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Serpico poster

Movies that feel likeSerpico (1973)

New York cop Frank Serpico blows the whistle on the rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him.

If you loved Serpico, the closest films we have are Andrei Rublev (1966), The Man from Hong Kong (1975) and True Grit (1969). All three share Serpico's gritty and contemplative feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948).

πŸ… 93% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.7 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Sidney Lumetgrittycontemplativeepic
4 of 12 streaming nowAmazon Prime Video Β· Apple TV Β· Darkroom

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See it on the Mood Map

If Serpico hit the spot, these will too

Andrei Rublev poster
Andrei Rublev
1966 Β· dir. Andrei Tarkovsky
πŸ… 96%β˜… 8drama Β· history

The same preoccupation in both: biography

An expansive Russian drama, this film focuses on the life of revered religious icon painter Andrei Rublev. Drifting from place to place in a tumultuous era, the peace-seeking monk eventually gains a reputation for his art. But after Rublev witnesses a brutal battle and unintentionally becomes involved, he takes a vow of silence and spends time away from his work. As he begins to ease his troubled soul, he takes steps towards becoming a painter once again.

The Man from Hong Kong poster
The Man from Hong Kong
1975 Β· dir. Brian Trenchard-Smith
πŸ… 100%β˜… 6.5action Β· crime Β· adventurePrime Video

Two things both keep coming back to: corruption and police

The difference: Sits closer to action than Serpico does

Australian authorities arrest a man believed to be connected to the Sydney criminal underworld and send for Inspector Fang Sing Leng from Hong Kong to question him. After the alleged criminal is assassinated, Inspector Leng and the Sydney police try to hunt down those responsible and hope to solve their case along the way.

True Grit poster
True Grit
1969 Β· dir. Henry Hathaway
πŸ… 87%β˜… 7.4western Β· drama Β· adventure

Both land grit and stillness at once

The murder of her father sends a teenage tomboy on a mission of 'justice', which involves avenging her father's death. She recruits a tough old marshal, 'Rooster' Cogburn because he has 'true grit', and a reputation of getting the job done.

Just Mercy poster
Just Mercy
2019 Β· dir. Destin Daniel Cretton
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.6drama Β· crime Β· history

Both keep coming back to the same thing: a true story

The difference: Made in the 2010s, in a different era of the craft

The powerful true story of Harvard-educated lawyer Bryan Stevenson, who goes to Alabama to defend the disenfranchised and wrongly condemned β€” including Walter McMillian, a man sentenced to death despite evidence proving his innocence. Bryan fights tirelessly for Walter with the system stacked against them.

Black Mass poster
Black Mass
2015 Β· dir. Scott Cooper
πŸ… 74%β˜… 6.8drama Β· crime Β· history

Common ground: corruption

The true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre poster
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
1948 Β· dir. John Huston
πŸ… 100%β˜… 8.2adventure Β· drama Β· western

Both are built on the same subject: money

Two jobless Americans convince a prospector to travel to the mountains of Mexico with them in search of gold. But the hostile wilderness, local bandits, and greed all get in the way of their journey.

J. Edgar poster
J. Edgar
2011 Β· dir. Clint Eastwood
πŸ… 44%β˜… 6.5drama Β· crime Β· history

One thread runs through both: biography

The difference: The scrappier of the two with critics

As the face of law enforcement in the United States for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career, and his life.

BlacKkKlansman poster
BlacKkKlansman
2018 Β· dir. Spike Lee
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7.5crime Β· drama Β· historyRent or buy

Common ground: undercover cop

Colorado Springs, late 1970s. Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer, and Flip Zimmerman, his Jewish colleague, run an undercover operation to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan.

Jamaica Inn poster
Jamaica Inn
1939 Β· dir. Alfred Hitchcock
πŸ… 54%β˜… 6.3crime Β· adventure

Crime with a pulse of scale, in both cases

The difference: Easier on the stillness than Serpico

In early 19th-century Cornwall, young Mary Yellan travels to live with her aunt and uncle at the remote Jamaica Inn, where she discovers the inn is a front for a violent gang of wreckers who lure ships to their doom along the coast. As she becomes entangled in their crimes, Mary must fight to survive and uncover the truth behind the terror that haunts the moors.

Deliverance poster
Deliverance
1972 Β· dir. John Boorman
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.6drama Β· adventure Β· thriller

Gritty drama in both cases

Intent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it's turned into one huge lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a river-rafting trip they'll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.

Killers of the Flower Moon poster
Killers of the Flower Moon
2023 Β· dir. Martin Scorsese
πŸ… 93%β˜… 7.5crime Β· history Β· dramaApple TV+

One thread runs through both: a true story

When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by oneβ€”until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.

Dog Day Afternoon poster
Dog Day Afternoon
1975 Β· dir. Sidney Lumet
πŸ… 94%β˜… 8crime Β· drama Β· thriller

The same hand behind both of them: Sidney Lumet

Based on the true story of would-be Brooklyn bank robbers John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile. Sonny and Sal attempt a bank heist which quickly turns sour and escalates into a hostage situation and stand-off with the police. As Sonny's motives for the robbery are slowly revealed and things become more complicated, the heist turns into a media circus.

In the mood for more gritty?

all gritty movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Serpico’s defining feeling.