Top French Crime/Thriller Movies
by gratiste76 | created - 14 Oct 2013 | updated - 14 Oct 2013 | PublicFrom any decade this list contains the best in crime genre
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1. Les Lyonnais (2011)
R | 102 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After growing up in a poor gypsy camp, Edmond Vidal, aka Momon, has retained a sense of family, unfailing loyalty and pride in his origins. Most of all, he has remained friends with Serge ... See full summary »
Director: Olivier Marchal | Stars: Gérard Lanvin, Tchéky Karyo, Daniel Duval, Lionnel Astier
Votes: 8,812
2. Point Blank (2010)
R | 84 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Samuel, a male nurse, saves the life of a thief whose henchmen take Samuel's wife hostage and force him to spring their boss.
Director: Fred Cavayé | Stars: Gilles Lellouche, Roschdy Zem, Gérard Lanvin, Elena Anaya
Votes: 14,641 | Gross: $0.71M
3. The Assault (2010)
R | 91 min | Action, History, Thriller
Based on a true story, a SWAT team is tasked with storming a hijacked Air France plane to save its passengers.
Director: Julien Leclercq | Stars: Vincent Elbaz, Grégori Derangère, Mélanie Bernier, Philippe Bas
Votes: 4,145
4. A Prophet (2009)
R | 155 min | Crime, Drama
A delinquent Muslim man struggles to get by in prison until he is taken under the wing of a powerful mob boss. But his gradual rise through the mob's ranks brings him in conflict with his mentor.
Director: Jacques Audiard | Stars: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Reda Kateb
Votes: 102,167 | Gross: $2.08M
5. Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1 (2008)
R | 133 min | Action, Biography, Crime
The story of the notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine, with the focus on his life and death as France's Public Enemy No. 1 in the 1970s.
Director: Jean-François Richet | Stars: Vincent Cassel, Ludivine Sagnier, Mathieu Amalric, Samuel Le Bihan
Votes: 31,230 | Gross: $0.28M
6. The Last Deadly Mission (2008)
Not Rated | 125 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A washed-up Marseilles cop (Auteuil) earns a chance at redemption by protecting a woman from the man who killed her parents as he is about to be released from prison.
Director: Olivier Marchal | Stars: Daniel Auteuil, Olivia Bonamy, Catherine Marchal, Francis Renaud
Votes: 6,507
7. Mesrine: Killer Instinct (2008)
R | 113 min | Action, Biography, Crime
The story of the notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine, with the focus on his life before the early 1970s and the events that led to him being declared Public Enemy No. 1 in France.
Director: Jean-François Richet | Stars: Vincent Cassel, Cécile de France, Gérard Depardieu, Gilles Lellouche
Votes: 35,283 | Gross: $0.55M
8. 36th Precinct (2004)
Not Rated | 111 min | Action, Crime, Drama
2 cops are promised by the retiring chief of the Paris police that the one, getting the violent gang robbing armored trucks, will get his job. The 2 will do whatever it takes to get the promotion, even if it means breaking the law.
Director: Olivier Marchal | Stars: Daniel Auteuil, Gérard Depardieu, André Dussollier, Valeria Golino
Votes: 18,261
9. Crimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse (2004)
R | 100 min | Action, Crime, Mystery
Pierre Niemans faces the threat of the apocalypse while investigating a series of ritual murders.
Director: Olivier Dahan | Stars: Jean Reno, Benoît Magimel, Christopher Lee, Camille Natta
Votes: 21,699
10. The Crimson Rivers (2000)
R | 106 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A murder detective must follow the footsteps of a brutal killer within the secrets of a classist college.
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz | Stars: Jean Reno, Vincent Cassel, Nadia Farès, Dominique Sanda
Votes: 65,612 | Gross: $0.63M
11. L.627 (1992)
R | 145 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Relentless struggle of the Parisian police against the drug trade.
Director: Bertrand Tavernier | Stars: Didier Bezace, Jean-Paul Comart, Charlotte Kady, Jean-Roger Milo
Votes: 2,168
12. Le Marginal (1983)
103 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The story is about Commissioner Jordan who arrives in Marseille to combat drug trafficking activities in his own unique way.
Director: Jacques Deray | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Henry Silva, Maria Carlos Sotto Mayor, Pierre Vernier
Votes: 3,476
13. The Grilling (1981)
87 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A police inspector, suspecting an attorney of two child sex murders, has him held for a questioning session that goes on for hours.
Director: Claude Miller | Stars: Lino Ventura, Michel Serrault, Romy Schneider, Guy Marchand
Votes: 5,337
14. The Professional (1981)
Not Rated | 108 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Victim of a plot which has resulted in his imprisonment in a Central African jail for two years, a French secret agent arrives in Paris to settle accounts.
Director: Georges Lautner | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Desailly, Cyrielle Clair, Marie-Christine Descouard
Votes: 17,261
15. Flic Story (1975)
112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The hunt for a seasoned killer becomes a matter of life for a policeman. Action-packed drama based on real events.
Director: Jacques Deray | Stars: Alain Delon, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Renato Salvatori, Claudine Auger
Votes: 2,931
16. A Cop (1972)
PG | 98 min | Crime, Thriller
After a shaky first heist, a group of thieves plan an even more elaborate and risky second heist.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Alain Delon, Richard Crenna, Catherine Deneuve, Riccardo Cucciolla
Votes: 10,742 | Gross: $0.05M
17. The Red Circle (1970)
Not Rated | 140 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After leaving prison, master thief Corey crosses paths with a notorious escapee and an alcoholic former policeman. The trio proceed to plot an elaborate heist.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Alain Delon, Bourvil, Gian Maria Volontè, Yves Montand
Votes: 28,138 | Gross: $0.37M
18. The Samurai (1967)
GP | 101 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After professional hitman Jef Costello is seen by witnesses his efforts to provide himself an alibi drive him further into a corner.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon, Cathy Rosier
Votes: 57,103 | Gross: $0.04M
19. Second Wind (1966)
Not Rated | 150 min | Crime, Drama
A gangster escapes jail and quickly makes plans to continue his criminal ways elsewhere, but a determined inspector is closing in.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Raymond Pellegrin, Christine Fabréga
Votes: 6,634
20. The Second Wind (2007)
155 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Gu, a famous gangster, has just escaped from jail. All french police is after him. Before leaving the country with Manouche, the woman he loves, Gu needs a final job to get some money. The job works, but a police's scheming makes Gu appear as a traitor to his own accomplices. Gu will do whatever it takes to clean his honor...
Director: Alain Corneau | Stars: Daniel Auteuil, Monica Bellucci, Michel Blanc, Jacques Dutronc
Votes: 1,279
21. The 400 Blows (1959)
Not Rated | 99 min | Crime, Drama
A young boy, left without attention, delves into a life of petty crime.
Director: François Truffaut | Stars: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy, Claire Maurier, Guy Decomble
Votes: 128,038
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