Best Movies like The Departed (2006)

Infernal Affairs features double undercover operations between police and organized crime, sharing the central plot mechanic with The Departed, as both films explore the tension and danger of moles embedded on opposing sides of the law, delving into shifting loyalties and the moral ambiguity of their characters.

Chan Wing Yan, a young police officer, has been sent undercover as a mole in the local mafia. Lau Kin Ming, a young mafia member, infiltrates the police force. Years later, their older counterparts, Chen Wing Yan and Inspector Lau Kin Ming, respectively, race against time to expose the mole within their midst. Infernal Affairs is a movie from Hong Kong in Cantonese, with a total 1h 41m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 7.8 by 1,893 people. The movie made an estimated total of $8,836,958 in the box office.

Donnie Brasco centers on an undercover agent infiltrating the mob, mirroring The Departed’s focus on deep-cover assignments and the personal toll of living a double life while navigating the blurred lines between police work and organized crime.

An FBI undercover agent infiltrates the mob and identifies more with the mafia life at the expense of his regular one. Donnie Brasco is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 7m runtime, released in 1997 with an average rating of 7.5 by 4,926 people. The movie made an estimated total of $124,909,762 in the box office.

Heat examines high-stakes battles between elite criminals and determined detectives, similarly to The Departed's cat-and-mouse dynamic between law enforcement and criminal organizations, and both films emphasize the personal sacrifices made by those on both sides.

Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence. Heat is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 50m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 7.9 by 8,529 people. The movie made an estimated total of $187,400,000 in the box office.

Internal Affairs revolves around corruption within the police force and the dangerous games of subterfuge officers play against one another, echoing The Departed’s themes of infiltration, trust, betrayal, and moral compromise in law enforcement.

Keen young Raymold Avila joins the Internal Affairs Department of the Los Angeles police. He and partner Amy Wallace are soon looking closely at the activities of cop Dennis Peck whose financial holdings start to suggest something shady. Indeed Peck is involved in any number of dubious or downright criminal activities. He is also devious, a womaniser, and a clever manipulator, and he starts to turn his attention on Avila. Internal Affairs is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 55m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 6.4 by 454 people. The movie made an estimated total of $27,734,391 in the box office.

The Godfather’s depiction of the inner workings of a criminal syndicate and its complex relationships ties into The Departed’s exploration of crime family dynamics, loyalty, and the impact organized crime has on both its members and outsiders.

Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge. The Godfather is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 55m runtime, released in 1972 with an average rating of 8.7 by 23,253 people. The movie made an estimated total of $245,066,411 in the box office.

The Godfather Part II continues the intricate portrayal of organized crime seen in The Departed, focusing on themes of succession, betrayal, and the intertwining of personal ambition and crime within syndicates.

In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba. The Godfather Part II is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 3h 22m runtime, released in 1974 with an average rating of 8.6 by 14,112 people. The movie made an estimated total of $102,600,000 in the box office.

Serpico delves into a police officer’s fight against internal corruption, paralleling The Departed’s scrutiny of loyalty, undercover work, and the blurred moral lines navigated by those within law enforcement.

New York cop Frank Serpico blows the whistle on the rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him. Serpico is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 9m runtime, released in 1973 with an average rating of 7.5 by 2,219 people. The movie made an estimated total of $30,800,000 in the box office.

The Town focuses on Boston’s criminal underworld, offering a regional connection with The Departed. Both films portray the intersecting lives of criminals and law enforcement amid high-stakes robberies and betrayal.

Doug MacRay is a longtime thief, who, smarter than the rest of his crew, is looking for his chance to exit the game. When a bank job leads to the group kidnapping an attractive branch manager, he takes on the role of monitoring her – but their burgeoning relationship threatens to unveil the identities of Doug and his crew to the FBI Agent who is on their case. The Town is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 5m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 7.2 by 5,745 people. The movie made an estimated total of $154,026,136 in the box office.

L.A. Confidential investigates crime and corruption within a police force, similar to The Departed’s complex tangle of moles, divided loyalties, and the challenges of exposing hidden truths within supposedly lawful institutions.

Three detectives in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner. L.A. Confidential is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 18m runtime, released in 1997 with an average rating of 7.8 by 5,634 people. The movie made an estimated total of $126,216,940 in the box office.

Scarface tracks the rise of a criminal figure in organized crime, with a focus on ambition and moral decay that echoes The Departed’s portrayal of criminal networks and those who ascend within dangerous syndicates.

After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall. Scarface is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 50m runtime, released in 1983 with an average rating of 8.2 by 13,236 people. The movie made an estimated total of $66,023,329 in the box office.

American Gangster explores the operations of a criminal empire and law enforcement efforts to dismantle it, sharing The Departed’s preoccupation with the intricate cat-and-mouse game between cops and crime bosses.

Loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina, who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, before being detained by a task force led by Newark Detective Richie Roberts. American Gangster is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 37m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 7.6 by 6,134 people. The movie made an estimated total of $269,755,430 in the box office.

Eastern Promises, like The Departed, focuses on organized crime and the dangerous secrets hidden within criminal syndicates, emphasizing the personal cost of involvement in such worlds and the complexity of divided loyalties.

A Russian teenager living in London dies during childbirth but leaves clues in her diary that could tie her child to a rape involving a violent Russian mob family. Eastern Promises is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 7.3 by 3,774 people. The movie made an estimated total of $56,106,607 in the box office.

The French Connection details a relentless police pursuit of organized crime figures, connecting to The Departed through its focus on law enforcement’s ongoing struggle against powerful criminal organizations.

Tough narcotics detective 'Popeye' Doyle is in hot pursuit of a suave French drug dealer who may be the key to a huge heroin-smuggling operation. The French Connection is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 44m runtime, released in 1971 with an average rating of 7.5 by 2,167 people. The movie made an estimated total of $41,200,000 in the box office.

City of God addresses the rise of organized crime and its impact on individuals trying to navigate violent environments, akin to the dangerous worlds inhabited by characters in The Departed.

In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood, while José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer diving into a dangerous life of crime. City of God is a movie from Brazil in Portuguese, with a total 2h 9m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 8.4 by 8,317 people. The movie made an estimated total of $30,641,770 in the box office.

Mystic River explores crime, secrets, and tragic consequences within a tight-knit community, resonating with The Departed’s examination of how crime infiltrates personal lives and relationships among Boston residents.

The lives of three men who were childhood friends are shattered when one of them suffers a family tragedy. Mystic River is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 18m runtime, released in 2003 with an average rating of 7.7 by 7,577 people. The movie made an estimated total of $156,800,000 in the box office.

Mean Streets depicts the challenges of loyalty and ambition among small-time criminals, themes central to The Departed’s narrative which also follows criminals’ navigation of power and trust in their circles.

A small-time hood must choose from among love, friendship and the chance to rise within the mob. Mean Streets is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 52m runtime, released in 1973 with an average rating of 7.0 by 2,324 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,000,000 in the box office.

GoodFellas immerses viewers in the inner workings of organized crime and the allure of gang life, themes reflected in The Departed’s focus on criminal organizations and the shifting allegiances of those within them.

The true story of Henry Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian Brooklyn kid who is adopted by neighbourhood gangsters at an early age and climbs the ranks of a Mafia family under the guidance of Jimmy Conway. GoodFellas is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 25m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 8.5 by 14,562 people. The movie made an estimated total of $47,072,327 in the box office.

Carlito's Way shows a former criminal’s struggle to escape his past, paralleling The Departed’s exploration of characters shaped by their choices and the inescapable pull of the criminal underworld.

Free after years in prison, Carlito Brigante intends to give up his criminal ways, but it's not long before the ex-con is sucked back into the New York City underworld. Carlito's Way is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 24m runtime, released in 1993 with an average rating of 7.8 by 3,521 people. The movie made an estimated total of $63,848,322 in the box office.

Training Day examines corruption, manipulation, and blurred lines between right and wrong within law enforcement, aligning with The Departed’s investigation of compromised morality and undercover operations.

On his first day on the job as a narcotics officer, a rookie cop works with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears. Training Day is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 2m runtime, released in 2001 with an average rating of 7.5 by 6,707 people. The movie made an estimated total of $104,900,000 in the box office.

State of Grace depicts infiltration of an organized crime group and loyalty conflicts, much like The Departed’s storyline of undercover operations amidst violent crime syndicates and divided allegiances.

Hell's Kitchen, New York. Terry Noonan returns home after a ten-year absence. He soon reconnects with Jackie, a childhood friend and member of the Irish mob, and rekindles his love affair with Jackie's sister Kathleen. State of Grace is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 15m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 7.0 by 429 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,911,542 in the box office.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle focuses on small-time criminals operating in Boston, sharing with The Departed both its New England setting and its exploration of how criminal and law enforcement lives intersect with fatal consequences.

An aging hood is about to go back to prison. Hoping to escape his fate, he supplies information on stolen guns to the feds, while simultaneously supplying arms to his bank robbing chums. The Friends of Eddie Coyle is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 1973 with an average rating of 7.2 by 211 people.

A Bittersweet Life revolves around a criminal working within a syndicate, navigating shifting loyalties and personal codes—similar to the conflicts and betrayals seen among criminals and undercover operatives in The Departed.

Kim Sun-woo is an enforcer and manager for a hotel owned by a cold, calculative crime boss, Kang who assigns Sun-woo to a simple errand while he is away on a business trip; to shadow his young mistress, Hee-soo, for fear that she may be cheating on him with a younger man with the mandate that he must kill them both if he discovers their affair. A Bittersweet Life is a movie from South Korea in Korean, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 7.4 by 1,015 people. The movie made an estimated total of $7,600,000 in the box office.

Narc centers on law enforcement officers investigating deep into the criminal underworld, echoing the undercover and investigative aspects key to The Departed’s narrative.

Narcotics Sergeant Nick Tellis, on leave after a trauma, is called back to investigate the murder of fellow undercover operative Michael Calvess, joined by the victim's unpredictable and brutal ex-partner, Henry Oak. Working together in the back alleys of Detroit, Tellis and Oak delve into a dark investigation that leads them to uncover shocking secrets and question the corruption and morality within the department, encountering unorthodox methods and a brutal truth about Calvess's death. Narc is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 45m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 6.8 by 599 people. The movie made an estimated total of $12,633,747 in the box office.

The Yakuza deals with crime syndicates and the cultural codes governing those immersed in organized crime, paralleling The Departed’s focus on syndicate operations and personal danger confronting those who cross established lines.

When George Tanner does business with high-ranking Yakuza Tono, Tono kidnaps his daughter, and George summons his old friend, private eye Harry Kilmer, to Japan to investigate. The Yakuza is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 52m runtime, released in 1974 with an average rating of 7.1 by 214 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,500,000 in the box office.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy focuses on the presence of a mole within an organization and the tense process of uncovering their identity, overlapping with The Departed’s central thread of double agents and hidden allegiances.

George Smiley, the aging master spy of the Cold War and once heir apparent to Control, is brought back out of retirement to flush out a top level mole within the Circus. Smiley must travel back through his life and murky workings of the Circus to unravel the net spun by his nemesis Karla 'The Sandman' of the KGB and reveal the identity of the mole before he disappears. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 2h 7m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 6.6 by 2,968 people. The movie made an estimated total of $81,515,369 in the box office.

Sexy Beast illustrates how past criminal connections resurface, pulling individuals back into dangerous worlds, echoing The Departed’s theme of inevitable confrontation with one’s criminal past and alliances.

Ex-safecracker Gal Dove has served his time behind bars and is blissfully retired to a Spanish villa paradise with a wife he adores. The idyll is shattered by the arrival of his nemesis Don Logan, intent on persuading Gal to return to London for one last big job. Sexy Beast is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 29m runtime, released in 2001 with an average rating of 7.0 by 915 people.

Layer Cake portrays the challenges faced by a mid-level player in organized crime, navigating ambition, power struggles, and betrayal, much like The Departed’s characters maneuver within syndicates and law enforcement.

When a seemingly straight-forward drug deal goes awry, XXXX has to break his die-hard rules and turn up the heat, not only to outwit the old regime and come out on top, but to save his own skin... Layer Cake is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 45m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 6.9 by 2,418 people. The movie made an estimated total of $11,900,000 in the box office.

The Untouchables chronicles a determined police effort to bring down a major crime boss, mirroring The Departed’s focus on law enforcement’s pursuit of organized crime through covert and risky tactics.

Elliot Ness, an ambitious prohibition agent, is determined to take down Al Capone. In order to achieve this goal, he forms a group given the nickname “The Untouchables”. The Untouchables is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 1987 with an average rating of 7.8 by 6,246 people. The movie made an estimated total of $76,270,454 in the box office.

Miller’s Crossing dives into the complexities of shifting allegiances and power plays within a crime syndicate, themes also crucial to The Departed’s depiction of betrayal and the ambiguous loyalties of its main characters.

Set in 1929, a political boss and his advisor have a parting of the ways when they both fall for the same woman. Miller's Crossing is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 55m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 7.4 by 1,878 people. The movie made an estimated total of $5,080,409 in the box office.

The Killer explores the moral uncertainty and emotional conflicts faced by those involved in organized crime, paralleling the internal struggles and ethical dilemmas confronted by characters in The Departed.

Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman to make things right. The Killer is a movie from Hong Kong in Cantonese, with a total 1h 50m runtime, released in 1989 with an average rating of 7.6 by 918 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,350,174 in the box office.

Le Cercle Rouge dwells in the world of criminals and lawmen locked in tense psychological conflict, connecting to The Departed’s dual focus on pursuit, infiltration, and the risks faced by both sides.

When French criminal Corey gets released from prison, he resolves to never return. He is quickly pulled back into the underworld, however, after a chance encounter with escaped murderer Vogel. Along with former policeman and current alcoholic Jansen, they plot an intricate jewel heist. All the while, quirky Police Commissioner Mattei, who was the one to lose custody of Vogel, is determined to find him. Le Cercle Rouge is a movie from France in French, with a total 2h 20m runtime, released in 1970 with an average rating of 7.6 by 737 people.

Out of the Furnace examines the impact of crime and violence on working-class lives in America, reflecting The Departed’s interest in the personal cost of crime and the intersections of community, loyalty, and wrongdoing.

Two brothers live in the economically-depressed Rust Belt, when a cruel twist of fate lands one in prison. His brother is then lured into one of the most violent crime rings in the Northeast. Out of the Furnace is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 56m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 6.6 by 2,162 people. The movie made an estimated total of $15,400,000 in the box office.

The Drop deals with criminal enterprises embedded in everyday city life, exploring the blurred lines between legality and criminality, which is also a principal concern of The Departed.

Bob Saginowski finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry and entwined in an investigation that digs deep into the neighborhood's past where friends, families, and foes all work together to make a living - no matter the cost. The Drop is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 46m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 6.8 by 2,465 people. The movie made an estimated total of $19,054,534 in the box office.

The Long Good Friday studies the shifting power structures within organized crime, paralleling The Departed’s exploration of ambition, betrayal, and the unstable hierarchy of criminal operations.

In the late 1970s, Cockney crime boss Harold Shand, a gangster trying to become a legitimate property mogul, has big plans to get the American Mafia to bankroll his transformation of a derelict area of London into the possible venue for a future Olympic Games. However, a series of bombings targets his empire on the very weekend the Americans are in town. Shand is convinced there is a traitor in his organization, and sets out to eliminate the rat in typically ruthless fashion. The Long Good Friday is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 1980 with an average rating of 7.2 by 437 people. The movie made an estimated total of $500,000 in the box office.

A Prophet follows a young man’s induction into a prison crime syndicate and his navigation through its perils, mirroring The Departed’s narrative of rising through criminal ranks amidst shifting loyalties.

Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. On his arrival at the prison, he seems younger and more brittle than the others detained there. At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group. A Prophet is a movie from France in French, with a total 2h 35m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 7.6 by 1,753 people. The movie made an estimated total of $17,874,044 in the box office.

Bad Lieutenant studies a police officer caught in a spiral of corruption and self-destruction, relating closely to The Departed’s interrogation of compromised morality and the personal toll of living between law and crime.

While investigating a young nun's rape, a corrupt New York City police detective, with a serious drug and gambling addiction, tries to change his ways and find forgiveness. Bad Lieutenant is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 1992 with an average rating of 7.0 by 977 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,019,469 in the box office.

Insomnia involves law enforcement grappling with internal conflict and challenging investigations, echoing The Departed’s investigation-focused structure and the psychological burdens borne by its main characters.

Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen. Insomnia is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 58m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 7.0 by 5,410 people. The movie made an estimated total of $113,714,830 in the box office.

Infernal Affairs II, as a prequel to Infernal Affairs, expands on the origins of organized crime infiltration and divided loyalties, deepening the themes of moles and shifting allegiances central to The Departed’s narrative.

In this prequel to the original, a bloody power struggle among the Triads coincides with the 1997 handover of Hong Kong, setting up the events of the first film. Infernal Affairs II is a movie from Hong Kong in Cantonese, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 2003 with an average rating of 7.3 by 481 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,208,262 in the box office.