# Crime — Genre

> Films centered on criminal acts, criminals, or those who pursue them.

## Defining elements

- Criminal act central
- Moral ambiguity
- Justice (or its absence)
- Stakes legal + personal
- Often urban setting

## Sub-genres

| Sub-genre | Example |
|-----------|---------|
| Crime drama | The Godfather, Goodfellas |
| Heist | Ocean's Eleven |
| Crime thriller | Se7en |
| Gangster | Scarface, The Irishman |
| Police procedural | The French Connection |
| Mafia | The Godfather, The Sopranos |
| Caper (lighter heist) | The Italian Job |
| True crime | Zodiac, Mindhunter |
| Crime comedy | Snatch, Lock Stock |
| Vigilante | Death Wish, You Were Never Really Here |

## Structural conventions

### The crime
- Often shown early
- Or alluded to mysteriously
- Triggers everything

### Pursuit / consequences
- Detective hunts criminal
- Or criminal evades, deepens
- Often both perspectives

### Moral complexity
- Criminals humanized
- Detectives flawed
- Lines blurred

### Resolution
- Justice served (often) — but at cost
- Or unjust — bittersweet
- Or cyclical — the crime continues

## Voice / Style

### Visual
- Often urban
- Night scenes
- Shadows and light contrast
- Specific locations as character

### Dialogue
- Vernacular / regional
- Tough talk
- Loyalty-coded language
- Ethnic / class specific

### Pacing
- Drama pace + tension
- Set pieces (heists, confrontations)
- Quiet character moments

## Crime mechanics

### Moral compass
- Hero (detective) vs villain (criminal)
- OR criminal as protagonist (anti-hero)
- Audience sympathy questioned

### Code / Honor
- Criminals often have own code
- Detectives bend rules
- Loyalty tested

### Consequences
- Crimes have ripple effects
- Family / community impact
- Long-term costs

### Authenticity
- Real-feeling police work
- Real-feeling criminal world
- Slang, procedure, detail

## Sample crime scene

```
INT. WAREHOUSE OFFICE - NIGHT

The MEETING is finished. RAMIN (45), the boss, leans back in his
chair. ELDAR (32), his soldier, stands across the desk.

RAMIN
You did good tonight.

ELDAR
Thank you.

RAMIN
Sit down.

Eldar sits. Ramin pours two glasses of vodka. Slides one across.

RAMIN
You know why I'm telling you this?

ELDAR
No.

RAMIN
Because in three months, you won't be working for me anymore.

Long beat. Eldar doesn't react. Doesn't drink.

ELDAR
Why not?

RAMIN
Because in three months, you'll be doing my job.

Eldar's eyes — surprise barely controlled.

ELDAR
I don't understand.

RAMIN
Yes you do. The doctors said two months. Maybe three. We're moving
faster than I'd planned.

Eldar absorbs this. Picks up the vodka. Doesn't drink yet.

ELDAR
Who else knows?

RAMIN
You. Now.

ELDAR
Why me?

RAMIN
Because you didn't ask for it. The ones who ask, they're the ones
to watch.

Eldar drinks. Sets the glass down.

ELDAR
What do you need from me?

RAMIN
I need you to start making decisions like the boss. Tonight.

He pushes a folder across the desk.

RAMIN
Read this. Then come back tomorrow with a plan.

Eldar takes the folder. Stands. At the door:

ELDAR
Who knew before me?

RAMIN
Your father.

Eldar's grip on the door tightens.

RAMIN
He didn't trust me to keep my word. I'm trusting you to honor what
he protected.

Eldar leaves.
```

This works through:
- Loyalty-coded dialogue
- Subtext (what's NOT said)
- Honor / code
- Stakes (succession, mortality)
- Specific (vodka, folder)
- Restraint (no shouting)

## Common mistakes

- Glamorizing without consequences
- Stereotyping (every Italian = mafia)
- Convenient resolutions
- Forgetting victim impact
- Style over substance
- Cliché underworld
- Generic detectives

## Best crime films reference

- The Godfather (epic crime)
- Goodfellas (mafia rise/fall)
- Pulp Fiction (style + crime)
- Heat (drama + crime)
- Zodiac (true crime procedural)
- Se7en (crime + horror)
- The Departed (crime drama)
- No Country for Old Men (crime + western)
- Gomorrah (modern Italian crime)
- A Most Violent Year (slow burn)

## When to write crime

- Adult audience
- Festival + commercial overlap
- Streaming hit potential
- Multi-character ensembles
- Strong director voice
- Long-form (often features benefit from runtime)

## Combination with other genres

- Crime + Drama (Godfather)
- Crime + Thriller (Se7en)
- Crime + Comedy (Snatch)
- Crime + Western (No Country)
- Crime + Mystery (Zodiac)
- Crime + Romance (Bonnie and Clyde)
