Top 10 Cops & Robbers Movies

The battle between good and evil has taken many forms in Hollywood but one of the most enduring has to be the cop versus crook crime flick.

The constant game of cat and mouse between the wily criminal and the cop hell-bent on justice has been a crowd-pleaser for decades. From classic gangster tales to perilous high-speed pursuits to small town thievery, the line between hunter and prey is never clear cut and rarely do we glimpse a happy ending but why argue with a formula that works? We’ve taken a look back at some of the very best of the best of the genre and have narrowed it down to just ten. Is your favourite there? Take a look at the countdown!

10. L.A. Confidential

Echoing the noir films of the ‘30s and ‘40s, this brilliant adaptation of James Ellroy’s novel takes us deep into the seedy, corrupt world of law enforcement and celebrity in 1950’s Los Angeles. Perhaps best remembered as the film that introduced North American audiences to both Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce, the talented cast also includes James Cromwell, Kevin Spacey and Kim Basinger, who went on to win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as an elite call girl with ties to organized crime. And screenplays don’t get much better than the punchy dialogue, rich character development and plot-twist heavy script put forth by Brian Helgeland and director Curtis Hanson, which assumes a certain level of viewer intelligence that is sadly lacking from most Hollywood offerings today. When all is said and done though, the real star of the film is the city itself. The meticulous recreation of the sights, sounds and atmosphere of mid-twentieth century L.A. – a city drowning in its own success as the lines of good and evil blur beyond all recognition – is alone worth the price of admission.

9. Natural Born Killers

Oliver Stone’s visionary, ultra-violent and largely prophetic 1994 thriller had plenty to say about America’s undeniable bloodlust, misplaced idol worship and celebrity obsession through the shotgun-wielding perspective of its two protagonists Mickey and Mallory. Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis inhabited their roles as two demented, damaged lovers who escape their painful pasts through terror and torture, playing an increasingly sickening game of cat and mouse with equally loopy Warden Dwight McClusky (a whacked out Tommy Lee Jones) and sycophantic, self-serving journalist Wayne Gale (Robert Downey Jr.). As McClusky gets closer to capturing the elusive, murderous duo, his obsession starts to mirror the public’s ill-placed adoration and it isn’t long before all hell breaks loose. With a story by a freshly Pulp Fiction-ed Quentin Tarantino and stark, unforgiving imagery, this cops and robbers film turned the genre on its head.

8. The Departed

This Southie tale of double lives and double crossing kept its audience on pins and needles waiting for a break in the tension between mafia big boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson, flashing his Cheshire grin with gusto), his unlikely protégé (and undercover cop) Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Costello’s informer from within, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon). The lines between allies and enemies are skillfully blurred in Martin Scorsese’s epic drama – finally earning him a long-overdue Best Directing Oscar in addition to honours for Best Picture, Editing and Writing – which offers a gripping insider look at crime, loyalty and sacrifice.

7. The French Connection

This one’s a definite no-brainer. William Friedken’s police thriller has become one of the most influential crime films of all time. Starring Gene Hackman and following on the heels of Bonnie and Clyde and a wave of intense French crime dramas, the reality of the drug trade is uncomfortably close at all times and no punches are pulled in the portrayal of one cop’s obsession to take down a French smuggler. Though the film spawned a less-than-stellar sequel and a short-lived NBC drama, nothing can top the simplicity and quality of the original. Oh…and if you’re looking for knock-down, drag-out chase scenes, this one has some of the best ever put on film. Exhausting, impressive and unbelievable in its scope, be prepared to pause, rewind and watch that part over and over again.

6. The Usual Suspects

Keyser Soze – a name that will forever be entrenched in the minds of all who’ve watched in awe Bryan Singer’s labyrinthine crime-drama, The Usual Suspects. After five criminals are brought in for questioning following a truck hi-jacking, they plan an act of revenge against the police, leaving 27 bodies, $91 million worth of drug money and dim-witted Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey) in their wake. Chazz Palminteri plays Dave Kujan, a US Customs officer who grills the fragile crook as he races to put the pieces of the puzzle together and figure out who is Keyser Soze. An intelligent, twisty narrative that would make M. Night Shyamalan drool, The Usual Suspects raised the bar for the entire genre and made Kevin Spacey a star.

5. Donnie Brasco

A top-tier film in the undercover-cop-who-starts-to-empathize-with-his-mark subgenre, Johnny Depp goes head to head with Al Pacino as the titular character, an FBI agent (who otherwise goes by the name Joseph Pistone) who gets chummy with crime lord Lefty Ruggiero (Pacino) and starts to question where his loyalties lie when his mafia family starts to take precedence over his real one. This ‘70s-era drama boasts a killer cast (with Michael Madsen bringing on the barely-concealed crazy as Sonny Black) and tells a nuanced story of two men who grow to love each other like brothers even while one is keeping a secret that could destroy them both. But this isn’t entirely a work of fiction: the screenplay was based on Pistone’s book My Undercover Life in the Mafia.

4. Bonnie & Clyde

Considered by many to be the first modern gangster film, Bonnie and Clyde brings the tale of the notorious bank robbers vividly to life. The film courted controversy when first released for its frank, searing depiction (and glorification) of violence but rather than stay away, audiences hit the theatres in droves and turned the story of Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) and his erstwhile moll Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) from history into legend. Perhaps one of the first mainstream films to deal with the straightforward allure of sex and violence (no subtle metaphors here), the final scene both shocks and awes as director Arthur Penn deftly creates a completely new cinematic style in just one sequence. From the famous ‘20s fashion, to the dialogue, location shooting and no-holds-barred acting, only a handful of movies have managed to duplicate the monumental effect this film had on the industry.

3. Fargo

The Coen Brothers, the cinematic duo who brought us such classics as Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy, The Big Lebowski and, of course, No Country for Old Men, head to North Dakota for this alternately hilarious and deeply troubling look at what one bumbling wannabe criminal gets himself into when his bank account hits the red and he needs money – quick . Hiring two sociopaths to fake-kidnap his wife, with plans to split the ransom between the three of them, every choice Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) makes ends up being the wrong one, and once Police Chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) is on the case, it’s only a matter of time before his schemes, and life, unceremoniously fall apart.

2. The Untouchables

If you can get past Sean Connery’s perpetual Scottish brogue in his role as a seasoned Irish Chicago cop then you are in for a treat. Based on the 1950’s television series, the film follows detective Elliott Ness, played by Kevin Costner, as he desperately tries to bring gangster Al Capone, played by Robert De Niro, to justice during the Prohibition era. The script, adapted by genius playwright David Mamet, is possibly one of the best of the genre and director Brian De Palma wrings every last drop of authenticity out of each aspect of the production. Upon the film’s release, The New York Times said it best by calling the film “vulgar, violent, funny and sometimes breathtakingly beautiful.” As beat cop Jim Malone, Connery (despite accent issues) delivers one of his all-time best performances and earned himself a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his troubles. This one is a must-see if you haven’t already. Here endeth the lesson.

1. Silence of the Lambs

Possibly the most quotable movie on our list, who can ever forget Anthony Hopkins’ chilling portrayal of serial killer Hannibal Lector or Jodie Foster’s role as Clarice Starling, the detective who must match wits with the mad man to take another monster down? Because of its perpetual place within the pop culture zeitgeist, the film may seem to have lost some of its shock value but take another look. The film is timeless and it’s just as creepy and nerve-wracking to watch Starling tread the line of madness herself (not to mention anything to do with Buffalo Bill) as it was when first released. Silence of the Lambs is full of unforgettable moments and rightly went on to win Oscars for its lead actors, screenplay and for the film itself.