Actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson and Matt Damon as Billy, Costello and Colin in The Departed.Image via Warner Bros.
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Michael Block
Published 10 hours ago
Michael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts!
On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK.
In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.
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There is a psychological draw into why we, as a society, love crime thrillers. Maybe it's the rush of watching a mystery unfold that we can solve before the character do. Perhaps it's the adreneline rush of watching a crime unfold before our eyes. Whatever the reason is, it's why Hollywood adores making crime thrillers. Though the 20th century had some brilliant films in the genre, the past 25 years have proven that the genre is evolving.
Since 2000, we have watched some extraordinary films by some of the most prolific directors, like Clint Eastwood and David Fincher, bring crime thrillers to the next level. Some of today's brightest stars, including Adam Sandler and Jake Gyllenhaal, turn to the genre to help breakout or prove they can tackle drama just as well. The past 25 years have proven that not only do we love watching crime thrillers, the award circuit does as well. These 10 films are some of the best crime thrillers of the 21st century.
10 'Drive' (2011)
Ryan Gosling looking cool and in shadows while sitting in a car in 'Drive' (2011)Image via FilmDistrict
Let’s ride with Drive! As our action adventure thriller entry, Drive follows a Hollywood stunt driver (Ryan Gosling) who moonlights as a getaway driver. After developing a fondness for his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son, Benicio (Kaden Leos), he soon becomes entangled in a botched million-dollar heist with her recently released husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), that endangers the lives of everyone involved. Based on the book, Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us, director Nicolas Winding Refn keeps the heart pumping through a hyper-stylized vision of violence.
Though Gosling is the pillar of the piece, the film boasts solid performances from typical funny men Albert Brooks and Bryan Cranston. At the time, the film felt very much like a departure from mainstream action-based filmmaking, as the driving sequences aren’t just there for thrills; they’re directed with precision that garners raw adrenaline. It’s not edited for a thrill, it’s actually thrilling. Further, the slow-burning tension that bleeds into sudden violence makes Drive a neon-hued masterpiece.
9 'Winter's Bone' (2010)
Jennifer Lawrence and Dale Dickey as Ree and Merab on a row boat at night in 'Winter's Bone'Image via Roadhouse Attractions
Despite having some credits to her name, Jennifer Lawrence truly found her breakthrough role in Debra Granik’s powerful Winter’s Bone. Set in the rural Ozarks, teenager Ree Dolly (Lawrence), who cares for her two younger siblings and mentally ill mother, goes on a mission to find her missing, drug-dealing father to save her family from homelessness after he puts up their home as bail. As the tight-knit Ozark community remains zip-lipped, Ree takes things into her own hands, destined to find him dead or alive.
Taken from Daniel Woodrel’s novel, the story is one of survival and resilience in harsh conditions, both environmentally and emotionally. Overall bleak with moments of hopefulness, Winter’s Bone is a haunting tale that unravels through Lawrence’s courageous performance. There’s a reason why she became the second-youngest woman to be nominated for Best Actress at the time. With borderline horrific content from the source material, Granik brings the piece to life through captivating fever. Though it may not be an adrenaline-inducing thriller like some others on this list, the story, combined with Lawrence’s career-making performance, is worth the entry.
8 'Uncut Gems' (2019)
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Adam Sandler holding necklace in Uncut GemsImage via A24
Yes, we live in a world where the '90s king of comedy, Adam Sandler, changed courses to appear in some enthralling thrillers and dramas. The highlight of this era, most certainly, is the Josh and Benny Safdie-directed Uncut Gems. Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a Jewish-American jeweler in New York City's Diamond District with an aggressive gambling addiction. Trouble follows as he gets caught in a high-stakes cycle of debt and risk after smuggling a rare black opal from Ethiopia. In hopes of paying off his mounting debts and fund his next big bet, he fences the opal to basketball player Kevin Garnett, but the gem's perceived good luck complicates his plans.
Even with a charismatic front, Sandler shines in the crime thriller, reaffirming his on-screen dramatic prowess. His performance is audacious, if not exhausting. Perhaps a film that didn’t earn the recognition it deserved when it first dropped, Uncut Gems has only gotten better with time. The film marked the final collaboration before the Safdies before they dissolved their partnership.
7 'Nightcrawler' (2014)
Image via Open Road Films
Jake Gyllenhaal has had a stunning career that’s spanned everything from silly, goofy films in his early years to romantic gems. But he truly shed his skin in the neo-noir psychological thriller Nightcrawler. Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal) finds himself in the world of local news by filming car crashes, fires, and other crimes to sell the footage to TV stations. As he becomes more successful, he blurs the line between observer and participant by manipulating crime scenes to capture more dramatic footage, becoming the star of his own story and the subject of a police investigation. Through an exploration of the cutthroat nature of crime journalism and the media's appetite for sensationalism, Nightcrawler showcases Gyllenhaal at his charming best with an overtly dark aura as a sociopathic antihero.
The film is carried by Gyllenhaal’s exceptional performance, in which he also served as a producer. Appealing to both a mainstream and art house audience, Nightcrawler may not have been at the top of mind in major discussions, but it’s a restless and sleek visually captivating thriller that taps into our voyeuristic fantasies. An underrated hit, Nightcrawler deserves to be discussed amongst the best.
6 'The Departed' (2006)
Undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) disguises himself with a cap as he peeks around the corner of a brick wall in 'The Departed' (2006).Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
When Martin Scorsese does something, he doesn’t do it lightly. He has an affinity for making big films. In 2006, for his remake of the Hong Kong film Internal Affairs and using the real-life Boston Winter Hill Gang as a basis, Scorsese assembled a massive star-studded cast to bring a major crime thriller to life. In The Departed, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), an undercover Massachusetts State Police trooper, infiltrates mob boss Frank Costello's (Jack Nicholson) organization, while a criminal named Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) simultaneously infiltrates the state police to work as Costello's informant. Both men become consumed by their double lives, and when their respective organizations become aware of a mole, each must race to uncover the other's identity before they are exposed.
A deadly cat-and-mouse game where moles are a-plenty, The Departed is a gritty portrayal of betrayal, identity, and morality through the complex relationship between cops and criminals. With an abundance of hype surrounding the film, it did earn a handful of awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director, the first and only film of Scorsese’s career. As someone who spent years in Boston, listening to the people of the great city on a daily basis, be warned: it’s a two-and-a-half-hour film with heavy Boston accents. Siri, play “Shipping Up to Boston.”
5 'Zodiac' (2007)
Newspaper cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) hunches obsessively over his desk while Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) loiters casually behind him in 'Zodiac' (2007).Image via Paramount Pictures
The Zodiac killer is one of the most infamous unsolved mysteries in American crime. Having been a major source of film and TV, one of the strongest depictions was in David Fincher’s 2007 hit Zodiac. This film follows the manhunt for the serial killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Focusing on the individuals obsessed with bringing the killer down —cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), detective Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo), and reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) — as they are taunted by letters, bloodstained clothing, and ciphers mailed to newspapers.
Rather than focusing on the gory details, Fincher perfectly provides the atmosphere surrounding the killings. The fear of the unknown is the film's most captivating torment. The reason Zodiac is the hallmark film based on the unsolved murder is the detail and care the filmmaking team took in using their own 18-month investigation to define just how mystifying the case was for the men at its center. Attention to detail and accuracy to both the real-life investigation and the obsession that gripped some of those who were either directly involved with or close to the investigation itself, is central to Zodiac. It’s a major factor as to why the film helped bring new hype for the case post-release. The main ensemble, all of whom have coincidentally played a part in the MCU, play well together as they explore the intricate nuances of their characters, hoping to solve the compulsive puzzle.
4 'Mystic River' (2003)
Image via Warner Bros.
After a career as one of the most celebrated actors of a generation, Clint Eastwood continued his prolific career behind the camera. Though some might expect him to simply desire westerns and epics, Eastwood’s eye for storytelling has brought him into an array of genres. In 2003, he took on the neo-noir mystery thriller Mystic River, adapted from Dennis Lehane's 2001 novel. Beginning in the past in 1975, three friends, Jimmy Markum (Jason Kelly), Sean Devine (Conor Paolo), and Dave Boyle (Cameron Bowen), are playing when Dave is abducted by two men posing as police officers. Dave escapes after several days of abuse, but the incident leaves him deeply scarred and affects his relationships for decades. Years later, Jimmy's (Sean Penn) 19-year-old daughter, Katie (Emmy Rossum), is murdered. Sean (Kevin Bacon) is now a homicide detective assigned to the case, and Jimmy is the grieving, vengeful father. Dave (Tim Robinson), the last person to see Katie alive, becomes a prime suspect.
A story about trauma and revenge, Mystic River is a riveting work that explores the pursuit of justice. The film is a somber drama deeply layered with emotion, rooted in unresolved pain, and weighed down by the past. Three friends intertwined and forever changed, Mystic River flows with terror and mystery. It’s a hauntingly powerful, well-structured film, perhaps even one of Eastwood’s best.
3 'Gone Girl' (2014)
Nick Dunne, played by Ben Affleck, standing in front of a missing persons poster in Gone GirlImage via 20th Century Studios
There was always great anticipation for a film adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s psychological thriller Gone Girl. When it finally made its way into cinemas, it didn’t disappoint. Starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, the entrancing mystery follows Nick Dunne (Affleck) as he becomes the prime suspect in the sudden disappearance of his wife, Amy (Pike), on the couple’s fifth wedding anniversary. Nick’s public image deteriorates through the ongoing media frenzy, and police pressure mounts. The twisty tale, told through alternating perspectives, is a he said-she said story infamous for its ultimate major twist. And it’s likely you’ve been spoiled by it since it blew so many minds at release.
David Fincher’s postmodern mystery was considered highly profitable despite being a major blockbuster, riding high on its well-regarded reception as a novel. Through a dark and intellectual style, it’s an honest and faithful adaptation that’s bigger than a book club favorite. Gone Girl, as a narrative, has influenced future thrillers, even calling back to it quite often. And, unfortunately, similar real-life incidents have been inspired by the story. As one of the best films of the 21st century, Gone Girl is more than worthy of a second watch.
2 'No Country for Old Men' (2007)
In the 90s, it was Fargo. In the 2000s, it was No Country for Old Men. Written, directed, produced, and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen, taken from Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel, No Country for Old Men follows a trio of men: Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), a Vietnam War veteran and welder who stumbles upon a large sum of money in the desert, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a hitman who is sent to recover the money, and Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), a sheriff investigating the crime while battling a changing world he feels ill-equipped to handle. The neo-Western brings themes of fate, violence, morality, and the fear of aging to the forefront against a backdrop of the desert landscape of 1980s Texas.
Through the ideals of pessimism and nihilism, and through fate and circumstance, the story isn’t about who ends up with the loot. It’s about the chase between the hunt and the hunted, a role each of the main characters adopts throughout the film. With brutal and relentless violence inherent to the story, it serves as a reflection of the surrounding society. The entire ensemble, which also includes Kelly Macdonald and Woody Harrelson, is stellar, but Bardem’s Oscar-winning performance, the first for a Spanish-speaking actor, is one that catapulted him to the top of the Hollywood heap. No Country for Old Men is a gripping thriller yet unique in its ability to tell one story through three characters that rarely share the screen. It’s suspenseful and one of the most defining films of the century.
1 'Memento' (2000)
Guy Pearce in Memento.Image via Newmarket Films
What an absolutely brilliant film, way ahead of its time. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, inspired by a short story by his brother, Jonathan Nolan, Memento tackles the intriguing story of Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), a man with anterograde amnesia, a condition that causes short-term memory loss and prevents him from forming new memories. Using an elaborate system of photographs, handwritten notes, and tattoos, Leonard attempts to uncover the perpetrator, simply known as “John G,” who killed his wife and caused him to sustain the condition.
What makes Memento an extraordinary film is the exceptional storytelling through the non-linear structure. Through two different filming approaches— the black and white story being in chronological order and color sequences in reverse order— it puts the audience directly into Leonard’s perspective. By the point when they converge, a complete story is revealed, leaving you gobsmacked. A film about truth versus illusion and the malleability of memory, Memento is intricately told, proving thrillers don’t need to follow a cookie-cutter mold. For those who love solving mysteries as they watch a film, Memento pushes you out of your sleuthing skills with a twist you likely never saw coming. Memento was an ambitious undertaking, but one that set up Nolan as a rising luminary in cinema.
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Release Date
May 25, 2001
Runtime
113 minutes
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