Best Russian crime movies

Cargo 200 (2007)

While returning to Leningrad from a visit to his brother, Professor Artyom's car breaks down and he finds assistance at an isolated farmhouse occupied by Alexey, his wife, a Vietnamese laborer, and a stranger who wanders around the farm. When his car is repaired, Artyom leaves, drunk on moonshine, and students Valera and Angelika arrive. After Valera gets drunk, the stranger abducts Angelika.

The Factory (2018)

When a factory is bound to close, a group of workers decides to take action against the owner.

The Execution (2022)

When the police finally catch an elusive serial killer, no one can prove his guilt, resulting in the lead detective making it personal.

The Ninth (2019)

Petersburg at the end of the 19th century was embraced by a massive enthusiasm for the occult sciences and esotericism. British medium Olivia Reed arrives in the capital of the Russian Empire on tour and gathers crowds of people at her public spiritualistic sessions. At this time, a series of ritual mysterious murders takes place in the city. Girls are abducted on the streets, their mutilated bodies are found in various parts of the city. The investigation is carried out by a young police officer Rostov and his assistant Ganin. With each new victim, things are becoming more confused. Suspicion leads Rostov to Olivia, and he decides to turn to her in the hope that her genuine or imaginary ability to summon the spirits of the dead can help to get on the trail of the killer.

Centaur (2023)

Liza works at night, a taxi ride for her is a moment of much-desired peace. The driver Sasha inspires confidence, he knows the approach to the most demanding client. There are many unexpected turns in the lights of the big city, behind each of which lies a terrible threat. And perhaps the main danger is closer than it seems.

The Ghost (2008)

A novelist struggling with writer's block enlists the aid of an assassin for some inspiration -- fully unaware that he is being set up to take the blame for a murder.

Locust (2014)

The innocent summer affair began as a love story between two young people. Lera and Artem could not break it off, as well as they didn`t have enough of faith, patience and desire to overcome all the obstacles on their life path. The Locust Generation wants to have all at once. The Locust generation will sweep everything on its way. The affair began as a naive young love and passion will turn into a series of bloody assassinations.

Junk (2006)

Marina (Alyona Babenko) is a journalist contemplating retiring, bored of writing stories of serial killers and murders that are front page news one day, and then are quickly forgotten the next. At a large house a lawyer is holed up, police are in the front garden, snipers on the roof and the lawyer asks for Marina. She’s a little surprised by this as she and the lawyer have only crossed paths a few times during her career, but agrees to go to the lawyers house. Arriving at the house she’s confronted by the large police presence, she’s given a quick debrief of the situation and requested not to go into the house. She declines and enters the house. Just inside the front door is the lawyers wife, she tell Marina that he’s lost it and locked the children in their rooms and that he’s going to kill them all.

Iliana (2020)

Iliana is a psychological thriller with elements of noir and black humor, the actions of which are rapidly unfolding within 24 hours. The plot of the film is tailored as an intricate puzzle with a lot of unexpected twists that will deceive even the most sophisticated viewer. Unpredictable plot moves will keep you in suspense and ignorance until the very last frame. Iliana - this is passion and self-interest, love and hate, revenge and betrayal in one bottle - all that can happen between a man and a woman.

Vice (2007)

The film follows Denis, a young aspiring DJ who, although poor, has everything else in his favor: a calling in life as a musician, good friends and a faithful companion. Denis's fall from grace begins with a drug deal, which he agrees to out of the need for money. The decision leads to deadly consequences for almost everyone else around him, as Denis is subsequently forced to work as a drug dealer for a mafia boss and as an informer for the police chief of his city. Despite his attempts to “work off his sins”, Denis cannot escape the world of drugs and violence...

He Was a Friend of Him (2015)

After failing to commit his first murder, an aspiring serial killer decides that the most rational way to get started is to kill a friend who totally trusts you. This is how a lonely mentally unstable guy meets a naive next-door boy.

For Marx... (2013)

The workers fight for their rights creating independent union. They know that it is the only way to struggle against the owners of the plant.

Steel Butterfly (2012)

A story about a homeless teenager Chuma and her relationships with police.

Escape (2005)

Just yesterday Evgeni Vetrov had a completely different life. He had money, perfect reputation, was respected by his colleagues and most of all - he had love; but apparently he had enemies as well. One day Vetrov's wife was killed, being the only suspect he was soon found guilty. Now the only thing he can do is run, run, in order to find the real killer.

The One Who Switches Off the Light (2008)

For two months a serial killer has been terrorizing the city of St. Petersburg. Every Wednesday a girl between 9 and 12 years old is the victim. The brutality of the maniac plunges city residents into horror. Parents are afraid of leaving their children alone on the street. The press reinforces the atmosphere of fear and hysteria.

B/W (2015)

Nurick and Yaroslav are trying to robe a criminal boss. Unfortunately Nurick dies but returns to the world with a mission: to be the guardian angel of Yaroslav.

The Watchers: The Last Hero (2015)

A male corpse with the Watchers’ mark falls on a boat deck where a wedding party is in full swing. What is it – a setup or a foreboding for the team? Seems that a new avenger is in the game...

Psycho (2007)

Anna - an ordinary woman 35 years old. She works in a small office, she is divorced, single mother with a son. Repeated attempts to arrange a personal life and find a good father to the boy came to nothing. One day, returning home, the main character accidentally witnesses a politician's assassination.

12 (2007)

A loose remake of “12 Angry Men”, “12” is set in contemporary Moscow where 12 very different men must unanimously decide the fate of a young Chechen accused of murdering his step-father, a Russian army officer. Consigned to a makeshift jury room in a school gymnasium, one by one each man takes center stage to confront, connect, and confess while the accused awaits a verdict and revisits his heartbreaking journey through war in flashbacks.

The PyraMMMid (2011)

Russia, early 90s. A fictional story inspired by financier Sergey Mavrodi, his securities company "MMM", and the pyramid scheme he ran that left upwards of fifteen million investors with nothing when it crashed.

Chaika (2015)

Documentary film-investigation of financial frauds of persons close to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Yuri Chaika.

Казароза (2005)

Murder in the "Pheasant's Nest" (2021)

A special "Inside Lapenko" in the detective genre, telling about the mysterious events that took place in December 1886...

Very Russian Detective (2008)

A retired detective is trying to catch a serial killer who uses Russian letters to find his victims.

Elastiko (2016)

Matvey: a simple guy from a small province. What differentiates him from others are his physical attributes such as his strong legs, powerful lungs and an incredible endurance. He uses these talents to help his team win football matches but also takes advantage of his skills when it comes to small criminal adventures. This worries Dasha, his girlfriend, who tries to endlessly protect Matvey, whilst her friends are hopelessly attempting to persuade her to leave. After all, there are better options out there... Especially Vadim. Suddenly, Matvey receives an incredible offer: to go audition for a Premier League football club in Moscow. Not wanting to leave Dasha behind, he realizes he needs to obtain money for them to travel together.

Weekend (2013)

Igor Lebedev is the finance director of large corporation. He commits murder of the accountant who knew about his dirty frauds and tried to restore justice.

A Fairy Tale for the Old (2022)

One morning, the criminal authority Dad convenes three "sons" and tells the latest news. Everyone remembers how three years ago, the keeper of the regional communal Mule ran away, taking the money. Also, everyone remembers how he was found, punished and buried. And the news is like this. Yesterday Mulya, alive and well, was seen in three cities at once: St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Rostov. Dad sends "sons" to these cities to scout out what's what. For each of them, the journey will not be the easiest.

Black Square (1992)

While investigating an ordinary homicide a group of detectives suddenly find a connection to a very first faces of USSR government.

Arbiter (1992)

The city "N" seized by chaos and lawlessness. A hitman nicknamed "The Arbiter" accomplishes justice. Experienced investigator and his partner, a young police lieutenant, decided to catch the mysterious killer. During the investigation, it turns out that the killer is a man who were a victim once.

The White List (2023)

During a nationwide moral panic caused by a recent spike in teenage suicides two federal investigators are sent to a small Russian town to review a cold case involving a suspicious death of a schoolgirl. Initially seeing their task as a mere PR stunt both gradually start to loose their focus as they venture deeper into the paranoid world of conspiracy theories surrounding the case.