Best French Crime Movies
This page is updated regularly. Subscribe, so you don't miss new recommendations. The list of "Best French Crime Movies" contains films with the following parameters. Style: realistic, serious, suspenseful, tense, suspense and neo noir. Plot: police officer, murder, corruption, gun, runaway, violence, vengeance, police, storytelling and gangster. Genre: Crime, Thriller and Drama. Country: France, USA and UK.
Best French Crime Movies
TOP Movies: 36th Precinct (2004), You Were Never Really Here (2017), The Prey (2011), Crime Insiders (2007), The Stronghold (2020), Hate (1995), The Day of the Jackal (1973), A Cop (1972), City of God (2002), Diva (1981), Place Vendome (1998), Legend (2015), Spy (2015), The Crimson Rivers (2000), Polisse (2011), The Italian Job (2003), The Next Three Days (2010), Dobermann (1997), The Color of Lies (1999), State of Play (2009).
List of Best Movies
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
The Film takes place in Paris, where two cops are competing for the vacant seat of chief of police while in the middle of a search for a gang of violent thieves. The movie is directed by Olivier Marchal, a former police officer who spent 12 years ...
Style:
tense, realistic, disturbing, rough, suspenseful ...
Audience:
boys' night, manly
Plot:
vengeance, violence, twists and turns, gang, rivalry, organized crime, police corruption, investigation, dirty cop, justice, nudity, police ...
Time:
year 2004, 21st century
Place:
france, paris france, europe, rio de janeiro
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, France, USA
Duration: 89 min.
Story:
A traumatised veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe's nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening.
Style:
psychological, suspense, cerebral, neo noir, breathtaking ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
violence, childhood trauma, hotel, suicide, trauma, murder, child prostitution, suicidal thoughts, traumatized man, teenage girl, perversion, corruption ...
Time:
year 2017, 2010s
Place:
new york, iraq, afghanistan
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
A robber escapes from prison with a single objective in mind: to track down his former cellmate, a serial killer who intends to pin his crimes on him. A cop is sent after the robber who, despite his best efforts, soon becomes Public Enemy Number ...
Style:
exciting, realistic, suspenseful, serious, twisted ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
serial killer, manhunt, prison, on the run, hidden identity, life is a bitch, false accusation, protagonist as suspect, chase, family life, dishonesty, shaolin ...
Time:
2010s, 21st century
Place:
somalia, france, europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
A Parisian criminal gang fall apart after challenges to the gang's leader lessen his influence.
Style:
realistic, rough, bleak, tense, serious ...
Plot:
gang, criminal heroes, criminal's revenge, danger, master criminal, prison, massage parlor, extreme violence, real world, rivalry, right hand man, hitman ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
france, paris france, europe, africa
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
A police brigade working in the dangerous northern neighborhoods of Marseille, where the level of crime is higher than anywhere else in France.
Style:
tense, unusual plot structure, suspenseful, suspense, disturbing ...
Plot:
french police, chase, police, danger, police detective, murder, death, violence, law enforcement, partners against crime, partner, buddy cop ...
Time:
2010s, year 2012, 21st century
Place:
marseille, france
Is relevant?
223K
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: France
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Aimlessly whiling away their days in the concrete environs of their dead-end suburbia, Vinz, Hubert, and Said -- a Jew, African, and an Arab -- give human faces to France's immigrant populations, their bristling resentment at their social ...
Style:
bleak, art house, disturbing, cult classic, thought provoking ...
Audience:
teens, pre-teens
Plot:
racism, rebel, poverty, skinhead, youth, ghetto, brutality, police brutality, friendship, rebellion, urban ghetto life, misfit ...
Time:
20th century, year 1995, 90s
Place:
paris france, france, middle east, europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, France
Duration: 143 min.
Story:
An international assassin known as ‘The Jackal’ is employed by disgruntled French generals to kill President Charles de Gaulle, with a dedicated gendarme on the assassin's trail.
Style:
political thriller, suspenseful, political, exciting, intense ...
Plot:
conspiracy, hitman, terrorism, assassin, police investigation, spy thriller, politics, assassination plot, serial killer, assassination attempt, espionage, french president ...
Time:
year 1963, 20th century, 60s, year 1973, 70s
Place:
paris france, france, algeria, europe, big ben london ...
Is relevant?
12K
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Commissaire Edouard Coleman is a Paris police chief whose life investigating violent crimes has left him despondent. After beginning an affair with a beautiful but cold woman named Cathy, he befriends her boyfriend, Simon, a local nightclub owner. ...
Style:
neo noir, suspense, visually appealing, hood, cynical ...
Plot:
french police, gang, police inspector, gangster, train robbery, bank, corruption, robbery, criminal, driver, police, double life ...
Time:
year 1972, 70s, 20th century
Place:
france, paris france, europe
Is relevant?
864K
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: Brazil, France
Duration: 130 min.
Story:
Cidade de Deus is a shantytown that started during the 1960s and became one of Rio de Janeiro’s most dangerous places in the beginning of the 1980s. To tell the story of this place, the movie describes the life of various characters, all seen by ...
Style:
rough, bleak, hood, sexy, stylized ...
Audience:
teen drama, adult
Plot:
gang, violence, ghetto, favela, coming of age, storytelling, gang war, gangster, society, juvenile delinquency, organized crime, journalism ...
Time:
70s, 20th century, year 2003, 2000s, future ...
Place:
latin america, rio de janeiro, south america, brazil, africa
Is relevant?
15K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Music, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
Jules, a young Parisian postman, secretly records a concert performance given by the opera singer Cynthia Hawkins, whom he idolises. The following day, Jules runs into a woman who is being pursued by armed thugs. Before she is killed, the woman ...
Style:
visually stunning, visual, lyrical, surreal, stylized ...
Plot:
classical music, opera, murder, postman, opera singer, hotel, blackmail, concert, henchman, police corruption, music, car chase ...
Time:
year 1981, 80s, year 1980, 20th century
Place:
paris france, france, europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: France
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
The story of a woman that remained distracted for a long time from her life, from the passions that made her feel alive. The importance of true love is compared with the material value of diamonds. Only one truly lasts forever. She's got to ...
Style:
neo noir, realistic, psychological, serious, suspenseful ...
Plot:
flashback, drunkenness, betrayal, women, dishonesty, haunted by the past, alcohol abuse, cons and scams, widow, diamond, suicide, police ...
Time:
year 1998, 90s
Place:
france, paris france, europe
Is relevant?
222K
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, France, USA
Duration: 132 min.
Story:
Suave, charming and volatile, Reggie Kray and his unstable twin brother Ronnie start to leave their mark on the London underworld in the 1960s. Using violence to get what they want, the siblings orchestrate robberies and murders while running ...
Style:
realistic, brutal, period piece, intense, suspenseful ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
gang, mafia, gangster, violent, psychopath, gay interest, organized crime, abusive husband, rise and fall, brother brother relationship, homosexual, relationships ...
Time:
60s, year 2015, year 1957, 90s, 2010s ...
Place:
england, london, east end london, europe, west end london ...
Is relevant?
273K
Genre: Action, Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster.
Style:
parody, funny, action comedy, humorous, black comedy ...
Audience:
kids, chick flick, teens, girls' night, adult
Plot:
spy, female spy, undercover agent, espionage, assassin, female agent, female protagonist, female killer, cia, spy spoof, cia agent, disguise ...
Time:
year 2015, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
rome italy, paris france, italy, budapest, usa ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
Two French policemen, one investigating a grisly murder at a remote mountain college, the other working on the desecration of a young girl's grave by skinheads, are brought together by the clues from their respective cases. Soon after they ...
Style:
suspense, sexy, suspenseful, serious, psychological ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
serial killer, murder, investigation, police investigation, murder mystery, police officer, demon, whodunit, ritual, police detective, secret society, twists and turns ...
Time:
year 2000, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
europe, alps, france, paris france
Is relevant?
16K
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: France
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
The daily grind for the cops of the Police Department's Juvenile Protection Unit - taking in child molesters, busting underage pickpockets, interrogating abusive parents, confronting the excesses of teen sexuality, enjoying solidarity with ...
Style:
disturbing, serious, realistic, erotic, sincere ...
Plot:
violence against women, pedophile, abused child, journalism, policewoman, confession, abusive parent, police station, police investigation, social decay, life is a bitch, fighting crime ...
Time:
2010s, 21st century
Place:
france, paris france, europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: UK, Italy, Germany, USA
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
Charlie Croker pulled off the crime of a lifetime. The one thing that he didn't plan on was being double-crossed. Along with a drop-dead gorgeous safecracker, Croker and his team take off to re-steal the loot and end up in a pulse-pounding, ...
Style:
suspense, clever, action packed, suspenseful, funny ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens, family friendly, chick flick, date night ...
Plot:
heist, robbery, vengeance, caper, car chase, bank robbery, perfect crime, conspiracy, chase, gold, safecracker, theft ...
Time:
year 2003, 90s, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
italy, venice, philadelphia, los angeles, california ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA, France
Duration: 133 min.
Story:
A married couple's life is turned upside down when the wife is accused of a murder. Lara Brennan is arrested for murdering her boss with whom she had an argument. It seems she was seen leaving the scene of the crime and her fingerprints were on ...
Style:
suspense, romantic, tense, suspenseful, emotional ...
Audience:
chick flick, date night, teens
Plot:
innocent, twists and turns, danger, injustice, prison escape, false accusation, couples, life turned upside down, husband wife relationship, escapades, murder, lawyer ...
Time:
year 2010, 2010s, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
venezuela, pennsylvania, usa, haiti, canada ...
Is relevant?
20K
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
The charismatic criminal Dobermann, who got his first gun when he was christened, leads a gang of brutal robbers. After a complex and brutal bank robbery, they are being hunted by the Paris police. The hunt is led by the sadistic cop Christini, who ...
Style:
cult classic, brutal, stylized, dark comedy, neo noir ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
violent, gangster, robbery, bank robber, nightclub, organized crime, heist, bank robbery, gunfight, bank, police corruption, chase ...
Time:
90s
Place:
paris france, france, europe
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
In a small Breton town, a 10-year-old girl is found murdered. René, her art teacher, a professional painter, is the last person to have seen her alive. The inspector in charge of the investigation immediately questions him. In this small provincial ...
Style:
art house, contemplative, serious, realistic, tense ...
Plot:
female detective, sex crime, false accusation, performer's life, couples, social relations, law enforcement, dishonesty, life is a bitch, journalism, investigation, couple relations ...
Time:
90s
Place:
brittany, france
Is relevant?
166K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, France, USA
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
Handsome, unflappable U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins is the future of his political party: an honorable appointee who serves as the chairman of a committee overseeing defense spending. All eyes are upon the rising star to be his party's ...
Style:
political thriller, clever, political, suspenseful, suspense ...
Plot:
political conspiracy, conspiracy, journalism, corruption, journalist, investigation, reporter, murder, congress, espionage, world politics, assassination ...
Time:
year 2009, 2000s, 70s, 21st century
Place:
usa, washington d.c.
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: France, USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Liu Jian, an elite Chinese police officer, comes to Paris to arrest a Chinese drug lord. When Jian is betrayed by a French officer and framed for murder, he must go into hiding and find new allies.
Style:
intense, stylized, rough, suspenseful, fast paced ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
martial arts, police corruption, kung fu, reconnaissance, asian man white woman relationship, conspiracy, heroin, murder, one man army, fight, one against many, framed for murder ...
Time:
year 2001, 20th century, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
paris france, france, europe, hong kong, china
Is relevant?
57K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France, USA
Duration: 125 min.
Story:
When Bobby's car breaks down in the desert while on the run from some of the bookies who have already taken two of his fingers, he becomes trapped in the nearby small town where the people are stranger than anyone he's encountered. After ...
Style:
neo noir, sexy, dark comedy, road movie, disturbing ...
Plot:
small town, femme fatale, desert, rough sex, outdoor sex, on the run, wilderness, incest, murder, drifter, betrayal, sex crime ...
Time:
year 1997, 20th century, 90s
Place:
arizona, persia, usa, phoenix arizona, las vegas
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: France
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
A rookie policeman from provincial Le Havre volunteers for the high pressure Parisian homicide bureau and is assigned to a middle-aged woman detective.
Style:
realistic, serious, bleak, neo noir, captivating ...
Plot:
alcohol abuse, policewoman, murder investigation, female boss, job, workplace situations, police officer, swat team, marijuana, police academy, homicide, recovering alcoholic ...
Time:
year 2005, 2000s
Place:
france, paris france, europe, nice france
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
668K
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: France, UK, USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
While vacationing with a friend in Paris, an American girl is kidnapped by a gang of human traffickers intent on selling her into forced prostitution. Working against the clock, her ex-spy father must pull out all the stops to save her. But with his ...
Style:
exciting, suspenseful, action thriller, entertaining, fast ...
Audience:
manly, boys' night, date night, teens, chick flick ...
Plot:
revenge, kidnapping, one man army, vigilantism, chase, secret service, human trafficking, cia, vigilante, violence, vengeance, danger ...
Time:
year 2008, 2000s, 20th century, 21st century
Place:
france, europe, paris france, north america, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France, USA
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
Leon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, ...
Style:
neo noir, touching, rough, suspenseful, retro ...
Audience:
teens, date night, adult
Plot:
hitman, mentor, revenge, friendship, murder, loneliness, organized crime, redemption, sniper, loner, life philosophy, dark hero ...
Time:
20th century, year 1994, 90s
Place:
new york, usa, france, paris france, manhattan new york city ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
Damien and Leito return to District 13 on a mission to bring peace to the troubled sector that is controlled by five different gang bosses, before the city's secret services take drastic measures to solve the problem.
Style:
harsh, stylized, entertaining, suspenseful, exciting ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
fight, parkour, fighting the system, chase, undercover cop, corruption, brutality, destiny, gang war, rebellion, gang, martial arts ...
Time:
future, year 2009, 2010s
Place:
europe, paris france, france, hong kong
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
Sylvie, a nearly sixty-year-old woman, has fallen in love with Michel, a thug she marries in prison. The couple dream of starting again with a clean slate by opening a flower shop. But Sylvie’s son Abel, convinced that Michel will fall into a life ...
Style:
captivating, tense
Plot:
prison, relationship problems, family relations, family problems, male female relationship, love affair, widower, wedding, heist, hospital, truck, cat ...
Place:
france, lyon
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Germany, France
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
Katja's life collapses after a senseless act impacts her life. After a time of mourning and injustice, she seeks revenge.
Style:
suspense, tense, art house, suspenseful, captivating ...
Plot:
revenge, terrorist, lawyer, racism, terrorist attack, conspiracy, trial, policewoman, drug use, suicide attempt, suspect, courtroom ...
Time:
year 2017, year 2013, year 2016, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
germany, greece, hamburg germany, turkey
Is relevant?
107K
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 155 min.
Story:
Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim) is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. On his arrival at the prison, he seems younger and more brittle than the others detained there. At once he falls under the sway of ...
Style:
tense, harsh, rough, breathtaking, atmospheric ...
Audience:
manly, boys' night
Plot:
prison, mafia, prison life, gangster, cruelty, male nudity, organized crime, male objectification, convict, prison gang, prison escape, coming of age ...
Time:
year 2009, 2000s, 90s, year 2010, 21st century
Place:
france, marseille, europe, paris france, california
Is relevant?
161K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 97 min.
Story:
Events over the course of one traumatic night in Paris unfold in reverse-chronological order as the beautiful Alex is brutally raped and beaten by a stranger in the underpass. Her boyfriend and ex-lover take matters into their own hands by hiring ...
Style:
art house, sexy, bleak, disturbing, harsh ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
rape, sexual abuse, revenge, violence, violent, sadism, rape and revenge, sexualized violence, brutality, anal rape, sexual perversion, rape victim ...
Time:
year 2002, turn of the century, year 2003, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
paris france, france, europe
Is relevant?
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