feelsalike.comSign in
Lawless poster

Movies that feel likeLawless (2012)

In 1931, the Bondurant brothers of Franklin County, Virginia, run a multipurpose backwoods establishment that hides their true business — bootlegging. Middle brother Forrest is the brain of the operation; older Howard is the brawn, and younger Jack, the lookout. Though the local police have taken bribes and left the brothers alone, a violent war erupts when a sadistic lawman from Chicago arrives and tries to shut down the Bondurants operation.

If you loved Lawless, the closest films we have are 3:10 to Yuma (2007), The Drop (2014) and Gomorrah (2008). All three share Lawless' gritty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is R (2010).

🍅 67% Rotten Tomatoes★ 7.2 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. John Hillcoatgrittycontemplative
5 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · Amazon Prime Video · Kino Film Collection

Can't choose? Answer three questions and get one movie for tonight.

Not on subscription streaming right now. Rent or buy below.

See it on the Mood Map

When is Lawless streaming? →

If Lawless hit the spot, these will too

3:10 to Yuma poster
3:10 to Yuma
2007 · dir. James Mangold
🍅 89%★ 7.6western

Gritty western in both cases

The difference: Easier on the stillness than Lawless

In Arizona in the late 1800s, infamous outlaw Ben Wade and his vicious gang of thieves and murderers have plagued the Southern Railroad. When Wade is captured, Civil War veteran Dan Evans, struggling to survive on his drought-plagued ranch, volunteers to deliver him alive to the "3:10 to Yuma", a train that will take the killer to trial.

The Drop poster
The Drop
2014 · dir. Michaël R. Roskam
🍅 88%★ 7drama · crime

Both keep coming back to the same thing: church

Bob Saginowski finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry and entwined in an investigation that digs deep into the neighborhood's past where friends, families, and foes all work together to make a living - no matter the cost.

Gomorrah poster
Gomorrah
2008 · dir. Matteo Garrone
🍅 90%★ 7drama · crimePrime Video

One thread runs through both: gangster

An inside look at Italy's modern-day crime families, the Camorra in Naples and Caserta. Based on a book by Roberto Saviano. Power, money and blood: these are the "values" that the residents of the Province of Naples and Caserta have to face every day. They hardly ever have a choice and are forced to obey the rules of the Camorra. Only a lucky few can even think of leading a normal life.

First Cow poster
First Cow
2020 · dir. Kelly Reichardt
🍅 95%★ 7.1drama · westernRent or buy

Both lean on stillness more than on drama

The difference: Critics rated this one higher still

In the 1820s, a taciturn loner and skilled cook travels west to Oregon Territory, where he meets a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two team up on a dangerous scheme to steal milk from the wealthy landowner’s prized Jersey cow—the first, and only, in the territory.

A Prophet poster
A Prophet
2009 · dir. Jacques Audiard
🍅 96%★ 7.8crime · drama

Common ground: gangster

Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. On his arrival at the prison, he seems younger and more brittle than the others detained there. At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford poster
🍅 76%★ 7.5drama · western

Crime with a pulse of grit, in both cases

Outlaw Jesse James is rumored to be the 'fastest gun in the West'. An eager recruit into James' notorious gang, Robert Ford eventually grows jealous of the famed outlaw and, when Robert and his brother sense an opportunity to kill James, their murderous action elevates their target to near mythical status.

The Rider poster
The Rider
2018 · dir. Chloé Zhao
🍅 97%★ 7.4drama · westernRent or buy

Drama built on stillness, twice over

Once a rising star of the rodeo circuit, and a gifted horse trainer, young cowboy Brady is warned that his riding days are over after a horse crushed his skull at a rodeo. In an attempt to regain control of his own fate, Brady undertakes a search for a new identity and what it means to be a man in the heartland of the United States.

A Touch of Sin poster
A Touch of Sin
2013 · dir. Jia Zhangke
🍅 95%★ 7.1crime · drama

Gritty crime, and it commits to that

Four people in different provinces are driven to violent ends: An angry miner is enraged by corruption in his village. A migrant discovers the possibilities of owning a firearm. A receptionist is pushed beyond her limits by an abusive client. A young factory worker goes from one job to the next.

The Power of the Dog poster
The Power of the Dog
2021 · dir. Jane Campion
🍅 94%★ 6.8drama · westernNetflix

Western with a pulse of stillness, in both cases

A domineering but charismatic rancher wages a war of intimidation on his brother's new wife and her teen son, until long-hidden secrets come to light.

The Place Beyond the Pines poster
The Place Beyond the Pines
2013 · dir. Derek Cianfrance
🍅 79%★ 7.3drama · crimeRent or buy

Both are built on the same subject: corruption

A motorcycle stunt rider considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician.

R poster
R
2010 · dir. Tobias Lindholm
🍅 91%★ 7.1crime · drama

Both are crime through and through

Imprisoned for violent assault, Rune is placed in the hardcore ward, where his survival depends on quickly learning the prison's parallel world of rules, honor, and obligations.

The Fool poster
The Fool
2014 · dir. Yury Bykov
🍅 93%★ 7.9drama

The same preoccupation in both: corruption

The Fool is a movie about a simple plumber. An honest man, he is up against an entire system of corrupted bureaucrats. At stake are the lives of 800 inhabitants of an old dorm that is at risk of collapsing within the span of the night.

In the mood for more gritty?

all gritty movies →

The best-reviewed films that share Lawless’ defining feeling.