Crime thrillers have been around since 1912, but what makes them so popular? It’s not about the crime itself, but how it’s solved. It’s about understanding why people do what they do and understanding different aspects of the human mind. The best gangster movies on Prime Video have been around since the beginning, and it’s hard to pick out the best of them, especially when you’re living in prime-time streaming.
But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! If you’re a crime fan and have a Prime video subscription, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a list of the best crime movies ever made.
Also check out the best zombie movies on Prime Video a collection filled with drama, comedy, and a lot of fun.
A Simple Favor
 | A Simple Favor | |
| Genre Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Thriller | Runtime 1 Hour 57 Minutes | |
| Director Paul Feig | 6.8/10 | |
| Cast Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding | ||
This crime thriller movie is based on a 2017 book by Darcey Bell and is directed by Paul Feig. It’s got a bit of a Gone Girl vibe if you’ve seen the movie, but it’s got some serious dark comedy vibes too. It stars Blake Lively in the lead role and Anna Kendrick as Stephanie.
Stephanie is a single mom who loves to cook and share her recipes with her fans. She meets Emily, a wealthy businesswoman, at her son’s school. They become close friends and help each other out. But then Emily disappears and Stephanie has to do some digging to figure out what happened. The movie was well-received by fans and critics, and a sequel is in the works for 2022.
Clue
 | Clue | |
| Genre Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Thriller | Runtime 1 Hour 34 minutes | |
| Director Jonathan Lynn | 7.2/10 | |
| Cast Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn | ||
It’s not a new trend to make movies based on games, and Clue is a classic. It’s one of the most famous mystery board games out there, and it’s been around since 1943. But it wasn’t until 1985 that director Jonathan Lynn adapted the game into a movie. He wrote and directed the black mystery comedy, and it follows the same story as the game, but with some changes.
It’s set in 1954, and seven strangers are invited to a mysterious host’s New England mansion for dinner. Then, one of the guests gets killed, leaving the rest of them as suspects. Everyone starts pointing fingers at each other and digging up all kinds of skeletons in the host’s closet. The movie had three different endings, but the home video version had all three.
Wrath of Man
 | Wrath of Man | |
| Genre Action, Crime, Thriller | Runtime 1 Hour 29 Minutes | |
| Director Guy Ritchie | 7.1/10 | |
| Cast Jason Statham, Holt McCallany, Josh Hartnett | ||
The fourth collaboration between Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham has resulted in a heist thriller in the actor’s signature grunge style. Adapted from the 2004 French movie by Nicolas Bouhousse, the story follows Patrick “H” Hill, who is hired as a truck driver for a company involved in the transportation of large sums of money. After successfully preventing the theft of the vehicle, H becomes renowned for his skill with firearms, but his true intentions are not so straightforward.
As the narrative progresses, we are introduced to the complexities of H’s past and his new occupation as a means of revenge. The story is told in four parts, which is a typical feature of Ritchie’s films and is supported by an impressive cast of actors, including Eddie Marsan and Scott Eastwood. This crime thriller is sure to be an enjoyable viewing experience for those familiar with the genre.
Memory
 | Memory | |
| Genre Action, Crime, Thriller | Runtime 1 Hour 54 Minutes | |
| Director Martin Campbell | 5.7/10 | |
| Cast Liam Neeson, Guy Pearce, Taj Atwal | ||
This crime action flick stars Liam Neeson as Alex Lewis, a highly skilled but troubled killer who also has early dementia. He’s about to retire but is given one last job, which he refuses to do out of principle. This puts him in the crosshairs of his employers and the FBI, and he starts to forget things. With all the odds against him, he has to make his way on foot to protect himself and his target while also taking on the law.
Written and directed by Martin Campbell, it’s based on the Belgian novel by De Zaak Alzheimer and is a remake of a novel made by Eric Van Looy. You might not think it’s Neeson’s best action movie, but it’s got all the makings of a great crime action flick – fast-paced chases, plenty of action scenes, and lots of adrenaline.
Ronin
 | Ronin | |
| Genre Action, Crime, Thriller | Runtime 2 Hour 2 Minutes | |
| Director John Frankenheimer | 7.2/10 | |
| Cast Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone | ||
This 1998 film stars Robert De Niro as Sam, a former US intelligence officer who enlists the help of a team of special agents to steal a mysterious and guarded briefcase from the Russians. This briefcase is the key to the story, and it’s up to Sam to navigate the loyalty of his team.
It was the second highest-grossing movie of the year in the US, and critics and fans raved about the car chases and action sequences, as well as the cast’s performance, but not so much about the main plot.
Guns Akimbo
 | Guns Akimbo | |
| Genre Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller | Runtime 1 Hour 38 Minutes | |
| Director Jason Howden | 6.3/10 | |
| Cast Daniel Radcliffe, Samara Weaving, Ned Dennehy | ||
If you’re a big fan of trolling and causing chaos online, then this movie should go out to all of you! Daniel Radcliffe plays a game developer named Miles who spends a lot of time trying to get other gamers or game developers to do his dirty work for him. But then he makes a big mistake and does the same to a popular fight club called Skizm.
So, the channel’s owner Riktor decides to teach him a lesson and makes him join the game for free. With guns stuck to his hands and his life in the balance, he has to fight against Nix, the game’s gun-happy star. If you’ve never seen Daniel Radcliffe in a dark and grubby action comedy before, then this one might be a good one for you. It premiered at TIFF in 2019 and has a lot of cool and futuristic movie elements, like drone-cam live feeds, death-level fights, gladiatorial streaming platforms, and more.
When a Stranger Calls
 | Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019) | |
| Genre Horror, Mystery, Thriller | Runtime 1 Hour 37 Minutes | |
| Director Fred Walton | 6.4/10 | |
| Cast Carol Kane, Charles Durning, Rutanya Alda | ||
When a Stranger Calls is a 1979 movie that’s often seen as a classic in the genre of crime thrillers. It stars Carol Kane as Jill Johnson, a high school student who takes on the job of babysitting for a wealthy family. She starts getting strange, threatening phone calls from inside the house and calls the police.
The mysterious caller is later revealed to be a dangerous merchant seaman, and he’s sent to a mental hospital. After seven years, he comes back to wreak havoc on Jill and her family. The movie has plenty of suspense and Jill’s struggle with her stalker, making it a must-see for any crime fan. In 2006, a remake was made with Camilla Belle playing Jill.
Wrapping it up!
It’s no secret that crime thrillers have been popular since the early 1900s. But what makes them so special? It’s not so much about the crime as it is about understanding why people act the way they do, and how different parts of the human mind work. Gangster movies have been out there since the very beginning, and it can be hard to decide which ones are the best, especially with all the prime-time streaming available.
