The 2010s represented a marked change in crime cinema. For the most part, crime films of the 90s and 2000s explored simpler themes of good versus evil and examined the procedural aspects of crime and investigation. While those elements still dominate crime films, the rise of streaming and the increased visibility of low budget and international films means that audiences have a much wider selection at their fingertips.
This newfound openness to different stories has allowed for a diverse array of films to exist and succeed all at once. Success stories from the decade include grungy comic book adaptations likeDredd, foreign language martial-arts extravaganzas likeThe Raidand utterly ruthless exercises in hyper-violence likeBrawl in Cell Block 99to find their audiences. Diversity in storytelling has also influenced more mainstream and critically acclaimed films from recent years, including the following, which represent some of the best crime films of their decade.
10’Prisoners' (2013)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
The Dover and Birch families have been close for some time, but their bond changes forever when the youngest daughters of each family are kidnapped on Thanksgiving from the quiet street the families both live in. Although Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) is dedicated to solving the case, his dogged approach isn’t enough forKeller Dover (Hugh Jackman), who is desperate to have his daughter home safely. Keller takes matters into his own hands and begins a vigilante investigation into his daughter’s disappearance.
It isn’t an accident thatDenis Villeneuvemakes two appearances on this list. The director’s deft hand and eye for character are clear to anyone who watchesPrisoners. The film’s complex and sophisticated exploration of the modern culture surrounding police work and investigation makes it a defining film of its decade.Where other procedurals exist in a vacuum,Prisonersis acutely aware of the policing and cultural landscape it exists within.If these strengths weren’t enough, the tense and icy thriller is also an effective edge-of-your-seat mystery utterly drowning in impeccable performances from a stacked cast which includes the likes ofViola Davis,Paul DanoandMelissa Leo.
9’Gone Girl' (2014)
Directed by David Fincher
Nick (Ben Affleck) and Amy (Rosamund Pike) seem to have a picture-perfect marriage. But cracks gradually form when the pair leave New York City to move to Nick’s hometown in Missouri to care for his family. When Nick comes home one day to find that Amy is missing, his marriage and secrets are placed under a microscope by police. What they find leads them to turn their attention to Nick, who ultimately becomes a prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance.
For every decade thatDavid Fincherhas been a filmmaker, he has redefined crime films. The grungy cynicism ofSevenrepresents the best of what 90’s procedurals had to offer. In the first decade of this century,Zodiacreflected on the cannibalistic obsession that an unsolved mystery can wreak upon the curious. And then, in the 2010s,Gone Girlarrived and gave audiences a complex and morally flexible portrait of the intersection of True Crime, the power of media narratives and the weight of gender roles. Of course, much of the praise forGone Girl’s themes lies at the feet ofGillian Flynn, who adapted the screenplay from her own novel of the same name.Gone Girl’s status as one of the best crime films of its decade is clearly represented in the film’s discourse, which continues to this day and divides audiences as much as it did upon its initial release.While the 2020s are not over,The Killeris this decade’s Fincher crime film, and it certainly continues the trend that Fincher has established for himself. That is, it is an entirely different yet relevant examination of what crime on film means during this decade.
8’Widows' (2018)
Directed by Steve McQueen
A two-million-dollar heist goes terribly wrong and Harry (Liam Neeson) and his crew of thrives are killed when the police blow up their getaway car. The man Harry robbed is Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry), a vicious and powerful crime boss who is also entangled in local politics in Chicago. Despite having paid the ultimate price for his actions, Jamal isn’t satisfied with the deaths of the thieves, and demands that Harry’s widow, Veronica (Viola Davis), settles the debt. Veronica assembles the widows of the other men in Harry’s crew and begins to plan her own heist to pay back Jamal.
Gillian Flynn makes her second appearance on this list withWidows, a film she co-wrote with the film’sdirectorSteve McQueen. McQueen’s unbridled and undeniable talent as a filmmaker has been on display for almost two decades. Before directingWidows, McQueen directed IRA historical filmHunger, sex-addiction dramaShameand Oscar-winning Solomon Northrup biopic12 Years a Slave. Not only do all of these films starMichael Fassbender, they are also all excruciatingly poignant, desperate and heart-wrenching. WhileWidowsis no walk in the park, its action set pieces and heist-based premise made it a much more commercially promising film compared to McQueen’s prior work. The mainstream appeal and A-list cast only strengthened McQueen’s voice as a storyteller.In addition to succeeding as a thrilling heist film and a gut-wrenching thriller,Widowshas a lot to say about modern wealth disparity and the entrenchment of crime in politics.
7’Hell or High Water' (2016)
Directed by David Mackenzie
Brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner (Ben Foster) are struggling to save their family’s land from foreclosure. Their late-mother’s decision to place a reverse mortgage on the property has left the brothers desperate. To solve their financial woes and pay off the loan, Toby and Tanner plan and execute a series of bank robberies. At the same time, two Texas Rangers join the investigation and begin circling the brothers.
America has weathered many depressions and recessions, but few were as eye-opening and brazen as the 2008 global financial crisis. The GFC left a deep scar on the American psyche that continues to influence and tarnish the trust that Americans have in the economic systems around them. This trauma and unfulfilled rage is on full display inHell or High Water. While the Westerns of old cast the gangs and outsiders as villains, the modern American West is oppressed by its own governments and corporations.The catharsis provided byHell and High Wateris equal to the film’s sympathies for the ever shrinking middle-class and increasingly impoverished working class.The reality ofHell or High Waters’ themes are brought to bear by the complex performances from Chris Pine, Ben Foster andJeff Bridgesin the leading roles.
Hell or High Water
6’You Were Never Really Here' (2017)
Directed by Lynne Ramsay
Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) is a hired gun with a troubled past. Still dealing with the traumas of his youth and his time in the military, Joe works to rescue people impacted by human trafficking. Joe’s handler sends a go-between to deliver Joe his new assignment, which requires him to try and quietly rescue the kidnapped daughter of a senator. What begins as a simple mission quickly becomes wildly complicated when Joe realizes he may have stumbled into a widespread conspiracy.
Lynne Ramsayis renowned for her emotive, sophisticated and understated work. All of those factors are on display inYou Were Never Really Here,a brutal film which pulls no punches and makes no apologies.Ramsay has never shied away from confronting themes, and handles them with a raw honesty that is as appropriate as it is unflinching. While her most widely known film is likelyWe Need to Talk About Kevin,You Were Never Really Hereconfidently demonstrates that it is also worthy of pride of place among Ramsay’s work, as well as among Phoenix’s performances.
You Were Never Really Here
5’Drive' (2011)
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
A Hollywood stunt driver (Ryan Gosling) moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals throughout Los Angeles. Despite working at the fringes of California’s criminal scene, the driver manages to keep his life separate from his work. This all changes when he meets his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan), and becomes entangled in her husband’s reckless criminal activity.
It isn’t every day that arthouse breaks through to the mainstream in such a spectacular fashion asDrive. The film from Danish directorNicolas Winding Refnis much more interested in vibes than story (although the film succeeds in both of these areas).Driveprovided the blueprint for ‘cool’ for an entire decade, and the ripples of its synth pop soundtrack and neon-laden hyper-violence continue to flow through action cinema today.While the film is much more interested in mood than action, its action set pieces still stand above many of its peers from the decade.Refn’s love of styleand unique eye for character were the driving factor for the magic of this 2011 film, the success of which is akin to catching lightning in a bottle.
4’Sicario' (2015)
A routine FBI raid on a cartel safe house quickly turns into carnage. After dozens of bodies are found hidden in the walls, a booby trap is triggered and detonates a bomb which kills two officers. In the aftermath, Special Agent Kate Mercer (Emily Blunt) is invited to join a special CIA Taskforce as an FBI liaison. Kate’s desire to get justice begins to dwindle when she learns more about what the CIA is doing to achieve its goals.
With Denis Villeneuve directing and a screenplay fromTaylor Sheridan, it isn’t a surprise thatSicariois one of the most raw and confronting crime films of its decade. Bygone decades had simpler outlooks on crime and punishment. While a simple film about good versus evil will always be welcomed by audiences, there is no denying that when government agencies, terrorist groups and large sums of money are involved, things are not so simple.Sicariohas a cynical and realistic imageof the modern war on drugs and terror in America. Its harsh perspective is anchored and amplified by a strong and vulnerable performance from Emily Blunt, who serves as an audience surrogate in a hostile and immoral war.
3’The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
In the 80s, young Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) develops a taste for the high pressure and high reward life of a stockbroker. Despite his success, Black Monday brings with it one of the largest stock market crashes in history, and Jordan loses his job. Starting from scratch again, Jordan begins to bend the rules to secure his success.
Martin Scorsese’s duality and range as a filmmaker were on proud display in the 2010s. The decade saw the release ofThe Wolf of Wall Street, which used charismatic performances and heightened comedy to intoxicate audiences and indoctrinate them into the cult of money. Conversely, the 2010s also saw Scorsese releaseThe Irishman, a pensive and introspective reflection on a life of crime and violence.WhileThe Irishmanmay be the more earnest and thoughtful of the two films,The Wolf of Wall Streetremains a relevant and stark portrait of life among the 1%.Furthermore, the film’s controversy and resulting discourse continues to this day, proving that the themes and realities it explored continue to play on the minds of audiences and on their consciences.
The Wolf of Wall Street
2’Uncut Gems' (2019)
Directed by Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie
Howard (Adam Sandler) is a jeweler working in New York City’s famous diamond district. He’s also a reckless gambler with a substantial debt to his name. When basketball playerKevin Garnettvisits Howard’s office, he is taken by a gorgeous and valuable opal that Howard has on display. Garnett insists on borrowing the opal for the night and Howard reluctantly agrees, taking Garnett’s NBA Championship ring as collateral. When Howard can’t find Garnett the following day, he begins a wild and stressful operation to try and track down his opal.
Few films manage to capture the absolutely inescapable anxiety associated with a life lived at the edge of the law likeUncut Gems.The film from theSafdiebrothersexplores the mayhem of addiction and works as an excruciating character study of a man who is physically incapable of making a good decision. Stunt casting and curiosity may have gotten audiences interested (the film features NBA player Kevin Garnett and musicianThe Weekndplaying themselves, andAdam Sandler playing against type), but gimmicks don’t create icons. The undeniable creative voice and vision of Josh and Benny Safdie solidifiedUncut Gemsas a modern crime classic.
Uncut Gems
1’Knives Out' (2019)
Directed by Rian Johnson
Internationally beloved mystery author Harlin Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) has built his empire from the ground up using only his talents as a writer and businessman. His children have benefited from their father’s accomplishments and live a life of luxury due to Harlan’s works and their legacy. When Harlan dies under suspicious circumstances, the family and Harlan’s devoted nurse, Marta (Ana de Armas), are all suspects. Not only are they being investigated by the police, but also by the mysterious and renowned private detective,Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig).
Knives Outis a balancing act of contradictions that shouldn’t work. The film fromRian Johnsonrevels in detective stereotypes while subverting them and explores old money attitudes in contrast with modern perspectives around wealth and immigration. These unconventional touches are a massive reason for the film’s success. And, the blending of vintage detective story beats with modern socio-economic discourse makes for a timeless yet modern murder-mystery. As if these factors weren’t enough,Knives Outalso features one knockout performanceafter another. Classic characterizations, likeJamie Lee Curtis’ spin on the insincere neoliberal, butt up against more bombastic performances, like Daniel Craig’s rendition of an old-fashioned Kentucky-fried detective. The success ofKnives Out, which had a sequel in 2022 and will have another in 2025 is emblematic of modern audiences and their desire for sophisticated and emotive storytelling.
