10 Best Movies Like Widows

Brought to life by award-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen and written by Gillian Flynn, Widows is a tense neo-noir heist thriller that boasts an incredibly talented cast led by Viola Davis. She plays Veronica Rawlings, a Chicago teacher’s union delegate and the widow of a thief who died along with his crew during their last heist. Following his death, Veronica proceeds to round up the other wives of the dead men to finish the job their husbands couldn’t while various dangerous parties threaten them.

Alongside Viola Davis, Widows features Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, and Cynthia Ervio, as the three of them join Veronica’s new group. The 2018 movie is a stylish and thought-provoking entry into the heist genre that explores female survival in the face of indescribable odds and desperation, and the Widows ending is enough to leave anyone speechless. If you love Widows and you’re looking for another film that delivers the same type of excitement, here are some great movies to watch.

10

Triple 9 (2016)

Directed By John Hillcoat

Triple 9 - Poster - Group Of Men Wearing Red With Rifles

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Triple 9

R

Action

Crime

Adventure

Thriller

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5/10

Release Date

February 19, 2016

Runtime

115 Minutes

Director

John Hillcoat

Writers

Matt Cook

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Casey Affleck

    Casey Affleck

  • Headshot Of Chiwetel Ejiofor In The UK Paramount+ Launch Event

    Chiwetel Ejiofor

Main Genre

Action

Budget

20000000.0

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Triple 9 is an intense and gritty film that, like Widows, benefits from a spectacular cast. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Anthony Mackie play members of a gang of thieves who attempt to pull off a major heist. In order to provide themselves with a distraction for the robbery, they plan to kill a rookie cop, played by Casey Affleck. Triple 9 is pulpy and often brutal, and it knows exactly what type of film it wants to be.

The film is pulpy and often brutal, and it knows exactly what type of film it wants to be.

The movie is a dirty crime story filled with unlikeable characters and brutal violence. Like Widows, Triple 9 does not seem interested in glossing over the ugliness of a life of crime, which makes for a harrowing viewing experience. While the movie might not have the same interest in looking at crime through a female lens, it is still a worthwhile watch for those that enjoyed Widows, if only for the intense action and fascinating character dynamics throughout.

9

Ocean’s Eight (2018)

Directed By Gary Ross

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Ocean’s Eight

PG-13

Crime

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6/10

5.5/10

Release Date

June 8, 2018

Runtime

111minutes

Director

Gary Ross

Writers

Gary Ross, Olivia Milch

Prequel(s)

Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelve, Ocean’s Thirteen

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Helena Bonham Carter In The 2024 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises

    Helena Bonham Carter

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Denisa Juhos

Budget

$70 million

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A spinoff of the George Clooney Ocean’s Eleven movies, Ocean’s Eight might be more light-hearted than Widows but still hits similar beats, albeit in a much more fun way. Sandra Bullock stars as a career criminal who is released from prison and forms a group of thieves, including Cate Blanchett, Awkwafina, Rihanna, and Mindy Kaling, to rob the Met Gala. It features a strong cast of characters that all have a job to do, much like in the original films.

Collage of George Clooney, Sandra Bullock and Fran Sinatra in the Ocean's movies

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It’s rare to see female characters leading this kind of crime story, but both Widows and this film allow the female stars to own the screen, which gives the story a fresh feel to the sometimes tired genre. Gary Ross also did an admirable job in the director’s chair, taking over from Steven Soderbergh.

8

Ronin (1998)

Directed By John Frankenheimer

ronin poster

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Ronin

R

Action

Crime

Drama

10/10

Release Date

September 25, 1998

Runtime

121 Minutes

Director

John Frankenheimer

Writers

J.D. Zeik, David Mamet

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Robert De Niro In The 35th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Night

    Robert De Niro

  • Headshot Of Jean Reno

    Jean Reno

Main Genre

Action

Budget

$55 Million

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With a skilled filmmaker like Steve McQueen behind the camera, Widows feels even more grand than some of the other lesser heist films. The same can be said for Ronin, an international thriller that stars Robert De Niro as a criminal who joins a team hired to retrieve a mysterious package from a group of dangerous individuals, and director John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate) really elevates the material.

He creates a thrilling and often suspenseful film full of mind-blowing action sequences that are tense from start to finish. Ronin also boasts an incredible cast that stars the likes of Jean Reno, Stellan Skarsgård, and Sean Bean alongside De Niro. While it might not explore the exact themes of Widows, Ronin is a solid thriller that expertly adheres to the genre’s tropes while being fresh enough to truly stand on its own.

7

Sicario (2015)

Directed By Denis Villeneuve

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Sicario

R

Action

Crime

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

9/10

42

9/10

Release Date

September 17, 2015

Runtime

122 minutes

Director

Denis Villeneuve

Writers

Taylor Sheridan

Producers

Basil Iwanyk, Edward McDonnell, Ellen H. Schwartz, Molly Smith, Thad Luckinbill, Stacy Perskie

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Benicio Del Toro

    Benicio Del Toro

    Alejandro Gillick

  • Headshot Of Emily Blunt

    Emily Blunt

    Kate Macer

Sequel(s)

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado

Main Genre

Action

Character(s)

Alejandro Gillick, Kate Macer, Matt Graver, Dave Jennings, Ted, Reggie Wayne, Steve Forsing, Rafael, Fausto Alarcon, Phil Coopers, Manuel Diaz, Silvio, Burnett, Guillermo, Silvio’s Wife, Eliseo, Delta Leader, Delta #2, Swat Officer, Coroner (Phoenix), Phoenix Cop, Air Force MP, AIC Guard, US Marshal, US Marshal Keith

Budget

$30 million

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Widows does a fantastic job of building tension throughout the film simply with its atmosphere, which Sicario pulls off to an impressive degree. Denis Villeneuve masterfully directs this dusty thriller, which stars Emily Blunt as an FBI agent who joins a covert mission to take down drug cartels operating in Mexico and along the border.

Sicario Day of the Soldado Benecio del Toro

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Much like Widows, Sicario has a foreboding sense of doom throughout the story. The feel of the world that Villeneuve created is grimy, dirty, and often brutal. It’s a boiling pot ready to spill over, and when it does, Sicario takes off like a rocket, ending in one of the most harrowing ways possible. That tension helps make for a gripping story that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats from the very beginning.

6

Hell Or High Water (2016)

Directed By David Mackenzie

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Hell or High Water

R

Crime

Documentary

Drama

Thriller

Western

ScreenRant logo

8/10

16

8.9/10

Release Date

August 12, 2016

Runtime

97minutes

Director

David Mackenzie

Writers

Taylor Sheridan

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Gil Birmingham

    Gil Birmingham

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Kristin Berg

Budget

$12 million

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Academy Award Best Picture nominee Hell or High Water is another heist movie that tells the story of Chris Pine’s Toby Howard and Ben Foster’s Tanner Howard, two brothers who team up to rob banks across the state in order to save their family home from foreclosure. Widows explores the horrific side of crime, and Hell or High Water also does that as well, as it takes the two brothers on a journey full of moral complexity and deceptively high stakes.

It takes the two brothers on a journey full of moral complexity and deceptively high stakes.

Hell or High Water is a fantastic and thrilling crime film with some tense sequences. Perhaps the biggest difference the film has with Widows is that it acts as a neo-Western, firmly sitting within that genre as well, despite exploring similar themes. It’s a masterpiece of a film and one of the finest modern Western movies made.

5

The Departed (2006)

Directed By Martin Scorsese

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The Departed

R

Drama

Thriller

Crime

ScreenRant logo

9/10

12

9.6/10

Release Date

October 6, 2006

Runtime

151 minutes

Director

Martin Scorsese

Writers

William Monahan

Producers

Brad Grey, Brad Pitt, Graham King

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Leonardo DiCaprio In The 35th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Night

    Leonardo DiCaprio

    Billy

  • Headshot Of Matt Damon In The 74th Berlin International Film

    Matt Damon

    Colin

Main Genre

Crime

Character(s)

Billy, Colin, Costello, Dignam, Queenan, Mr. French, Madolyn, Brown, Ellerby, Cousin Sean, Barrigan, Fitzy, Delahunt, Lazio (FBI), Gwen, Govenor, Uncle Edward, Realtor, Billy’s Aunt, Mrs. Kennefick, Triad Boss, Pakistani Proprietor, Providence Gangster #1, Providence Gangster #2, Kneecapped Bankrobber

Executive Producer(s)

Doug Davison, G. Mac Brown

Budget

$90 million

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One of the best casts for any crime film ever made, The Departed is a sprawling, gritty epic about two police officers, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon, who both work as informants. Leonardo DiCaprio’s Billy Costigan Jr. is an undercover cop who gets in with Frank Costello’s (Jack Nicholson) crew, while Damon’s Colin Sullivan works for Costello despite also being in the NYPD. They find themselves on a self-destructive collision course as the film progresses.

The Departed in an English-language remake of the incredible Hong Kong film, Infernal Affairs.

While Widows might not be as massive in its narrative as Martin Scorcese’s incredible film is, both movies really try to focus in on what makes their characters tick. In doing so, Widows and The Departed separate themselves from the standard crime film, as they end up being much more complex and concerned with its characters’ inner lives.

4

Prisoners (2013)

Directed By Denis Villeneuve

Prisoners Movie Poster

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Prisoners

R

Drama

Mystery

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

8/10

7.6/10

Release Date

September 20, 2013

Runtime

153 minutes

Director

Denis Villeneuve

Writers

Aaron Guzikowski

Cast

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    Hugh Jackman

  • Headshot Of Jake Gyllenhaal

    Jake Gyllenhaal

Budget

$46 million

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After already appearing on this list with Sicario, Denis Villeneuve delivers yet another intense drama that feels akin to Widows. Prisoners is a mystery thriller that stars Hugh Jackman as a father whose child goes missing, and he begins to take extreme measures to get her back. It’s a harrowing look at morality and the lengths someone would go to out of desperation for answers that they may never get.

This is another film that uses its dark and intense atmosphere to tell a gripping story that sinks its claws into you and won’t let go, long after the movie has ended. Of course, the cast is excellent, led by one of Hugh Jackman’s best performances alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Dano. It’s a hard watch but an absolute masterclass in tension throughout. It’s incredible what Villeneuve is able to pull off in this one.

3

The Town (2010)

Directed By Ben Affleck

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The Town

R

Drama

Crime

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

9/10

9.5/10

Release Date

September 17, 2010

Runtime

125 minutes

Director

Ben Affleck

Writers

Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard, Peter Craig

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Rebecca Hall In The 2024 Met Gala

    Rebecca Hall

  • Headshot Of Ben Affleck

    Ben Affleck

Budget

$37 million

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Part of what makes Widows such a compelling heist film is how it deals with the crimes in a grounded way, never sacrificing the grittiness in its story. Likewise, The Town does a lot of the same things with its own narrative and the way the film presents a life of crime. It’s an incredible crime drama that can take a real-world approach to bank robberies while still being an entertaining genre piece. It also features a career-best performance from Jeremy Renner, who is terrifying in it.

Ben Affleck with stubble and close-cropped hair looking concerned in The Town

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The second film to have Ben Affleck in the director’s chair, The Town proves that he is an incredible talent behind the camera. He also stars in the movie, which is the story of a group of street-level thieves who pull off daring heists in Charlestown, Boston. As they plan a final big score, the heat for law enforcement begins to intensify. It is a fast-paced thriller that has several set pieces akin to the masterclass action of a film like Heat.

2

Set It Off (1996)

Directed By F. Gary Gray

Set It Off - Poster

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Set It Off

R

Action

Crime

Drama

Release Date

November 6, 1996

Runtime

123 Minutes

Director

F. Gary Gray

Writers

Takashi Bufford, Kate Lanier

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Jada Pinkett Smith In The 2024 Los Angeles LGBT Center Gala

    Jada Pinkett Smith

  • Headshot Of Queen Latifah

    Queen Latifah

  • Headshot Of Vivica A. Fox

    Vivica A. Fox

  • Headshot Of Kimberly Elise

    Kimberly Elise

Main Genre

Crime

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Set It Off might be a bit more of a heightened heist film than Widows, but the fact that it is a film in that genre starring four Black female leads draws immediate comparisons. It also helps that both of them are incredibly good, with some career performances out of both casts. Black women or women of color in general are so rare in leading these kinds of crime films, and Set It Off was ahead of its time in putting them front and center.

Set it Off was Kimberly Elise’s acting debut.

Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise play a group of down-on-their-luck friends who turn to bank robbing to make a living. Even without the grounded approach of Widows, this is a fun and exciting crime film with an excellent cast. It’s a product of the 1990s in the best ways as well, making it the perfect film to watch for anyone trying to get their crime genre fix.

1

Heat (1995)

Directed By Michael Mann

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Heat

R

Action

Crime

Documentary

Drama

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

10/10

11

9.1/10

Release Date

December 15, 1995

Runtime

170 minutes

Director

Michael Mann

Writers

Michael Mann

Cast

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  • Headshot of Al Pacino

    Al Pacino

  • Headshot Of Robert De Niro In The 35th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Night

    Robert De Niro

Budget

$60 million

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There is no denying that Heat is a masterpiece, and is often regarded as one of the greatest heist films ever made. From director Michael Mann, who made a career out of exploring the inner soul of criminals, the film stars Robert De Niro as the disciplined leader of a group of skilled thieves, while Al Pacino plays the dedicated detective who is trying to stop this crew before their next big score. Heat is all about the lengths one will go to continue to do all that they know, even if they lose themselves in the process.

Stylish, gritty, and full of some of the best action set pieces in heist film history, Heat is truly something special, exploring the inner lives and complexities of its main characters in ways that most crime films just don’t have any interest in doing. It’s what separates Mann from many other storytellers in the genre, and why it is the perfect film to watch for those who love Widows.

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Widows

R

Thriller

Drama

Crime

ScreenRant logo

9/10

Release Date

November 16, 2018

Runtime

130 Minutes

Director

Steve McQueen

Writers

Gillian Flynn, Steve McQueen

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Daniel Kaluuya

    Daniel Kaluuya

  • HeAdshot Of Brian Tyree Henry

    Brian Tyree Henry

Main Genre

Thriller

Budget

$42 million

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