Best Historical Crime
Narcos is a television series depicting the activities of Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel in Colombia. The show chronicles Escobar’s operations alongside interactions with DEA agents and other criminal organizations. Following Escobar's death, the series shifts focus to the emergence and pursu...
Time of the Gypsies, directed by Emir Kusturica, is a 1988 Yugoslav film set in Sarajevo, Skopje, and Milan. The story centers on a young Romani man with magical abilities who becomes involved in criminal activities through deception. Featuring dialogue in Romani, Serbo-Croatian, and Italian, the fi...
Ezel is a Turkish crime thriller television series adapted from Alexandre Dumas’ *The Count of Monte Cristo*. Initially airing on Show TV (2009) and later ATV, the show features Istanbul as its setting alongside filming locations in North Cyprus, Croatia, and England. Kenan İmirzalıoğlu, Cansu Dere,...
The Hole is a 1960 French crime film adapted from José Giovanni’s novel “The Break.” Based on a 1947 prison escape from La Santé Prison in France, the movie utilizes mostly non-professional actors and incorporates input from someone involved in the original event. It was screened at the 1960 Cannes...
Japan, 1955: Mario Minakami has just arrived at Shounan Special Reform School along with five other teenagers who have been arrested on serious criminal charges. All assigned to the same cell, they meet older inmate Rokurouta Sakuragi—a former boxer—with whom they establish a close bond. Under his g...
Killers of the Flower Moon depicts a series of murders occurring in 1920s Oklahoma involving Osage Nation members and their relatives. The story centers on exploitation of tribal wealth following oil discoveries, driven by a corrupt local figure seeking to steal mineral rights. This Scorsese-directe...
Escape from Alcatraz chronicles the June 1962 attempt by inmates at the federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island to escape. The film portrays the planning and execution of this event, featuring Clint Eastwood as Frank Lee Morris and a cast including Patrick McGoohan and Fred Ward. It is based upon J....
The television series Pablo Escobar, The Drug Lord chronicles the rise and fall of Colombian narcotraficante Pablo Escobar, known as “El Patrón del Mal.” It presents a biographical account of his life and operations within Colombia’s drug trade, exploring themes of terrorism and organized crime. Thi...
Judas and the Black Messiah portrays the events surrounding the 1968 betrayal of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, by FBI informant William O’Neal. The film depicts the circumstances leading to Hampton's arrest and death in Chicago, highlighting a key chapter of the Black P...
1923 is a Paramount+ television series created by Taylor Sheridan that expands upon the Yellowstone universe. The show follows the Dutton family during the challenging years of the 1920s, continuing storylines established in previous installments like *1883*. Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford star alon...
Godless is a television drama series exploring themes of justice and community within a starkly realized American West. Set in 1884 New Mexico, it centers on an outlaw seeking sanctuary in Redemption, a town populated entirely by women. The narrative highlights the resilience and resourcefulness of...
Damo is a South Korean historical drama produced in 2003. The series depicts Chae-ok, a unique detective within the Joseon Dynasty’s legal system, as she investigates crimes involving aristocratic women. Its notable aspect lies in presenting a female investigator operating within a traditionally mal...
BlacKkKlansman is a 2018 biographical crime film based on Ron Stallworth’s memoir. The story centers on an African-American police detective in Colorado Springs who attempts to infiltrate the local KKK chapter during the 1970s. It stars John David Washington and includes Harry Belafonte's final perf...
Winchester '73 is a 1950 American crime thriller set during the late American Civil War. The film explores themes of revenge and justice through the interwoven stories of bounty hunters and those impacted by their actions. James Stewart stars in this classic Western noir, notable for its atmospheric...
Casque d'Or, directed by Jacques Becker, portrays a tragic romance set in the Belle Époque. The film’s narrative is derived from a real-life love triangle involving a prostitute and two gang leaders, as documented in contemporary press reports of 1902. It depicts an ill-fated affair between Signoret...
Ripper Street is a British drama set in Whitechapel, London, following police detectives investigating crimes in 1889. The show began six months after the Jack the Ripper murders and premiered on BBC One in December 2012. A second series was broadcast in 2013, continuing the investigative narrative.
His Bloody Project is a 2015 novel by Scottish author Graeme Macrae Burnet. Set in a remote crofting community in the Scottish Highlands in 1869, it reconstructs a triple murder through documents including a confession, witness statements, court records, and a memoir by the accused, seventeen-year-o...
Why this score?
Booker-shortlisted literary crime novel acclaimed for historical authenticity, ambiguity, and documentary form; deliberate pacing limits universal appeal.
Scoring methodology
Marlon James’ *A Brief History of Seven Killings* explores a complex narrative rooted in Jamaica's political landscape during the 1970s. The novel recounts a brutal plot targeting Bob Marley and his associates, intertwining crime, historical events, and the influence of international organizations....
Why this score?
Booker-winning, ambitious, critically acclaimed polyphonic novel; dense structure and violence divide some general readers.
Scoring methodology
Hunger is a dramatic portrayal of Bobby Sands’ final days during the 1981 Irish hunger strike. The film examines Sands' determination to maintain IRA principles while imprisoned in the Maze Prison and highlights the political ramifications of his actions. McQueen’s stark vision offers a compelling b...
The Counterfeiters depicts a fictionalized account of Operation Bernhard, a Nazi scheme involving the production of counterfeit British currency during World War II. The narrative focuses on Salomon ‘Sally’ Sorowitsch, a Jewish counterfeiter forced to work for the operation while imprisoned at Sachs...
The Stranger, directed by Orson Welles in 1946, follows a war crimes investigator pursuing a former Nazi official through Connecticut. This film noir features early use of documentary footage depicting the Holocaust and stars Welles alongside Edward G. Robinson and Loretta Young. It marked Welles’s...
A message has arrived from Kid the Phantom Thief, that he will steal a Japanese sword belonging to the wealthy Onoe Family in Hakodate, Hokkaido. Conan and Heiji Hattori, who happened to be in Hakodate, are on the case to capture Kid. Onoe Family's collections are associated with Toshizo Hijikata, a...
Fences portrays the complex relationships within a Black American family in the 1950s United States. The film, based on August Wilson’s acclaimed play, explores themes of masculinity, legacy, and generational conflict through the eyes of Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) and his wife Rose. It offers a...
Oliver! is a 1968 musical drama based on Charles Dickens' *Oliver Twist*. The film portrays the struggles of an orphaned boy, Oliver, within London’s impoverished and criminal underworld during the Victorian era. Ron Moody delivers a powerful performance as Fagin, and the production notably incorpor...
The Truth on the Savolta Case is a historical novel by Spanish author Eduardo Mendoza, published in 1975. Set in Barcelona between 1917 and 1919, the narrative follows a complex web of industrial intrigue, labor strikes, and violent crime surrounding a firearms factory. The book is notable for blend...
Why this score?
Landmark Spanish transition-era novel praised for inventive form, historical atmosphere, and political intrigue; structural complexity occasionally obscures character development.
Scoring methodology
*The Suspicions of Mr Whicher* is a 2008 nonfiction book by Kate Summerscale that reconstructs the infamous 1860 Road Hill House murder case. The narrative centers on Detective Inspector Jonathan Whicher, one of Scotland Yard's original eight detectives, and his highly controversial investigation in...
Why this score?
Award-winning, influential true-crime history praised for research and atmosphere; extensive digressions and speculative passages attract criticism.
Scoring methodology
Whitechapel is a British television drama centered around London detectives investigating crimes mirroring historical cases, specifically those attributed to Jack the Ripper. The series debuted in 2009 with the investigation of a contemporary copycat attempting to replicate Victorian-era murders wit...
Da 5 Bloods is a Netflix film directed by Spike Lee. The story centers on four aging African American Vietnam veterans who return to the jungles of Vietnam decades after the war. They seek the remains of their fallen squad leader while also investigating rumors of hidden treasure. This historical dr...
Gangs of New York is a 2002 historical drama directed by Martin Scorsese and based on Herbert Asbury’s book. The film depicts the conflicts among various gangs in late 19th-century New York City, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, and other actors. It represents the initial collaboration...
Under the Sun of Satan is a 1987 French drama directed by Maurice Pialat and starring Gérard Depardieu. Based on Georges Bernanos’ novel, it portrays a troubled priest in northern France during the 1920s grappling with spiritual conflict amidst societal corruption. The film received the Palme d'Or a...
