MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for The Corruptor

The Corruptor

1999 · 110 min

A gritty, slow-burning crime drama that keeps you tense with its morally tangled undercover story and bursts of brutal action.

Directed by
James Foley
Genres
Action, Crime, Thriller
Starring
Mark Wahlberg, Chow Yun-Fat, Byron Mann
Tagline
You can't play by the rules if there aren't any.
Overview
Danny is a young cop partnered with Nick, a seasoned but ethically tainted veteran. As the two try to stop a gang war in Chinatown, Danny relies on Nick but grows increasingly uncomfortable with the way Nick gets things done.

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

Rent or buy in the UK
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • YouTube
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
James Foley
Genres
Action, Crime, Thriller
Starring
Mark Wahlberg, Chow Yun-Fat, Byron Mann
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • corruption
  • betrayal
  • loyalty
  • crime
  • morality
Places
  • big city
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • twist ending
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language strong
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action7
Horror2
Humour2
Realism7
Romance1
Tension7
Darkness7
Complexity6
Emotional weight6

More like this

Titles like The Corruptor

Movie

Training Day

2001

A sweaty, nerve-jangling ride through LA's underworld that keeps you tense and morally off-balance from start to finish.

Dark, tense · about corruption and betrayal · twist ending

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • betrayal
  • twist ending
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
122 min
Details
Training DayHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Departed

2006

A tense, grim cat-and-mouse game where every conversation feels like a trap and trust is impossible.

Dark, tense · about betrayal and loyalty · twist ending

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • betrayal
  • loyalty
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
151 min
Details
The DepartedHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Infernal Affairs

2002

A taut, brooding cat-and-mouse thriller that keeps you on edge with its moral ambiguity and emotional weight.

Dark, tense · about betrayal and loyalty · twist ending

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • betrayal
  • loyalty
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
101 min
Details
Infernal AffairsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

L.A. Confidential

1997

A dense, stylish noir that pulls you into a web of corruption and moral compromise, rewarding close attention with sharp dialogue and escalating tension.

Dark, tense · about corruption and betrayal · twist ending

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • betrayal
  • twist ending
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
138 min
Details
L.A. ConfidentialHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Rip

2026

A sweaty, paranoid pressure-cooker where every ally might be a thief, keeping you guessing and tense until the final standoff.

Dark, tense · about corruption and betrayal · twist ending

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • betrayal
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
113 min
Details
The RipHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Shadow's Edge

2025

A tense, twisty cat-and-mouse thriller with slick surveillance and hard-hitting fights, anchored by a veteran mentor and a rookie partner.

Tense · about betrayal and crime

Via
  • tense
  • betrayal
  • crime
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
142 min
Details
The Shadow's EdgeHidden 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.

Dark, tense · about betrayal and loyalty

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

The Negotiator

1998

A taut, talky standoff that keeps you leaning in, trading gunfire for mind games and slow-burning suspicion.

Dark, tense · about corruption and betrayal · twist ending

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • betrayal
  • twist ending
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
140 min
Details
The NegotiatorHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Hard Boiled

1992

A blistering, operatic shoot-'em-up that sweeps you into relentless gunfights and unlikely brotherhood, leaving you exhilarated and bruised.

Dark, tense · about betrayal and loyalty

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • betrayal
  • loyalty
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
126 min
Details
Hard BoiledHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Goodfellas

1990

A seductive, fast-paced rise-and-fall crime saga that immerses you in glamour and paranoia, with sharp dialogue and sudden violence.

Dark, tense · about corruption and betrayal

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • betrayal
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
145 min
Details
GoodfellasHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Miller's Crossing

1990

A cold, intricate gangster tragedy with sharp dialogue and moral ambiguity, demanding close attention to its twisting loyalties.

Same composer: Carter Burwell · Dark, tense · about corruption and betrayal · twist ending

Also
Same composer: Carter Burwell
Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • betrayal
  • twist ending
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Runtime
115 min
Details
Miller's CrossingHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

House of Cards

2013–2018

Cold, calculating and quietly vicious, it draws you into a world of polished corridors where every smile hides a knife.

Same director: James Foley · Dark, tense · about corruption and betrayal

Also
Same director: James Foley
Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • corruption
  • betrayal
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Seasons
6
Details
House of CardsHidden 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
action, crime, thriller, drama
Directed by
James Foley
Written by
Robert Pucci
Starring
Mark Wahlberg, Chow Yun-Fat, Byron Mann, Kim Chan, Ric Young, Paul Ben-Victor, Jon Kit Lee, Andrew Pang
Music
Carter Burwell
Cinematography
Juan Ruiz Anchía
Runtime
110 min
Country
United States of America, Canada
Languages
English, Mandarin, Cantonese

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.