30 Movies to Watch If You Can’t Get Enough of True Crime
Put your own detective skills to the test.
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Real talk: There’s nothing better than bingeing a true crime TV show or devouring a based-on-a-true-story thriller, popcorn bowl in hand. And while “true crime” has become synonymous with murder, that’s only part of the genre’s scope. It’s certainly true that many films on this list detail real-life killings, but there are also harrowing stories of fraud, theft, drugs, violence, racial injustices, organized crime, and presidential corruption.
Here are the best true crime movies to watch right now.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Martin Scorsese’s sprawling three-and-a-half-hour Killers of the Flower Moon details a series of atrocities and murders targeting the Osage Nation throughout the 1920s. Based on the book by David Grann, the film is a twisting narrative that weaves the stories of individuals together. The result is a tapestry reflective of the larger relationship between the U.S. government and Native peoples. Simply put, Killers is a masterpiece. And so is Lily Gladstone’s performance.
Zodiac (2007)
Robert Graysmith worked as a cartoonist at the San Francisco Chronicle during the Zodiac killer’s 1968-1969 murder spree. Directed by David Fincher and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Zodiac is based on Graysmith’s book about the case—and the role he took investigating the serial killer’s identity.
All Good Things (2010)
All Good Things set in motion the chain of events leading to the conviction of murderer Robert Durst. The film stars Ryan Gosling as Durst and Kirsten Dunst as his wife Kathleen, who mysteriously vanished in 1982. After seeing the film, Durst contacted director Andrew Jarecki and agreed to be interviewed for what would become HBO’s docuseries The Jinx. The interviews uncovered new evidence against Durst regarding a different murder investigation, and he was convicted in 2021.
Hustlers (2019)
Based on a 2015 New York Magazine article, Hustlers follows a group of exotic dancers who hatch a plot to drug stock trade bros and steal their money. The robust cast is led by Constance Wu and a never-better Jennifer Lopez, with Lizzo, Cardi B, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, and Lili Reinhart supporting. While it’s easy to get lost in the film’s glossy exterior, beneath the stilettos and furs is the emotional core: the rage, and the never-ending hustle, of the working class.
Changeling (2008)
Five months after 9-year-old Walter Collins disappeared in 1928, the LAPD reunites the boy with his mother, Christine (Angelina Jolie). But the child isn’t Walter—and Christine has to fight against the police to prove her son is still missing. Jolie earned an Oscar nod for her performance in this Clint Eastwood film.
Goodfellas (1990)
Goodfellas is a mob movie about real-life gangster Henry Hill (Ray Liotta). Director Martin Scorsese co-wrote the screenplay with crime journalist Nicholas Pileggi, who detailed Hill’s life as a mobster in his book Wiseguy.
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
A Black police officer infiltrating the KKK seems like a story too implausible to be true. But the Spike Lee film is based on the real experiences of Ron Stallworth, who did just that in the 1970s. The film features John David Washington as Stallworth, Adam Driver as his partner, and Topher Grace as Klan leader David Duke.
She Said (2022)
The New York Times’ bombshell 2017 exposé revealed decades of sexual assaults and intimidation by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. She Said details how investigative journalists Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) and Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) reported and published the story that began the #MeToo reckoning.
Foxcatcher (2014)
Though Steve Carell is best known for his comedic works, such as The Office and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, his more serious roles aren’t to be overlooked. This is especially true with Foxcatcher, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. In the true crime drama, Carell is John du Pont, an erratic millionaire-turned-wrestling coach. But as he works to prepare his team for the 1988 Olympics, things take a deadly turn.
Memories of Murder (2003)
Before Bong Joon-ho gained international fame with works like Snowpiercer and Parasite, he directed a story based on Korea’s infamous Hwaseong murders, where 10 women were raped and killed between 1986 and 1991. The film stars Bong’s frequent collaborator Song Kang-ho as a detective hunting the serial killer.
The Tale (2018)
The Tale isn’t something to go into lightheartedly. Writer and director Jennifer Fox based the film on her own experience as a woman who begins to question a relationship she had with an older man when she was just 13 years old. Laura Dern delivers a career-best performance as Jennifer in The Tale, an excruciating examination of memory and trauma.
I, Tonya (2017)
Tonya Harding won two Olympic medals for figure skating, is the first U.S. woman to land a triple Axel jump in a competition…and maybe conspired to smash a rival skater’s knee. There’s a lot of speculation on whether Harding was actually involved in Nancy Kerrigan’s assault, and I, Tonya doesn’t give an innocent or guilty verdict. Instead, the film focuses on Tonya’s career, relationships, class, and how the world made her the butt of its jokes.
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Till (2022)
The brutal lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955 was a spark in the civil rights movement. In Till, Danielle Deadwyler shines as Mamie, Emmett’s mother who, despite her grief, becomes an activist and advocate for her son. Her performance makes Till a powerful account of one of the most atrocious crimes in U.S. history.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Another film from Martin Scorsese, this black comedy follows the career of Jordan Belfort (Leo DiCaprio), a stockbroker who enters a world of drugs, fraud, and market manipulation. It’s a chaotic and irreverent film that also stars Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, and Matthew McConaughey. At three hours long, make sure your schedule is clear before you start watching.
Bernie (2011)
The outlandish story of a small town, a wealthy widow, and a beloved mortician serves as the inspiration for this black comedy by Richard Linklater. Jack Black is Bernie Tiede, a small-town man so well liked that, even after he confesses to murdering Marjorie Nugent, he never lost the adoration of the townspeople. In fact, some of the talking head interviews in the film are real-life citizens of Carthage, Texas, evangelizing Tiede.
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The Good Nurse (2022)
Based on Charles Graeber’s book, The Good Nurse follows Charlie Cullen, a nurse who jumps from hospital to hospital, leaving mysterious patient deaths in his wake. Jessica Chastain stars as Amy Loughren, a close coworker of Cullen (Eddie Redmayne) who begins to question his track record.
Spotlight (2015)
Spotlight details The Boston Globe’s investigation into widespread child sex abuse committed by priests—and the Catholic Church’s systemic efforts to protect the accused. The Best Picture winner stars Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel McAdams.
House of Gucci (2021)
Following her Oscar-nominated performance as Ally in A Star Is Born, Lady Gaga stars as Patrizia Reggiani, a working-class woman who marries into the Gucci family—and their fashion empire. But when her marriage to Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) begins to crumble, Patrizia refuses to be pushed aside.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
In this Steven Spielberg film, Leo DiCaprio is a fast-talking con man writing bad checks and schmoozing his way onto international flights. But his fabulous co-pilot lifestyle soon attracts the ire of the FBI—specifically, of agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks). The biopic is based on a book by Frank Abagnale Jr., though it’s up to the reader to decide what they believe.
The Bling Ring (2013)
Between 2008 and 2009, a teen gang dubbed the Bling Ring burglarized celebrity homes, stealing millions of dollars in clothing and jewelry from Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, and Lindsay Lohan, among others. Sofia Coppola directs this dive into their closet shopping sprees.
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