● Trending in the US
MOVIEPIQ · CRIME · CURATED LIST

Best Crime Movies On A Sunday Afternoon From The 2020S Based On A True Story

Every crime film here was chosen with a slow Sunday afternoon in mind. These aren't algorithmically ranked, they were chosen because they actually work for this.

The best crime movies on a sunday afternoon from the 2020s based on a true story. Includes The Stronghold, One Battle After Another, Bad Boys: Ride or Die an...

There's a particular kind of cinema that works best on a Sunday. Not too light, not too demanding. Something you'll be glad you watched by the time the evening comes.

The early 2020s are already proving themselves. The best films from this decade will hold up. These are among them.

The best crime films understand that most criminals aren't monsters. They're people who made a series of choices.

The Stronghold movie poster
1
2021 · ★★★½☆ 7.4/10

Tired of the small-time grind, three Marseille cops get a chance to bust a major drug network. But lines blur when a key informant makes a big ask.

One Battle After Another movie poster
2
2025 · ★★★½☆ 7.4/10

Washed-up revolutionary Bob exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his evil nemesis resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her, father and daughter both battling the consequences of his past.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die movie poster
3
2024 · ★★★½☆ 7.3/10

After their late former Captain is framed, Lowrey and Burnett try to clear his name, only to end up on the run themselves.

Cherry movie poster
4
2021 · ★★★½☆ 7.3/10

Cherry drifts from college dropout to army medic in Iraq-anchored only by his one true love, Emily. But after returning from the war with PTSD, his life spirals into drugs and crime as he struggles to find his place in the world.

Enola Holmes 2 movie poster
5
2022 · ★★★½☆ 7.3/10

Now a detective-for-hire like her infamous brother, Enola Holmes takes on her first official case to find a missing girl, as the sparks of a dangerous conspiracy ignite a mystery that requires the help of friends - and Sherlock himself - to unravel.

What sets great crime cinema apart is consequence. Every action has a cost. These films make you feel that cost.

The Secret Agent movie poster
6
2025 · ★★★½☆ 7.3/10

Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting.

The Equalizer 3 movie poster
7
2023 · ★★★½☆ 7.3/10

Robert McCall finds himself at home in Southern Italy but he discovers his friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends' protector by taking on the mafia.

Holy Spider movie poster
8
2022 · ★★★½☆ 7.3/10

A journalist descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad as she investigates the serial killings of sex workers by the so called "Spider Killer", who believes he is cleansing the streets of sinners.

American Murder: The Family Next Door movie poster
9
2020 · ★★★½☆ 7.3/10

Using raw, firsthand footage, this documentary examines the disappearance of Shanann Watts and her children, and the terrible events that followed.

The Beekeeper movie poster
10
2024 · ★★★½☆ 7.2/10

One man's campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after he is revealed to be a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as Beekeepers.

True stories carry a different weight. Knowing it happened - knowing real people made these choices - changes how you watch.

Great crime cinema lingers because it doesn't offer easy resolution. The moral weight sits with you.

From the Blog

READ Best Movies for a Sunday Afternoon
READ Movies When You Can't Leave the House
READ Movies That Make You Feel Nostalgic

You Might Also Like

ENERGY Crime Movies for Mental Exhaustion
MINDSTATE Crime Movies cant Concentrate
GENRE Action Movies on A Sunday Afternoon
DEEPER Life Feels Smaller
EDITORIAL Best Movies for a Sunday Afternoon
Tell us one film you love - we'll find your next one.TRY IT