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Shoplifters poster

Movies that feel likeShoplifters (2018)

In the outskirts of Tokyo, a poor but close-knit group living on the fringes of society survives through shoplifting and odd jobs. When Osamu and his son take in a neglected young girl, their already fragile existence begins to unravel. As the family grows attached to her, buried secrets surface, forcing them to confront the true meaning of love, belonging, and what makes a family.

If you loved Shoplifters, the closest films we have are The Guilty (2018), The Traitor (2019) and Suburra (2015). All three share Shoplifters' contemplative and gritty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Elize: Shadows of a Woman (2026).

🍅 99% Rotten Tomatoes★ 7.9 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Hirokazu Kore-edacontemplativegrittytense
7 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · Amazon Prime Video · Hulu

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If Shoplifters hit the spot, these will too

The Guilty poster
The Guilty
2018 · dir. Gustav Möller
🍅 98%★ 7.5thriller · drama · crimePrime Video

Contemplative where it counts, gritty underneath

Police officer Asger Holm, demoted to desk work as an alarm dispatcher, answers a call from a panicked woman who claims to have been kidnapped. Confined to the police station and with the phone as his only tool, Asger races against time to get help and find her.

The Traitor poster
The Traitor
2019 · dir. Marco Bellocchio
🍅 86%★ 7.1drama · crime · thrillerRent or buy

Drama built on tension, twice over

Palermo, Sicily, 1980. Mafia member Tommaso Buscetta decides to move to Brazil with his family fleeing the constant war between the different clans of the criminal organization. But when, after living several misfortunes, he is forced to return to Italy, he makes a bold decision that will change his life and the destiny of Cosa Nostra forever.

Suburra poster
Suburra
2015 · dir. Stefano Sollima
🍅 90%★ 7.4crime · drama · thriller

Contemplative crime, and it commits to that

A gangster known as "Samurai" wants to turn the waterfront of Rome into a new Las Vegas. All the local mob bosses have agreed to work for this common goal. But peace is not to last long.

Holy Spider poster
Holy Spider
2022 · dir. Ali Abbasi
🍅 82%★ 7.3thriller · drama · crime

Both lean on grit more than on thriller

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.

The Wild Goose Lake poster
The Wild Goose Lake
2019 · dir. Diao Yinan
🍅 91%★ 6.7crime · drama · thriller

Drama with a pulse of tension, in both cases

A gangster ends up making a mistake that causes every gun on both sides of the law to point at him. While on the run, he comes across a mysterious woman who might get him out of trouble or make things worse.

Killing Them Softly poster
Killing Them Softly
2012 · dir. Andrew Dominik
🍅 74%★ 6.2crime · thriller

Gritty crime in both cases

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

Jackie Cogan is an enforcer hired to restore order after three dumb guys rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse.

The Unjust poster
The Unjust
2010 · dir. Ryoo Seung-wan
★ 6.5crime · thrillerNetflix

Both lean on tension more than on thriller

The difference: Trades the stillness of Shoplifters for an angle of its own

An honest cop has to compromise with his principles when he is told to find a scapegoat for a high-profile serial killer case in exchange for a big promotion.

Good Time poster
Good Time
2017 · dir. Benny Safdie
🍅 91%★ 7.3crime · thriller · dramaRent or buy

Contemplative drama, and it commits to that

After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Connie Nikas embarks on a twisted odyssey through New York City's underworld to get his brother Nick out of jail.

Neighboring Sounds poster
Neighboring Sounds
2012 · dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho
🍅 91%★ 7.1thriller · drama · crime

Crime approached the same way

An independent private security firm arrives at a middle-class neighborhood in Recife, Brazil.

Elize: Shadows of a Woman poster
Elize: Shadows of a Woman
2026 · dir. Vellas
★ 7.4thriller · crime · dramaNetflix

The thriller is handled with the same confidence

In this retelling of a real case, a former escort discovers her wealthy husband's infidelity and struggles to cope as betrayal poisons their marriage.

The Secret Agent poster
The Secret Agent
2025 · dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho
🍅 98%★ 7.2thriller · drama · crimeHulu

The same drama instincts

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.

Emily the Criminal poster
Emily the Criminal
2022 · dir. John Patton Ford
🍅 93%★ 6.7crime · drama · thriller

Cut from the same crime cloth

Desperate for income, Emily takes a shady gig buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a charismatic middleman named Youcef. Seduced by the quick cash and illicit thrills, they hatch a plan to take their business to the next level.

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