Binge crime any time: Turn on these suspenseful Netflix movies now

Every now & then, it’s good to treat yourself to a mystery plot with a dash of crime — from a gritty crime to gruesome murders, from psychological thrillers to suspenseful anti-climax. Why do we love to devour crime-based movies & shows, podcasts, books? 

Professionals will tell you that it’s got something to do with our innate fascination with evil. Writer Harold Schechter once shared, “That crime is inseparable from civilization—not an aberration but an integral and even necessary component of our lives—is a notion that has been advanced by various thinkers.”

Whatever the reason for our fascination with crime stories, you can find your fix with Netflix. Here are some crime movies in the Netflix library for you to choose from.

John Wick

We’ll use any excuse we can get to watch Keanu Reeves on screen. But Keanu Reeves in a neo-noir action thriller? We’re sold. In John Wick, Reeves plays an ex-hitman who revives his dormant career. Motive? Vengeance. 

Vengeance makes for the nastiest crime movie plots & revenge is a good look on Reeves. He is classy even when he kills. That’s a major part of the charm of the movie. The stunts & ingenious killings come a close second. 

The White Tiger

Based on Aravind Adiga’s eponymous award-winning novel, The White Tiger may not be your typical crime movie, but it keeps you hooked. The story — which hasn’t been tampered with a lot in its cinematic adaptation — is a biting commentary on the social class structure in India. It brings out the sharp contrast brought about by class inequalities: on one hand, poverty forces a bright kid to drop out of school.

On the other hand, those born with a silver spoon live recklessly. Throughout, there’s the dark underbelly where politics & business converge & where ethics & principles go for a toss. The story packs a punch & even at a length of 2 hours, it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Actors Adarsh Gourav, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Rajkummar Rao bring the characters to life impeccably.

Uncut Gems

We can all agree that Adam Sandler doesn’t suit every role he’s handed, but the character of Howard Ratner was meant for him. People have loved him so much in Uncut Gems that no one could believe this role didn’t earn Sandler an Academy Award nomination.

He plays a compulsive gambler & Uncut Gems chronicles his bet of a lifetime. The stakes are constantly high, the suspense almost never-ending, and there’s a lot of self-sabotage we see Ratner put himself through. 

Andhadhun

If you like a crime movie that leaves you unsettled for a while after you’ve watched it, Andhadhun is the pick for you. It follows the story of a piano player pretending to be blind, who then unwittingly becomes a witness to the murder of a famous personality. There’s barely anything gruesome in the story, but the disgust & suspense just never leaves the screen.

Tabu, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Radhika Apte deliver one of the most stellar performance of their careers. Under the direction of Sriram Raghavan, Andhadhun gets all the elements of a suspenseful crime movie right. At no point in the story does it reveal more than is needed . . . right till the end.

Ocean’s Eleven

Heist movies make for some of the most intriguing plots in the crime & suspense genres. Ocean’s Eleven also brings comedy to these gritty genres & that makes it all the more watchable. Need another reason to add it to your watchlist? Look no further than the cast of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Elliot Gould, Al Pacino, among others.