Movies like I Am a Criminal (1938)
The best movies like I Am a Criminal (1938) are Absence of Malice (1981), The Glass Key (1942) and Deadline - U.S.A. (1952). If I Am a Criminal hooked you with its crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedShot Caller (2017)7.0/10 from 2,338 votes
- NewestStolen: Heist of the Century (2025)Released 2025
Absence of Malice (1981)
Megan Carter is a reporter duped into running an untrue story on Michael Gallagher, a suspected racketeer. He has an alibi for the time his crime was allegedly committed—but it involves an innocent party. When he tells Carter the truth and the newspaper runs it, tragedy follows, forcing Carter to face up to the responsibilities of her job when she is confronted by Gallagher.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Glass Key (1942)
A crooked politician finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDeadline - U.S.A. (1952)
New York City newspaper The Day is in trouble. Even though editor Ed Hutcheson has worked hard running the paper, its circulation has been steadily declining. Now the publisher's widow wants to sell the paper, which will most likely mean its end. Hutcheson's only hope is to finish his exposé on a dangerous gangster before the sale is finalized.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Verdict (1946)
After an innocent man is executed in a case he was responsible for, a Scotland Yard superintendent finds himself investigating the murder of his key witness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCry of the City (1948)
Petty crook and cop-killer Martin Rome, in bad shape from wounds in the hospital prison ward, still refuses to help slimy lawyer Niles clear his client by confessing to another crime. Police Lt. Candella must check Niles' allegation; a friend of the Rome family, he walks a tightrope between sentiment and cynicism. When Martin fears Candella will implicate his girlfriend Teena, he'll do anything to protect her. How many others will he drag down to disaster with him?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMurder Most Foul (1964)
A murderer is brought to court and only Miss Marple is unconvinced of his guilt. Once again she begins her own investigation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBlackmail (1929)
London, 1929. Frank Webber, a very busy Scotland Yard detective, seems to be more interested in his work than in Alice White, his girlfriend. Feeling herself ignored, Alice agrees to go out with an elegant and well-mannered artist who invites her to visit his fancy apartment.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFind Me Guilty (2006)
Based on the true story of Jack DiNorscio, a mobster who defended himself in court for what would be the longest mafia trial in U.S. history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisState of Play (2009)
When a congressional aide is killed, a Washington, D.C. journalist starts investigating the case involving the Representative, his old college friend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKiller's Kiss (1955)
Davey Gordon, a New York City boxer at the end of his career, falls for dancer Gloria Price. However, their budding relationship is interrupted by Gloria's violent boss, Vincent Rapallo, who has eyes for Gloria. The two decide to skip town, but before they can, Vincent and his thugs abduct Gloria, and Davey is forced to search for her among the most squalid corners of the city, with his enemy hiding in the shadows.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMarlowe (1969)
Mysterious Orfamay Quest hires Los Angeles private investigator Philip Marlowe to find her missing brother. Though the job seems simple enough, it leads Marlowe into the underbelly of the city, turning up leads who are murdered with ice picks, exotic dancers, blackmailed television stars, and self-preserving gangsters. Soon, Marlowe's life is on the line right along with his case.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Big Combo (1955)
Police Lt. Leonard Diamond vies to bring a clever, well connected, and sadistic gangster to justice all the while obsessing over the gangster's girlfriend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNightfall (1956)
An innocent man turns fugitive as he reconstructs events that implicate him for a murder and robbery he did not commit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Skulls (2000)
A senior at an Ivy League college, who depends on scholarships and working on the side, gets accepted into the secret society The Skulls. He hopes it betters chances at Harvard but The Skulls is not what he thought and comes at a price.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
A mystery writer is intrigued by the tale of notorious criminal Dimitrios Makropolous, whose dead body was found washed up on the shore in Istanbul. He decides to follow the career of Dimitrios around Europe, in order to learn more about the man. Along the way he is joined by the mysterious Mr. Peters, who has his own motivation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThey Made Me a Fugitive (1947)
After being framed for a policeman's murder, a criminal escapes prison and sets out for revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStolen: Heist of the Century (2025)
Antwerp, 2003. A gang of thieves rob the impenetrable Diamond Center. Who was behind one of the world's biggest heists - and how did they pull it off?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Cat's Meow (2002)
Semi-true story of the Hollywood murder that occurred at a star-studded gathering aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisWinged Creatures (2009)
A psychotic man opens fire in a diner, murdering numerous people before killing himself. The survivors struggle in different ways following this horrendous event: a doctor doubts his own instincts and elects to use an experimental medical procedure on his wife, while a gambler believes he's on a lucky streak. A waitress begins engaging in promiscuous sex, and a young girl whose father is among the dead gains unexpected fame.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisBernie (2012)
In small-town Texas, affable and popular mortician Bernie Tiede strikes up a friendship with Marjorie Nugent, a wealthy widow well known for her sour attitude. When she becomes controlling and abusive, Bernie goes to great lengths to remove himself from her grasp.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNowhere Fast (TBA)
A small-town criminal inadvertently kills the nephew of his boss.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
The Big House (1930)
Convicted of manslaughter for a drunken driving accident, Kent Marlowe is sent to prison, where he meets vicious incarcerated figures who are planning an escape from the brutal conditions.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisExposed (2016)
After witnessing a miracle, a young Latina woman experiences strange things as a police detective searches for the truth behind his partner's death.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisWoman Against the World (1937)
A young woman marries against her father's will, but the happy life she expected turns into a series of tragedies.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Shot Caller (2017)
A newly-released prison gangster is forced by the leaders of his gang to orchestrate a major crime with a brutal rival gang on the streets of Southern California.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Stone's Throw (2018)
With their comatose daughter suspected of manslaughter, and police on their way to the hospital, two troubled parents must decide whether to lie to protect her.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Beating Justice: The Martin Lee Anderson Story (2011)
Uncovers the system of abuse and denial that killed a 14-year-old boy in a Florida Boot Camp.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Out of the Furnace (2013)
Two brothers live in the economically-depressed Rust Belt, when a cruel twist of fate lands one in prison. His brother is then lured into one of the most violent crime rings in the Northeast.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Case of the Stuttering Bishop (1937)
A Bishop from Australia comes to Perry to ask him to take a case of a woman wrongly accused of manslaughter 22 years before. The case would involve the wealthy Mr. Brownley and the fact that his alleged granddaughter may be an imposter. With that, the Bishop leaves and is clubbed in his hotel room. Soon after, he leaves on a boat and Perry meets the woman - Ida Gilbert. Perry goes to see Mr. Brownley, but gets nowhere. Later that night, Brownley is to meet Ida, but he is shot by a woman who drops Ida's gun. Ida is arrested for the murder of Mr. Brownley and Perry gets involved.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
The House of Cats (1966)
It is a story of the innermost secrets and the sordid happenings of a house of prostitution, ruled over by a tyrannical Madam and a ruthless professional Procurer.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like I Am a Criminal?
The closest matches to I Am a Criminal are Absence of Malice (1981), The Glass Key (1942) and Deadline - U.S.A. (1952). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after I Am a Criminal?
Start with Absence of Malice (1981), the closest match to I Am a Criminal.
What is the highest-rated movie like I Am a Criminal?
Shot Caller (2017), rated 7.0/10 by 2,338 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like I Am a Criminal?
Stolen: Heist of the Century (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like I Am a Criminal?
Yes: Absence of Malice (1981), The Glass Key (1942) and Deadline - U.S.A. (1952).
How are movies similar to I Am a Criminal chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside I Am a Criminal, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.