FORENSIC THRILLER／POLICE PROCEDURAL
by zegerdesmedt | created - 16 Feb 2020 | updated - 4 months ago | Public➔ detailed offender/detective case study movie ranking
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1. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
R | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.
Director: Jonathan Demme | Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine
Votes: 1,549,132 | Gross: $130.74M
2. Insomnia (1997)
Not Rated | 96 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
In a Norwegian city with a 24-hour daylight cycle a Swedish murder investigator has been brought in on a special case. Sleep deprived, he makes a horrible mistake which is discovered by the killer he has been hunting.
Director: Erik Skjoldbjærg | Stars: Stellan Skarsgård, Sverre Anker Ousdal, Maria Mathiesen, Gisken Armand
Votes: 15,594 | Gross: $0.22M
3. Cure (1997)
Not Rated | 111 min | Crime, Horror, Mystery
A frustrated detective deals with the case of several gruesome murders committed by people who have no recollection of what they've done.
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Stars: Masato Hagiwara, Koji Yakusho, Tsuyoshi Ujiki, Anna Nakagawa
Votes: 23,113 | Gross: $0.09M
4. The Killing Gene (2007)
R | 104 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A calculating killer coerces a detective to pay for his previous mistakes.
Director: Tom Shankland | Stars: Stellan Skarsgård, Melissa George, Ashley Walters, Tom Hardy
Votes: 9,341
5. Manhunter (1986)
R | 120 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Former FBI profiler Will Graham returns to service to pursue a deranged serial killer dubbed "the Tooth Fairy" by the media.
Director: Michael Mann | Stars: William Petersen, Kim Greist, Joan Allen, Brian Cox
Votes: 80,981 | Gross: $8.62M
6. Se7en (1995)
R | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Kevin Walker
Votes: 1,800,181 | Gross: $100.13M
7. Nightwatch (1994)
R | 107 min | Thriller
A law student starts working as a night watchman at The Department of Forensic Medicine in Copenhagen. His mad friend gets him on a game of dare that escalates. As a serial-killer's victims start piling up at work, he becomes a suspect.
Director: Ole Bornedal | Stars: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Sofie Gråbøl, Kim Bodnia, Lotte Andersen
Votes: 17,880
8. Feed (2005)
Not Rated | 101 min | Crime, Horror, Thriller
A cybercrime investigator tracks a man suspected of force-feeding women to death.
Director: Brett Leonard | Stars: Alex O'Loughlin, Patrick Thompson, Gabby Millgate, Jack Thompson
Votes: 6,075
9. Mindcage (2022)
R | 96 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When a copycat serial killer strikes, two detectives ask a convicted felon for help.
Director: Mauro Borrelli | Stars: Elisha Bascomb, Alba Borrelli, Nikola Chupin, Barry Clifton
Votes: 6,668
10. Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)
R | 129 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Brilliant but disgraced detective John Luther breaks out of prison to hunt down a sadistic serial killer who is terrorising London.
Director: Jamie Payne | Stars: Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Andy Serkis, Dermot Crowley
Votes: 64,280
11. Hannibal (2001)
R | 131 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Living in exile, Dr. Hannibal Lecter tries to reconnect with now disgraced F.B.I. Agent Clarice Starling, and finds himself a target for revenge from a powerful victim.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman, Ray Liotta
Votes: 293,298 | Gross: $165.09M
12. Ófærð (2015– )
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In a remote town in Iceland, police desperately try to solve a crime as a powerful storm descends upon the town.
Stars: Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Guðjón Pedersen
Votes: 24,933
13. Forhøret (2019–2023)
TV-MA | 30 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Bjørn investigates the killing of his daughter. People around him believe she might have committed suicide, but he doesn't accept that. Both the stakes and the suspense rise relentlessly as Bjørn inches closer to the truth.
Stars: Trine Dyrholm, Alma Ekehed Thomsen, Ulrich Thomsen, Lars Mikkelsen
Votes: 2,441
14. The Investigation (2020)
42 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Copenhagen Police's Homicide unit, headed by Jens Møller, tries to solve the murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall.
Stars: Søren Malling, Pilou Asbæk, Pernilla August, Rolf Lassgård
Votes: 7,704
15. Bedrag (2016–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A big Danish sustainable energy company has had an enormous, suspect growth. Problems start, when an employee's body is found and cop detective Justesen starts investigating Energreen.
Stars: Esben Smed, Thomas Hwan, Natalie Madueño, Thomas Bo Larsen
Votes: 4,884
16. Hannibal (2013–2015)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
Explores the early relationship between renowned psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter and a young FBI criminal profiler who is haunted by his ability to empathize with serial killers.
Stars: Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas, Laurence Fishburne
Votes: 276,796
17. Insomnia (2002)
R | 118 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Martin Donovan
Votes: 319,301 | Gross: $67.36M
18. The Silencing (2020)
R | 93 min | Action, Crime, Mystery
A reformed hunter living in isolation on a wildlife sanctuary becomes involved in a deadly game of cat and mouse when he and the local Sheriff set out to track a vicious killer who may have kidnapped his daughter years ago.
Director: Robin Pront | Stars: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, Josh Cruddas, Annabelle Wallis
Votes: 34,394 | Gross: $0.10M
19. Room of Death (2007)
Not Rated | 115 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Two unemployed computer technicians discover 2 million euros next to a dead body in a field of windmills.
Director: Alfred Lot | Stars: Mélanie Laurent, Éric Caravaca, Gilles Lellouche, Jonathan Zaccaï
Votes: 1,850
20. The Valhalla Murders (2019–2020)
TV-MA | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Police profiler Arnar is sent back home from Oslo to his native Iceland to investigate the country's first serial killer case. He teams up with the local senior cop Kata.
Stars: Aldís Amah Hamilton, Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir, Tinna Hrafnsdóttir, Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir
Votes: 16,961
21. The Murders at White House Farm (2020)
TV-MA | 46 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Revolves around the true story of a fateful night in August 1985 when five members of the same family are murdered at an Essex farmhouse, and the ensuing police investigation and court case that follows.
Stars: Freddie Fox, Alexa Davies, Mark Addy, Scott Reid
Votes: 12,031
22. The Pledge (I) (2001)
R | 124 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A retiring police detective pledges to catch the killer of a young child.
Director: Sean Penn | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Benicio Del Toro, Patricia Clarkson, Beau Daniels
Votes: 67,754 | Gross: $19.72M
23. Angel Heart (1987)
X | 113 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A private investigator is hired by a man who calls himself Louis Cyphre to track down a singer named Johnny Favorite. But the investigation takes an unexpected and somber turn.
Director: Alan Parker | Stars: Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet, Charlotte Rampling
Votes: 95,872 | Gross: $17.19M
24. Red Dragon (2002)
R | 124 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A retired FBI agent with psychological gifts is assigned to help track down "The Tooth Fairy", a mysterious serial killer. Aiding him is imprisoned forensic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter.
Director: Brett Ratner | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel
Votes: 291,020 | Gross: $93.15M
25. Prisoners (2013)
R | 153 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts.
Director: Denis Villeneuve | Stars: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo
Votes: 810,197 | Gross: $61.00M
26. True Detective (2014– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Anthology series in which police investigations unearth the personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within and outside the law.
Stars: Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch
Votes: 657,044
27. Black Sands (2021– )
100 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A troubled police officer is forced back to her hometown. Confronting her abusive mother is inescapable but the discovery of a body changes everything. She's forced to search for a dangerous serial killer while stuck in a dark pit.
Stars: Aldís Amah Hamilton, Þór Tulinius, Kolbeinn Arnbjörnsson, Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir
Votes: 761
28. Cardinal (2017–2020)
TV-MA | 42 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Detectives John Cardinal and Lise Delorme investigate the murder of a young girl, while Cardinal struggles to right past wrongs that could derail the investigation and end his career, as the case grows more violent and twisted.
Stars: Billy Campbell, Karine Vanasse, Kristen Thomson, Glen Gould
Votes: 11,710
29. Bordertown (2016– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Quirky police detective, in Finland, delves into his memory palace to solve despicable crimes all the while trying to keep his family together. If Sherlock was based in Finland this would be it.
Stars: Ville Virtanen, Matleena Kuusniemi, Anu Sinisalo, Lenita Susi
Votes: 12,410
30. Public Enemy (2016–2023)
60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Freed after 20 years in prison, the child killer Guy Beranger found refuge with the monks in Vielsart. He is placed under the protection of a young Federal Police's inspector. A little while after his release, a little girl disappears.
Stars: Stéphanie Blanchoud, Jean-Jacques Rausin, Clément Manuel, Angelo Bison
Votes: 1,823
31. The Forest (2017)
TV-MA | 313 min | Crime, Drama
Sixteen-year-old Jennifer disappears one night from her village in the Ardennes. Captain Gaspard Deker leads the investigation with local cop Virginie Musso, who knew the girl well. They are helped by Eve, a lonely and mysterious woman.
Stars: Samuel Labarthe, Suzanne Clément, Alexia Barlier, Frédéric Diefenthal
Votes: 12,871
32. Jordskott (2015–2017)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
A detective returns to her hometown seven years after her daughter's disappearance, trying to find a connection to a current case.
Stars: Moa Gammel, Göran Ragnerstam, Richard Forsgren, Happy Jankell
Votes: 5,012
33. Hidden (2018–2022)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Police investigate when the body of a girl is found in a lake.
Stars: Sian Reese-Williams, Sion Alun Davies, Victoria Pugh, Sarah Tempest
Votes: 5,579
34. The Pembrokeshire Murders (2021)
TV-14 | 48 min | Crime, Drama, History
DSU Steve Wilkins reopens two unsolved murder cases from the 1980s. Forensic methods link the crimes to a string of burglaries. Steve's team has to find more evidence before the perpetrator is released from prison.
Stars: Luke Evans, Keith Allen, Caroline Berry, Oliver Ryan
Votes: 10,867
35. Darkness: Those Who Kill (2019– )
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Thriller
Investigator Jan and profiler Louise constantly move around in the thrilling periphery of a murderer's view as they link a series of killings.
Stars: Natalie Madueño, Simon Sears, Tobias Santelmann, Jess Boye
Votes: 5,861
36. The Frozen Ground (2013)
R | 105 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
An Alaska State Trooper partners with a young woman who escaped the clutches of serial killer Robert Hansen to bring the murderer to justice. Based on actual events.
Director: Scott Walker | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Vanessa Hudgens, John Cusack, Dean Norris
Votes: 67,317
37. The Black Dahlia (2006)
R | 121 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two policemen see their personal and professional lives fall apart in the wake of the "Black Dahlia" Elizabeth Short murder investigation.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank
Votes: 77,045 | Gross: $22.52M
38. Clarice (2021)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A look at the personal story of FBI agent Clarice Starling, as she returns to the field about a year after the events of The Silence of the Lambs (1991).
Stars: Rebecca Breeds, Michael Cudlitz, Jayne Atkinson, Lucca De Oliveira
Votes: 11,204
39. Den som dræber (2011)
90 min | Action, Crime, Drama
About the hunt for a type of violent criminal who has yet to strike in Denmark, and who is surrounded by fear and mystique - the serial killer.
Stars: Laura Bach, Jakob Cedergren, Lars Mikkelsen, Lærke Winther
Votes: 3,972
40. Silent Witness (1996– )
TV-14 | 120 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A team of exceptional forensic pathologists and scientists investigate heinous crimes and use their skills to catch the people responsible.
Stars: Emilia Fox, David Caves, William Gaminara, Tom Ward
Votes: 12,740
41. Night Hunter (2018)
R | 98 min | Action, Thriller
A weathered Lieutenant, his police force, and a local vigilante are all caught up in a dangerous scheme involving a troubled, recently-arrested man who's linked to years of female abductions and murders.
Director: David Raymond | Stars: Henry Cavill, Ben Kingsley, Alexandra Daddario, Stanley Tucci
Votes: 27,057
42. The Little Things (2021)
R | 128 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Kern County Deputy Sheriff Joe Deacon is sent to Los Angeles for what should have been a quick evidence-gathering assignment. Instead, he becomes embroiled in the search for a serial killer who is terrorizing the city.
Director: John Lee Hancock | Stars: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto, Chris Bauer
Votes: 126,537
43. The Snowman (2017)
R | 119 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Detective Harry Hole investigates the disappearance of a woman whose scarf is found wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman.
Director: Tomas Alfredson | Stars: Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jonas Karlsson
Votes: 71,686 | Gross: $6.67M
44. DI Ray (2022– )
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Newly promoted DI Rachita Ray takes on a case that forces her to face a lifelong personal conflict.
Stars: Parminder Nagra, Ian Puleston-Davies, Jessica Temple, Gemma Whelan
Votes: 3,090
45. Hangman (II) (2017)
R | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A homicide detective brings his partner out of retirement to help catch a serial killer whose crimes are based on the children's game Hangman.
Director: Johnny Martin | Stars: Al Pacino, Karl Urban, Brittany Snow, Joe Anderson
Votes: 19,077
46. Dear Child (2023)
TV-MA | 286 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A mysterious woman's escape from her harrowing captivity points investigators toward the dark truth behind an unsolved disappearance 13 years earlier.
Stars: Kim Riedle, Naila Schuberth, Sammy Schrein, Hans Löw
Votes: 25,644
47. Fallen (1998)
R | 124 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Homicide detective John Hobbes witnesses the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese. Soon after the execution, the killings start again, and they are very similar to Reese's style.
Director: Gregory Hoblit | Stars: Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, Embeth Davidtz
Votes: 92,673 | Gross: $25.19M
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