Best Crime Thrillers of All Time
In 'Eagle Eye,' Shia LaBeouf plays a disaffected youth (read: slacker) who's one of a group of seemingly random folks manipulated by an evil Big Brother-type organization into committing acts of terrorism. It's a fast-paced thrill ride, but can the movie stack up to the truly great thrillers by auteurs such as Hitchcock, Kubrick and the Coen brothers? Strap on your handgun, your hat and your distrust of the law -- and join us as we count down the 25 best crime thrillers ever.
Paramount
25. 'Blue Velvet'
Most crime thrillers wouldn't feature such brain-searing moments as Isabella Rossellini naked and shaking, Dean Stockwell lip-synching a Roy Orbison song, and Dennis Hopper inhaling amyl-nitrate like it's his job. Then again, David Lynch is anything but normal -- and we raise our Pabst Blue Ribbons in heartfelt thanks.
De Laurentis Group / ZUMA Press
24. 'The Killing'
Stanley Kubrick's racetrack heist flick is the sort of movie that is shown to film students who have little to no expectations for it, but leave the lecture halls 85 minutes later wowed (not to mentioned enlightened). Its conventional setup is a ruse: This is one of the most innovative films of its time.
United Artists / ZUMA Press
23. 'Blood Simple'
The setup is so simple -- rich man hires P.I. to clip his cheating wife and her lover -- but what follows is anything but. It involves one corpse after another, and it's bloody brilliant. It was our introduction to the Coen brothers' genius, and remains one of their best works.
USA Films / ZUMA Press
22. 'The Fugitive'
One of the best films ever made from a TV series, 'The Fugitive' boasts a perfect blend of suspense, action and righteousness (he didn't kill his wife!). But what makes this movie tick is the dynamic between Tommy Lee Jones and Harrison Ford, who get our vote for the most adorable cop-fugitive couple in movie history.
Everett Collection
21. 'Cape Fear'
Sure, De Niro creeped us out in Martin Scorsese's remake, but the '62 Gregory Peck original is still the one to watch. Robert Mitchum menaces as Max Cady, while Peck and family are archetypal "good" folk. A young-looking Lori Martin as the preteen daughter makes the interplay between her and Cady positively shocking.
ZUMA Press
20. 'Body Heat'
Something strange happened in 1981: In between 'Escape from New York' and 'Taps' came a return to a genre 40 years young. This noirish yarn was based on the same news story as 'Double Indemnity,' but given a contemporary makeover, with passionate turns from William Hurt and Kathleen Turner.
LADD Company / ZUMA Press
19. 'Dial M for Murder'
Ray Milland is always suave -- even when he's profoundly diabolical, as he is in this '54 suspenser, one of Alfred Hitchcock's pairings with the sublime Grace Kelly: she, an adulterous moneyed wife to Milland's conniving murderous hubby. It's one of Hitchcock's go-to themes: familial treachery (see also 'Strangers on a Train').
Everett Collection
18. 'No Country for Old Men'
The Coen brothers won four Oscars for their brutal adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel, and with good reason. Josh Brolin is excellent as the Vietnam vet who stumbles onto a drug deal gone wrong, but it's Javier Bardem, as the sociopathic assassin Chigurh, who gives one of the great villainous performances of all time -- and instilled in us a lifelong fear of bowl cuts, coin flips and air compressors. Chew on that, Friendo.
Miramax
17. 'Memento'
Christopher Nolan's detective noir about a man (Guy Pearce) on a quest to avenge his wife's murder is like nothing that came before it. Told in reverse to mimic the protagonist's inability to make new memories, the tale hurtles toward a shocking conclusion/beginning that'll have you asking: Does the start justify the means?
Newmarket Films / ZUMA Press
Reader Comments (15)
metoo at 5:42PM on Sep 27th 2008
Dressed to Kill, The House of Wax, The Verdict ( original one with Sydney Greenstreet), the Red House....to name a few
loren at 6:51PM on Sep 27th 2008
The Fugitive will always be Nuber 1 to me, but probably not with the younger people. Best show ever.
blackmansmind at 7:27PM on Sep 27th 2008
"Inside Man" not on the list?
nottoday at 8:35PM on Sep 27th 2008
Where's Heat? It should be no. 1 At least Seven, SIlence of the Lambs, and Chinatown are in the top 10 (though both Chinatown and Seven should be higher). Personally, I'd suggest The Dark Knight should be on the list, and be in the top five. It IS a crime thriller, much more so than a superhero film. The Fugitive should be higher as well, along with No Country for Old Men. I'm glad to see The Departed and Blood Simple made the list.
Brad at 8:43PM on Sep 27th 2008
Scandal!!! Kim Kardashian's NEW sex tape! Here:
http://kcelebvidz.com/video.php?v=Kim_Kardashian_NEW_sex_tape
Jim at 8:46PM on Sep 27th 2008
What about Bullit?
Barry Booth at 8:53PM on Sep 27th 2008
What about The Big Heat, The Killers to add to the list.
Pres at 10:06PM on Sep 27th 2008
The French Connection... a great movie? Sure... best car chase ever... not so fast... 3 years before TFC was released the classic Steve McQueen crime thriller blew car chase scenes away with the duel between the Charger and the Mustang.. Popeyes good, but Bullett set the standard. Nuf said
Hondo551 at 1:05PM on Sep 28th 2008
I agree with most of them, sometimes the order seems a little wrong. But one glaring omission is the artfully crafted minimalistic classic known as "Bullitt".
Dev at 1:18AM on Sep 28th 2008
Good list. Is it safe? And Anthony Hopkins as hannibal....OOOOO!!!!! While I'm sure there could be more, all the movies on your list rate with me. Especially now, The Manchurian Candidate. Remind you of anyone?? (Hats off to Fergison!)
Michael at 5:39PM on Sep 28th 2008
Brad Get a Life! Is all that you have to do all day long is put references to someone's "nude" or "scandalous" pics on all sorts of blogs? So Very Sad
Elizabeth Clark at 9:10AM on Oct 6th 2008
The Fugitive was the best TV drama ever made.
Bruce Lagasse at 7:26PM on Nov 7th 2008
Where's "Day of The Jackal"? I thiink it's unique in that the assassin and the French police commisioner are equally matched in smarts, ingenuity and resourcefulness. The Jackal prepared an astonishingly clever plan, with multiple twists and turns to evade pursuit. And the detective is able to stay right on his trail, matching wit for wit.
Of course, I speak of the original Fred Zinnemann film, not the Bruce Willis atrocity.
JHON at 9:37PM on Nov 12th 2008
Pulp Fiction anyone?
fillerkish at 11:03PM on Dec 4th 2008
technically THE FRENCH CONNECTION was NOT a car chase. the car was not chasing another car. a car chasing another car is a car chase. in FC, the car is chasing a subway train... or rather, following it. that's it. it's NOT really a car chase. it's amazing as heck, but NOT a car chase. and now, as for the science fiction, i CANNOT believe that the remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is on the list... PLEASE! that movie SUCKED!!!!!