10 Best British Crime and Thriller Movies

By Vlad Zakh · December 17, 2025

British crime cinema has its own rhythm: fast cockney dialogue, gallows humour, and criminals more entertaining than the cops chasing them, a tone Guy Ritchie built a career on. Sexy Beast has a retired safecracker pressured by a terrifying old associate, Legend has one actor playing both Kray twins, and Kill List spirals from a hitman’s contract into something stranger. Green Street Hooligans, Layer Cake, The Long Good Friday, The Gentlemen, Snatch, In Bruges and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels round out the list.

Kill List (2011)

TMDB ★ 6.2

A hitman takes on a mysterious assignment that spirals into a nightmare of violence and occult ritual.

Directed by Ben Wheatley · 1h 35m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Shudder · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Sexy Beast (2000)

IMDb ★ 7.3 RT 87% Metacritic 79

A retired safecracker is pressured back into one last job by a terrifyingly persistent old associate.

Directed by Jonathan Glazer · 1h 29m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar21 wins & 21 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Legend (2015)

TMDB ★ 6.7

The Kray twins' rise and rivalry, with one actor playing both brothers.

Directed by Brian Helgeland · 2h 12m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Green Street Hooligans (2005)

TMDB ★ 7.4

An American student is pulled into a London football firm's violent rivalries.

Directed by Lexi Alexander · 1h 49m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Rakuten TV, Sky Store, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Layer Cake (2004)

IMDb ★ 7.2 RT 81% Metacritic 73

A cocaine dealer planning his exit gets pulled into one messy job too many.

Directed by Matthew Vaughn · 1h 45m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award2 wins & 9 nominations total

Where to watch

Stream: Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Long Good Friday (1980)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A London gangster's empire comes under attack the same weekend he's trying to go legitimate.

Directed by John Mackenzie · 1h 54m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, MovieMe · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Gentlemen (2020)

TMDB ★ 7.8

An American expat's marijuana empire attracts buyers, blackmailers and a journalist digging for dirt.

Directed by Guy Ritchie · 1h 53m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Snatch (2000)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 74% Metacritic 55

A stolen diamond sets off a chaotic chain of double-crosses among London's criminal underworld.

Directed by Guy Ritchie · 1h 43m · Rated R

4 wins & 7 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Sundance Now, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

In Bruges (2008)

IMDb ★ 7.9 RT 84% Metacritic 67

Two hitmen hide out in a Belgian tourist town over Christmas while waiting for orders that will change everything.

Directed by Martin McDonagh · 1h 48m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar25 wins & 55 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 75% Metacritic 67

A group of small-time crooks scrambles to pay off a rigged poker debt to a dangerous crime boss.

Directed by Guy Ritchie · 1h 45m · Rated R

Won 1 BAFTA Award13 wins & 9 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

10 Best British Crime and Thriller Movies

Kill List (2011)

Sexy Beast (2000)

Legend (2015)

Green Street Hooligans (2005)

Layer Cake (2004)

The Long Good Friday (1980)

The Gentlemen (2020)

Snatch (2000)

In Bruges (2008)

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

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