After watching War Dogs, if you wonder whether you can find more of the same genre movies, then you have 39 more to add to your watchlist. War Dogs became popular for its unique storyline revolving around two friends creating menace in the world of arms dealing.
This classic movie was launched in 2016, and a comedy crime by Todd Phillips was a massive hit among the -people. The movie is packed with action, comedy, and suspense, throwing viewers on a ride full of excitement and thrill. The film gained so much success that it has inspired various other movies.
Crime and thriller movies have been popular for decades, capturing enormous attention from viewers with nerve-wracking car chases, daring heists, and the deadly combo of heroes and villains. A heart-pounding movie line revolving around mystery is what is served by this genre. Hence proving itself as a great watch of all times.
If you are searching for such action-packed movies with great stories, then your search will end here. No matter if you are an admirer of a classic war genre or international espionage, here you can find breathtaking movies. So, book your weekends in front of the screen along with 39 movies like War Dogs.
39 Movies Like War Dogs
When it comes to movies, what fascinates the most of all is a crime-thriller storyline. From 1940s classic noir films to modern actions in today’s scenarios, the genre has always captivated millions. Whether it is a tale of justice prevailing thriller or a violent crime spree, the ride is filled with excitement and suspense. War Dogs was one of them, then why wait for more? Let’s dive straight into this never-ending list.
1) The Wolf of Wall Street
The movie was released in the year of 2013; the story revolves around Jordan Belfort, the protagonist. The movie is known for its thought-provoking yet entertaining life story of Jordan Belfort. Directed by Martin Scorsese and actors combination of Leonardo DiCaprio alongside Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, and Matthew McConaughey boosted the spirit of the movie.
The story is set in the 1990s era, gaining attention from all age groups. The movie follows a stockbroker who gained power regardless of his normal background to become a Wall Street big shot. Later on, the team was trapped in illegal activities, including fraud and market manipulation.
In the end, eventually added the fall of the hero due to the corrupted values he used in acing the stairs to success. The story is a straight mirror of a society filled with greed and corruption.
2) The Big Short
The Big Short is a movie released in 2015 and directed by Adam MacKay was an adaption of the book of the same name, written by Michael Lewis in 2010. The cast played a big hand in the success, including Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Melissa Leo, Hamish Linklater, John Magaro, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, and Marisa Tomei.
The story revolves around the financial crisis in 2008 and 4 characters betting against the banking system named Michael Burry, Mark Baum, Jared Vennett, and Ben Rickert. The movie appears as a still representation of events that occur during a financial crisis.
The story portrays how financial institutions around the world are greedy animals sucking the blood of common people. While amid all chaos, the movie highlights the efforts of a few characters who are working in order to protect themselves from upcoming disasters.
3) White Boy Rick
White Boy Rick is a 2018 released American crime drama film based on a true plot in history. The picture is directed by Yann Demange and is written by Andy Weiss, Logan Miller, and Stephen Chin. The stars of the pictures include Richie Merritt as Richard Wershe Jr., the protagonist, and Matthew McConaughey as Richard Wershe Sr., his father. The story follows a real-life incident that happened during the 1980s.
The film begins with the character Richard Wershe Sr., a middle-class working dad struggling to make ends meet in the city of Detroit. The father was then appointed as an informant for an FBI agent to turn some extra money in.
His son Richard Wershe Jr. is also a joined force to inform regarding drug dealing. The movie turns upside down when the 14-year boy becomes the major player in this drug dealing game. Eventually, he got trapped in the criminal world and became a number one target for the federal agents and the criminals around him.
4) Wall Street
The movie was released in 1987, directed by Oliver Stone, starring Michael Douglas, Charlie, and Daryl Hannah. The main character of the story Gordon Gekko is a ruthless Wall Street corporate raider who later on embroiled a young stockbroker named Bud Fox. The movie is a classic hit and shows the aspect of hunger for power and provokes many questions in the viewers.
The movie begins showing the character Bud struggling to make profits in the stock market. After a few futile attempts in the market, he later on, meets Gekko, who takes him under his wings.
With the help of Bud, Gekko gets his hands on internal information in order to manipulate the stock prices. Gekko and Bud were on different terms regarding the moral implications that harmed Gekko as he got arrested in the end while Bud escaped with the profits.
5) Margin Call
American drama movie released in 2011, directed and written by J.C. Chador. The cast for the movie includes Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Demi Moore, and Stanley Tucci.
The movie starts off with a scene where the main characters are shown working in an investment bank during the financial crisis of 2007-2008. The film captures the actions and reactions of the characters trying to save their company from its downfall. The movie was nominated for various awards, such as Academy Awards for its Best Screenplay.
6) Billionaire Boys Club
Billionaire Boys Club is a biographical crime-drama film released in 2018 in the direction of James Cox and written by Cox and Captain Mauzner. The star cast of the movie includes Ansel Elgort, Taron Egerton, Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irvine, Cary Elwes, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, and Judd Nelson. The movie follows a real-life happening in the 1980s around a group of wealthy young men in Los Angeles.
The story revolves around the life of a young man who seems busy finding ways to become rich easily and quickly. Joe Hunt, known as a financial whiz, along with his companions Dean Karny and Ron Levin, set up a Ponzi scheme to earn riches. Soon, the trio finds themselves trapped when their scheme goes beyond the laws. Soon enough, after their fallout, the team of three struggles and realizes the importance of friendship over money.
7) American Hustle
The famous movie of 2013, American Hustle, is still counted as a good pick in the comedy-thriller-drama genre. Directed by David O. Russell and written by Eric Warren Singer and Russell has an impressive cast line including Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K., Michael Peña, and Jack Huston.
The film revolves around two con artists, Irving Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser, working for an FBI agent, Richie DiMaso, to set up a politician under his paws through a sting operation. The con artists were forced to work with the agent as they had made a big amount through faking financial documents.
Eventually, they do manage to put off the mask of various powerful people in the city. The movie received 3 Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress for Lawrence, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing as well.
8) Boiler Room
Boiler Room is a crime-drama film which is released in 2000 and was directed by Ben Younger. The actors featured in the movie include Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Nia Long, Scott Caan, Tom Everett Scott, Ron Rifkin, Ben Affleck, and Jamie Kennedy.
The story revolves around a 19-year-old young man, Seth Davis, who is a college dropout. He is lured into the world of the illegal stock trading company by a group of friends, J T. Marlin, Greg, and Abe. They all eventually become the new power in the town until the FBI investigation is launched.
Also Read: 39 Crime Genre Movies That Are Based On Actual Crimes!
9) True Story
True Story is an American mystery-drama genre movie released in 2015 based on the memoir of Michael Finkel. The movie stars Jonah Hill, James Franco, Felicity Jones, and Gretchen Mol. The film has a tensed-psychological storyline.
The story is set between two people, one a disgraced journalist Goold and the other one, Christian Longo, who is an accused murderer. Christian is living under the name Michael Franklin. Both develop a complex bond, and later it is revealed he reveals many hidden truths about himself.
10) American Made
The 2017 American crime-dram movie is based upon the real-life story of Barry Seal. The movie is directed by Dough Liman and stars Tom Cruise. The story is based on the happening of 1978’s mission of flying arms and drugs to Nicaraguan Contras in their fight against the Sandinistas.
The film revolves around Seal, who is recruited by the CIA for his mission which many times flips his conscience for right. The protagonist went through a journey full of adventure and dangers while teaming up with a drug lord, a Colombian cartel, and a DEA agent. It is a movie full of thrills along with the mental struggle of Seal between his morality and duty.
11) The Company Man
The movie is a thriller-drama genre which is written and directed by John Wells and was released in 2010. The stars of the movie include Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, and Chris Cooper as the three main characters. The movie is set in the scenario of the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis in American history.
The movie focuses on three corporate executives who faced the consequences of downsizing at the company. The film shows the struggle after the financial crisis of 2008, where Bobby Walker is suddenly unemployed person due to new policies, and Jones and Cooper, who were employees for a long time, are now forced to understand and work under new policies as well lower-paying jobs.
12) Lord of War
A 2005 crime-drama film, Lord Of War, is written, produced, and directed by Andrew Niccol and is co-produced by the star of the movie, Nicolas Cage. The film follows the life of the protagonist Yuri Orlov struggling for over 20 years as an arms dealer.
Yuri Orlov, the protagonist, narrates his experience of arms dealing for over 20 years. He narrates how he got into the business, selling arms to his friends and to other dealers. By doing so, he rose to power and started dealing with warlords and dictators in various regions of the world.
13) Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
The movie is a sequel to the classic movie Wall Street by Oliver Stone, released in 1987. The stars of this sequel movie include Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, and Carey Mulligan. The movie is a great exploration of the world of money and power.
The film follows the protagonist Gordon Gekko who is now released in 1987 after his sentence of an eight-year sentence for illegal trading of internal information of the companies for stock manipulation. The story follows the efforts of Gekko, who is now rebuilding his life and yet finds himself in the war of power in the financial world again.
14) Focus
The movie is a thrilling heist movie directed by Glen Ficarra and John Requa, featuring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Rodrigo Santoro as leads. The movie has a slight touch of comedy and drama as well.
The movie revolves around two con artists named Nicky and Jess, who are engaged in scams in New Orleans city. After some successful attempts, Nicky meets Liyuan, a previous flame, an acquaintance who wants to team up with Nicky for a bigger scam. Although when Liyuan realizes that Nicky and Jess have feelings for each other, she sabotages them. The movie moves on in the struggle of Jess and Nicky for their happy ending.
15) Glengarry Glen Ross
A 1922 American dram-thriller movie that is adapted from David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Glengarry Glen Ross.” The film is directed by James Foley and stars Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, and Kevin Spacey.
The story revolves around four real estate salesmen struggling to get a sale bait at their cut-throat competitive firm. The film is an accurate copy of the competitive environment in firms and how employees are forced to use tactics in order to achieve success.
16) Moneyball
The drama-sports genre is based upon a true story that happened in Oakland Athletics baseball and is the life story of Billy Beane. The case movie includes Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Robin Wright.
The movie shows the efforts of the team general manager Billy Bean who is putting his best to keep together a winning team on a limited budget by using an unusual approach and sabermetrics. Bean is assisted by Peter and helps the team in overcoming the problems and issues.
17) The Gambler
The American crime-drama movie directed by Rupert Wyatt and written by William Monahan was released in 2014. The film includes the actors like Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange, Brie Larson, John Goodman, and Michael Kenneth Williams.
The movie is focused on a professor who has a habit of gambling, and due to this, he is in high debt to a gangster. To pay off his pilling debt, he uses his position to bait on a risky yet high bet led by his desperations and struggles.
18) Catch Me If You Can
A biographical crime-drama-based movie, “Catch Me If You Can,” is directed by Steven Spielberg. The story is inspired by the life accounts of Frank Abagnale Jr, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and FBI agent, Carl Hanratty, played by Tom Hanks.
The movie revolves around the back-and-forth hustle between a criminal and an FBI agent like a cat and mouse. Frank, young men indulge in forgery and manipulation, is ready to fly away from the restless FBI agent Carl Hanratty who is determined to catch him at the soonest.
Also Read: What Is Leonardo DiCaprio’s Net Worth? All About His Early Life & Career!
19) The Traitor
The Traitor is a historical-drama movie which is directed by Marco Bellocchio. The film is based on the true life events of Tommaso Buscetta. The cast of the movie counts Pierfrancesco Favino, Maria Fernanda Cândido, and Luigi Lo Cascio as leads.
The story surrounds the real-life notorious Sicilian mafia Tommaso Buscetta who initially was working as a criminal. But since he was forced to leave Sicily due to mafia persecution, the man turned in and helped the Italian government by being an informant. He then struggles due to his stance against fellow mafias in Maxi Trial 1986-87.
20) The Infiltrator
The Movie is an intense crime drama based on a real-life story. The film is directed by Brad Furman and is written by his mom, Ellen Brown Furman. The movie features actors such as Bryan Cranston as the lead, along with Diane Kruger, John Leguizamo, Benjamin Bratt, Yul Vazquez, and Amy Ryan.
The picture is based on the life of Robert Mazur, who is an undercover U.S. Customs agent. He was sent to infiltrate the drug trafficking empire of Pablo Escobar. He eventually discovers the money laundering and exposes the whole gang of the powerful empire.
21) Pain and Gain
The movie was launched in 2013 and is an American action-comedy in the genre. The movie was directed by Michael Bay, and the cast of the movie includes Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, and Anthony Mackie.
The movie is based on a true event surrounding a group of bodybuilders who ends up in the criminal world of the area, which involves extortion and kidnapping. The trio of bodybuilders managed to scam a big businessman, but soon they find themselves in the trap of never-ending crimes they committed to cover up.
22) Snowden
The movie Snowden is a biographical, thriller-political story that was released in 2016. The movie is directed by Oliver Stone and features stars including Joseph Gordon–Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Zachary Quinto, Nicolas Cage, and Rhys Ifans as leads. The story is based on real-life hacker’ Edward Snowden’ played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The story revolves around the professional computer engineer Edward Snowden who leaked classified information from the NSA to the media in the year of 2013. The film shows his journey from a soldier in the U.S. Army to his implicit actions of leaking secured information about the National Security Agency.
23) Limitless
The movie is directed by Neil Burger and written by Leslie Dixon. The movie is adapted from the novel named ‘The Dark Fields’ written by Alan Glynn in 2001. The stars of the movie include Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro, Andrew Howard, and Anna Friel.
The story is about a struggling writer who is trapped in possession of some mysterious drug that enhances his mental power. Through this power, he quickly finds the way to success in his writing career as well as in his personal life. The movie captures the hustle of supernatural powers and their influence.
24) Bleed For This
The movie was launched in the year 2016 and is a biographical drama movie about an American boxer Vinny Pazienza played by the actor Miles Teller along with Aaron Eckhart, Katey Sagal, Ciarán Hinds, and Ted Levine.
The story revolves around the protagonist, Vinny Pazienza, a former boxer. After a disastrous car accident, the boxer gathers his courage to attempt boxing again to make a miraculous comeback in boxing history.
25) Molly’s Game
The movie was released in 2017 and is a crime-drama genre based on the true story of Molly Bloom, a former Olympic skier. The film is directed and written by Aaron Sorkin, based on the memoir of Molly Bloom in 2014. The lead was played by the actress Jessica Chastain.
The movie revolves around the Olympic skating figure Molly Bloom, who also owns a high-stakes poker game record. She built the whole underground empire of poker and was soon targeted by the FBI. The movie shows her every possible solution to escape, yet it leads to her end.
26) 21
21 is a heist-drama genre film which is directed by Robert Luketic. The film includes actors named Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, and Kevin Spacey. The film was released in March of 2008 and was written by Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb.
The story revolves around a young man named Ben, who has an innate talent for mathematical problems. He has a problem, and that is his poor self, who cannot afford the tuition fees. Hence he learned the skill of counting the cards, which he uses against many card players ending up making enemies of the underworld.
27) Blow
Below is a 2001 American biographical crime drama movie which is directed by Ted Demme, starring Jonny Depp, Rachel Griffiths, Ray Liotta, Paul Reubens, Jordi Mollà, and Cliff Curtis.
The movie is based on the true story of George Jung, who is a famous drug trafficker and cocaine smuggler. Jung was trapped in implicit deeds and was ill-famous for smuggling drugs in the U.S. during the 1970s-80s. Jung soon rises to extreme power, and in greed of establishing his empire, his moves turn opposite and lead to his doom.
28) Black Mass
The movie is a 2001 crime-drama story directed by Scott Cooper, starring Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, Kevin Bacon, Jesse Plemons, and Dakota Johnson. The film is based on a true character named James “Whitey” Bulger.
The story revolves around the Irish-American mobster named James “Whitey” Bulger. Who also has the identity of the FBI as their informant in his later years. James was also a part of Boston’s violent Winter Hill Gang in the 1970s-80s. The story shows how Whitey rose to underworld powers and, due to his involvement with the FBI, how it turned back to the ground.
Also Read: Top 10 Best Johnny Depp Movies: His Greatest Roles
29) Legend
The 2015 crime-thriller film, which is directed by Brian Helgeland, starring Tom Hardy in a dual role. The story is based upon true events revolving around the Kray Twins, Ronald, and Reggie, in the East End of London, in the year of 1960s.
The film revolves around the twin brothers Ronald and Reggie, who gained so much power the East End of London was traumatized by both of them. The twins were known as the Kray twins and were considered one of the notorious gangsters in the area. The movie depicts the exact image of horror and crimes around the year of the happening.
30) The Usual Suspects
The movie is a crime-thriller story released in 1995. The movie was one of the most liked ones of the time, which was directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie. The stars of the movie include the names Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro, and Kevin Pollak.
The story follows five criminals who are brought together in one place by another mastermind criminal named Keyser Soze, who is entangled in a major heist. The group tries their best to find out about the mastermind and to stop him from getting away with the heist. The film then surrounds the struggles and betrayals between the 5 to reach the heist and mastermind.
31) Bad Education
The 2019 film has a dark-drama-comedy genre which is directed by Cory Finley. The stars of the movies were Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, and Ray Romano. The movie has the backgrounds attached to real-life events of Roslyn, A New York school district in the year 2000.
The story is set in the early era of 2000, when Frank Tassone, along with his assistant Pam Gluckin found piles of millions of dollars from the New York school district. The officers keep the story mute while searching the grounds of such a big happening, making sure to safeguard it from the students and the school. But a student journalist notices their activities and exposes their secret, which holds the officers captivated.
32) Goodfellas
A classic film directed by Martin Scorsese but released by Warner Bros in the 1990s. The cast of the story includes Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta, Paul Sorvino, and Lorraine Bracco.
The story contains the life events of a mobster Henry Hill. How Henry rises from a local mobster to drug dealing and extortion in a blink is all a viewer comprehends. Henry seems to be struggling between his criminal and personal lives, which keeps him on his toes throughout the movie.
33) Snatch
The crime-comedy genre was the base of the movie “Snatch,” released in 2000. The movie is directed by Guy Ritchie and written by Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn. The stars of the movie were Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Benicio del Toro, Vinnie Jones, Dennis Farina, Rade Šerbedžija, and Alan Ford.
Snatch (Credits: HBO Max)The film revolves around a group of criminals and the dangerous adventures they go through while pulling off a diamond heist. Their dreams of having fun after the heist got interrupted by a series of misfortunes, and hence the move shifts towards their struggles of keeping their head safe from police.
34) American Gangster
The movie, directed by Ridley Scott, is one of the epic stories in crime- drama genre. The film is set in the 1970s and is a true life story of Frank Lucas. The lead star of the movie is played by Denzel Washington, along with Lymari Nadal, Russell Crowe, and Idris Elba in supporting roles.
The story revolves around a pathetic minimal criminal named Frank Lucas, who soon rose to become a powerful figure of the city and its underworld. His crimes are eventually noticed and challenged by an active and ambitious detective who had a big part in pulling him down.
35) The Fifth Estate
The story is a real-life situation, crime-drama- thriller movie. The movie is directed by Bill Condon. The movie is about the news-leaking website WikiLeaks. The stars of the movie include Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl, Anthony Mackie, Stanley Tucci, Laura Linney, Moritz Bleibtreu, David Thewlis, and Alicia Vikander.
The Fifth Estate (Credits: Disney Hotstar)The story revolves around two men who are portrayed as idealistic and naive as they seek ways to create a new type of journalism. The new type would be accessible to common people that share the secrets of government and corporations.
Also Read: Benedict Cumberbatch 10 Best Movies, Ranked (According To Rotten Tomatoes)
36) Public Enemies
The movie was released in 2009, an American biographical thriller- crime story. The picture was directed by Michael Mann, and the actors in the movie include Johnny Depp, John Dillinger, and Christian Bale as leads.
The story follows the real-life Dillinger, who rose to power due to his daring robberies and evading captures. The film follows the lifestyle of a notorious bank robber John Dillinger and his gang who rob the Midwest, But this time they are now pursued by FBI agent Purvis. This time Purvis is determined to set his hands on Dillinger.
37) Veronica Guerin
Directed by Joel Schumacher, the movie is set on the real-life story of Irish journalist Veronica Guerin. The role of Veronica is played by actress Cate Blanchett. The genre of the film consists of a biographical crime-thriller setup.
Veronica Guerin (Credits: Disney Hotstar)The story starts with Veronica investigating a case of drug trading in Dublin, which was very widespread and serious at the time. Through her articles, she managed to expose some major details about this hidden world, which eventually took a turn on her. She was murdered to death by those gangsters.
38) 99 Homes
99 homes is a 2014 released American drama-thriller film. The picture is directed by Ramin Bahrani and is written by Ramin Bahrani and Amir Naderi. The cast of the movie includes Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon as leads.
The story revolves around Dennis, who is a single father who is evicted from his own house along with his family by businessman Rick Carver. Later Rick lured Dennis to evict other people from their house in order to get his house back from him.
39) Live by Night
The crime-drama film was released in 2016 and is directed by Ben Affleck. The movie is based on a novel of the same name written by Dennis Lehane. The cast includes the actors such as Ben Affleck, Elle Fanning, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldaña, Brendan Gleeson, Chris Messina, and Chris Cooper.
The story follows Joe Coughlin, a veteran of World War 1 who eventually, after the war, turns his life into crimes in the prohibition era. The man’s attempts to survive in the era actually made him stuck in the trap. He eventually finds himself all between a corrupt police force and a powerful mobster and tries his best to overcome the problem.
Also Read: 20 Of The Best Ben Affleck Movies To Watch
