A Glean movie guide
Into the Shadows: Gritty Crime Thrillers
No heroes, just survivors.
Intense, atmospheric films that explore the darkest corners of the human psyche.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Se7en
A rain-soaked, atmospheric descent into a serial killer's twisted and methodical moral crusade.
Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Somerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case.
- 02
No Country for Old Men
A bleak and relentless pursuit across a lawless Texas landscape where violence feels inevitable and cold.
Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon dead bodies, $2 million and a hoard of heroin in a Texas desert, but methodical killer Anton Chigurh comes looking for it, with local sheriff Ed Tom Bell hot on his trail. The roles of prey and predator blur as the violent pursuit of money and justice collide.
- 03
Prisoners
A visceral exploration of a father's desperation and the blurred moral lines of vigilante justice.
Keller Dover is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her young friend, Joy, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street.
- 04
Sicario
A high-tension look at the brutal and morally gray reality of the drug war on the US-Mexico border.
An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.
- 05
Nightcrawler
A chilling character study of a sociopathic freelance videographer profiting from urban tragedy.
When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.
- 06
Memories of Murder
A grounded and haunting procedural following detectives overwhelmed by a series of brutal, real-life crimes.
A sadistic serial rapist and murderer of young women terrorizes a small province in 1980s South Korea. To prevent further crimes, three increasingly desperate detectives with conflicting methods race against time to unravel the violent mind of the killer in a futile effort to solve the case.
- 07
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
A cold, stylish investigation into a family’s dark secrets set against a harsh and unforgiving landscape.
Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist investigates the disappearance of a weary patriarch's niece from 40 years ago. He is aided by the pierced, tattooed, punk computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander. As they work together in the investigation, Blomkvist and Salander uncover immense corruption beyond anything they have ever imagined.
- 08
Zodiac
A meticulous and dread-filled account of the obsessive, decades-long hunt for an elusive serial killer.
Over the course of a decade, editors of the San Francisco Chronicle entice themselves in the murders of the Zodiac Killer. However, as time runs its course, interest in the case dwindles in the eyes of the professionals. The Killer stops interacting with the public. However, believing he has the answers, an amateur cartoonist from the initial sightings races against time to prevent what he believes is another murder.
- 09
Training Day
A high-stakes, street-level journey through police corruption in the gang-ridden neighborhoods of L.A.
On his first day on the job as a narcotics officer, a rookie cop works with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears.
- 10
Wind River
A somber and bone-chilling mystery set in the isolated, unforgiving wilderness of a Wyoming reservation.
An FBI agent teams with the town's veteran game tracker to investigate a murder that occurred on a Native American reservation.
- 11
I Saw the Devil
An uncompromising and extremely violent revenge story that explores the dehumanizing effects of vengeance.
Kyung-chul is a dangerous psychopath who kills for pleasure. Soo-hyeon, a top-secret agent, decides to track down the murderer himself. He promises himself that he will do everything in his power to take vengeance against the killer, even if it means that he must become a monster himself.