8 Gritty 1980s Crime Dramas That Deserve More Love

The 1980s were an incredible time for gritty and dark crime stories that exposed the harsh realities of criminal underworlds, although there were plenty of great releases from that era that never received the love they deserved. While action-packed classics like Sylvester Stallone in Cobra or more surreal releases such as David Lynch’s Blue Velvet have gained widespread acclaim, this barely scratches the surface when it comes to gritty, grim, and gratuitous, underrated crime dramas to check out.

Many of the best crime stories of the 1980s fell under the radar and need to be rediscovered and appreciated by modern viewers. With releases from all-time great directors like Sidney Lumet, William Friedkin, and Michael Mann, there’s no shortage of talent on display in these massively underrated films. For those looking for some intelligent and dark crime movies from the 1980s that they may not have seen, there’s so much to choose from.

8

Street Smart (1987)

Directed by Jerry Schatzberg

Street Smart

Release Date

March 20, 1987

Runtime

97 Minutes

Director

Jerry Schatzberg

Writers

David Freeman

As the story of an ambitious journalist who fabricates a story that is a little too close to the truth for comfort, Street Smart offers a gritty and unnerving glimpse into corruption on both sides of the law. With Christopher Reeve as a struggling New York magazine reporter and Morgan Freeman as the terrifying pimp Leo “Fast Black” Smalls, Jr., Freeman earned his first Academy Award nomination for his role and has named this movie (via HitFix) as his favorite performance ever.

Street Smart was a commercial failure at the time of its release but still holds up for its great central performances from Reeve and Freeman. As a reporter being exploited not just by the seedy criminal underworld but also by the prosecutor in a murder case, Street Smart was a clever examination of the ethics of journalism and the hot water writers can find themselves in if they play fast and loose with the truth.

7

Year Of The Dragon (1985)

Directed by Michael Cimino

Year of the Dragon

Release Date

August 16, 1985

Runtime

134 minutes

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  Mickey Rourke

  Stanley White

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  Leonard Termo

  Angelo Rizzo

Coming five years after director Michael Cimino’s notoriously misunderstood box office flop Heaven’s Gate, Year of the Dragon represented this filmmaker gaining another chance in Hollywood. Sadly, this story of a tough New York City police captain played by Mickey Rourke facing off against a ruthless Chinese-American Triad boss was yet another financial disappointment. However, looking back, Year of the Dragon was far better than its mixed reviews and poor box office takings suggested and stands as one of the most underrated crime movies of the 1980s.

With a gritty aesthetic that captured the raw intensity of 1980s New York, Year of the Dragon has gained plenty of retrospective praise, with Quentin Tarantino even citing it as one of his favorite films (via EW.). While Cimino never managed to regain the same kind of critical acclaim he got for his Best Picture winner, The Deer Hunter, Year of the Dragon showcases him as one of the most underrated directors of his generation.

6

Vice Squad (1982)

Directed by Gary A. Sherman

It doesn’t get any grittier than the dark story of the down-on-her-luck Los Angeles businesswoman-turned-prostitute told in Vice Squad. With Season Hubley as Princess, a sex worker who walks the Sunset Boulevard to support herself and her young daughter, this struggling single mother was forced to go undercover to help bring down a homicidal, misogynistic pimp named Ramrod. With plenty of violence and dark undertones, Vice Squad was an unflinching look at the bleak aspects of the L.A. criminal underworld during the 1980s.

Coming from director Gary A. Sherman, this underrated filmmaker was already known for cult-favorite horrors like Dead & Buried and later went on to direct Poltergeist III. As a trashy and flashy B-movie crime story, there was never a dull minute in Vice Squad as it captured the grimy realities of sex work and the despicable bigotry and chauvinism of ruthless pimps. While it may be too grim for some to bear, those who enjoy dark and gritty stories should check this hidden gem.

5

Cutter’s Way (1981)

Directed by Ivan Passer

Cutter’s Way

Release Date

February 10, 1982

Runtime

109 Minutes

Director

Ivan Passer

Writers

Newton Thornburg, Jeffrey Alan Fiskin

Cutter’s Way adapted the 1976 thriller novel Cutter and Bone to tell a story of disillusionment, depression, and trauma for veterans of the Vietnam War. As a gritty and intense thriller, Cutter’s Way represented soldiers’ lives after war with a level of honesty rarely seen onscreen and combined it with a story of a troubled man trying to expose the culprit he believes he saw dumping a body late at night.

With Jeff Bridges as Richard Bone, the prime suspect in an investigation of the brutal murder of a young girl, Cutter’s Way was a slow-burn, melancholic crime drama that blended a neo-noir mystery with intense and intriguing characterizations. As an underseen movie that boasts an incredible 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, those looking for a thematically rich 1980s thriller that they might not already have seen should look no further than Cutter’s Way.

4

To Live And Die In L.A. (1985)

Directed by William Friedkin

While most people will immediately think of the 1970s horror classic The Exorcist when they hear the name William Friedkin, it was the neo-noir thriller To Live and Die in L.A. that stood as his best work in the 1980s. As a stylish and crime-filled story of coke fiends and car chases, strong direction and some incredible performances from the likes of Willem Dafoe and John Turturro help this neo-noir action film stand out as one of the greatest movies ever set in Los Angeles.

While To Live and Die in L.A. was a hit at the time and gained widespread praise from critics, it’s still not nearly as well known as it should be today. Although at the time it came out, it appeared to lack many accomplished celebrities in its cast, it’s a testament to the level of talent on display here that so many of its cast members went on to become major names in Hollywood.

3

Prince Of The City (1981)

Directed by Sidney Lumet

Prince of the City

Release Date

August 19, 1981

Runtime

167 minutes

Writers

Jay Presson Allen

Producers

Burtt Harris

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Starting from his excellent debut 12 Angry Men, right through to his acclaimed final movie Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, director Sidney Lumet was responsible for some of the best films ever made. However, hidden among his vast filmography was the woefully underseen epic neo-noir Prince of the City, which told the story of an honest police officer exposing corruption in his own force. With elements of Lumet’s Serpico from the decade before, this dark and uncompromising story expanded upon the themes of that Al Pacino classic.

Prince of the City starred Treat Williams as Detective Daniel Ciello, a crooked cop whose guilty conscience starts catching up with him. While the film gained some criticism for glamorizing police corruption (via NY Times), it was also accurate enough that the DEA requested a copy of the film to use as part of their training program.

2

Thief (1981)

Directed by Michael Mann

Thief

Release Date

March 27, 1981

Runtime

123 Minutes

Director

Michael Mann

Writers

Michael Mann, Frank Hohimer

One incredible filmmaker whose early movies never truly received their due was Michael Mann, whose debut, Thief, still stands as an astonishing neo-noir heist story. With an unmistakable 1980s synth score by Tangerine Dream and Mann’s signature sense of style, Thief was a box office hit that showcased Mann’s transition from years of television experience to finally working on theatrical films. With James Caan as a jewel thief and ex-convict named Frank, this skilled criminal wanted to pull off one last big job before going straight for good.

As an intelligent thriller that delivers on all fronts, although Thief has gained a reputation as a cult classic, it’s not nearly as widely seen as Mann’s later movies like Heat or Collateral. With incredibly depicted, three-dimensional characters at the heart of its story, Thief stood as an exceptionally accomplished debut that already showcased Mann’s gritty, realistic, and grim style fully formed.

1

The Long Good Friday (1980)

Directed by John Mackenzie

The Long Good Friday

Release Date

February 26, 1981

Runtime

114 Minutes

Director

John Mackenzie

Writers

Barrie Keeffe

Years before British gangster hits like Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, there was the incredible exploration of mid-level political and police corruption in The Long Good Friday. As a socially relevant movie that explored contemporary issues relating to IRA fundraising, this John Mackenzie classic was made in the wake of The Troubles in Northern Ireland and the criminality that was buried underneath the surface. With Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren, a talented cast helped elevate an already compelling story.

The Long Good Friday saw Hoskins deliver a sinister performance as a ruthless gangster trying to form an alliance with an American mafioso. As a truly thrilling and highly intelligent crime story, The Long Good Friday was also notable as the film debut of the future James Bond star Pierce Brosnan. While the film has consistently gained widespread praise from those who have seen it, it’s not nearly as well-known as later British gangster movies and deserves far more love.

Sources: HitFix, EW, NY Times