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The best crime movies and shows on Criterion Channel right now

Right now the best crime films and series on Criterion Channel in the United States are Blue Velvet (1986), M (1931) and Infernal Affairs (2002). This is the top 23 streaming there today, ranked by how well rated each one is, how many people have rated it, and what people are watching now.

Updated November 12, 2026 · streaming in the United States

Pick three for meAllFilmsSeries

  1. 1. Blue Velvet1986

    Film · 2h 0mMystery, Thriller, Crime★ 7.6

    The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelKanopy (free)Hoopla (free)Roku Channel (free)+1

  2. 2. M1931

    Film · 1h 50mDrama, Thriller, Crime★ 8.1

    In this classic German thriller, Hans Beckert, a serial killer who preys on children, becomes the focus of a massive Berlin police manhunt.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelIndieFlix ShortsKanopy (free)+3

  3. 3. Infernal Affairs2002

    Film · 1h 41mDrama, Thriller, Crime★ 7.8

    Chan Wing Yan, a young police officer, has been sent undercover as a mole in the local mafia. Lau Kin Ming, a young mafia member, infiltrates the police force.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelShout! Factory TV (free)

  4. 4. Le Trou1960

    Film · 2h 12mDrama, Thriller, Crime★ 8.2

    Four prison inmates have been hatching a plan to literally dig out of jail when another prisoner, Claude Gaspard, is moved into their cell. They take a risk and share their plan with the newcomer.

    Stream onCriterion Channel

  5. 5. Big Deal on Madonna Street1958

    Film · 1h 46mComedy, Crime★ 8.1

    Best friends Peppe and Mario are thieves, but they're not very good at it. Still, Peppe thinks that he's finally devised a master heist that will make them rich.

    Stream onCriterion Channel

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  7. 6. Monsieur Verdoux1947

    Film · 2h 4mComedy, Crime, Drama★ 7.7

    The film is about an unemployed banker, Henri Verdoux, and his sociopathic methods of attaining income. While being both loyal and competent in his work, Verdoux has been laid-off.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelTCMKanopy (free)

  8. 7. Thief1981

    Film · 2h 3mCrime, Thriller, Drama★ 7.3

    Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids.

    Stream onPrime VideoCriterion ChannelMGM+Hoopla (free)+6

  9. 8. Down by Law1986

    Film · 1h 46mCrime, Drama, Comedy★ 7.4

    A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans.

    Stream onHBO MaxYouTube TVCriterion ChannelFandango at Home Free (free)+2

  10. 9. Police Story1985

    Film · 1h 39mAction, Crime, Comedy★ 7.6

    Officer Chan Ka Kui manages to put a major Hong Kong drug dealer behind the bars practically alone, after a shooting and an impressive chase inside a slum.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelTencent VideoShout! Factory TV (free)

  11. 10. Rocco and His Brothers1960

    Film · 2h 58mDrama, Romance, Crime★ 8.0

    When a impoverished widow’s family moves to the big city, two of her five sons become romantic rivals with deadly results.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelOVIDDarkroomKino Film Collection+2

  12. 11. Z1969

    Film · 2h 2mThriller, Crime, Drama★ 7.8

    A prominent politician is murdered during a demonstration. The government and army are trying to suppress the truth, but a tenacious magistrate is determined not to let them get away with it.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelHBO Max

  13. 12. Bad Lieutenant1992

    Film · 1h 36mCrime, Drama★ 7.0

    While investigating a young nun's rape, a corrupt New York City police detective, with a serious drug and gambling addiction, tries to change his ways and find forgiveness.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelLionsgate+Kanopy (free)Hoopla (free)+4

  14. 13. Man Bites Dog1992

    Film · 1h 36mComedy, Crime★ 7.2

    The activities of rampaging, indiscriminate serial killer Ben are recorded by a willingly complicit documentary team, who eventually become his accomplices and active participants.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelHBO Max

  15. 14. The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog1927

    Film · 1h 31mCrime, Thriller, Mystery★ 7.2

    London. A mysterious serial killer brutally murders young blond women by stalking them in the night fog. One foggy, sinister night, a young man who claims his name is Jonathan Drew arrives at the guest house run by the Bunting family and…

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelTCMHoopla (free)+7

  16. 15. The Naked City1948

    Film · 1h 36mCrime, Drama, Mystery★ 7.2

    After a former model is drowned in her bathtub, Detective James Halloran and Lieutenant Dan Muldoon attempt to piece together her murder.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelArtiflixPlex (free)+1

  17. 16. King of New York1990

    Film · 1h 43mThriller, Crime★ 6.8

    A former drug lord returns from prison determined to wipe out all his competition and distribute the profits of his operations to New York's poor and lower classes in this stylish and ultra violent modern twist on Robin Hood.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelBFI PlayerMovieSphere+Howdy+7

  18. 17. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie1976

    Film · 2h 15mThriller, Crime, Drama★ 7.0

    Cosmo Vittelli, the proprietor of a sleazy, low-rent Hollywood cabaret, has a real affection for the women who strip in his peepshows and the staff who keep up his dingy establishment.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion Channel

  19. 18. Mona Lisa1986

    Film · 1h 45mCrime, Drama, Romance★ 6.9

    George is a small-time crook just out of prison who discovers his tough-guy image is out of date. Reduced to working as a minder/driver for high class call girl Simone, he has to agree when she asks him to find a young colleague from her…

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion Channel

  20. 19. Ms .451981

    Film · 1h 21mCrime, Thriller, Action★ 6.7

    After being attacked and raped twice in one day, a timid, mute seamstress becomes a violent agent of revenge for wronged women.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelFandorNight Flight PlusARROW+7

  21. 20. Lady Snowblood1973

    Film · 1h 37mAction, Crime, Drama★ 7.5

    A strikingly beautiful young woman is trained from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the swindlers who destroyed her family.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelYouTube Free (free)Plex (free)+1

  22. 21. Berlin Alexanderplatz1980

    Series · 1 seasonDrama, Crime★ 7.5

    In late 1920s Berlin, Franz Biberkopf is released from prison and vows to go straight. However, he soon finds himself embroiled in the city’s criminal underworld.

    Stream onCriterion Channel

  23. 22. Carlos2010

    Series · 1 seasonDrama, Crime, War & Politics★ 7.4

    The story of the Venezuelan Ilich Ramirez Sanchez known as "Carlos", who was, for almost twenty years, one of the most wanted terrorists in the world.

    Stream onCriterion Channel

  24. 23. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex2002

    Series · 2 seasonsAnimation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy★ 8.2

    In the future when technological enhancements and robotics are a way of life, Major Motoko Kusanagi and Section 9 take care of the jobs that are too difficult for the police.

    Stream onYouTube TVCriterion ChannelSpectrum On Demand (free)Roku Channel (free)+3

Questions

What are the best crime films and series on Criterion Channel right now?
In the United States, as of November 12, 2026: Blue Velvet (1986), rated 7.6 out of 10 on TMDB, then M and Infernal Affairs.
How is this list made?
Watchwalla asks TMDB for everything of this kind that streams in your country today, ranks it by rating (pulled toward the middle until enough people have rated a title), with a nudge for what's new and what people are watching now, and refreshes the list every day. Streaming availability comes from JustWatch, through TMDB.
Can it pick something for me?
Yes. The picker at watchwalla.com/tonight asks who's watching, how much time you have and what you're in the mood for, and gives three picks streaming where you are. Sign in and every title also gets a match score for your own taste.

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