If you’re a fan of crime, and of movies about crime, then you’re likely someone who has been well served at the movies through most of your life. In recent years, though, these kinds of crime stories have become less common on the big screen, although they still pop up regularly on streaming.
When you go looking for great crime dramas that are worth watching, either for the first time or the hundredth, you can be content knowing thatMax has a number of great movie optionsto choose from. We’ve pulled out three absolute classics of the genre that you should check out this month.
Blood Simple (1984)
The Coen brothers’ debut feature still ranks among their more impressive efforts and features a lineup of talent they would continue to work with for decades. As would be the case with many of the Coens’ early efforts, the movie is set in Texas and tells the story of a murder for hire that goes terribly wrong.
The brilliance of the Coens, in addition to their mastery of style and sharp writing, is that they understand that each of their characters has their own motivations and reasoning. No one is a plot puppet in any Coens movie, and that’s especially true inBlood Simple. This is a great film, one that is just asexcellent asFargo, and ithas an absolutely chilling ending.
Mikey and Nicky (1976)
Elaine May only made four films as a director, but each one of those films is beloved today.Mike and Nickytells the story of two friends, one of whom is convinced that someone is going to kill him. When he calls on his friend for support, he has no idea that his friend is in on the plot to have him murdered.
What ensues is equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking as the two friends bond with one another over the course of a single evening in Philadelphia. In its way,Mikey and Nickyis deeply upsetting, but the movie is also a chance to watch Peter Falk and John Cassavetes, two great actors, bounce off each other for more than an hour.
Se7en (1995)
A movie that has been memed into oblivion,Se7enholds up as one of the very best thrillers of its kind ever made. The movie follows a pair of detectives, one young and brash and the other on the verge of retirement, as they attempt to track down a serial killer who is murdering people whom he feels have violated one of the seven deadly sins.
The intricacies of the case are fascinating in and of themselves, but what really helpedSe7enleave a lasting legacy was its explosive conclusion, which was shocking to those who saw it for the first time.Se7enannouncedDavid Fincheras a major directorial talent, and he has lived up to that hype ever since. If you want more, watch his 2023 movieThe Killer, which reunited him with hisSe7enscreenwriter, Andrew Kevin Walker.
