The Defiant Ones (1958)

The Defiant Ones (1958)

[8] Socially-conscious filmmaker Stanley Kramer (Inherit the Wind, Judgment at Nuremberg) made an impact early in his directing career with this dramatic chase story of two escaped convicts evading authorities while chained together at the wrists. The twist? One prisoner's white and…
The Snowman (2017)

The Snowman (2017)

[4] Michael Fassbender (Shame, Steve Jobs) stars as a Norwegian police detective on a missing person case that quickly becomes the hunt for a serial killer called The Snowman. Rebecca Ferguson (Dune, Doctor Sleep) co-stars as his eager new partner, who discovers…
Hollywoodland (2006)

Hollywoodland (2006)

[8] Adrien Brody (The Pianist, The Thin Red Line) plays a '50s Hollywood detective investigating the mysterious death of actor George Reeves, played by Ben Affleck (Gone Girl, The Town). Hollywoodland is based on the true story of Reeves, who struggled to…
Hell or High Water (2016)

Hell or High Water (2016)

[7] Chris Pine and Ben Foster play west Texas brothers who resort to bank robbing to keep from losing their family farm. This draws the attention of a Texas Ranger, played by a snarky Jeff Bridges, and his long-suffering partner (Gil Birmingham).…
To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)

To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)

[7] William Petersen (C.S.I., Manhunter) made his film debut in this William Friedkin crime flick about a secret service agent who obsessively pursues the counterfeiter (Willem Dafoe) who killed his partner. Paired with a conscientious new partner (John Pankow), Petersen bends the…
Mildred Pierce (1945)

Mildred Pierce (1945)

[7] Joan Crawford won her Oscar for playing the title character in this noir-melodrama from director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca). Based on the book by James M. Cain, Mildred Pierce is told largely in flashback, with Crawford spilling the beans to police after…
The 39 Steps (1935)

The 39 Steps (1935)

[7] A London man gives refuge to a female spy, but after she's knifed in the back he's accused of her murder. The only way to clear his name is to piece together the clues she left behind and prevent top secret…
Dark Waters (2019)

Dark Waters (2019)

[5] Mark Ruffalo must really have it out for the DuPont company. First he co-starred in 2014's Foxcatcher, an examination of the scandal behind John du Pont's hosting of Olympic wrestlers that ended in tragedy. And now he plays lawyer Rob Bilott…
Frisco Jenny (1932)

Frisco Jenny (1932)

[7] Ruth Chatterton is our title character, a bootlegging madam in 1906 San Francisco. The big earthquake claims the lives of her father and fiancée, and she ends up giving birth in a Chinatown basement. When poverty gives her no option, she…
The Glass House (1972)

The Glass House (1972)

[7] In this TV movie co-written by Truman Capote, a prisoner (Alan Alda) and a guard (Clu Gulager) start life in prison on the same day and quickly learn what a dangerous and corrupt environment it is. Both men seek to shed…