Best Police Movies
by Channing_F | created - 07 Oct 2011 | updated - 07 Dec 2013 | Public- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Pride and Glory (2008)
R | 130 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A family's moral codes are tested when Ray Tierney investigates a case that reveals an incendiary police corruption scandal involving his own brother-in-law. For Ray, the truth is revelatory, a Pandora's Box that threatens to upend not only the Tierney legacy but the entire NYPD.
Director: Gavin O'Connor | Stars: Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Noah Emmerich, Jon Voight
Votes: 63,213 | Gross: $15.71M
2. Prince of the City (1981)
R | 167 min | Crime, Drama
A New York City narcotics detective reluctantly agrees to cooperate with a special commission investigating police corruption, and soon realises he's in over his head, and nobody can be trusted.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Treat Williams, Jerry Orbach, Richard Foronjy, Don Billett
Votes: 9,506 | Gross: $8.12M
3. The Last Deadly Mission (2008)
Not Rated | 125 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A washed-up Marseilles cop (Auteuil) earns a chance at redemption by protecting a woman from the man who killed her parents as he is about to be released from prison.
Director: Olivier Marchal | Stars: Daniel Auteuil, Olivia Bonamy, Catherine Marchal, Francis Renaud
Votes: 6,504
4. 36th Precinct (2004)
Not Rated | 111 min | Action, Crime, Drama
2 cops are promised by the retiring chief of the Paris police that the one, getting the violent gang robbing armored trucks, will get his job. The 2 will do whatever it takes to get the promotion, even if it means breaking the law.
Director: Olivier Marchal | Stars: Daniel Auteuil, Gérard Depardieu, André Dussollier, Valeria Golino
Votes: 18,252
5. The Invincibles (1994)
Not Rated | 130 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
The members of a special police task force uncover a conspiracy involving leading politicians, organized crime masterminds and an ex-colleague who was believed dead. When they are to be silenced, they investigate on their own initiative.
Director: Dominik Graf | Stars: Herbert Knaup, Katja Flint, Hansa Czypionka, Heinz Hoenig
Votes: 784
6. Dark Blue (2002)
R | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A robbery homicide investigation triggers a series of events that will cause a corrupt LAPD officer to question his tactics.
Director: Ron Shelton | Stars: Kurt Russell, Ving Rhames, Scott Speedman, Michael Michele
Votes: 24,044 | Gross: $9.06M
7. Street Kings (2008)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
An undercover cop, disillusioned by the death of his wife, is implicated in the murder of an officer and must struggle to clear himself.
Director: David Ayer | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans
Votes: 120,706 | Gross: $26.42M
8. Serpico (1973)
R | 130 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
An honest New York cop named Frank Serpico blows the whistle on rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Al Pacino, John Randolph, Jack Kehoe, Biff McGuire
Votes: 134,587 | Gross: $29.80M
9. We Own the Night (2007)
R | 117 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A New York City nightclub manager tries to save his brother and father from Russian Mafia hitmen.
Director: James Gray | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Danny Hoch
Votes: 92,884 | Gross: $28.56M
10. Q&A (1990)
R | 132 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Dirty cop, Mike Brennan thinks he got away with murder. But during a routine Q&A, the righteous assistant DA finds a clue that sets them both on a collision course.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Nick Nolte, Timothy Hutton, Armand Assante, Patrick O'Neal
Votes: 6,998 | Gross: $11.21M
11. The Super Cops (1974)
R | 90 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
The true story of two New York City cops. Greenberg & Hantz fought the system, became detectives and were known on the streets as "Batman & Robin".
Director: Gordon Parks | Stars: Ron Leibman, David Selby, Sheila Frazier, Pat Hingle
Votes: 1,124
12. Madigan (1968)
TV-14 | 101 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
In New York City's Spanish Harlem, detectives Madigan and Bonaro are given 72 hours by their superior to capture a hoodlum wanted for homicide in Brooklyn.
Director: Don Siegel | Stars: Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens, Harry Guardino
Votes: 4,070
13. Homicide (1991)
R | 102 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A Jewish homicide detective investigates a seemingly minor murder and falls in with a Zionist group as a result.
Director: David Mamet | Stars: Joe Mantegna, William H. Macy, Vincent Guastaferro, J.J. Johnston
Votes: 8,158 | Gross: $2.97M
14. Kaminsky - Ein Bulle dreht durch (1985)
86 min | Thriller
Director: Michael Lähn | Stars: Klaus Löwitsch, Hannelore Elsner, Beate Finckh, Alexander Radszun
Votes: 31
15. L.A. Confidential (1997)
R | 138 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
As corruption grows in 1950s Los Angeles, three policemen - one strait-laced, one brutal, and one sleazy - investigate a series of murders with their own brand of justice.
Director: Curtis Hanson | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger
Votes: 617,175 | Gross: $64.62M
16. Colors (1988)
R | 120 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An experienced cop and his rookie partner patrol the streets of East Los Angeles while trying to keep the gang violence under control.
Director: Dennis Hopper | Stars: Sean Penn, Robert Duvall, Maria Conchita Alonso, Randy Brooks
Votes: 29,789 | Gross: $46.62M
17. The Negotiator (1998)
R | 140 min | Action, Crime, Drama
In a desperate attempt to prove his innocence, a skilled police negotiator accused of corruption and murder takes hostages in a government office to gain the time he needs to find the truth.
Director: F. Gary Gray | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, David Morse, Ron Rifkin
Votes: 154,811 | Gross: $44.48M
18. In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders (1988 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 92 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Florida 1985: A series of brutal robberies and murders keeps the F.B.I busy. Although all crimes seem to be comitted by the same group, they can't hunt them down. The experienced officer ... See full summary »
Director: Dick Lowry | Stars: Ronny Cox, Bruce Greenwood, Michael Gross, Doug Sheehan
Votes: 1,067
19. S.W.A.T. (2003)
PG-13 | 117 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
An imprisoned drug kingpin offers a huge cash reward to anyone that can break him out of police custody, and only the L.A.P.D.'s Special Weapons and Tactics team can prevent it.
Director: Clark Johnson | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J
Votes: 153,892 | Gross: $116.93M
20. To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
R | 116 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner.
Director: William Friedkin | Stars: William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, Jane Leeves, Cherise Bates
Votes: 39,257 | Gross: $17.31M
21. In the Line of Duty: Manhunt in the Dakotas (1991 TV Movie)
R | 96 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Gordon Kahl is man who feels that the U.S. government doesn't care about the American farmer, so he retaliates by not paying taxes. He would be sent to prison and upon being released, his ... See full summary »
Director: Dick Lowry | Stars: Rod Steiger, Michael Gross, Gary Basaraba, Christopher Rich
Votes: 285
22. Bad Lieutenant (1992)
NC-17 | 96 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
While investigating a young nun's rape, a corrupt New York City police detective, with a serious drug and gambling addiction, tries to change his ways and find forgiveness and redemption.
Director: Abel Ferrara | Stars: Harvey Keitel, Brian McElroy, Frank Acciarito, Peggy Gormley
Votes: 47,794 | Gross: $2.00M
23. Year of the Dragon (1985)
R | 134 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A police detective cracks down on organized crime in Chinatown after the murders of Triad and Mafia leaders.
Director: Michael Cimino | Stars: Mickey Rourke, John Lone, Ariane, Leonard Termo
Votes: 17,631 | Gross: $18.70M
24. Dead Bang (1989)
R | 102 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A man kills a storekeeper and a cop. LASD homicide detective Jerry Beck gets the case. His murder suspect is connected to a heavily armed white supremacy group.
Director: John Frankenheimer | Stars: Don Johnson, Penelope Ann Miller, William Forsythe, Bob Balaban
Votes: 4,473 | Gross: $8.13M
25. The Laughing Policeman (1973)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
In San Francisco, California, one victim in a mass murder is a police detective. His partner and a new partner investigate in the city's seamy side.
Director: Stuart Rosenberg | Stars: Walter Matthau, Bruce Dern, Louis Gossett Jr., Albert Paulsen
Votes: 3,223 | Gross: $1.36M
26. The French Connection (1971)
R | 104 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A pair of NYPD detectives in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a heroin smuggling ring based in Marseilles, but stopping them and capturing their leaders proves an elusive goal.
Director: William Friedkin | Stars: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey, Tony Lo Bianco
Votes: 135,501 | Gross: $15.63M
27. Electra Glide in Blue (1973)
PG | 114 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Ambitious but diminutive motorcycle cop John Wintergreen patrols the Arizona highways, yearning for promotion to Homicide Detective, while investigating a murder tied to hippies.
Director: James William Guercio | Stars: Robert Blake, Billy Green Bush, Mitchell Ryan, Jeannine Riley
Votes: 6,414 | Gross: $1.60M
28. The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 125 min | Crime, Drama
A homicide detective begins to suspect that the black teenager accused of murdering two white girls is being framed by his fellow detectives.
Director: Joseph Sargent | Stars: Telly Savalas, Marjoe Gortner, José Ferrer, Ned Beatty
Votes: 669
29. Cop Land (1997)
R | 105 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The Sheriff of a suburban New Jersey community, populated by New York City police officers, slowly discovers the town is a front for mob connections and corruption.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro
Votes: 106,235 | Gross: $44.89M
30. Narc (2002)
R | 105 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When the trail goes cold on a murder investigation of a policeman, an undercover narcotics officer is lured back to the force to help solve the case.
Director: Joe Carnahan | Stars: Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Chi McBride, Dan Leis
Votes: 43,064 | Gross: $10.46M
31. Rampart (2011)
R | 108 min | Crime, Drama
Set in 1999 Los Angeles, veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, works to take care of his family, and struggles for his own survival.
Director: Oren Moverman | Stars: Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, Sigourney Weaver, Jon Bernthal
Votes: 25,224 | Gross: $0.97M
32. The New Centurions (1972)
R | 103 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An idealistic rookie cop joins the L.A.P.D. to make ends meet while finishing law school, and is indoctrinated by a seasoned veteran. As time goes on, he loses his ambitions and family as police work becomes his entire life.
Director: Richard Fleischer | Stars: George C. Scott, Stacy Keach, Jane Alexander, Scott Wilson
Votes: 3,283
33. End of Watch (2012)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Shot documentary-style, this film follows the daily grind of two young police officers in LA who are partners and friends and what happens when they meet criminal forces greater than themselves.
Director: David Ayer | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick, America Ferrera
Votes: 268,770 | Gross: $41.00M
34. Blue Steel (1990)
R | 102 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A rookie in the police force must engage in a cat-and-mouse game with a pistol-wielding psychopath who becomes obsessed with her.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Ron Silver, Clancy Brown, Elizabeth Peña
Votes: 17,741 | Gross: $8.22M
35. Gangsters (2002)
90 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Franck Chaievski and Nina Delgado are two undercover detectives of a French special force trying to identify two corrupts members of the Paris Police Force. Franck is pretending to be a ... See full summary »
Director: Olivier Marchal | Stars: Richard Anconina, Anne Parillaud, François Levantal, Gérald Laroche
Votes: 920
36. Night Falls on Manhattan (1996)
R | 113 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A newly elected District Attorney finds himself in the middle of a police corruption investigation that may involve his father and his partner.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Andy Garcia, Richard Dreyfuss, Lena Olin, Ian Holm
Votes: 8,778 | Gross: $9.88M
37. The Last of the Finest (1990)
R | 106 min | Action, Crime, Drama
4 LA cops are fighting the war on drugs. Corrupt superiors manage to break up their team when one of them gets killed. The 3 quit LAPD and continue investigating.
Director: John Mackenzie | Stars: Brian Dennehy, Joe Pantoliano, Jeff Fahey, Bill Paxton
Votes: 1,645 | Gross: $1.53M
38. Counter Investigation (2007)
Not Rated | 85 min | Crime, Thriller
A cop investigates whether the man convicted of murdering his daughter is really guilty.
Director: Franck Mancuso | Stars: Jean Dujardin, Laurent Lucas, Agnès Blanchot, Aurélien Recoing
Votes: 3,751
39. Last of the Good Guys (1978 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 95 min | Drama
A young cop starts an elaborate con game to ensure that the family of his dead buddy gets a pension.
Director: Theodore J. Flicker | Stars: Robert Culp, Elta Blake, Jonathan Harris, Roger Bowen
Votes: 81
Tell Your Friends