<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=24NfAl_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=24NfAl_0vWiNjS400" width="1140" height="570" ><figcaption>Image via Neon</figcaption></figure>The crime movie genre is one of the most popular in the history of cinema, and it's largely because it can so easily intersect with completely different sensibilities. Although sometimes the crime movie can take the prestigious form of Best Picture winners like The Godfather: Part II or The Departed, it can also be something more irreverent and silly, like A Fish Called Wanda or Get Shorty.Many of the best crime thrillers of all-time have some level of suspense within them, and some could easily be mistaken for films within the horror genre. Any good movie needs a few sequences that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, but a rare few are intense enough to become truly haunting, and stick with viewers long after the credits have finished rolling. Here are the ten scariest crime movies, ranked.<h2>10 ‘Green Room’ (2016) </h2><h2>Directed by Jeremy Saulnier </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2GTI9T_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2GTI9T_0vWiNjS400" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image Via A24</figcaption></figure>Green Room is a nail-biting suspense thriller that examines the horrors of the neo-Nazi movement with a very upsetting premise. Jeremy Saulnier’s horrific crime film focuses on a group of punk rockers who become trapped in a bar owned by white supremacists, and subsequently become trapped in a green room after bearing witness to a murder.The confined environment of Green Room makes the story more intense, as it feels like a burst of violence could be initiated at any point. The film was particularly scary becomes of the tremendous performance by Patrick Stewart as the leader of the skinheads; Stewart is best known for playing Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise and Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, so to see him play a pure villain filled with hate was very shocking and upsetting.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3sYDwD_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3sYDwD_0vWiNjS400" width="960" height="1422" ></figure><h2>9 ‘American Psycho’ (2000) </h2><h2>Directed by Mary Harron </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1fBaGp_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1fBaGp_0vWiNjS400" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image via Lionsgate&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>American Psycho is the rare crime film that is just as hilarious as it is haunting, as the adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis’ controversial novel of the same name ended up being the perfect satire of consumerism and “yuppie” culture on Wall Street. While the legendary horror filmmaker David Cronenberg was at one point approach to direct, director Mary Harron ended up turning American Psycho into a hilariously haunting deconstruction of toxic masculinity, and how men in power are able to avoid ever really being held accountable for their actions.American Psycho features a very interesting performance by Christian Bale, whose toxic charisma makes Norman Bate’s crimes even more upsetting. Although it's evident that Bale is heightening Bates’ idiosyncrasies in order to make him feel more unique, the sequences of him ruthlessly beating Jared Leto to death in graphic detail is still quite disturbing to watch.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=16rsvH_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=16rsvH_0vWiNjS400" width="960" height="1423" ></figure><h2>8 ‘The House That Jack Built’ (2018) </h2><h2>Directed by Lars Von Trier </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0YKzAX_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0YKzAX_0vWiNjS400" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image via IFC Films</figcaption></figure>The House That Jack Built is a film that was made to encourage controversy, as Lars Von Trier’s epic serial killer story explores the insights of a psychopath (Matt Dillon) who ruthlessly kills women and children. What’s most shocking about The House That Jack Built is how the main character perceives himself as an artist; Jack truly believes that murder is itself an act of expression, and what’s to leave his mark on the world.The House That Jack Built contains some truly horrific sequences of murder and torture, with Von Trier even realizing an unrated extended cut that was even more graphic. The unsettling notion that a highly dangerous character like Jack could hide in plain sight by pretending to be an ostensibly “normal” person is perhaps the most spooky notion that Von Trier is playing with in The House That Jack Built.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4RX0TU_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4RX0TU_0vWiNjS400" width="960" height="1422" ></figure>The House That Jack Built RCrimeDramaHorrorIn five episodes, failed architect and vicious sociopath Jack recounts his elaborately orchestrated murders -- each, as he views them, a towering work of art that defines his life's work as a serial killer in the Pacific Northwest.Release DateOctober 17, 2018 DirectorLars von Trier CastMatt Dillon , Bruno Ganz , Uma Thurman , Siobhan Fallon , Sofie Gråbøl , Riley KeoughRuntime152 Minutes Main GenreWritersJenle Hallund , Lars von Trier TaglineThe old cathedrals often have sublime artworks hidden away in the darkest corners for only god to see. The same goes for murder. <h2>7 ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991) </h2><h2>Directed by Jonathan Demme </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0ykLsB_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0ykLsB_0vWiNjS400" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image via Orion Pictures</figcaption></figure>The Silence of the Lambs set the standard for what a great serial killer movie should look like, as Jonathan Demme created a brilliant two-hander that put Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) and Hannibal Lecter (Sir Anthony Hopkins) on equal footing. Although Lecter himself is not even the scariest serial killer in The Silence of the Lambs, the moment when he is unleashed in prison and takes down his guards is one of the most finely crafted horror scenes of all-time.The Silence of the Lambs questioned whether someone who was truly evil was capable of good, and did a great job at highlighting the tensions that are inherent to being a serial killer investigator. Although the crime and horror descriptions both apply to The Silence of the Lambs, the film is an all-time great masterpiece regardless of what genre it is technically classified under.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3IBMAe_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3IBMAe_0vWiNjS400" width="960" height="1440" ></figure><h2>6 ‘Se7en’ (1995) </h2><h2>Directed by David Fincher </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0mfZGu_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0mfZGu_0vWiNjS400" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image via New Line Cinema&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Se7en was a major step forward for director David Fincher, who proved after the failure of Alien 3 that he was capable of making thought-provoking, suspenseful crime thrillers. Se7en is particularly disturbing because of the ways in which Fincher depicts evil; John Doe (Kevin Spacey) isn’t just a ruthless killer, but someone who wants to kick-start the cycle of revenge so that it will never stop.Although much of the film is reliant on the gradual escalation of stakes, Se7en includes some truly shocking jump scare moments when the victims of Doe, each killed in a manner relating to the Biblical “Seven Deadly Sins,” are revealed in intimate detail. Fincher would go on to make other great crime movies like Fight Club, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Zodiac, and Gone Girl, by the perpetual state of uneasiness that Se7en creates make it his single scariest project to date.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1RSizu_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1RSizu_0vWiNjS400" width="960" height="1500" ></figure><h2>5 ‘Longlegs’ (2024) </h2><h2>Directed by Osgood Perkins </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4UH5p4_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4UH5p4_0vWiNjS400" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image via Neon</figcaption></figure>Longlegs became the surprising “word of mouth” hit of summer 2024, a strange development considering that Osgood Perkins has never seemed interested in making broadly accessible films. The film becomes particularly scary because of the manner in which Perkins plays with genre; what begins as a straightforward investigative thriller becomes something entirely supernatural by the time that the story wraps up. The fact that Longlegs ends on such an ambiguous note with so many questions left unanswered makes it even more scary.The performance by Nicolas Cage as the titular serial killer is certainly the most scary aspect of Longlegs , as it's a performance that seems destined to create nightmares. Cage is an actor who always takes chances, no matter what the project is, and his work with Perkins ended up creating one of the most instantly iconic screen villains in recent memory.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=07ferB_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=07ferB_0vWiNjS400" width="960" height="1422" ></figure><h2>4 ‘M’ (1931) </h2><h2>Directed by Fritz Lang </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2pGnft_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2pGnft_0vWiNjS400" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image via Vereinigte Star-Film GmbH</figcaption></figure>M laid the groundwork for the crime genre as it exists today, and is responsible for initiating the wave of dark dramas that became prominent within the German Expressionist movement of the 1930s. Set in Berlin, Fritz Lang’s masterpiece examines a strange alliance that forms between members of law enforcement and various mafia families in order to target an elusive serial killer (Peter Laurie) who is targeting children.M leaned into the neo-noir sensibilities to create a haunting examination of modern ethics, questioning what people were capable of on the path to create justice. Laurie has played many great villains throughout his career in neo-noir films, but his performance in M may be the scariest character that he has ever portrayed. It’s hard to imagine that either the serial killer or slasher movie genres would exist today without the precedent that Lang set with M.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3eTdnD_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3eTdnD_0vWiNjS400" width="480" height="721" ></figure>M (1931) PassedThrillerCrimeMysteryIn a city paralyzed by terror, a series of child murders has left the police scrambling to find the perpetrator. The criminal underworld, frustrated by the intense police presence disrupting their activities, bands together to track down the murderer themselves. As the tension mounts, both the law enforcement and the criminal community engage in a relentless pursuit, culminating in a gripping and morally complex showdown that reveals the desperation and darkness within society.Release DateMay 11, 1931 DirectorFritz Lang CastPeter Lorre , Ellen Widmann , Inge Landgut , Otto Wernicke , Theodor Loos Runtime99 Minutes Main GenreWritersFritz Lang , Thea von Harbou , Egon Jacobson Studio(s)Nero-Film AG <h2>3 ‘The Night of the Hunter’ (1955) </h2><h2>Directed by Charles Laughton </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4MLAFn_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4MLAFn_0vWiNjS400" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image via United Artists</figcaption></figure>The Night of the Hunter is a brilliant neo-noir thriller in which the great Robert Mitchum plays a ruthless serial killer who tries to steal the fortune from a woman, whilst her children begin to suspect his motivations. Although it was the sole directorial credit of the acclaimed actor Charles Laughton and was not a significant success upon its initial debut in 1955, The Night of the Hunter was highly influential on a generation of great directors, including Guillermo del Toro, Joel and Ethan Coen, Spike Lee, and Terrence Malick.The Night of the Hunter is particularly scary because it shows how pure evil is perceived through the eyes of children, who are unable to understand how this malicious character is able to avoid facing any consequences. The stark, black-and-white photography that Laughton utilizes only makes the atmosphere of The Night of the Hunter more disturbing.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1tTc4s_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1tTc4s_0vWiNjS400" width="960" height="1415" ></figure><h2>2 ‘Cape Fear’ (1991) </h2><h2>Directed by Martin Scorsese </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2HvujM_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2HvujM_0vWiNjS400" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image via Universal Pictures</figcaption></figure>Cape Fear was a wild deviation for director Martin Scorsese, as he followed up the biggest hit of his career in Goodfellas with a dark remake of a classic crime thriller of the same name from 1962. While the performance by Robert Mitchum in the original classic was certainly an iconic one, Robert De Niro was able to physically transform into a ruthless serial killer that tries to track down the family of the lawyer (Nick Nolte) who put him behind bars in the first place.Cape Fear does not shy away from its disturbing undertones, and managed to become one of Scorsese’s best movies of the 1990s. Few would argue that the 1962 film isn’t worthy of being remembered as a classic, but the freedom Scorsese had to pursue more R-Rated material ensured that his version of Cape Fear was the more frightening interpretation of the story.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3NOy4o_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3NOy4o_0vWiNjS400" width="960" height="1457" ></figure><h2>1 ‘Nightcrawler’ (2014) </h2><h2>Directed by Dan Gilroy </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4OINAY_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4OINAY_0vWiNjS400" width="1650" height="825" ><figcaption>Image via Open Road Films</figcaption></figure>Nightcrawler is one of the most bold and original thrillers of the 2010s, as Dan Gilroy’s directorial debut aimed to expose the hypocrisy and hyperbole of the way that crime media is reported. Jake Gyllenhaal gave one of the best performances of his career as a psychopathic “ambulance chaser” obsessed with finding crime scene footage, and even goes so far as to become implicit in the murders themselves.Although the strange mannerisms that Gyllenhaal brings to his performance certainly make the character of Lou more memorable, Nightcrawler is at its scariest when it is drawing parallels to recent events. The film served as an essential satire of the ways in which audiences consume true crime content without paying any attention to the victims; in the ten years since its release, Nightcrawler continues to feel even more predictive than it initially was.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2ng62a_0vWiNjS400" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2ng62a_0vWiNjS400" width="480" height="693" ></figure></div></body>

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The 10 Scariest Crime Movies, Ranked

The crime movie genre is one of the most popular in the history of cinema, and it's largely because it can so easily intersect with completely different sensibilities. Although sometimes the crime movie can take the prestigious form of Best Picture winners like The Godfather: Part II or The Departed, it can also be something more irreverent and silly, like A Fish Called Wanda or Get Shorty.