A Glean movie guide
Modern Crime Thrillers
High stakes. Higher tension.
A curated selection of the most tense, gritty, and suspenseful crime films from the last decade.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Sicario
An intense, masterfully paced look at the brutal reality of the drug war at the U.S.-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.
- 02
Hell or High Water
A modern, character-driven heist film that perfectly captures the desperation of the American West.
A divorced dad and his ex-con brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family's farm in West Texas.
- 03
Uncut Gems
A relentless, high-anxiety ride through New York City's diamond district that rarely lets you catch your breath.
A charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score makes a series of high-stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime. Howard must perform a precarious high-wire act, balancing business, family, and encroaching adversaries on all sides in his relentless pursuit of the ultimate win.
- 04
Wind River
An atmospheric and haunting procedural set against the harsh, unforgiving landscape 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.
- 05
Good Time
A neon-soaked, fast-paced odyssey through the criminal underworld that feels both raw and immediate.
After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Connie Nikas embarks on a twisted odyssey through New York City's underworld to get his brother Nick out of jail.
- 06
The Guilty
A masterclass in contained suspense that proves you only need one room and a phone to create a gripping thriller.
A demoted police officer assigned to a call dispatch desk is conflicted when he receives an emergency phone call from a kidnapped woman.
- 07
Widows
A sophisticated heist thriller that balances complex character dynamics with sharp, modern social commentary.
A police shootout leaves four thieves dead during an explosive armed robbery attempt in Chicago. Their widows have nothing in common except a debt left behind by their spouses' criminal activities. Hoping to forge a future on their own terms, they join forces to pull off a heist.
- 08
Emily the Criminal
A grounded, nerve-wracking look at how quickly a person can be pulled into the criminal underworld.
Desperate for income, Emily takes a shady gig buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a charismatic middleman named Youcef. Seduced by the quick cash and illicit thrills, they hatch a plan to take their business to the next level.