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Movies · Top 10

Top 10 Crime Movies of All Time in 2027

By Kory White · Updated Oct 2026 · 4 min read
Chinatown
Direct answer

Chinatown (1974) is the top crime movie of all time on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 98% Tomatometer from 144 reviews. The Godfather (97%) and The Silence of the Lambs (95%) follow; The Godfather has the highest Audience Score, 98%.

At a glance

#PickTomatometerBest for
1Chinatown98% (144 reviews)Fans of detective stories and classic neo-noir
2The Godfather97% (155 reviews)Anyone who wants the crime family saga that defined the genre
3The Silence of the Lambs95% (161 reviews)Viewers who like a tense FBI-versus-killer thriller
4No Country for Old Men93% (292 reviews)Fans of bleak, quiet, suspense-driven crime stories
5Goodfellas93% (168 reviews)A fast, quotable mob story you can rewatch
6Pulp Fiction92% (186 reviews)Viewers who love sharp dialogue and a scrambled timeline
7The Departed91% (286 reviews)A star-packed undercover cop-versus-mob thriller
8Once Upon a Time in America86% (57 reviews)Patient viewers who want a sweeping gangster epic
9Heat (1995)84% (157 reviews)Fans of heist films and cat-and-mouse showdowns
10Scarface (1983)77% (83 reviews)Viewers who want an over-the-top rise-and-fall story

Pick by what you want

Best overall
Chinatown
Audience favorite
The Godfather
Most Oscars
The Silence of the Lambs
Best to rewatch
Goodfellas
Best heist film
Heat (1995)

The ranking

1

Chinatown

Chinatown
Answrs VerdictThe top-rated crime film on Rotten Tomatoes here.
Tomatometer: 98% (144 reviews)Director, year: Roman Polanski, 1974Rated: RAudience Score: 93%Stars: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston

Roman Polanski’s 1974 detective story stars Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston. Critics give it a 98% Tomatometer across 144 reviews, and audiences give it 93%. It is rated R.

Go ifFans of detective stories and classic neo-noir
Skip ifYou want fast action; this one is a slow-burn mystery
Why #1 over #2: Its 98% Tomatometer edges The Godfather at 97%.
2

The Godfather

The Godfather
Answrs VerdictThe highest Audience Score on this list, 98%.
Tomatometer: 97% (155 reviews)Director, year: Francis Ford Coppola, 1972Rated: RAudience Score: 98%Oscars won: 3 (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay)

Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 mob saga won 3 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. It holds a 97% Tomatometer from 155 reviews and a 98% Audience Score. It is rated R.

Go ifAnyone who wants the crime family saga that defined the genre
Skip ifYou do not have a long evening free
Why #2 over #3: Its 97% Tomatometer beats The Silence of the Lambs at 95%.
3

The Silence of the Lambs

The Silence of the Lambs
Answrs VerdictThe film that swept the five biggest Oscars.
Tomatometer: 95% (161 reviews)Director, year: Jonathan Demme, 1991Rated: RAudience Score: 95%Oscars won: 5 (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Adapted Screenplay)

Jonathan Demme’s 1991 thriller won 5 Oscars: Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Adapted Screenplay. It holds a 95% Tomatometer from 161 reviews and a 95% Audience Score. It is rated R.

Go ifViewers who like a tense FBI-versus-killer thriller
Skip ifDisturbing subject matter is a dealbreaker
Why #3 over #4: Its 95% Tomatometer beats No Country for Old Men at 93%.
4

No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men
Answrs VerdictThe most-reviewed film here, 292 reviews.
Tomatometer: 93% (292 reviews)Director, year: Joel and Ethan Coen, 2007Rated: RAudience Score: 86%Oscars won: 4 (including Best Picture)

The Coen brothers’ 2007 film won 4 Oscars, including Best Picture. It has a 93% Tomatometer from 292 reviews and an 86% Audience Score. It is rated R.

Go ifFans of bleak, quiet, suspense-driven crime stories
Skip ifYou need a tidy, satisfying ending
Why #4 over #5: It ties Goodfellas at 93% but has 292 reviews to Goodfellas’ 168.
5

Goodfellas

Goodfellas
Answrs VerdictSecond-highest Audience Score here, 97%.
Tomatometer: 93% (168 reviews)Director, year: Martin Scorsese, 1990Rated: RAudience Score: 97%Oscars won: 1 (Best Supporting Actor; 6 nominations)

Martin Scorsese’s 1990 mob film earned 6 Oscar nominations and won 1, Best Supporting Actor. It holds a 93% Tomatometer from 168 reviews and a 97% Audience Score. It is rated R.

Go ifA fast, quotable mob story you can rewatch
Skip ifConstant violence and profanity put you off
Why #5 over #6: Its 93% Tomatometer beats Pulp Fiction at 92%.
6

Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction
Answrs VerdictThe stylish pick, with a 96% Audience Score.
Tomatometer: 92% (186 reviews)Director, year: Quentin Tarantino, 1994Rated: RAudience Score: 96%Oscars won: 1 (Best Original Screenplay; 7 nominations)

Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film won Best Original Screenplay from 7 Oscar nominations. It has a 92% Tomatometer from 186 reviews and a 96% Audience Score. It is rated R.

Go ifViewers who love sharp dialogue and a scrambled timeline
Skip ifYou dislike graphic violence or non-linear stories
Why #6 over #7: Its 92% Tomatometer beats The Departed at 91%.
7

The Departed

The Departed
Answrs VerdictScorsese’s only personal Oscar win came here.
Tomatometer: 91% (286 reviews)Director, year: Martin Scorsese, 2006Rated: RAudience Score: 94%Oscars won: 4 (Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Editing)

Martin Scorsese’s 2006 film won 4 Oscars: Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay and Editing. It has a 91% Tomatometer from 286 reviews and a 94% Audience Score. It is rated R.

Go ifA star-packed undercover cop-versus-mob thriller
Skip ifYou want a quiet character study
Why #7 over #8: Its 91% Tomatometer beats Once Upon a Time in America at 86%.
8

Once Upon a Time in America

Once Upon a Time in America
Answrs VerdictThe epic pick, with a 93% Audience Score.
Tomatometer: 86% (57 reviews)Director, year: Sergio Leone, 1984Rated: RAudience Score: 93%Stars: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern

Sergio Leone’s 1984 gangster epic stars Robert De Niro, James Woods and Elizabeth McGovern. It has an 86% Tomatometer from 57 reviews and a 93% Audience Score. It is rated R.

Go ifPatient viewers who want a sweeping gangster epic
Skip ifYou cannot set aside an entire evening
Why #8 over #9: Its 86% Tomatometer beats Heat at 84%.
9

Heat (1995)

Heat (1995)
Answrs VerdictCritics 84%, audiences 94%: the fan favorite.
Tomatometer: 84% (157 reviews)Director, year: Michael Mann, 1995Rated: RAudience Score: 94%Stars: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer

Michael Mann’s 1995 film stars Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer. It has an 84% Tomatometer from 157 reviews and a 94% Audience Score. It is rated R.

Go ifFans of heist films and cat-and-mouse showdowns
Skip ifYou prefer shorter, tighter plots
Why #9 over #10: Its 84% Tomatometer beats Scarface at 77%.
10

Scarface (1983)

Scarface (1983)
Answrs VerdictLowest critic score here, but a 93% Audience Score.
Tomatometer: 77% (83 reviews)Director, year: Brian De Palma, 1983Rated: RAudience Score: 93%Stars: Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer

Brian De Palma’s 1983 film stars Al Pacino, Steven Bauer and Michelle Pfeiffer. It has a 77% Tomatometer from 83 reviews, the lowest here, but a 93% Audience Score. It is rated R.

Go ifViewers who want an over-the-top rise-and-fall story
Skip ifYou want restraint rather than excess

How we ranked these

We ranked the 10 films by their Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (critics’ score), as shown on each film’s Rotten Tomatoes page, and broke ties by the number of critic reviews. Audience Scores, ratings, and Oscar results are also from Rotten Tomatoes and Wikipedia. We did not use our own opinion scores. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.

Questions people ask

What is the best crime movie of all time?

By Rotten Tomatoes critics, Chinatown (1974) leads this list with a 98% Tomatometer from 144 reviews, just ahead of The Godfather at 97%. The Godfather has the highest Audience Score, 98%.

Which crime movie won the most Oscars?

Of these 10, The Silence of the Lambs won 5, including Best Picture. The Departed and No Country for Old Men won 4 each, and The Godfather won 3.

Which crime movie do audiences like best?

The Godfather has the highest Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes among these 10, at 98%, followed by Goodfellas at 97% and Pulp Fiction at 96%.

Are these crime movies suitable for kids?

No. All 10 are rated R on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (critics) at a glance

Scarface (1983)77 %
Heat (1995)84 %
Once Upon a Time in America86 %
The Departed91 %
Pulp Fiction92 %
No Country for Old Men93 %
Goodfellas93 %
The Silence of the Lambs95 %
The Godfather97 %
Chinatown98 %
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (critics), as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.

Official sites

Sources

Prices, specs and availability change; confirm on the official site before you buy.

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