10 Best Small-Town Crime Movies, Ranked

Small-town life is often thought of and portrayed as being peaceful and idyllic, places which are rarely touched by danger, where everyone knows each other and looks out for each other and people can raise their families without much worry. Despite the preconceived notions, small towns present an opportunity to tell a variety of stories, from interpersonal dramas which play out behind closed doors to horror films which turn the setting on its head.

Small-town crime dramas in particular shatter that illusion of a calm, safe life. Small towns aren’t immune to gruesome crimes, and they can be a hotbed of secrecy and distrust, as these films make clear. Some writers and directors have a particular knack for delving into small-town characters and stories, and it’s no surprise the end result is some of their best, most revered work.

10

‘Mystic River’ (2003)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

In Mystic River, set in Boston, the teenage daughter of ex-con Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn) is murdered, and two of Jimmy’s childhood friends are involved in the case— blue-collar worker Dave (Tim Robbins), who was the last person to see her alive, and homicide detective Sean (Kevin Bacon), who’s leading the investigation. But Jimmy launches an investigation of his own. The movie was based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane.

Mystic River is much deeper than a simple whodunnit. Part police procedural, part character study, it’s a heartbreaking, compelling movie about trauma and the way the past informs the present, with one mystery unraveling after another until the plot presents a surprising twist. It earned six Oscar nominations, and Penn and Robbins both won for their performances. But Bacon also delivers an incredible performance —one of the best of his career— as Detective Sean.

Mystic River

Release Date

October 15, 2003

Runtime

138 minutes

Writers

Brian Helgeland, Dennis Lehane

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9

‘A History of Violence’ (2005)

Directed by David Cronenberg

Diner owner Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) quickly and easily kills two petty criminals who attempt to rob his small-town diner in A History of Violence. Although his actions make him a local hero, they also draw the attention of Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris), who suspects Tom is really a long-missing mobster, forcing Tom to confront his past. The movie was based on the 1997 graphic novel of the same name by DC Comics.

A History of Violence isn’t the typical adaptation of a graphic novel. As the title suggests, the film explores the far-reaching impacts and cyclical nature of violence, as well as whether one can successfully outrun and hide from their past. The film is a character study— Mortensen delivers one of his best performances as Tom, skillfully moving from a man living a peaceful life to one with a penchant for violence.

A History of Violence

Release Date

September 23, 2005

Runtime

98 minutes

Writers

John Wagner, Vince Locke, Josh Olson

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8

‘A Simple Plan’ (1998)

Directed by Sam Raimi

In A Simple Plan, upstanding citizen Hank Mitchell (Bill Paxton), his brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton) and their friend Lou (Brent Briscoe) find a crashed plane— with a dead pilot and $4 million in cash onboard. Despite Hank’s reservations, the men agree to split the money without notifying the authorities, but things quickly go wrong. The film was based on the novel of the same name by Scott B. Smith, who also wrote the screenplay.

Paxton starred in a string of great films from the late ’90s through the early 2000s, and A Simple Plan is among them—and it’s also among the best from director Sam Raimi, who masterfully builds a horror-like tension throughout. The film is a tragic story about what greed, secrets and guilt can do to a person, even one with upstanding morals, and like many small-town crime movies, also deals with the theme of trust.

A Simple Plan

Release Date

December 11, 1998

Runtime

121 Minutes

Writers

Scott B. Smith

7

‘Hell or High Water’ (2016)

Directed by David Mackenzie

In Hell or High Water, two brothers— divorced father Toby (Chris Pine) and ex-convict Tanner (Ben Foster)—plan a series of bank heists to get enough money to save their family ranch from foreclosure, targeting the very bank behind the foreclosure. Meanwhile, Texas Ranger Marcus (Jeff Bridges), who’s about to retire, sets out to catch them, with the help of his Native American deputy Alberto (Gil Birmingham). The movie was written by Taylor Sheridan, known for creating the series Yellowstone.

Hell or High Water is a twist on the typical heist film with a story about how far people are willing to go to hold on to what’s theirs. Its setting and themes are common ones in Sheridan’s work. While it’s hard to agree with Toby and Tanner’s methods, it’s easy to sympathize with them and to understand what led them to that point. Foster and Pine work wonderfully together.

Hell or High Water

Release Date

August 12, 2016

Runtime

97minutes

Director

David Mackenzie

6

‘Wind River’ (2017)

Directed by Taylor Sheridan

Wildlife officer Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner)— whose own daughter had been found dead years prior— finds the body of an 18-year-old woman on a Native American reservation in Wyoming in Wind River. After her autopsy reveals she was raped, Lambert enlists the help of FBI agent Jane (Elizabeth Olsen) to investigate the death. Like Hell or High Water, the film was written and directed by Sheridan and marks his directorial debut.

Renner and Olsen are both best-known for their work with Marvel these days, but Wind River shows their true range as actors— it’s among the best work by Renner in particular. And like much of Sheridan’s work, the film features beautiful cinematography and a focus on the West. But it’s also a very tense, slow-burn film, and it culminates in a satisfying ending. Its themes remain relevant, making the film that much more compelling.

5

‘Badlands’ (1973)

Directed by Terrence Malick

Badlands, inspired by the actual murders committed by Charles Starkweather and Caril-Ann Fugate, follows 15-year-old Holly (Sissy Spacek), whose father (Warren Oates) disapproves of her relationship with the older, rebellious Kit (Martin Sheen). After killing her father, Holly and Kit go on a crime spree through the Midwest, with the authorities on their trail. The film was written, produced and directed by Terrence Malick and marks his directorial debut.

Badlands helped cement Malick’s career, and it was a great start to a long, successful career in filmmaking with many of the elements he would become known for. Holly and Kit are both horrifying characters— although it’s Kit who’s responsible for the violence and murders, Holly is unflinching throughout, and her detachment demonstrates the depths of her own psychopathy. Spacek and Sheen bring their characters to life with immense skill.

Badlands

Release Date

March 24, 1974

Runtime

94 Minutes

Director

Terrence Malick

Writers

Terrence Malick

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4

‘In Cold Blood’ (1967)

Directed by Richard Brooks

In Cold Blood follows ex-convicts Perry Smith (Robert Blake) and Richard Dick Hickock (Scott Wilson), who plan to rob the Kansas home of the wealthy Clutter family. When the home does not contain a safe full of cash as expected, the men kill the entire family. The film was based on the book of the same name by Truman Capote, which itself details the actual murders of the Clutter family.

Both the film and its source material are classics that are still held in high esteem—it’s hard to imagine the popularity of true crime without In Cold Blood. The film in particular is a brutal examination of the murders, and, except for a few changes, including the addition of a fictional character, it’s faithful to its source material. Its documentary-like feel gives it a sense of realism, as do the believable performances of Blake and Wilson.

In Cold Blood

Release Date

December 15, 1967

Runtime

134 Minutes

Director

Richard Brooks

Writers

Richard Brooks, Truman Capote

3

‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ (2017)

Directed by Martin McDonagh

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri follows grieving mother Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand), whose daughter was murdered. When seven months pass without any arrests, Mildred uses three billboards to challenge local law enforcement, revered police chief William Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) in particular, resulting in varying reactions from the townspeople and police alike. Among them is Willoughby’s second in command, Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell), whose involvement only makes the tension between Mildred and the police even worse.

Three Billboards is a compelling, thought-provoking drama about a mother’s quest for answers and justice and her willingness to question the effectiveness of law enforcement— as well as how her inability to move forward impacts those around her. It’s very much about Mildred herself rather than her daughter’s murder, and Mildred is just one of the film’s interesting, complex characters. The movie received critical acclaim and is still hailed as one of the best small-town crime films ever made.

2

‘No Country for Old Men’ (2007)

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

No Country for Old Men follows Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), who is out hunting when he comes across the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong, including $2 million in cash— which he decides to take for himself. Doing so makes him the target of ruthless hitman Chigurh (Javier Bardem), whose job is to recover the money no matter what it takes. The movie was based on the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy.

No Country for Old Men is a modern classic and faithful adaptation of the novel, and it explores the fine line between free will and destiny, as well as the theme of someone coming to terms with their own mortality. The film starts as a typical cat-and-mouse thriller, then has a drastic shift in tone. Chigurh is a terrifying sociopath, and Bardem’s portrayal of him is chilling. The film won the Oscar for Best Picture.

No Country for Old Men

Release Date

November 21, 2007

Runtime

122 minutes

Director

Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Writers

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

1

‘Fargo’ (1996)

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

Minneapolis car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) has gotten himself so deep into debt, he’s desperate for money in Fargo. He hires two criminals (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife, and he intends to get ransom money from her wealthy father and give the thugs a cut while keeping the rest to settle his debts. But their plan quickly unravels, and pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) takes on the case.

The Coen brothers do a lot of things well as filmmakers, including small-town crime. Fargo is a classic in the genre with wonderful dark humor, something else the Coen brothers are known for, and it’s often held up as one of their best films. McDormand stands out as determined detective Marge— a very different police officer from the type usually depicted in crime films— and her performance earned her her first Oscar nomination.

Fargo

Release Date

April 5, 1996

Runtime

98 Minutes

Director

Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Writers

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

NEXT: The 10 Best Small-Town Supernatural Movies, Ranked