our social structures. It stripped away the glamor of the hunt to show the systemic failures that allow monsters to thrive.

Meanwhile, back in the States, we saw a resurgence of the mid-budget crime thriller through specialized lenses. Emily the Criminal featured a career-best performance from Aubrey Plaza, capturing the desperation of the modern gig economy. It was a heist movie for the debt-ridden generation, turning credit card fraud into a survival tactic. It felt urgent and sweaty, grounding its criminality in the very real anxiety of being broke in a system designed to keep you that way.

The year also gave us Glass Onion, a film that used the whodunit structure to satirize the tech-bro elite. While lighter in tone than its peers, it highlighted the genre's versatility. Whether it was the neon-soaked streets of Gotham, the misty mountains of South Korea, or a private island in Greece, 2022 proved that the crime film is the most adaptable tool in a filmmaker's kit. It remains our best lens for examining power, morality, and the thin line between the two. The landscape was diverse and daring, suggesting that even in an era of sequels, we still crave a good mystery that makes us look a little closer at the world around us.

The Complete Rankings

Based on the top picks in drafts on SnakeDrafts

See Top Ten
30
2022 Crime in The Tinder Swindler (2022)
The Tinder Swindler
2022

Posing as a wealthy, jet-setting diamond mogul, an Israeli conman wooed women online then conned them out of millions of dollars. Now, some victims plan for payback.

Documentary
Crime
1h 54m
Felicity Morris
Shimon Yehuda Hayut, Cecilie Fjellhøy, Pernilla Sjöholm, Ayleen Charlotte
29
2022 Crime in The Bob's Burgers Movie (2022)
The Bob's Burgers Movie
2022

When a ruptured water main creates an enormous sinkhole right in front of Bob's Burgers, it blocks the entrance indefinitely and ruins the Belchers’ plans for a successful summer. While Bob and Linda struggle to keep the business afloat, the kids try to solve a mystery that could save their family's restaurant. As the dangers mount, these underdogs help each other find hope and fight to get back behind the counter, where they belong.

Animation
Music
1h 42m
Bernard Derriman
H. Jon Benjamin, Kristen Schaal, John Roberts, Dan Mintz
28
2022 Crime in The System (2022)
The System
2022

When a young soldier, newly returned from war, gets caught up in a drug bust, he is recruited by the authorities to go undercover in a notoriously dangerous prison in order to figure out what is really going on.

Action
Crime
1h 37m
Dallas Jackson

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27
2022 Crime in Special Delivery (2022)
Special Delivery
2022

A black-market cabbie drives criminals at breakneck speeds until she is left in charge of a fugitive's son.

Action
Crime
1h 49m
Park Dae-min
Park So-dam, Kim Eui-sung, Song Sae-byuk, Yeom Hye-ran
26
2022 Crime in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
2022

World-famous detective Benoit Blanc heads to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery surrounding a tech billionaire and his eclectic crew of friends.

Comedy
Crime
2h 20m
Rian Johnson
25
2022 Crime in November (2022)
November
2022

In November 2015, a series of unprecedented and deadly attacks hits Paris. The anti-terrorist police led by Heloise and her chief commander Fred face an unprecedented level of pressure. In a race against the clock, they must find the perpetrators of the attacks as quickly as possible before they can strike again, travelling across Europe and beyond in one of the biggest manhunts in history.

Crime
Drama
1h 45m
Cédric Jimenez
Jean Dujardin, Anaïs Demoustier, Sandrine Kiberlain, Jérémie Renier
24
2022 Crime in The Enforcer (2022)
The Enforcer
2022

A noir thriller set in Miami, the film follows an enforcer who discovers his femme fatale boss has branched out into cyber sex trafficking, putting a young runaway he’s befriended at risk. He sacrifices everything to save the young girl from the deadly organization he’s spent his life building.

Action
Crime
1h 31m
Richard Hughes
Antonio Banderas, Kate Bosworth, Mojean Aria, Alexis Ren
23
2022 Crime in The Exorcism of God (2022)
The Exorcism of God
2022

An American priest working in Mexico is considered a saint by many local parishioners. However, due to a botched exorcism, he carries a secret that’s eating him alive until he gets an opportunity to face his demon one final time.

Horror
Crime
1h 38m
Alejandro Hidalgo
Will Beinbrink, María Gabriela de Faría, Irán Castillo, Joseph Marcell
22
2022 Crime in Girl in the Picture (2022)
Girl in the Picture
2022

A young mother’s mysterious death and her son’s subsequent kidnapping blow open a decades-long mystery about the woman’s true identity, and the murderous federal fugitive at the center of it all.

Crime
Documentary
1h 41m
Skye Borgman
Franklin Delano Floyd, Joe Fitzpatrick, Karen Parsley, Dr. Charles Engles
21
2022 Crime in Broker (2022)
Broker
2022

Sang-hyun is always struggling from debt, and Dong-soo works at a baby box facility. On a rainy night, they steal the baby Woo-sung, who was left in the baby box, to sell him at a good price. Meanwhile, detectives were watching, and they quietly track them down to capture the crucial evidence.

Drama
Comedy
2h 9m
Hirokazu Kore-eda
Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Bae Doona, IU
20
2022 Crime in Frank and Penelope (2022)
Frank and Penelope
2022

A tale of love and violence when a man on his emotional last legs finds a savior seductively dancing in a run-down strip club. And a life most certainly headed off a cliff suddenly becomes redirected - as everything is now worth dying for.

Thriller
Horror
1h 52m
Sean Patrick Flanery
Billy Budinich, Caylee Cowan, Johnathon Schaech, Brian Maillard
19
2022 Crime in The Last Client (2022)
The Last Client
2022

Renowned psychologist Susanne (Signe Egholm Olsen) is caught in a living nightmare when her new client (Anton Hjejle) turns out to be a wanted serial killer.

Thriller
Crime
1h 35m
Anders Rønnow Klarlund
Signe Egholm Olsen, Anton Hjejle, Dan Zahle, Sara Fanta Traore
18
2022 Crime in Holy Spider (2022)
Holy Spider
2022

A journalist descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad as she investigates the serial killings of sex workers by the so called "Spider Killer", who believes he is cleansing the streets of sinners.

Thriller
Drama
1h 58m
Ali Abbasi
Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Mehdi Bajestani, Arash Ashtiani, Forouzan Jamshidnejad
17
2022 Crime in Enola Holmes 2 (2022)
Enola Holmes 2
2022

Now a detective-for-hire like her infamous brother, Enola Holmes takes on her first official case to find a missing girl, as the sparks of a dangerous conspiracy ignite a mystery that requires the help of friends — and Sherlock himself — to unravel.

Adventure
Mystery
2h 9m
Harry Bradbeer
Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, David Thewlis, Louis Partridge
16
2022 Crime in The Roundup 2 (2022)
The Roundup 2
2022

The 'Beast Cop' Ma Seok-do heads to a foreign country to extradite a suspect, but soon after his arrival, he discovers additional murder cases and hears about a vicious killer who has been committing crimes against tourists for several years.

Action
Crime
1h 46m
Lee Sang-yong
Don Lee, Son Suk-ku, Choi Gwi-hwa, Park Ji-hwan
15
2022 Crime in K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022)
K.G.F: Chapter 2
2022

The blood-soaked land of Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) has a new overlord now - Rocky, whose name strikes fear in the heart of his foes. His allies look up to Rocky as their Savior, the government sees him as a threat to law and order; enemies are clamoring for revenge and conspiring for his downfall. Bloodier battles and darker days await as Rocky continues on his quest for unchallenged supremacy.

Action
Thriller
2h 48m
Prashanth Neel
Yash, Sanjay Dutt, Raveena Tandon, Srinidhi Shetty
14
2022 Crime in Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022)
Gangubai Kathiawadi
2022

Duped and sold to a brothel, a young woman fearlessly reclaims her power, using underworld connections to preside over the world she was once a pawn in.

Crime
Drama
2h 37m
Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Shantanu Maheshwari, Indira Tiwari
13
2022 Crime in Murder Party (2022)
Murder Party
2022

Jeanne, a brilliant architect has a new assignment: renovate the sumptuous Daguerre mansion owned by an eccentric family, head of a Board Game empire. When the landlord and patriarch Cesar is found dead, everyone present becomes a suspect. Suddenly Jeanne’s mission turns intoa life-size investigation to expose the murderer...

Comedy
Crime
1h 43m
Nicolas Pleskof
Alice Pol, Miou-Miou, Eddy Mitchell, Pablo Pauly
12
2022 Crime in The Bad Guys (2022)
The Bad Guys
2022

When the Bad Guys, a crew of criminal animals, are finally caught after years of heists and being the world’s most-wanted villains, Mr. Wolf brokers a deal to save them all from prison.

Family
Comedy
1h 40m
Pierre Perifel
Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson
11
2022 Crime in Vikram (2022)
Vikram
2022

Amar is assigned to investigate a case of serial killings. When Amar investigates the case, he realizes it is not what it seems to be and following down this path will lead to nothing but war between everyone involved.

Action
Crime
2h 54m
Lokesh Kanagaraj
Kamal Haasan, Fahadh Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi, Narain
10
2022 Crime in The Killer (2022)
The Killer
2022

While his girlfriend is away on a trip, retired assassin Bang Ui-kang is tasked with looking after her friend's 17-year-old daughter. After a street attack, Bang Ui-kang becomes embroiled in a murder investigation and dangerous trafficking gang.

Action
Crime
1h 35m
Choi Jae-hoon
Jang Hyuk, Lee Seo-young, Bang Eun-jeong, Bruce Khan
Why it ranks

Choi hi-hun delivers a stripped-back exercise in kinetic minimalism that recalls the laconic cool of classic genre cinema. The film relies on silent, rhythmic storytelling and precise physical performance to convey its protagonist’s lethal proficiency.

9
2022 Crime in Argentina 1985 (2022)
Argentina 1985
2022

In the 1980s, a team of lawyers takes on the heads of Argentina's bloody military dictatorship in a battle against odds and a race against time.

Drama
History
2h 21m
Santiago Mitre
Ricardo Darín, Peter Lanzani, Alejandra Flechner, Paula Ransenberg
Why it ranks

This stately courtroom drama navigates the horrific legacy of a military junta with a script that balances procedural rigor and emotional weight. It serves as a vital exploration of how the rule of law can be wielded as a weapon against institutionalized terror.

8
2022 Crime in Lesson Plan (2022)
Lesson Plan
2022

After a teacher dies, his best friend — a former cop — takes a job at the school where he worked to confront the gang he thinks was responsible.

Action
Crime
1h 38m
Daniel Markowicz
Piotr Witkowski, Jan Wieczorkowski, Antonina Jarnuszkiewicz, Nicolas Przygoda
Why it ranks

Applying a gritty, Eastern European sensibility to the undercover operative subgenre, this film excels in its depiction of systemic corruption. The choreography is brutal and grounded, favoring physical consequence over cinematic flair.

7
2022 Crime in Project Wolf Hunting (2022)
Project Wolf Hunting
2022

While under heavily armed guard, the dangerous convicts aboard a cargo ship unite in a coordinated escape attempt that soon escalates into a bloody, all-out riot. But as the fugitives continue their brutal campaign of terror, they soon discover that not even the most vicious among them is safe from the horror they unknowingly unleashed from the darkness below deck.

Action
Thriller
2h 2m
Kim Hong-sun
Seo In-guk, Jang Dong-yoon, Park Ho-san, Jung So-min
Why it ranks

A relentless, blood-soaked gauntlet that abandons narrative restraint in favor of pure, visceral impact. This maritime nightmare blends industrial grime with over-the-top carnage to redefine the limits of the action-crime crossover.

6
2022 Crime in Emily the Criminal (2022)
Emily the Criminal
2022

Desperate for income, Emily takes a shady gig buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a charismatic middleman named Youcef. Seduced by the quick cash and illicit thrills, they hatch a plan to take their business to the next level.

Crime
Drama
1h 37m
John Patton Ford
Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Gina Gershon
Why it ranks

Aubrey Plaza anchors this desperate, high-stakes dive into the gig economy’s underbelly with a performance of simmering resentment. It captures the predatory nature of modern capitalism through the eyes of a woman forced to sharpen her own edges to survive.

5
2022 Crime in See for Me (2022)
See for Me
2022

When blind former Olympic skier Sophie Scott cat-sits in a secluded mansion, she gets caught in the crossfire of a home invasion scheme. She must rely on a sighted Army veteran via the See for Me app to help her survive the night.

Crime
Horror
1h 32m
Randall Okita
Skyler Davenport, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Laura Vandervoort, Pascal Langdale
Why it ranks

This lean home invasion thriller weaponizes sensory deprivation to create a uniquely claustrophobic atmosphere. By subverting the vulnerable victim archetype, it delivers a cold, transactional take on survival that feels strikingly modern.

4
2022 Crime in Detective vs. Sleuths (2022)
Detective vs. Sleuths
2022

When Hong Kong is rocked by multiple gruesome murders, the police forms a task force to investigate.

Action
Crime
1h 42m
Wai Ka-Fai
Sean Lau Ching-wan, Raymond Lam Fung, Charlene Choi Chuek-Yin, Tan Kai
Why it ranks

Wai Ka-fai orchestrates a hyper-stylized assault on the senses that pushes the boundaries of the Hong Kong police procedural. Its frantic energy and labyrinthine psychological stakes offer a dizzying evolution of the classic cat and mouse dynamic.

3
2022 Crime in Memory (2022)
Memory
2022

Alex, an assassin-for-hire, finds that he's become a target after he refuses to complete a job for a dangerous criminal organization. With the crime syndicate and FBI in hot pursuit, Alex has the skills to stay ahead, except for one thing: he is struggling with severe memory loss, affecting his every move. Alex must question his every action and whom he can ultimately trust.

Action
Thriller
1h 54m
Martin Campbell
Liam Neeson, Guy Pearce, Taj Atwal, Harold Torres
Why it ranks

Liam Neeson bypasses his usual kinetic tropes to explore the psychological erosion of a hitman losing his moral compass alongside his cognitive faculties. This somber meditation on mortality turns the standard revenge thriller into a tragic, fog-shrouded character study.

2
2022 Crime in The Outfit (2022)
The Outfit
2022

Leonard is an English tailor who used to craft suits on London’s world-famous Savile Row. After a personal tragedy, he’s ended up in Chicago, operating a small tailor shop in a rough part of town where he makes beautiful clothes for the only people around who can afford them: a family of vicious gangsters.

Crime
Drama
1h 45m
Graham Moore
Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch, Johnny Flynn, Dylan O'Brien
Why it ranks

Confined to a single, elegantly appointed workspace, this chamber piece operates with the surgical precision of its protagonist’s shears. It is a masterclass in escalating tension where every stitch of dialogue hides a lethal ulterior motive.

1

In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.

Why it ranks

Matt Reeves strips away the superhero artifice to deliver a rain-slicked procedural that prioritizes forensic grit over pyrotechnics. It is a haunting excavation of urban decay that reimagines the World's Greatest Detective through the lens of a paranoid seventies neo-noir.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about this list and SnakeDrafts

'The Batman' distinguished itself through Matt Reeves' dark and brooding interpretation of the iconic superhero, blending elements of crime, mystery, and thriller genres. Its atmospheric narrative and compelling character studies breathed new life into the superhero noir subgenre.

Crime dramas in 2022 expanded beyond typical genre boundaries by integrating social critiques and deep psychological insights. Films like 'Emily the Criminal' and 'Argentina 1985' offer soul-searching narratives that explore socio-economic challenges and historical realities within their crime storylines.

Yes, the list includes notable international crime films such as Hong Kong's 'Detective vs. Sleuths' and South Korea's 'Project Wolf Hunting' and 'The Killer,' showcasing the global diversity of storytelling within the crime genre in 2022. These films blend action and thriller elements with culturally specific crime narratives.

'See for Me' and 'Project Wolf Hunting' exemplify the successful fusion of crime with thriller and horror elements, creating tense and gripping cinematic experiences. These films use suspense and horror tropes to elevate the stakes within their crime-driven plots.

'The Bad Guys' creatively reimagines the crime genre through an animated, family-friendly lens, combining comedy and action to explore themes of redemption and teamwork. This approach broadens the appeal of crime stories to younger audiences without sacrificing genre conventions.

A prominent trend in 2022's best crime movies is the blending of genres, such as crime with mystery, thriller, horror, and drama, which enriches character complexity and storytelling depth. Additionally, there is an evident emphasis on atmospheric mood, moral ambiguity, and societal reflections.

Yes, 'Argentina 1985' and 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' are standout historical crime dramas from 2022 that intertwine real events with compelling narratives. These films provide insightful perspectives on crime through the lens of historical and cultural contexts.
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