MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for Criminal Activities

Criminal Activities

2015 · 94 min

A knot-tightening crime thriller where bad decisions snowball into worse ones, keeping you uneasy and guessing who is playing whom.

Directed by
Jackie Earle Haley
Genres
Thriller, Crime, Drama
Starring
Dan Stevens, John Travolta, Michael Pitt
Tagline
Leave the crime to the criminals.
Overview
Four young men make a risky investment together that gets them into trouble with the mob.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Add to a list: Criminal Activities

You have no lists yet. Name one, and this title goes into it.

All your lists

Rent or buy in the UK
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • YouTube
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
Jackie Earle Haley
Genres
Thriller, Crime, Drama
Starring
Dan Stevens, John Travolta, Michael Pitt
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 3 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
brisk, 3 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • crime
  • greed
  • betrayal
  • deception
  • survival
Places
  • big city
  • single country house
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • twist ending
  • ensemble
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language strong
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action5
Horror3
Humour3
Realism7
Romance1
Tension8
Darkness7
Complexity6
Emotional weight5

More like this

Titles like Criminal Activities

Movie

Collision Course

2026

A tense, talky heist that turns inward after the crash, letting suspicion and old lies do the damage.

Tense, dark · about crime and greed · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • greed
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
122 min
Details
Collision CourseHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Dial M for Murder

1954

A taut, stage-bound cat-and-mouse game where elegant conversation conceals cold calculation, keeping you leaning in to catch every clue.

Tense, dark · about crime and greed · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • greed
  • twist ending
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
105 min
Details
Dial M for MurderHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

2007

A grim, intricately structured descent into family betrayal and moral rot, unfolding with mounting dread and a devastating, inevitable climax.

Tense, dark · about crime and greed · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • greed
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Runtime
117 min
Details
Before the Devil Knows You're DeadHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

A Perfect Murder

1998

A sleek, tense cat-and-mouse thriller that keeps you guessing with its twists and turns.

Tense, dark, brisk · about crime and greed · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • greed
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
107 min
Details
A Perfect MurderHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Fargo

1996

A wry, snowbound crime story that balances quirky humor with sudden violence and a warm, pregnant detective's calm persistence.

Dark, cynical · about crime and greed · twist ending

Via
  • dark
  • cynical
  • crime
  • greed
  • twist ending
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
98 min
Details
FargoHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Beasts Clawing at Straws

2020

A twisty, grimly funny crime puzzle where desperate people chase the same bag of cash and every choice tightens the noose.

Tense, dark, brisk · about crime and greed · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • greed
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
108 min
Details
Beasts Clawing at StrawsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Heat

1995

A cool, controlled crime epic that builds tension through meticulous detail and quiet character moments, culminating in explosive set pieces and a haunting sense of inevitability.

Tense, dark · about crime and betrayal · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • betrayal
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Runtime
170 min
Details
HeatHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

2009

A taut, gritty hostage thriller that keeps you on edge with its real-time tension and sharp dialogue.

Tense, dark, brisk · about crime and greed

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • greed
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
106 min
Details
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3Hidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Rififi

1955

A taut, shadowy noir that tightens like a vise, its near-silent heist and brutal fallout leaving a cold, lingering ache.

Tense, dark · about crime and betrayal · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • betrayal
  • twist ending
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
118 min
Details
RififiHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Animals

2026

A taut, sweaty countdown thriller where privileged people scramble and compromise themselves, leaving a sour taste as the clock runs down.

Tense, dark, brisk · about deception · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • deception
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
106 min
Details
AnimalsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Misdirection

2026

A tight, nerve-jangling cat-and-mouse chase that keeps you leaning forward, waiting for the next double-cross.

Tense, dark, brisk · about crime and betrayal · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • betrayal
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
88 min
Details
MisdirectionHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Entitled

2011

A tense, twisty crime thriller that keeps you guessing as a kidnapping scheme unravels with dark consequences.

Tense, dark, brisk · about crime and greed · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • crime
  • greed
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
91 min
Details
The EntitledHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
thriller, crime, drama
Directed by
Jackie Earle Haley
Written by
Robert Lowell
Starring
Dan Stevens, John Travolta, Michael Pitt, Jackie Earle Haley, Travis Aaron Wade, Christopher Abbott, Rob Brown, Edi Gathegi
Music
Keefus Ciancia
Cinematography
Seamus Tierney
Runtime
94 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.