Movies Like American Violence

If you liked American Violence (2017), a crime and drama movie directed by Timothy Woodward Jr., here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
The Life of David Gale (2003)
★ 7.4/10Also drama and thriller
A man against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.
2
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
★ 8.3/10Also crime and thriller
Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for…
3
Panic (2000)
★ 6.2/10Also crime and drama
Alex is going through a midlife crisis and it has become a very difficult time for him. His marriage is struggling, he's worried about his son, and his job of killing people for his family has become the most stressful…
4
King Ivory (2025)
★ 7/10Also crime and drama
Based on extensive research involving law enforcement and gang members, a never-before-seen, authentic look inside the underworld of fentanyl trafficking from gangs inside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester…
5
Dear Mr. Gacy (2010)
★ 5.8/10Also crime and drama
A chronicle of the interaction between college student Jason Moss and the object of his obsession, serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
6
The Naked City (1948)
★ 7.2/10Also crime and drama
After a former model is drowned in her bathtub, Detective James Halloran and Lieutenant Dan Muldoon attempt to piece together her murder.
7
South of Heaven (2021)
★ 6.4/10Also crime and drama
Convicted felon Jimmy gets early parole after serving twelve years for armed robbery. Upon his release, he vows to give Annie, his childhood love, now dying from cancer, the best last year of her life – unfortunately…
8
Bad Boys (1983)
★ 7/10Also crime and drama
Mick O'Brien is a young Chicago street thug torn between a life of petty crime and the love of his girlfriend. But when the heist of a local drug dealer goes tragically wrong Mick is sentenced to a brutal juvenile…
9
Five Minutes of Heaven (2009)
★ 6.1/10Also crime and drama
The story of former Ulster Volunteer Force member Alistair Little. Twenty-five years after Little killed Joe Griffin's brother, the media arrange an auspicious meeting between the two.
10
Nightcrawler (2014)
★ 7.7/10Also crime and drama
When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news…
11
180 (2026)
★ 5.9/10Also thriller and crime
When an unexpected road rage incident puts his son in critical condition, an enraged father spirals down a dark path of emotional turmoil and vengeance.
12
Copycat (1995)
★ 6.5/10Also thriller and crime
An agoraphobic psychologist and a female detective must work together to take down a serial killer who copies serial killers from the past.
13
The Experiment (2010)
★ 6.4/10Also thriller and drama
20 men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a psychological study that ultimately spirals out of control.
14
They Drive by Night (1940)
★ 6.9/10Also drama and crime
Joe and Paul Fabrini are Wildcat, or independent, truck drivers who have their own small one-truck business. The Fabrini boys constantly battle distributors, rivals and loan collectors, while trying to make a success…
15
Nightmare Alley (2021)
★ 6.9/10Also crime and drama
An ambitious carnival man with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychologist who is even more dangerous than he is.
16
Solace (2015)
★ 6.5/10Also thriller and crime
A psychic doctor, John Clancy, works with an FBI special agent in search of a serial killer.
17
True Crime (1999)
★ 6.5/10Also crime and thriller
Boozer, skirt chaser, careless father. You could create your own list of reporter Steve Everett's faults but there's no time. A San Quentin Death Row prisoner is slated to die at midnight – a man Everett has suddenly…
18
Sleeping Dogs (2024)
★ 7/10Also thriller and crime
Roy Freeman, an ex-homicide detective with a fractured memory, is forced to revisit a case he can't remember. As a man's life hangs in the balance on death row, Freeman must piece together the brutal evidence from a…
19
M (1951)
★ 6.5/10Also crime and drama
In the city, someone is murdering children. The police search is so intense, it is disturbing the 'normal' criminals, and the local hoods decide to help find the murderer as quickly as possible.
20
Suspect (1987)
★ 6.6/10Also crime and drama
When a Supreme Court judge commits suicide and his secretary is found murdered, all fingers point to Carl Anderson, a homeless veteran who's deaf and mute. But when public defender Kathleen Riley is assigned to his…