5 Underappreciated Crime Films

*hums the Pink Panther theme song*

Crime dramas can be exciting, terrifying, funny, confusing and generally full of mature themes and content. With that in mind, I wanted to tackle a new genre to the Underappreciated Films series: crime!

Only real rules here are:

• Films must have a crime of some sort at the center of their plots.
• One entry to a series - as usual

Here are 5 Underappreciated Crime Films!

Enjoy!

Number 5: Kiss of the Dragon (2001)

Jet Li plays an intelligence agent who is framed for the murders of a mob boss and prostitute. He teams up with another prostitute who was the only witness to what actually happened and works to prove his innocence while avoiding getting shot in the process.

I'm a huge fan of martial arts films and Jet Li has a fantastic repertoire of films to choose from: Romeo Must Die and Rogue Assassin are great films and are well worth watching if you haven't seen them already.

Kiss of the Dragon was released in 2001 to mixed reception with critics generally feeling like the violence in the film was largely unnecessary. That said, the film was a financial success grossing $64 million at the box office on a budget of just $25 million.

Jet Li and Bridget Fonda are great in this film and all the performances are on point. If you haven't seen this one, it's definitely worth your time!

Number 4: Dirty Harry (1971)

Clint Eastwood plays San Francisco police inspector Harry Callahan, a man who has the nickname 'Dirty Harry' because of his brutal methodology in terms of crime-fighting. He is put on the trail of a psychotic serial killer - Scorpio.

Dirty Harry was released in 1971 and was decidedly controversial at the time. Topics of police brutality, victims rights and law enforcement in general were strongly discussed. The film got under a lot of people's skins but particularly the feminist movement of the time.

The film was a commercial success grossing $36 million at the box office on a budget of $4 million: nine times the initial budget! In the years since its release, Dirty Harry has developed a major following and is quoted and referenced in other films, books and TV series very often.

Number 3: A Shot in the Dark (1964)

Peter Sellers returns to the role as Inspector Jacques Clouseau in this second installment of the original Pink Panther series.

A Shot in the Dark follows Jacques Clouseau as he tries to solve the murder of a servant at a wealthy family's mansion. The only suspect is Maria Gambrelli (Elke Sommer) but the inspector isn't convinced.

I saw this one when I was probably a bit too young and most of the jokes flew over my head so I was actually just laughing at the silly antics on screen. The running gag of Clouseau releasing Maria after each arrest and Comissioner Dreyfus's rapidly deteriorating sanity were fun to watch but my favorite gag was Cato - Clouseau's...manservant? Friend? I'm not sure what to call him. The self-defense training between to the two of them was so funny!

A Shot in the Dark was a major success and has a major cult following - deservedly so. Sadly, however, this one doesn't really get any attention.

Number 2: Cause of Death (2001)

Patrick Bergin plays Taylor, an attorney who is assigned to investigate a murder. The primary suspect is Angela Carter (Joan Severance) but the evidence doesn't line up with the story and if she's convicted it's a one-way trip to death row.

Cause of Death was released in 2001 and it has since disappeared. It's not great; but it's not terrible. The story is good, performances are okay and the music is nice but the pacing is all over the place and it can be a drag to sit through. With all that said, the film should at least be given some recognition for what it is: a B movie.

Number 1: The Deadly Mr. Frost (1990)

The number 1 pick is always the hardest one because there are so many films that could hit it! With that said, this was an easy one to pick because who could be a worse monster than the devil himself?

Jeff Goldblum plays the eccentric and wealthy Mr. Frost who is arrested for murder when a police officer (Alan Bates) comes calling to investigate a report that a body was found on his estate - after finding 24 bodies buried in his garden, of course. Frost spends the next two years in a mental institution in absolute silence; refusing to speak to anyone until Dr. Sarah Day (Kathy Baker) shows up. He tells her that he is the devil and things go downhill really fast after that.

If I had to use just one word to describe this film, it would have to be: unsettling. The performances are amazing! Kathy Baker plays her role as the stubborn sceptic perfectly and Alan Bates is a perfect obsessed detective. The standout role is Jeff Goldblum though. He plays the part of Frost with an air of casual ease and just watching him gives you chills. His gleeful confession is both horrifying and hysterical.

"Oh yeah, I just finished burying it when you showed up!"

It's hysterical in that he just outright says it. He's a killer and proud of it which is what makes that line all the more horrifying. He kills casually; for no other reason than it's fun for him.

One thing this movie does really well is that it doesn't talk down to the audience. The mystery is exactly that: a mystery. We never learn anything about the character of Mr. Frost. Was he actually the devil or was he just some random wealthy eccentric whom the devil possessed? These are just some of the things that we're left to ponder as the film comes to its unsettling conclusion.