Movies and TV series about corruption

The 51 best titles about corruption, ranked by the iRank Score — our composite of IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and TMDb. Every page includes cast, where to watch and similar recommendations.

Casablanca
iRank91
1942 · Michael Curtiz
MovieDramaRomance
In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.
The Shawshank Redemption
iRank89
1994 · Frank Darabont
MovieCrimeDrama
Imprisoned in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an a
L.A. Confidential
iRank88
1997 · Curtis Hanson
MovieCrimeMysteryThriller
Three detectives in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner.
The Lives of Others
iRank87
2006 · Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
MovieDramaThriller
In 1984 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler begins spying on a famous playwright and his actress-lover Christa-Maria. Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, and faces co
The Wire
iRank86
2002 · Nina K. Noble
SeriesCrimeDrama
Told from the points of view of both the Baltimore homicide and narcotics detectives and their targets, the series captures a universe in which the national war on drugs has become a permanent, self-s
Peaky Blinders
iRank85
2013
SeriesCrimeDrama
A gangster family epic set in 1919 Birmingham, England and centered on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby, who means to move up in the world.
Vincenzo
iRank85
2021 · Kim Young-kyu
SeriesAction & AdventureComedyCrime
During a visit to his motherland, a Korean-Italian mafia lawyer gives an unrivaled conglomerate a taste of its own medicinewith a side of justice.
The Boys
iRank85
2019 · Jessica Chou
SeriesAction & AdventureSci-Fi & Fantasy
A group of vigilantes known informally as “The Boys” set out to take down corrupt superheroes with no more than blue-collar grit and a willingness to fight dirty.
Network
iRank84
1976 · Sidney Lumet
MovieDrama
When veteran anchorman Howard Beale is forced to retire his 25-year post because of his age, he announces to viewers that he will kill himself during his farewell broadcast. Network executives rethink
The Bourne Ultimatum
iRank84
2007 · Paul Greengrass
MovieActionDramaMystery
Bourne is brought out of hiding once again by reporter Simon Ross who is trying to unveil Operation Blackbriar, an upgrade to Project Treadstone, in a series of newspaper columns. Information from the
Vagabond
iRank83
2019
SeriesAction & AdventureDramaMystery
Stuntman Cha Dal-geon gets involved in a tragic airplane crash and ends up discovering a national corruption scandal in the process. Go Hae-ri, the oldest daughter of a deceased marine, decides to wor
Akame ga Kill!
iRank83
2014 · Masanori Fujita
SeriesAction & AdventureAnimationDrama
Young Tatsumi travels to the capital of the Empire in order to earn money for his starving people and encounters a world of unimaginable depravity, dominated by the ruthless Prime Minister who control
Once Upon a Time in America
iRank82
1984 · Sergio Leone
MovieCrimeDrama
A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan over thirty years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.
Marvel's Daredevil
iRank82
2015 · Karim Zreik
SeriesAction & AdventureCrimeDrama
Lawyer-by-day Matt Murdock uses his heightened senses from being blinded as a young boy to fight crime at night on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen as Daredevil.
Sicario
iRank81
2015 · Denis Villeneuve
MovieActionCrimeThriller
An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.
Memories of Murder
iRank81
2003 · Bong Joon Ho
MovieCrimeDramaThriller
A sadistic serial rapist and murderer of young women terrorizes a small province in 1980s South Korea. To prevent further crimes, three increasingly desperate detectives with conflicting methods race
Silo
iRank81
2023 · Bert
SeriesDramaSci-Fi & Fantasy
In a ruined and toxic future, thousands live in a giant silo deep underground. After its sheriff breaks a cardinal rule and residents die mysteriously, engineer Juliette starts to uncover shocking sec
House of Cards
iRank80
2013 · Frank Pugliese
SeriesDrama
Betrayed by the White House, Congressman Frank Underwood embarks on a ruthless rise to power. Blackmail, seduction and ambition are his weapons.
Locked Up
iRank80
2015
SeriesCrimeDrama
Set up to take the blame for corporate fraud, young Macarena Ferreiro is locked up in a high-security women's prison surrounded by tough, ruthless criminals in this tense, provocative Spanish thriller
The Wolf of Wall Street
iRank80
2013 · Martin Scorsese
MovieComedyCrimeDrama
A New York stockbroker refuses to cooperate in a large securities fraud case involving corruption on Wall Street, corporate banking world and mob infiltration. Based on Jordan Belfort's autobiography.
Mayor of Kingstown
iRank79
2021 · Evan Perazzo
SeriesCrimeDrama
In a small Michigan town where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry, the McClusky family are the power brokers between the police, criminals, inmates, prison guards and politici
Narcos: Mexico
iRank79
2018 · Alexandra Hunter
SeriesCrimeDrama
See the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel as an American DEA agent learns the danger of targeting narcos in 1980s Mexico.
Taboo
iRank79
2017 · Dean Baker
SeriesDramaMystery
Adventurer James Keziah Delaney returns to London from Africa in 1814 along with fourteen stolen diamonds to seek vengeance after the death of his father.
Léon: The Professional
iRank78
1994 · Luc Besson
MovieActionCrimeDrama
Léon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year
Scarface
iRank78
1983 · Brian De Palma
MovieActionCrimeDrama
After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eve
Rebel Ridge
iRank77
2024 · Jeremy Saulnier
MovieActionCrimeDrama
A former Marine confronts corruption in a small town when local law enforcement unjustly seizes the bag of cash he needs to post his cousin's bail.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
iRank74
2010 · David Yates
MovieAdventureFantasy
Harry, Ron and Hermione walk away from their last year at Hogwarts to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, putting an end to Voldemort's bid for immortality. But with Harry's beloved Dumbledore d
Monkey Man
iRank74
2024 · Dev Patel
MovieActionThriller
Kid is an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash. After y
La Doña
iRank74
2016 · Gabriela Valentan
SeriesDramaSoap
A story of revenge and ambition, seduction and betrayal; all told from the perspective of an offended and abused woman named Altagracia. Altagracia represents the hundreds of thousands of Mexican wome
The Place Beyond the Pines
iRank73
2013 · Derek Cianfrance
MovieCrimeDrama
A motorcycle stunt rider considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician.
Batman Returns
iRank73
1992 · Tim Burton
MovieActionFantasy
The monstrous Penguin, who dwells in the sewers beneath Gotham, joins up with corrupt mayoral candidate Max Shreck to topple the Batman once and for all. But when Shreck's timid assistant Selina Kyle
Primal Fear
iRank71
1996 · Gregory Hoblit
MovieCrimeDramaMystery
Defense attorney Martin Vail takes on jobs for money and prestige rather than any sense of the greater good. His latest case involves an altar boy, accused of brutally murdering the archbishop of Chic
Dredd
iRank71
2012 · Pete Travis
MovieActionScience Fiction
In the future, America is a dystopian wasteland. The latest scourge is Ma-Ma, a prostitute-turned-drug pusher with a dangerous new drug and aims to take over the city. The only possibility of stopping
Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical
iRank70
2022 · Matthew Warchus
MovieComedyFamilyFantasy
An extraordinary young girl discovers her superpower and summons the remarkable courage, against all odds, to help others change their stories, whilst also taking charge of her own destiny. Standing u
Animal Farm
iRank70
1954 · Joy Batchelor
MovieAnimationDrama
Animals on a farm lead a revolution against the farmers to put their destiny in their own hands. However this revolution eats their own children and they cannot avoid corruption.
Cop Land
iRank70
1997 · James Mangold
MovieCrimeDramaThriller
Freddy Heflin is the sheriff of a place everyone calls “Cop Land” — a small and seemingly peaceful town populated by the big city police officers he’s long admired. Yet something ugly is taking place
The Negotiator
iRank70
1998 · F. Gary Gray
MovieActionCrimeDrama
The police try to arrest expert hostage negotiator Danny Roman, who insists he's being framed for his partner's murder in what he believes is an elaborate conspiracy. Thinking there's evidence in the
Ghost
iRank68
1990 · Jerry Zucker
MovieFantasyRomanceThriller
After a young man is murdered, his spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic.
Licence to Kill
iRank68
1989 · John Glen
MovieAdventureActionThriller
After capturing the notorious drug lord Franz Sanchez, Bond's close friend and former CIA agent Felix Leiter is left for dead and his wife is murdered. Bond goes rogue and seeks vengeance on those res
Lawless
iRank68
2012 · John Hillcoat
MovieCrimeDramaWestern
In 1931, the Bondurant brothers of Franklin County, Virginia, run a multipurpose backwoods establishment that hides their true business — bootlegging. Middle brother Forrest is the brain of the operat
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
iRank67
2014 · Peter Jackson
MovieActionAdventureFantasy
Following Smaug's attack on Laketown, Bilbo and the dwarves try to defend Erebor's mountain of treasure from others who claim it: the men of the ruined Laketown and the elves of Mirkwood. Meanwhile an
Sicario: Day of the Soldado
iRank67
2018 · Stefano Sollima
MovieActionCrimeThriller
Agent Matt Graver teams up with operative Alejandro Gillick to prevent Mexican drug cartels from smuggling terrorists across the United States border.
The Equalizer
iRank67
2014 · Antoine Fuqua
MovieActionCrimeThriller
McCall believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when he meets Teri, a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangster
War Dogs
iRank66
2016 · Todd Phillips
MovieComedyCrimeDrama
Based on the true story of two young men, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who won a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm America's allies in Afghanistan.
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
iRank62
2003 · Robert Rodriguez
MovieActionCrimeThriller
A corrupt CIA agent Sands hires hitman El Mariachi to assassinate a Mexican general hired by a drug kingpin attempting a coup d'état of the President of Mexico.
The Last Boy Scout
iRank60
1991 · Tony Scott
MovieActionThriller
Somewhere in Los Angeles, the city of broken dreams, a stripper is murdered. Now, the private detective she had hired and her ex-footballer boyfriend are going to find her murderer... if they don't ki
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
iRank59
2014 · Kenneth Branagh
MovieActionDramaThriller
Jack Ryan, as a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack.
The Longest Yard
iRank52
2005 · Peter Segal
MovieComedyCrimeDrama
Disgraced pro football quarterback Paul Crewe lands in a Texas federal penitentiary, where manipulative Warden Hazen recruits him to advise the institution's football team of prison guards. Crewe sugg
Big Stan
iRank46
2007 · Rob Schneider
MovieComedyCrime
A weak con man panics when he learns he's going to prison for fraud. He hires a mysterious martial arts guru who helps transform him into a martial arts expert who can fight off inmates who want to hu
Judge Dredd
iRank45
1995 · Danny Cannon
MovieActionScience Fiction
In a dystopian future, Dredd, the most famous judge (a cop with instant field judiciary powers) is convicted for a crime he did not commit while his murderous counterpart escapes.
Let's Be Cops
iRank45
2014 · Luke Greenfield
MovieComedy
Best pals Ryan and Justin are stalled in their respective careers -- a fact that is painfully driven home when they go to a college reunion. Dressed as police in the mistaken belief that they were to