Movies like The Departed can change the notion of what we may perceive crime movies can do in terms of instilling insightful discussion of today’s society.
In The Departed, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon play two rookie Boston cops assigned in undercover assignments – one inside the gang of a powerful crime boss and the other, double-crossing his department.
The Departed is a tense look at the contemporary crime world and one that finally won director Martin Scorsese his first Oscar. If you’re looking for recommendations of movies like The Departed that is equally great, this is the place for you!
10 Nail-Biting Crime Movies Like The Departed
10. Infernal Affairs (2002)
In case you don’t know, The Departed is actually a remake of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, starring the country’s top two actors Andy Lau and Tony Leung.
Although in a slightly different league as The Departed and made with a slightly lower budget, Infernal Affairs still manages to effectively build its tension—all thanks to a great direction by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak.
Infernal Affairs is a landmark movie for Hong Kong cinema, spawning a series of movies that generated big money at the box office. No wonder Scorsese agreed to adapt this to Hollywood.
9. The Town (2011)
The Town follows a group of thieves who rob a bank and hold hostage its assistant manager.
The Town is arguably still the best directorial effort of Affleck, who have since helmed gripping dramas such as Live By Night and the Oscar-winning Argo. Cleverly written and greatly paced, The Town must also be credited for its ensemble that includes Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Chris Cooper, Jon Hamm, and Blake Lively.
If you haven’t caught up on it, watch The Town solely for its opening sequence. It’s a gem that is unfortunately under many people’s radars these days!
8. Black Mass (2015)
Black Mass follows the criminal career of James “Whitey” Bulger, the infamous American mobster from the 1970s.
A return to form for Johnny Depp (who played Bulger), Black Mass is a terrifying look at a nation’s past fueled by gangsters running for more power. While the film has a superb ensemble powered by Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, and Dakota Johnson, it was Depp who brought the sinister atmosphere to an already dark narrative.
Black Mass, similar to other movies like The Departed, is an unflinching look at the life of criminals. Truly, a must-watch!
7. BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Based on the real-life reports of famed detective Ron Stallworth, BlacKkKlansman tells the story of a popular event in Colorado Springs during the 1970s when a police department infiltrates and expose the local Ku Klux Klan chapter.
BlacKkKlansman is a blast from start to finish, all thanks to director Spike Lee’s fearless expose of racial prejudice. The film also featured one of the most hair-raising movie ending in recent years by compiling haunting footage of today’s America.
Movies like The Departed are frequent favorites of award-giving bodies, with BlacKkKlansman being a historic movie that gives Spike Lee his first Oscar.
6. No Country For Old Men (2007)
If we’re talking about movies like The Departed, it is important that we also discuss the crime-dramas of the Coen Brothers. And for this list, No Country For Old Men seems to be the perfect fit from their long list of filmography.
The film follows a hunter who acquired a bag with two million dollars and the psychopathic killer who is running to catch him.
No Country For Old Men personifies the definition of what tension would look like on-screen. It is nail-biting to an extent that it almost feels like a horror movie. Our advice: don’t watch it alone!
5. The Usual Suspects (1990)
Shortly after being released by the police, five criminals embarked on a dangerous heist involving a million dollars’ worth of emeralds.
The Usual Suspects, director Bryan Singer’s defining work before helming the X-Men live-action movies, is a nail-biting film that cleverly reveals its secrets.
The infamous twist at the end, which can still surprise a lot of audiences, is cleverly put together. It takes a master of the craft like Singer to pull the strings of a reveal like this in the right places.
4. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Although many people associate Quentin Tarantino with Pulp Fiction, it’s important that we acknowledge his landmark project, Reservoir Dogs.
Six criminals question each other’s identity when the police ambush them during a heist operation. They start to suspect that one of them is an undercover officer.
Movies like The Departed offer a thrilling introspection on the lives of police and mobs with sharp precision. Reservoir Dogs should be celebrated for doing this and a lot more. The film is also haunting in unimaginable ways, all wonderfully contributed by a strong ensemble that includes Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Steve Buscemi.
3. Goodfellas (1990)
Goodfellas narrates the life of mob associate Henry Hill, from his humble beginnings in the 1950s to eventually his chaotic fall in the 1980s.
Goodfellas remains the most celebrated work of Martin Scorsese, who before this film has already been lauded for classics like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The King of Comedy.
Sharp, darkly funny, and nerve-racking, Goodfellas has been one of the most influential movies from the 1990s. Even movies like The Departed was somehow patterned to its energetic structure. A must-watch indeed!
2. Casino (1995)
When it comes to creating a sweeping epic of gangster life, similar to the movies like The Departed mentioned on this list, Martin Scorsese’s Casino provides a larger-than-life look at where the genre can go.
Casino reunites Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci as two people who oversee the day-to-day operations of a hotel in Las Vegas.
Casino is the perfect complementary watch to Goodfellas and even The Departed if you’re looking for more insights into the creative power of Martin Scorsese as a storyteller.
1. The Irishman (2019)
If you are preparing to binge-watch movies like The Departed, make Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman the last entry to your playlist.
The Irishman follows Frank Sheeran, a truck driver who gained fame as a hitman for the mobster and an accomplice to the very powerful Jimmy Hoffa.
Unlike the other movies on this list, The Irishman is a quiet, at times sad look at how power can diminish overtime in the face of mortality. The film once again stars Scorsese frequents Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel in roles that somehow reflect their decades-worth career.