The 40 most popular japanese crime movies, ranked. Click any film for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway
2026 · 1h 49m
country: Japan
When a string of deadly highway incidents begin, Conan Edogawa's investigations point towards an orchestrated plot rather than mere accidents. As he uncovers a conspiracy involving hidden identities and advanced technology, the case escalates into a high-speed race against time to stop a calculating mastermind before more lives are lost.


Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine
2023 · 1h 50m
country: Japan
While visiting Hachijo-jima, Conan sneaks aboard a security boat heading to the Pacific Buoy, an off-shore facility constructed near the coasts built to connect surveillance cameras used by police forces around the world. However, an engineer gets abducted! An eerie sound of a propeller hums underwater as a dark figure begins to creep toward Ai Haibara... When the forbidden Black Box is opened, the sealed-away past will surface above the treacherous waves!


LUPIN THE IIIRD: Zenigata and the Two Lupins
2025 · 55m
country: Japan
Inspector Zenigata pursues Lupin as the prime suspect behind a terrorist attack. But when he manages to confront the famous thief, he quickly deduces that the bomber is a second, fake Lupin. Now, it's up to Zenigata to capture both Lupins and solve the mystery behind the bombing.


Cloud
2024 · 2h 4m
country: Japan
Ryōsuke Yoshii, an ordinary reseller, carelessly earns grudges by people and becomes entangled in a life-threatening struggle.


Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram
2024 · 1h 50m
country: Japan
A message has arrived from Kid the Phantom Thief, that he will steal a Japanese sword belonging to wealthy Onoe Family in Hakodate, Hokkaido. Conan and Heiji Hattori, who happened to be in Hakodate, are on the case to capture Kid. Coincidentally the family lawyer of Onoe is found murdered in the warehouse district, apparently slaughtered by a Japanese sword. The suspect is an investor/arms dealer who is said to be after Onoe family’s hidden treasure. In the North among cherry blossoms, the exciting hunt for treasure begins!


Shoplifters
2018 · 2h
country: Japan
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 fragile existence begins to unravel. As the family grows attached to her, buried secrets surface, forcing them to confront the true meaning of love, belonging, and what makes a family.


High and Low
1963 · 2h 22m
country: Japan
A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.


The Castle of Cagliostro
1979 · 1h 42m
country: Japan
After a successful robbery leaves famed thief Lupin the Third and his partner Jigen with nothing but a large amount of expertly crafted counterfeit bills, he decides to track down the forgers responsible—and steal any other treasures he may find in the Castle of Cagliostro, including the 'damsel in distress' he finds imprisoned there.


Detective Conan: Quarter of Silence
2011 · 1h 49m
country: Japan
The explosion of a new Tokyo Subway line leads Conan and his friends in a snow-clad village. Here, after eight years, the little detective sheds light on the dynamics behind the shocking event that caused the death of a woman and the coma of a 15-year-old boy. Under the beautiful snow, Conan gets involved in something bigger than him.


Rashomon
1950 · 1h 28m
country: Japan
Four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife.


Cure
1997 · 1h 51m
country: Japan
A frustrated detective deals with the case of several gruesome murders committed by people who have no recollection of what they've done.


Demon City
2025 · 1h 46m
country: Japan
Framed for his family's murder and left for dead, an ex-hitman will stop at nothing to exact revenge on the masked "demons" who have taken over his city.


Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback
2025 · 1h 49m
country: Japan
As police inspector Yamato Kansuke pursues a certain man in the snowy mountains of Nagano, a shadow suddenly appears in his field of vision. While he's distracted, a rifle bullet fired by someone grazes his left eye and causes an avalanche accompanied by a roar. Ten months later, Kansuke, having miraculously survived the avalanche, receives a report that a researcher at the Nobeyama National Astronomical Observatory has been attacked.


All About Lily Chou-Chou
2001 · 2h 26m
country: Japan
Charts the troubled teenage years of students Yūichi Hasumi and Shūsuke Hoshino, exploring the shifting and complex power dynamics of their relationship against the backdrop of Yūichi's love for the dreamy and abstract music of pop star Lily Chou-Chou.


Case Closed: The Fourteenth Target
1998 · 1h 40m
country: Japan
Ran’s secret past revealed! Ten years ago, something happened between her mom and dad. Now, plagued by nightmares, Ran is starting to remember… Meanwhile, a murderous card dealer breaks out of jail to seek revenge. His target: Ran’s father. Can Conan stop him in time and save his girlfriend’s family?


Owl
2003 · 1h 59m
country: Japan
A mother and daughter are stranded in small, isolated cabin, and are starving to death. In order to survive, they plan to entice men that happen to stray to their cabin with sex, and kill them. All goes well until a local cop shows up and, then, an old relation.


Lupin the Third: Island of Assassins
1997 · 1h 33m
country: Japan
Lupin is framed for the murder of Inspector Zenigata by a mysterious assailant holding a silver-coloured Walther P38 pistol Lupin himself once owned. Tracking the true killer leads Lupin to the island of the bloodthirsty Tarantula assassins inside the Devil’s Triangle. After joining the spider-tattooed army against their will, Lupin and his gang make both new friends and enemies as they not only plan to take home the Tarantulas’ massive gold repository for themselves, but hunt down the shooter from Lupin’s past. Can Lupin put to rest this demon who haunts his memories with the Walther P38?


Brother
2000 · 1h 53m
country: Japan
A Japanese Yakuza gangster's deadly existence in his homeland gets him exiled to Los Angeles, where he is taken in by his little brother and his brother's gang.


Ichi the Killer
2001 · 2h 9m
country: Japan
As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of.


River's Edge
2018 · 1h 58m
country: Japan
High schooler Haruna befriends loner Yamada, then is drawn into the tangled relationship between him, a model and the girl who loves him unreasonably.


Case Closed: Countdown to Heaven
2001 · 1h 40m
country: Japan
As a pair of towers in Tokyo are being prepared for their grand opening, there is a series of murders of people connected to the towers. Conan suspects that the mysterious Syndicate may also be involved.


Detective Conan: Captured in Her Eyes
2000 · 1h 40m
country: Japan
Police officers around Tokyo are being murdered by an unknown assailant. When Ran witnesses an attempt on the life of one of her friends in the police, she loses her memory. Now, Conan and Inspector Megure must find the murderer while Ran attempts to regain her lost memories.


Crows Zero
2007 · 2h 10m
country: Japan
The students of Suzuran High compete for the King of School title. An ex-graduate yakuza is sent to kill the son of a criminal group, but he can't make himself do it as he reminds him of his youth.


Detective Conan: The Last Wizard of the Century
1999 · 1h 40m
country: Japan
Kaitou Kid dares to challenge the police once more, setting his sights on the Russian Imperial Easter Egg. With the date, time, and place, the Osaka police force scrambles to stop him. But this time, Kid may have bitten off more than he can chew—Conan Edogawa, Heiji Hattori, and numerous others are also trying to get their hands on the jeweled egg.


Sweet Whip
2013 · 2h 24m
country: Japan
When Naoko was a freshman in high school she was kidnapped and imprisoned by a man who lived next door. For one month, she went through hell. Finally, she killed the man and escaped. Now as an adult, Naoko is a doctor specializing in infertility treatment, but she also has another side.


Crying Freeman
1995 · 1h 42m
country: Canada
A lethal assassin for a secret Chinese organisation, who sheds tears of regret each time he kills, is seen swiftly and mercilessly executing three Yakuza gangsters by a beautiful artist. She is captivated by the grace of his kill and later falls in love with him. An intense power struggle for the leadership of the Yakuza Clans ensues as they seek vengeance for the death of their leader.


Detective Conan: The Raven Chaser
2009 · 1h 51m
country: Japan
A new member from the Black Organization that shrunk Shinichi's body manages to find out about Shinichi's transformation into Conan. This discovery starts to put those around him in danger as Gin and the other Black Organization members start to take action.


Crows Zero II
2009 · 2h 13m
country: Japan
Genji and his victorious G.P.S. alliance find themselves facing down a new challenge by the students of Hosen Academy, feared by everyone as 'The Army of Killers.' The two schools, in fact, have a history of bad blood between them. And the simmering embers of hatred are about to flare up again, burning away any last remnants of the truce they had so rigorously observed until now.


Lupin III: The First
2019 · 1h 33m
country: Japan
The iconic "gentleman thief" Lupin III returns in an action-packed, continent-spanning adventure, as Lupin III and his colorful underworld companions race to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Bresson Diary, before it falls into the hands of a dark cabal that will stop at nothing to resurrect the Third Reich.


The Boss' Wife
1988 · 1h 41m
country: Japan
The widow of a murdered yakuza boss serves jail time for attacking the man she believes killed her husband. After her release, as she is shadowed by a hitman, she returns to thoughts of revenge.


Rope Hell
1978 · 1h 9m
country: Japan
Akiko is the heir to a yakuza clan. Hitoshi, who has been kicked out of the rival Hono Clan after attempting to seduce Akiko, kidnaps her at the behest of Hanamura. Hanamura has formed a new gang and intends to use Akiko as a hostage to take over her clan's territory. During the torture and abuse sessions which follow, Akiko comes to enjoy the treatment and forsakes her gangland empire.


Detective Conan: Sunflowers of Inferno
2015 · 1h 53m
country: Japan
Conan tries to track down Kaito Kid, who supposedly steals a replica of one of Van Gogh's Sunflowers paintings during an auction.


Lupin the 3rd: Goemon's Blood Spray
2017 · 54m
country: Japan
A yakuza boss hires Goemon Ishikawa, a modern day samurai, to protect him aboard his cruise ship casino. Everything goes sideways when the famous thief, Lupin the Third, tries to rob the vessel. Lupin's being hunted by a powerful and mysterious man: the so called “Ghost of Bermuda.” With Goemon's employer dead in the ensuing chaos, his honor is at stake, and the only way to preserve it is with blood. But this opponent is like no other, and to make things right, Goemon may need to sharpen not only his sword, but himself as well!


LUPIN THE IIIRD: The Movie - The Immortal Bloodline
2025 · 1h 33m
country: Japan
After fending off a series of skilled assassins, gentleman thief Lupin III and his band of allies follow a strange invitation to an uncharted island. When their plane is shot down, the gang is stranded and soon hunted by the island’s inhabitants, past enemies, and a monstrous immortal being known as Muom, who threatens to destroy Lupin's legacy. As a deadly toxic fog settles over them, Lupin must confront his greatest enemy in his most daring escapade yet.


Death Note Relight 1: Visions of a God
2007 · 2h 11m
country: Japan
When rogue shinigami Ryuk leaves his Death Note in the human world, he has no idea how far the one who finds it will take his new-found power. With the Death Note in hand, brilliant high school student Light Yagami vows to rid the world of evil. A recap of Death Note episodes 1–26, with alternate footage.


Bullet Train Explosion
2025 · 2h 17m
country: Japan
When panic erupts on a Tokyo-bound bullet train that will explode if it slows below 100 kph, authorities race against time to save everyone on board.


Detective Conan: The Time Bombed Skyscraper
1997 · 1h 34m
country: Japan
Once brilliant teenage detective Shinichi Kudo was given a poison that reverted him to a 4-year-old. He's adopted the pseudonym Conan Edogawa so no one (save for an eccentric inventor) will know. Now he's got to solve a series of bombings before his loved ones become victims. Who is this madman and why is he doing this? Only the young genius can save the day but will even he be up to the task?


Butterfly on a Wheel
2007 · 1h 35m
country: Canada
A sociopathic kidnapper methodically pushes a desperate pair of parents to their absolute breaking point.


Detective Conan: Full Score of Fear
2008 · 1h 55m
country: Japan
Serial murders involving all kinds have happened. All the victims are from a Music School led by a famous pianist. Conan and company have been invited to a opening concert of the Music Hall built by the pianist. The biggest attraction of this concert is the world famous violin called "Stradivarius" and a special appearance of a singer who has perfect pitch.


LUPIN THE 3rd vs. CAT'S EYE
2023 · 1h 32m
country: Japan
Lupin III competes with the Kisugi sisters to steal a triptych of paintings that once belonged to their father, and which hold the key to a long-unsolved mystery.
Japanese cinema gave the world Kurosawa's samurai epics, Ozu's domestic dramas, Godzilla and the kaiju film, and the J-horror wave that Hollywood spent the 2000s remaking. It also sustains the most developed animation industry on earth.
Crime films trace the machinery around lawbreaking — heists, syndicates, investigations, and the people worn down by all three. From film noir through the American gangster epic to modern procedurals, it's a genre that doubles as social commentary.