50 Movies Like The Departed (2006) You Need to Watch Next
Updated August 2026
View The Departed details →Scorsese's 2006 Oscar winner pits a cop undercover in the Irish mob against a gangster's mole inside the police, in a vicious Boston cat-and-mouse where identity itself is a trap. Tense, profane and ferociously acted, it's a modern crime classic. If its dual-mole dread and explosive violence gripped you, seek out twisty crime thrillers about loyalty, deception and men living double lives.
If you loved The Departed (2006) by Martin Scorsese, here are 50 movies that share its content DNA. iRankMovies measures real similarity using cosine similarity across eight weighted dimensions — genre (50%), tone (12%), pace (10%), structure (8%), era (7%), theme (6%), audience (4%) and narrative perspective (3%) — not just the rating. The closest matches according to our analysis are Dogville, Lucky Number Slevin, Menace II Society. Every title is ranked by how closely it matches and backed by the iRank Score, a composite of IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and TMDb across 12,000+ analysed titles.
The Best Movies Similar to The Departed
Selected for their real similarity in content, these are the movies that share the most with The Departed in terms of theme, narrative tone, and cinematic style. Every recommendation goes beyond genre — we evaluate the type of conflict, pacing, dramatic context, and the experience they create for viewers.
Dogville
2003 · Lars von Trier
A woman on the run from the mob is reluctantly accepted in a small Colorado community in exchange for labor, but when a search visits the town, she learns that their support has a price.
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
Lucky Number Slevin
2006 · Paul McGuigan
Slevin is mistakenly put in the middle of a personal war between the city’s biggest criminal bosses. Under constant watch, Slevin must try not to get killed by an infamous assassin and come up with an
In common: Drama · Thriller · Crime
Menace II Society
1993 · Allen Hughes
A young street hustler attempts to escape the rigors and temptations of the ghetto in a quest for a better life.
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
The Godfather Part III
1990 · Francis Ford Coppola
In the midst of trying to legitimize his business dealings in 1979 New York and Italy, aging mafia don, Michael Corleone seeks forgiveness for his sins while taking a young protege under his wing.
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
I Care a Lot
2021 · J Blakeson
A court-appointed legal guardian defrauds her older clients and traps them under her care. But her latest mark comes with some unexpected baggage.
In common: Crime · Drama
Donnie Brasco
1997 · Mike Newell
An FBI undercover agent infiltrates the mob and identifies more with the mafia life at the expense of his regular one.
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
The Secret Agent
2025 · Kleber Mendonça Filho
Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven h
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
Striptease
1996 · Andrew Bergman
Bounced from her job, Erin Grant needs money if she's to have any chance of winning back custody of her child. But, eventually, she must confront the naked truth: to take on the system, she'll have to
In common: Crime · Drama
Irreversible
2002 · Gaspar Noé
A woman’s lover and her ex-boyfriend take justice into their own hands after she becomes the victim of a rapist. Because some acts can’t be undone. Because man is an animal. Because the desire for ven
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
New Police Story
2004 · Benny Chan Muk-Sing
Sent into a drunken tailspin when his entire unit is killed by a gang of thrill-seeking punks, disgraced Hong Kong police inspector Wing needs help from his new rookie partner, with a troubled past of
In common: Crime · Drama
Pulp Fiction
1994 · Quentin Tarantino
A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that i
In common: Crime · Thriller
Lord of War
2005 · Andrew Niccol
Yuri Orlov is a globetrotting arms dealer and, through some of the deadliest war zones, he struggles to stay one step ahead of a relentless Interpol agent, his business rivals and even some of his cus
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
Carlito's Way
1993 · Brian De Palma
Free after years in prison, Carlito Brigante intends to give up his criminal ways, but it's not long before the ex-con is sucked back into the New York City underworld.
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
New World
2013 · Park Hoon-jung
An undercover cop has his loyalties tested when the boss of the corporate gang he's spent years infiltrating dies.
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
Thief
1981 · Michael Mann
Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a ho
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
The Client
1994 · Joel Schumacher
A street-wise kid, Mark Sway, sees the suicide of Jerome Clifford, a prominent Louisiana lawyer, whose current client is Barry 'The Blade' Muldano, a Mafia hit-man. Before Jerome shoots himself, he te
In common: Crime · Drama
The Player
1992 · Robert Altman
A Hollywood studio executive is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected - but which one?
In common: Crime · Drama
Trading Places
1983 · John Landis
A snobbish investor and a wily street con-artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.
Snatch
2000 · Guy Ritchie
Unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookies, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers, and supposedly Jewish jewellers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond.
In common: Crime
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
1996 · Paris Barclay
When Ashtray moves to South Central L.A. to live with his father (who appears to be the same age he is) and grandmother (who likes to talk tough and smoke reefer), he falls in with his gang-banging co
In common: Crime
Legend
2015 · Brian Helgeland
Suave, charming and volatile, Reggie Kray and his unstable twin brother Ronnie start to leave their mark on the London underworld in the 1960s. Using violence to get what they want, the siblings orche
In common: Crime · Thriller
The Untouchables
1987 · Brian De Palma
Elliot Ness, an ambitious prohibition agent, is determined to take down Al Capone. In order to achieve this goal, he forms a group given the nickname “The Untouchables”.
In common: Crime · Thriller
Cocaine Bear
2023 · Elizabeth Banks
Inspired by a true story, an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converge in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound black bear goes on a murderous rampage after unintentionally ingesting
In common: Crime · Thriller
Caught Stealing
2025 · Darren Aronofsky
Burned-out ex-baseball player Hank Thompson unexpectedly finds himself embroiled in a dangerous struggle for survival amidst the criminal underbelly of late 1990s New York City, forced to navigate a t
In common: Crime · Thriller
Jawbreaker
1999 · Darren Stein
When an exclusive clique of teenage socialites accidentally murder their best friend on the morning of her birthday, the three girls responsible conspire to hide the truth.
In common: Crime · Thriller
The Whole Nine Yards
2000 · Jonathan Lynn
After a mobster agrees to cooperate with an FBI investigation in order to stay out of prison, he's relocated by the authorities to a life of suburban anonymity as part of a witness protection program.
In common: Crime
One Battle After Another
2025 · Paul Thomas Anderson
Washed-up revolutionary Bob exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his evil nemesis resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missi
In common: Crime · Thriller
No Other Choice
2025 · Park Chan-wook
After being laid off and humiliated by a ruthless job market, a veteran paper mill manager descends into violence in a desperate bid to reclaim his dignity.
In common: Crime · Thriller
Roofman
2025 · Derek Cianfrance
A former Army Ranger and struggling father turns to robbing McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, earning him the nickname "Roofman." After escaping prison, he secretly lives inside
In common: Crime · Drama
Joker: Folie à Deux
2024 · Todd Phillips
While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur Fleck not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him.
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
The Accountant
2016 · Gavin O'Connor
As a math savant uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities and the body count starts to rise.
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
Sleepers
1996 · Barry Levinson
Two gangsters seek revenge on the state jail worker who during their stay at a youth prison sexually abused them. A sensational court hearing takes place to charge him for the crimes.
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
American Gangster
2007 · Ridley Scott
Loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina, who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, be
In common: Crime · Drama
The Roundup: No Way Out
2023 · Lee Sang-yong
Detective Ma Seok-do changes his affiliation from the Geumcheon Police Station to the Metropolitan Investigation Team, in order to eradicate Japanese gangsters who enter Korea to commit heinous crimes
In common: Crime
War Dogs
2016 · Todd Phillips
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.
In common: Crime · Drama
A Bronx Tale
1993 · Robert De Niro
Set in the Bronx during the tumultuous 1960s, an adolescent boy is torn between his honest, working-class father and a violent yet charismatic crime boss. Complicating matters is the youngster's growi
In common: Crime · Drama
American Made
2017 · Doug Liman
The true story of pilot Barry Seal, who transported contraband for the CIA and the Medellin cartel in the 1980s.
In common: Crime · Drama
Sneakers
1992 · Phil Alden Robinson
When shadowy U.S. intelligence agents blackmail a reformed computer hacker and his eccentric team of security experts into stealing a code-breaking 'black box' from a Soviet-funded genius, they uncove
In common: Crime · Drama
Boyz n the Hood
1991 · John Singleton
In the middle of the Los Angeles ghetto, drugs, robberies and shootings dominate everyday life. During these times, Furious tries to raise his son Tre to be a decent person. Tre's friends, on the othe
In common: Crime · Drama
Hustlers
2019 · Lorene Scafaria
A crew of savvy former strip club employees band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients.
In common: Crime · Drama
Traffic
2000 · Steven Soderbergh
An exploration of the United States of America's war on drugs from multiple perspectives. For the new head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the war becomes personal when he discovers his
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
Shoplifters
2018 · Hirokazu Kore-eda
In the outskirts of Tokyo, a poor but close-knit group living on the fringes of society survives through shoplifting and odd jobs. When Osamu and his son take in a neglected young girl, their already
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
Smokin' Aces
2006 · Joe Carnahan
When a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel decides to turn state's evidence and testify against the mob, it seems that a whole lot of people would like to make sure he's no longer bre
In common: Crime
Promising Young Woman
2020 · Emerald Fennell
A young woman, traumatized by a tragic event in her past, seeks out vengeance against those who crossed her path.
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
The Wolf of Wall Street
2013 · Martin Scorsese
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.
In common: Crime · Drama
Cruella
2021 · Craig Gillespie
In 1970s London amidst the punk rock revolution, a young grifter named Estella is determined to make a name for herself with her designs. She befriends a pair of young thieves who appreciate her appet
In common: Crime · Drama
Wrath of Man
2021 · Guy Ritchie
A cold and mysterious new security guard for a Los Angeles cash truck company surprises his co-workers when he unleashes precision skills during a heist. The crew is left wondering who he is and where
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
GoodFellas
1990 · Martin Scorsese
The true story of Henry Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian Brooklyn kid who is adopted by neighbourhood gangsters at an early age and climbs the ranks of a Mafia family under the guidance of Jimmy Conw
In common: Crime · Drama
Girl in the Basement
2021 · Elisabeth Röhm
Sara is a teen girl who is looking forward to her 18th birthday to move away from her controlling father Don. But before she could even blow out the candles, Don imprisons her in the basement of their
In common: Crime · Thriller
A History of Violence
2005 · David Cronenberg
An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner.
In common: Crime · Drama · Thriller
Popular Drama series
Breaking Bad
2008 · Michelle MacLaren
Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live. He becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
2023 · Kazutaka Yamanaka
After the party of heroes defeated the Demon King, they restored peace to the land and returned to lives of solitude. Generations pass, and the elven mage Frieren comes face to face with humanity’s m
The Chosen
2019 · Tyler Thompson
The life of Christ through the eyes of those who encountered him.
When Life Gives You Tangerines
2025 · Park Sang-hyun
In Jeju, a spirited girl and a steadfast boy's island story blossoms into a lifelong tale of setbacks and triumphs — proving love endures across time.
