Celebrating 20 Years of 'The Departed': 5 Crime Thrillers Worth Watching
By Elliot Lines - October 8, 2026
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Martin Scorsese’s The Departed (2006) remains one of the finest crime thrillers of the 21st century. With a star-studded cast, razor-sharp dialogue and a story built around corruption, betrayal and divided loyalties, the Oscar-winning film turns 20 years old this year. But if you've already revisited the world of Billy Costigan, Colin Sullivan and Frank Costello more times than you can count, there are plenty of other crime thrillers worth your attention.
From undercover operations and organised crime to corrupt police officers and criminals who find themselves in increasingly dangerous situations, these six films capture something of what makes The Departed so compelling.
1 Infernal Affairs (2002), Dir. Wai Keung Lau & Alan Mak
A young police officer infiltrates a powerful Hong Kong triad while a criminal secretly rises through the ranks of the police force. With both men living double lives, their respective organisations begin searching for the moles in their midst, setting off a dangerous game of deception in which one wrong move could expose everything.
Before Scorsese brought The Departed to American audiences, there was Infernal Affairs. The Hong Kong crime thriller from directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak provided the blueprint for Scorsese’s Oscar-winning remake, and while the similarities are impossible to ignore, the original is more than capable of standing on its own two feet. At a lean 101 minutes, Infernal Affairs wastes little time getting to the heart of its story, delivering a tightly constructed thriller that arguably handles the psychological toll of living a double life with even greater precision. For anyone who loved The Departed, this is essential viewing.
Where to Buy: Prime Video (Ad) - Buy or Rent
2 Heat (1995), Dir. Michael Mann
Professional criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) leads a highly disciplined crew responsible for a string of elaborate robberies across Los Angeles. When obsessive LAPD detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) begins closing in, the two men become locked in a battle of wits, with their increasingly personal rivalry threatening to destroy everything around them.
Few crime thrillers have managed to capture the relationship between criminals and those pursuing them quite like Michael Mann’s Heat. Bringing Robert De Niro and Al Pacino face-to-face in one of cinema’s most iconic encounters, Mann constructs a sprawling, atmospheric examination of two men who, despite operating on opposite sides of the law, have far more in common than either would care to admit. Like The Departed, it's a film fascinated by obsession, loyalty and the sacrifices that come with living a life consumed by crime.
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Where to Buy: Blu-ray (Ad)
3 Donnie Brasco (1997), Dir. Mike Newell
FBI agent Joseph Pistone assumes the identity of jewel thief Donnie Brasco to infiltrate the New York Mafia. Taken under the wing of ageing mobster Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero (Al Pacino), Pistone gradually earns the trust of the criminal organisation. However, as his assignment stretches into years, his growing attachment to Lefty threatens both his professional responsibilities and his personal life.
If Billy Costigan's increasingly desperate attempts to maintain his cover were among your favourite aspects of The Departed, then Donnie Brasco should be next on your watchlist. Based on an extraordinary true story, Mike Newell's crime drama swaps Scorsese's relentless twists and explosive confrontations for something considerably more intimate.
Where to Watch: Sony Pictures Core
Where to Buy: Prime Video (Ad) - Buy or Rent | Blu-ray (Ad)
4 The Town (2010), Dir. Ben Affleck
Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) leads a skilled group of bank robbers operating out of Boston's Charlestown neighbourhood. After developing an unexpected relationship with a woman taken hostage during one of their robberies, Doug begins questioning his criminal lifestyle. But with the FBI closing in and his increasingly volatile best friend refusing to walk away, escaping his past proves far more difficult than he imagined.
Boston provides the backdrop once again in Ben Affleck's The Town, a gripping crime thriller that shares more than just its location with The Departed. Affleck, who also directs, delivers a compelling performance as a career criminal desperate to escape the life that has defined him, while Jeremy Renner is outstanding as his dangerously unpredictable partner in crime. Although The Town leans more heavily into elaborate heists and explosive action sequences, there's a similar sense of inevitability running through its story.
Where to Watch: Prime Video | Netflix | HBO Max | Apple TV | NOW TV
Where to Buy: Prime Video (Ad) - Buy or Rent | Blu-ray (Ad)
5 The Irishman (2019), Dir. Ben Afleck
Frank Sheeran (Rovert De Niro), a World War II veteran turned truck driver, becomes involved with organised crime after developing a relationship with powerful mob boss Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci). As Frank rises through the criminal underworld, his association with influential union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) places him at the centre of a decades-spanning story of loyalty, betrayal and violence.
Returning to familiar territory, Martin Scorsese reunites with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci for The Irishman, a sprawling gangster epic that feels like a natural companion piece to The Departed. However, where the latter thrives on its frantic pacing and almost unbearable tension, The Irishman takes a far more reflective approach to the consequences of a life spent in organised crime. At nearly three and a half hours, it's certainly a commitment, but one that pays off through exceptional performances and Scorsese's remarkably assured direction.
Where to Watch: Netflix
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Elliot Lines
Founder/Lead Editor
Elliot loves to surround himself with all things movies. Whether that be his movie related LEGO collection or enough Blu-rays to restart blockbuster.
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