Tired of the same old heroes saving the day with practiced maneuvers and alarming ease? Step asideGal GadotandVin Diesel, Netflix has the antidote with a vast mirage of quirky, unlikely saviors and thieves going about survival by any means necessary. Ditching graceful showdowns full of sucker punches and kicks for clumsy brawls, these 11 quirky crime films on Netflix offer a refreshing, new interpretation of the genre. In these unlikely stories of debauchery and crime, anyone anywhere can transform into criminals or heroes and descend into an underworld of crime. Stoned assassins, tap dancing hitmen, and psychic soldiers await those who venture on.Related:The Top 10 Most Popular TV Movies on Netflix Right Now
Tramps (2016)
Callum TurnerandGrace Van Pattenstar as Danny and Elle, two amateur criminals caught up in a heist gone wrong in the Netflix original movie,Tramps.What was supposed to be a simple exchange of a briefcase on the subway platform in New York City goes awry, and the pair trek across the city to find the briefcase before it’s too late.Trampshas a fast-paced, thrilling atmosphere as it follows Danny and Elle falling in love while running from both the law and bad men against the hot, humid summer streets. Effortlessly capturing the atmosphere of the city that never sleeps, the two desperately seek a better future away from crime while continuously running towards lawbreaking deeds anyway.
Mr. Right (2015)
Both a dancing hitman and a wine-drinking, lovesick woman find themselves on the run from the CIA and angry assassins in the crime-romance film,Mr. Right.The charming flick starsAnna Kendrickas Marsha, and she’s become disenchanted with love after catching her boyfriend cheating on her. Going on a bender filled with sadness and alcohol, things start to look up when she meets the deadly assassin, Francis Munch, played bySam Rockwell. Thanks to his profession, the unlikely couple become targets within a larger conspiracy, and they take down as many rivals as they can while falling in love. Kendrick and Rockwell are the perfect pair of antiheroes and have impeccable comedic timing as they go about throwing knives and declarations of love amidst whizzing bullets.
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Mindhorn (2016)
When washed-up television star Richard Thorncraft (Julian Barratt) finds himself assisting the police in a murder investigation after the disturbed man behind the killing says he will only cooperate if Thorncraft speaks with him as his television character, a never-ending saga of crime ensues. Throughout the 80s and early 90s, Thorncraft starred as the titular role in the hit detective series, Mindhorn. In the present day, he’s all but forgotten, and as he assists the police in solving the murder, he begins to find purpose in his life again. Things of course go terribly wrong as Thorncraft continuously makes mistakes and self-sabotages the mission as he remains in character, andMindhornnever has a dull moment. Also featuringSteve Cooganand cameos made byKenneth BranaghandSimon Callow, every scene finds something to make fun of as it both salutes and spoofs the crime genre in hilarious, screwball fashion.
Cop Car (2015)
Sometimes there’s nothing more dangerous than childhood boredom. Two juvenile delinquents stumble upon a deserted cop car on the edge of a secluded forest and get tangled up in a vast conspiracy after they steal it and take it for a joyride.Kevin Baconstars as the cruel, corrupt sheriff who hunts them down after they find what’s inside his car, and from thereCop Caris an exhilarating thriller that’s 90 minutes of pure adrenaline. Bacon gives an arresting performance as the dirty cop, and he’s miles away from his typical, clean-cut, protagonist tendencies with his cold blue eyes and permanent scowl. It’s like a dark fairytale, and the two kids race through the woods as they’re chased by a big bad wolf hiding in sheep’s clothing.
I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)
Small-town resident, Ruth (Melanie Lynsky), has become disenchanted with the world. Living a reclusive life full of beer and books, she is forced to venture out into the real world when criminals break into her home and steal her computer along with her grandmother’s silverware. She seeks help from her dog-walking next-door neighbor Tony, played by a wonderfully weirdElijah Wood, and they form an unlikely vigilante duo. As the fish-out-of-water pair chase the dangerous criminals across town, they rack up an alarming amount of lawbreaking acts, but they never stop in their quest to steal back Ruth’s possessions while trying to find some good in this world.
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Small Town Crime (2017)
Small Town Crimeis an engrossing, airtight neo-noir anchored byJohn Hawkes' charismatic performance as Mike Kendall, an alcoholic ex-cop who makes it his mission to solve the murder of a young woman after he finds her left for dead on the side of the road. Co-starringAnthony Anderson,Octavia Spencer,Robert Forster, andClifton Collins Jr., the film gives many salutes to the noir genre with coldblooded hitmen and neon-lit bars while also infusing the familiar setup with many comedic moments. Of course, Kendall gets too close to the case as he seeks the truth and finds himself in a conundrum that puts his family and friends at risk. Enlisting the help of the dead girl’s grandfather and her pimp, played respectively by the pitch-perfect Forster and Collins Jr., the trio are a crime-fighting, match made in heaven as they go on a twisted, deadly mission.
The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)
Ewan McGregorstars as a journalist in over his head throughoutThe Men Who Stare at Goats. A fictionalized account of the 2004 novel under the same name written by journalist Jon Ronson, McGregor plays Ann Arbor Daily Telegram reporter Bob Wilton, and he investigates a unit of the U.S. Army that attempts to train its soldiers in telepathic capabilities after traveling to Iraq to cover the war.George Clooneyco-stars as the unit’s most gifted psychic, and he takes Ronson on a wild journey across Iraq while teaching him the ways of the psychic spies with mystifying results. As they track down the unit’s leader, played byJeff Bridgesas a hippy-loving, flower-crown-wearing Lieutenant, it’s as if he picks up right where the Dude left off inThe Big Lebowskiwith his laid back, delusional tactics.
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The Bad Batchis a wild, imaginative western crime thriller set against an apocalyptic America where water is scarce and there’s nothing but desert for miles.Suki Waterhousestars as Arlen, a recently released convict who is banished to the desert outside of Texas, a place filled with outlaws who’re referred to as the bad batch. Once there, she’s attacked by cannibals and goes on the run from a slew of ravenous criminals in a terrifying fashion.Jason Momoaco-stars as the Miami Man, and he tracks Arlen down amongst the bare wasteland while she seeks refuge in the town of Comfort. Brutally violent amidst beautiful, empty landscapes.Jim CarreyandKeanu Reevesplay unforgettable supporting roles in theAna Lily Amirpourwritten and directed thriller.
American Ultra (2015)
Jessie EisenbergandKristen Stewartstar as two pot-smoking fugitives in the action-comedy,American Ultra. Eisenberg plays Mike Howell, who is essentially Jason Bourne but a stoner, and when his assassin-like skills are triggered after a top-secret section of the government attempt to have him killed, he re-discovers a part of himself that he never knew existed. Along with his girlfriend Phoebe (Stewart), the pair are tracked and hunted down across their small town, yet they still find time for smoke sessions while the heat breathes down their neck. Howell is dumbfounded by his fighting capabilities as he utilizes both spoons and fireworks to fight off government assassins, and there’s never a dull, blood-free moment thanks to Eisenberg and Stewart’s comedic chops.
Charlie Says (2018)
Journey back to 1969, a time when Southern California was filled with long hair, rock music, and tie-dye-wearing free spirits who roamed the streets with not a care in the world. That all abruptly changed on July 21, 2025, when theinfamous Manson familycommitted the Tate-LaBianca murders and single-handedly ended the revolutionary decade. The filmCharlie Saysprimarily focuses on how cult leader Charles Manson (Matt Smith) manipulates Susan Atkins, (Marianne Rendón), Leslie Van Houten (Hannah Murray), Patricia Krenwinkel (Sosie Bacon), and Tex Watson (Chase Crawford) to commit the horrific killings by flip-flopping between the events that led up to the murders at Spahn Ranch and their time spent in prison during the seventies. When graduate student Karlene Faith (Merrit Weaver) is assigned to teach the girls' college courses within the prison, she attempts to educate the three women on subjects such as women’s liberation to free the girls from Charlie’s brainwashing and come to terms with the crimes they committed.
