Best Dirty Cop Movies:The Ultimate List
by tomicagb | created - 17 Oct 2012 | updated - 20 Oct 2016 | PublicThe THIN LINE between COPS and CRIMINALS
Cops and criminals are very similar with each other.That has become a sort of clichee in cinema but it's one of the rare examples of a cliche that's actually true and perhaps unavoidable.Take poor and crime stricken neighbourhoods in every city of the world.People from those places basically have two choices in life:to become cops or criminals.Besides that cops share same characteristics with criminals:both have dangerous jobs,both have to deal with violence,both need to use agression and force to get what they want.You can't imagine a wimpy,scruffy and skinny guy catching a serial killer or taking down a drug trafficking operation."I want to help people" is the answer most cops tell when they're asked why did they become cops but the real answers are because they seek respect and power,because they can either use their agression as a cop or as a criminal.The greatest criminals are those with sociopathic tendencies.So are cops.Not all characteritics of a sociopath are negative.Cops/criminals with sociopathic tendencies are confident,intelligent,fearless and are ready to get themselves involved in dangerous,life threating situations.Recent statistics show that most sociopaths can be found in such jobs as criminals,cops,soldiers,doctors,lawyers and politicians.All of these jobs seek traits like confidence,fearlessnes and people who can handle danger and stress well.I found that pretty disturbing,do you?
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1. Training Day (2001)
R | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A rookie cop spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.
Director: Antoine Fuqua | Stars: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger
Votes: 472,662 | Gross: $76.63M
2. The Shield (2002–2008)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Drama series following the lives and cases of dirty cop Vic Mackey and the corrupt LAPD unit under his command.
Stars: Michael Chiklis, Catherine Dent, Walton Goggins, Michael Jace
Votes: 88,051
3. 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: 47,856 | Gross: $2.00M
4. The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009)
R | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Terence McDonagh is a drug- and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Russell M. Haeuser, Val Kilmer
Votes: 80,886 | Gross: $1.70M
5. Filth (I) (2013)
R | 97 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A corrupt, junkie cop with bipolar disorder attempts to manipulate his way through a promotion in order to win back his wife and daughter while also fighting his own inner demons.
Director: Jon S. Baird | Stars: James McAvoy, Jamie Bell, Eddie Marsan, Imogen Poots
Votes: 115,791 | Gross: $0.03M
6. Internal Affairs (1990)
R | 115 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
An Internal Affairs agent becomes obsessed with bringing down a cop who has managed to maintain a spotless reputation despite being involved in a web of corruption.
Director: Mike Figgis | Stars: Richard Gere, Andy Garcia, Nancy Travis, Laurie Metcalf
Votes: 22,641 | Gross: $27.73M
7. Dabangg (2010)
Not Rated | 126 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A corrupt police officer faces challenges from his family, gangsters and politicians.
Director: Abhinav Kashyap | Stars: Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Sonu Sood, Arbaaz Khan
Votes: 34,300 | Gross: $4.63M
8. Elite Squad (2007)
R | 115 min | Action, Crime, Drama
In 1997 Rio de Janeiro, Captain Nascimento has to find a substitute for his position while trying to take down drug dealers and criminals before the Pope visits.
Director: José Padilha | Stars: Wagner Moura, André Ramiro, Caio Junqueira, Milhem Cortaz
Votes: 110,218 | Gross: $0.01M
9. Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within (2010)
Not Rated | 115 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After a prison riot, former-Captain Nascimento, now a high ranking security officer in Rio de Janeiro, is swept into a bloody political dispute that involves government officials and paramilitary groups.
Director: José Padilha | Stars: Wagner Moura, Irandhir Santos, André Ramiro, Milhem Cortaz
Votes: 86,747 | Gross: $0.10M
10. The Chaser (2008)
Not Rated | 125 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A disgraced ex-policeman who runs a small ring of prostitutes finds himself in a race against time when one of his women goes missing.
Director: Na Hong-jin | Stars: Kim Yoon-seok, Ha Jung-woo, Seo Yeong-hie, Kim Yoo-jung
Votes: 72,740
11. No Rest for the Wicked (2011)
Not Rated | 114 min | Crime, Thriller
A corrupt policeman commits a crime when drinking late at night. While his colleagues are trying to investigate his murder, he tries to clean up the evidence.
Director: Enrique Urbizu | Stars: Jose Coronado, Rodolfo Sancho, Helena Miquel, Juanjo Artero
Votes: 5,526
12. The Guard (2011)
R | 96 min | Comedy, Crime, Thriller
An unorthodox Irish policeman with a confrontational personality is partnered with an uptight F.B.I. agent to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring.
Director: John Michael McDonagh | Stars: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong, Ronan Collins
Votes: 95,590 | Gross: $5.36M
13. The Departed (2006)
R | 151 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg
Votes: 1,421,703 | Gross: $132.38M
14. 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: 617,598 | Gross: $64.62M
15. Torrente, the Dumb Arm of the Law (1998)
Not Rated | 97 min | Comedy, Crime
José Luis Torrente, a former policeman fights against the oriental mafia in Madrid.
Director: Santiago Segura | Stars: Santiago Segura, Javier Cámara, Neus Asensi, Chus Lampreave
Votes: 13,564
16. Léon: The Professional (1994)
R | 110 min | Action, Crime, Drama
12-year-old Mathilda is reluctantly taken in by Léon, a professional assassin, after her family is murdered. An unusual relationship forms as she becomes his protégée and learns the assassin's trade.
Director: Luc Besson | Stars: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello
Votes: 1,245,209 | Gross: $19.50M
17. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
Not Rated | 95 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Det. Sgt. Mark Dixon wants to be something his old man wasn't: a guy on the right side of the law. Will Dixon's vicious nature get the better of him?
Director: Otto Preminger | Stars: Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Gary Merrill, Bert Freed
Votes: 9,953
18. 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: 25,236 | Gross: $0.97M
19. Violent Cop (1989)
Not Rated | 103 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A violence prone police officer discovers that his colleague is trafficking drugs.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Maiko Kawakami, Makoto Ashikawa, Shirô Sano
Votes: 12,988 | Gross: $0.00M
20. A.C.A.B. - All Cops Are Bastards (2012)
112 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A look at the controversial riot cops unit, told through the stories of three veteran cops and a young recruit.
Director: Stefano Sollima | Stars: Pierfrancesco Favino, Filippo Nigro, Marco Giallini, Andrea Sartoretti
Votes: 8,150
21. The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)
R | 140 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Two men and their sons must deal with the unforeseen consequences of their actions.
Director: Derek Cianfrance | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Craig Van Hook
Votes: 290,260 | Gross: $21.38M
22. The Killer Inside Me (2010)
R | 109 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A West Texas Deputy Sheriff is slowly unmasked as a psychotic killer.
Director: Michael Winterbottom | Stars: Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Ned Beatty
Votes: 35,733 | Gross: $0.21M
23. 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: 24,060 | Gross: $9.06M
24. 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: 106,330 | Gross: $44.89M
25. 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: 134,713 | Gross: $29.80M
26. Lee Rock (1991)
128 min | Crime, Drama
The first part of the Lee Rock trilogy which chronicles the rise and fall of the corrupt police force that Lee Rock becomes a part of. Rock enters Hong Kong as an immigrant from the ... See full summary »
Director: Lawrence Ah-Mon | Stars: Andy Lau, Sharla Cheung, Man-Tat Ng, Chingmy Yau
Votes: 864
27. Romeo Is Bleeding (1993)
R | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A womanizing, crooked cop on the payroll of the mafia is confronted with the reality of his double life after he is asked to kill a beautiful and ruthless Russian gangster.
Director: Peter Medak | Stars: Gary Oldman, Lena Olin, Wallace Wood, Juliette Lewis
Votes: 15,151 | Gross: $3.28M
28. Unlawful Entry (1992)
R | 111 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A burglar holds a knife to Karen's throat while her husband does nothing. The couple ends up befriending the cop that comes. The friendship ends when the cop beats up the culprit. Karen isn't ready to end it. Things get ugly with the cop.
Director: Jonathan Kaplan | Stars: Kurt Russell, Ray Liotta, Madeleine Stowe, Roger E. Mosley
Votes: 19,109 | Gross: $57.14M
29. American Gangster (2007)
R | 157 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
An outcast New York City cop is charged with bringing down Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, whose real life inspired this partly biographical film.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin
Votes: 452,385 | Gross: $130.16M
30. 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: 63,260 | Gross: $15.71M
31. 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: 120,771 | Gross: $26.42M
32. Brooklyn's Finest (2009)
R | 132 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location after enduring vastly different career paths.
Director: Antoine Fuqua | Stars: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes
Votes: 66,384 | Gross: $27.15M
33. Lakeview Terrace (2008)
PG-13 | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A troubled and racist African-American L.A.P.D. Officer will stop at nothing to force out a friendly interracial couple who just moved in next door to him.
Director: Neil LaBute | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington, Ron Glass
Votes: 55,466 | Gross: $39.26M
34. Mulholland Falls (1996)
R | 107 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In 1950's Los Angeles, a special crime squad of the LAPD investigates the murder of a young woman.
Director: Lee Tamahori | Stars: Nick Nolte, Melanie Griffith, Jennifer Connelly, Chazz Palminteri
Votes: 18,977 | Gross: $11.50M
35. 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: 7,002 | Gross: $11.21M
36. The Wire (2002–2008)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The Baltimore drug scene, as seen through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement.
Stars: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce
Votes: 377,208
37. Sons of Anarchy (2008–2014)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A biker struggles to balance being a father and being involved in an outlaw motorcycle club.
Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Mark Boone Junior, Kim Coates
Votes: 323,336
38. Lee Rock II (1991)
Not Rated | 111 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The second part of the trilogy chronicling the rise and fall of Hong Kong's top corrupt official. During this time period, Lee Rock enjoys his success and has found a new love. But jealousy... See full summary »
Director: Lawrence Ah-Mon | Stars: Andy Lau, Sharla Cheung, Aaron Kwok, Man-Tat Ng
Votes: 563
39. Lee Rock III (1992)
73 min | Crime, Drama
The final part to the Lee Rock trilogy. Lee Rock's rise to power with the corruption of the Hong Kong Police is about to crumble beneath him. With the discovery of him being a father of a ... See full summary »
Director: Lawrence Ah-Mon | Stars: Andy Lau, Chingmy Yau, Sharla Cheung, Paul Chun
Votes: 233
40. Othello (2001 TV Movie)
100 min | Drama
Shakespeare's Othello retold in modern London; racial tension in the police force collides with jealousy and revenge. An officer suspects his new bride of infidelity.
Director: Geoffrey Sax | Stars: Eamonn Walker, Christopher Eccleston, Keeley Hawes, Richard Coyle
Votes: 664
41. 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: 43,076 | Gross: $10.46M
42. Surveillance (I) (2008)
R | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two FBI agents attempt to clarify the murders occurring in a desolate region. They approach the witnesses of the latest incident with the help of the local police. All of them hide something and all have wildly different stories to tell.
Director: Jennifer Lynch | Stars: Julia Ormond, Bill Pullman, Pell James, Caroline Aaron
Votes: 18,461 | Gross: $0.03M
43. The Untouchables (1987)
R | 119 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
During Prohibition, Treasury agent Eliot Ness sets out to stop ruthless Chicago gangster Al Capone, and assembles a small, incorruptible team to help him.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro, Charles Martin Smith
Votes: 330,704 | Gross: $76.27M
44. Justified (2010–2015)
TV-MA | 45 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Enforcing his own brand of justice, U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, a strong-willed, quiet law-man haunted by his past, returns to his native town to see that justice is served to those in need.
Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts
Votes: 118,616
45. Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
An Atlantic City politician plays both sides of the law by conspiring with gangsters during the Prohibition era.
Stars: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham
Votes: 203,078
46. The Dark Knight (2008)
PG-13 | 152 min | Action, Crime, Drama
When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine
Votes: 2,869,522 | Gross: $534.86M
47. Gang Related (1997)
R | 111 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After murdering an undercover DEA agent, two corrupt cops scramble to cover up what they've done.
Director: Jim Kouf | Stars: Jim Belushi, Tupac Shakur, Lela Rochon, Dennis Quaid
Votes: 10,011 | Gross: $5.79M
48. Sleepless Night (I) (2011)
Not Rated | 103 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A cop with a connection to the criminal underworld finds his secret life exposed when he and his partner are caught stealing cocaine from a powerful drug dealer, a move that puts his son's life in jeopardy.
Director: Frédéric Jardin | Stars: Tomer Sisley, Serge Riaboukine, Julien Boisselier, JoeyStarr
Votes: 5,106 | Gross: $0.00M
49. Phoenix (1998)
R | 107 min | Crime, Drama
A cop (Liotta) with a gambling addiction plots a theft from the bookies who are putting pressure on him to pay off or else.
Director: Danny Cannon | Stars: Ray Liotta, Anthony LaPaglia, Daniel Baldwin, Jeremy Piven
Votes: 4,346 | Gross: $0.04M
50. Low Winter Sun (2006 TV Movie)
150 min | Crime, Drama
Frank Agnew is a police detective who kills for revenge and naively believes he's engineered the perfect crime.
Director: Adrian Shergold | Stars: Mark Strong, Brian McCardie, Robert Willox, Burt Kwouk
Votes: 683
51. Low Winter Sun (2013)
TV-14 | 43 min | Crime, Drama
Murder, deception, revenge, and corruption that starts with the murder of a cop by fellow Detroit detective Frank Agnew.
Stars: Mark Strong, Lennie James, James Ransone, Sprague Grayden
Votes: 6,050
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