From cheeky dark comedies to harrowing crime epics, here are several British crime dramas we heartily recommend checking out.
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Updated 4 months ago,January 6, 2025
Like every nationality, the United Kingdom has produced numerous entries in practically every conceivable cinematic genre, from absurdist comedies likeMonty Python and the Holy Grailto mind-bending horror films likeThe Wicker Man.Similarly, the UK has released dozens upon dozens of fantastic crime thrillers, each of which continue to earn praise from viewers across the globe.
From cheeky dark comedies to harrowing crime epics, here are several British crime dramas we heartily recommend checking out.
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels / Summit Entertainment
Mona Lisa (1986)
The British equivalent toTaxi Driver, Mona Lisapits Bob Hoskins disillusioned gangster with Cathy Tysons high-priced London call girl.
WhileMona Lisadoes a fantastic job showing the gradual connection formed between Hoskins and Tysons characters, the film eloquently captures the various personal plights threatening to tear Hoskins life apart.
From reconnecting with his estranged daughter to agonizing over his loyalties to his employer, Hoskins existential journey of self-discovery makesMona Lisaa riveting drama viewers wont soon forget.
Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Theres a reason Guy Ritchie is often compared to his American counterpart, Quentin Tarantino.
Like the director of Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs,andKill Bill, Ritchie has regularly cranked out high-speed thrillers with a buoyant comedic energy behind it, as seen through his 1998 feature-length debut,Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.
Bolstered by a massive cast of vivid characters,Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrelsunfolds with the electric intensity of Ritchies very best films.
Palace Pictures
In Bruges (2008)
Contemporary audiences might readily remember Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson for their roles in 2022sThe Banshees of Inisherin, but 14 years earlier, the two worked together on Martin McDonaghs supremely entertaining dark comedy,In Bruges.
Set in a sleepy Belgian city,In Brugesfocuses on two hit men awaiting orders from their foul-mouthed London employer.
Along the way, the two grapple with the morality of their occupation, asking profound questions about who they are and whether theyre fundamentally bad people.
Summit Entertainment
From its poignant discussions of depression to its final celebratory comment on life,In Brugesis a genuinely moving crime comedy the likes of which are all too rare in todays cinematic landscape.
Get Carter (1971)
Michael Caine has appeared in many, many,manydifferent films over the years, yet one of his very finest appearances came courtesy of 1971s gangster drama,Get Carter.
Distancing himself from his comically charismatic performances in movies likeThe Italian Job, Get Cartercasts Caine against pop in as the titular anti-hero a no-nonsense cockney hitman investigating his brothers death.
Focus Features
Conjuring up a dark atmosphere full of foreboding vengeance and heartbreaking betrayals,Get Carteris a sensational crime drama worthy of Scorsese or Coppola (and if thats not praise, we dont know what is).
The Ladykillers (1955)
What do you get when you toss six eccentric criminals and one kindly old lady under the same roof?
You get the utterly terrific 1955 dark comedy,The Ladykillers.A far cry from the disappointing Coen brothers remake of the same name, the originalLadykillersstrikes a remarkable balance between rich humor and a sensational main storyline.
MGM-EMI
Loaded with betrayals, double-crosses, innocent misunderstandings, and insidious murder plots, its a movie that captures and holds your attention from start to finish.
Sexy Beast (2000)
In hindsight,Sexy Beasts alluring title doesnt even begin to broach the sheer insanity behind this 2000 dark comedy crime film.
Led by a mesmerizing Ben Kingsley as sociopathic gangster Don Logan,Sexy Beastunfolds like a hard-boiled, Dali-inspired nightmare set in Londons criminal underworld.
The Rank Organisation
As unforgettably shocking as it is frequently hilarious,Sexy Beastwill leave you bewildered, confused, and uncomfortable, yet grinning from ear to ear throughout.
The Long Good Friday (1980)
If theres one certainty about British crime films, its that any movie featuring Bob Hoskins in a prominent role is guaranteed to be worth watching.
Just asMona Lisasupports that idea,The Long Good Fridayoutfits Hoskins with the most formidable and commanding character of his career.
Fox Searchlight
Among the most influential crime films of all time,The Long Good Fridaykicked off a renewed golden age for British crime dramas, laying the groundwork for practically every other film on this list.
From its booming score to Hoskins kinetic lead role, everything aboutThe Long Good Fridayis worthy of avid acclaim and celebration.
HandMade Films
