Do you love crime movies and thrillers? Hollywood has churned out several decent crime movies to keep analytical minds adequately entertained.
Although we have some fascinating crime movies released in the past 2 to 3 years, we’d like to return and bring some of the best 2015 Crime movies.
Don’t be mistaken; 2015 was a good year in the movie industry for all genres, with movies like Terminator Genisys, Fifty shades of grey, Furious 7, Rogue Nation, and Home released and met with critical appraisal.
However, we’ll narrow our list down to some of our top 2015 crime movies to watch.
1. Black Mass
- Cast: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rory Cochrane, Jesse Plemons.
- Runtime: 123 minutes
The first on our list of 2015 Crime movies is Black Mass. The movie is a remarkably accurate account of Scotty, Boston’s most ruthless and feared mobster, and the FBI’s “unholy collaboration.”
It is considered a horror and a crime movie because Cooper’s portrayal of the interaction between the federal authorities and notorious Irish-American criminal James “Whitey” Bulger is frightening.
With his strange wig and blue contact lenses, Johnny Depp almost gives the impression that the character he is playing is a ghost.
In this masterpiece, Benedict Cybertronian Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, and Jesse Plemons all play unrelentingly vicious characters.
2. Secret in Their Eyes
- Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Dean Norris, Michael Kelly, Joe Cole, Alfred Molina
- Runtime: 111 minutes
Following the tragic murder of Jess’ adolescent daughter, rising FBI investigators Ray and Jess, along with Claire, their district-attorney boss, are abruptly torn apart.
Thirteen years later, after relentlessly looking for the elusive killer, Ray discovers a fresh lead that he is confident would finally put the case to rest and provide the team with the closure they have long sought.
However, nobody is ready for the devastating and unutterable secret that comes next. The story is utterly filled with suspense, and that’s why it is among our top 2015 crime movies.
3. Hyena
- Cast: Peter Ferdinando, Stephen Graham, MyAnna Buring, Elisa Lasowski, Neil Maskell, Richard Dormer.
- Runtime: 112 minutes
Hyena is a harsh, bloody, and obscene British police corruption thriller with strong language, which is somewhat perfect given the number of blows delivered in the movie.
This is a challenging yet rewarding film that is famed for both its shocking brutality and its puzzling conclusion.
With Hyena, you’ve reached the crest point if you’re looking for gut-wrenching, unsettling material because this would be worth every bloody 112 minutes spent staring at your screen.
4. Son of a Gun
- Cast: Ewan McGregor, Brenton Thwaites, Alicia Vikander, Jacek Koman, Matthew Nable, Tom Budge
- Runtime: 109 minutes
Ewan McGregor is rarely given a chance to display his strength and flash his ‘fangs’ in the role of a tough bad man, but when he is, he puts on a good show.
This particular addition to our compilation of 2015 crime movies is basically to give you a treat. The Scotsman portrays a deadly criminal who adds a new member to his gang while running a scary Australian prison.
The Trainspotting star shines in this hard-hitting, razor-sharp crime thriller, which also exposes us to a potential future star in Brenton Thwaites.
5. Run All Night
- Cast: Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman, Vincent D’Onofrio, Nick Nolte, Bruce McGill, Genesis Rodriguez, Ed Harris
- Runtime: 114 minutes
Liam Neeson’s incredible transformation into a 60+ action hero from a serious A-List actor is fascinating. In this movie, he embarks on a trip where he is tasked with rescuing his son from a gangland ruler, played by Ed Harris’s cruel grasp.
Furthermore, thanks to a great ensemble that includes Joel Kinnamon, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Nick Nolte, this movie surpasses the Taken sequels by serving as both a compelling crime drama and a nonstop shoot-them-up actioner. Yes, you heard it right!
6. Broken Horses
- Cast: Vincent D’Onofrio, Anton Yelchin, Chris Marquette, María Valverde, Thomas Jane
- Runtime: 101 minutes
Next on our list of 2015 crime movies is Broken Horses. It is a movie that was very much slept on by many moviegoers. It stars Anton Yelchin and Maria Valverde, which suits the “Southern Gothic” subgenre very well.
It is safe to say that this story of two brothers on opposite sides of the law is closer to a modern western movie than anything else. Furthermore, It is rife with criminality and is worth checking out.
7. Victoria
- Cast: Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski, Max Mauff, Burak Yiğit, André Hennicke
- Runtime: 138 minutes
Although the concept of this intriguing-sounding German film may seem a little gimmicky, it’s a pretty gorgeous work of art. The unique feature of Victoria is that it centers on a bank heist in Berlin.
Everything was shot in a single take, and you could think this concept restricts the movie, but the exact opposite is true.
Find this movie immediately; it’s a must-see for everyone interested in checking out some of the best 2015 crime movies.
8. Zero Tolerance
- Cast: Dustin Nguyen, Gary Daniels, Scott Adkins, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Nina Paosut.
- Runtime: 90 minutes
One of the 2015 crime movies worth trying, Zero Tolerance, which also stars Dustin Nguyen, Gary Daniels, and Scott Adkins, was directed by Wych Kaosayananda.
The International Film Destination Festival in Thailand is where it had its world premiere on February 10, 2015.
To discover the assassins of Johnny’s young daughter Angel and get revenge, two former paramilitary agents, Peter, a police detective, and Johnny, search Bangkok. There’s only one way to find out if they’ll succeed.
9. Criminal Activities
- Cast: John Travolta, Michael Pitt, Dan Stevens, Edi Gathegi, Rob Brown, Jackie Earle Haley
- Runtime: 94 minutes
The opening of “Criminal Activities” is typical of an excellent “Pulp Fiction” after burying their friend Matthew, four college friends get together for lunch. In the process, they encounter Noah, a strange acquaintance they bullied in school.
After offering to finance a surefire stock tip, Noah is embraced by the gang, pivoting alpha male Zach leads.
However, after losing all their money immediately, the trio finds themselves in debt to eccentric mobster Eddie.
As a result of Eddie offering them a bargain they can’t refuse, Zach’s team ends up abducting two-bit thug Marques for Eddie.
10. Heist
- Cast: Robert De Niro, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kate Bosworth, Morris Chestnut, Dave Bautista.
- Runtime: 93 minutes
One of the best 2015 crime movies and American action thriller film Heist, also known as Bus 657, was directed by Scott Mann and written by Sepher and Adams based on his original story. It was a star-studded affair; one look at the cast list will clear that up.
The movie’s plot centers on a casino robbery by a worker who must steal money to pay for the care of his ailing daughter. Will he find a way to steal the needed funds successfully, or will an alternative present itself?
11. Sicario
- Cast: Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin
- Runtime: 121 minutes
As far as 2015 crime movies go, Sicario, which is Spanish for “hitman,” is unarguably one of the best ones out at the time.
Plus, it does help that it was directed by Denis Villeneuve, scripted by Taylor Sheridan, and starred actors like Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, and Josh Brolin.
The movie focuses on a moral FBI agent a government task group assigns to take down the boss of a vicious and potent Mexican drug cartel.
At the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, Sicario was chosen to contend for the Palme d’Or. It started with a restricted release on September 18, 2015, and then on October 2, 2015, it went on general release in the US.
12. Hitman: Agent 47
- Cast: Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware, Zachary Quinto, Ciarán Hinds, Thomas Kretschmann, Angelababy
- Runtime: 96 minutes
The main character of Hitman: Agent 47 is a skilled killer genetically modified from birth to be the ultimate murderer. His only identification is the last two digits of the barcode tattooed on the back of his neck.
Since he is the product of 46 prior Agent clones and decades of research, he has unmatched strength, speed, stamina, and intelligence.
His most recent target is a large organization that wants to discover details about Agent 47’s past life to enable them to build a killer force that is even more powerful than he is.
With a young woman who might hold the key to defeating their fierce and covert adversaries, agent 47 faces startling disclosures about his past and engages in a titanic struggle with his most dangerous enemy.
13. Mr. Holmes
- Cast: Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Hiroyuki Sanada, Milo Parker
- Runtime: 104 minutes
A list of 2015 crime movies would be incomplete without one starring Sherlock Holmes. Mr. Holmes is based on Mitch Cullin’s 2005 book A Slight Trick of the Mind.
Ian McKellen portrays Sherlock Holmes in the movie, while Laura Linney plays Mrs. Munro, his housekeeper, and Milo Parker plays Roger, her son.
The story follows 93-year-old Sherlock Holmes as he battles to remember the specifics of his last case since his memory is progressively failing. The majority of the action takes place in Sussex during Holmes’ retirement.
14. Spy
- Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Jude Law
- Runtime: 120 minutes
CIA analyst Susan Cooper has worked as a desk jockey her whole career despite receiving thorough field training and collaborating closely with dashing agent Bradley Fine.
Susan is Bradley’s guardian angel, using high-tech tools and a covert earpiece to keep him out of harm’s way.
Despite a $65 million budget, the movie made $235 million worldwide and garnered favorable reviews from critics. It’s a good watch which would explain why it is one of our top recommendations from this list of 2015 crime movies.
