New year’s slay: Check out the best crime films set to hit our screens in 2026
FROM conspiracies to heists to gritty police procedurals, there are many eagerly anticipated crime films to look forward to in 2026. They include a new Jo Nesbø adaptation, a cop thriller with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and movies featuring Irish stars Jessie Buckley and Barry Keoghan. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck team up as two Miami cops in The Rip The Rip (Jan 16, Netflix)Matt Damon and Ben Affleck play two Miami cops who discover millions in a stash house in the new thriller from Joe Carnahan (Narc, The Grey). Required by law to count the money before leaving the scene, everyone is called into question over the course of one jittery night.Mercy (Jan 23) Crime meets science fiction in the forthcoming thriller starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson. It’s the near future, and a captured detective is placed on trial for the murder of his wife by an AI judge. He has 90 minutes to prove his innocence in the ticking-clock thriller. Read moreInterview Room: Comedian Enya Martin reveals her holiday hell and love for Enoch Burke memesThe Only Living Pickpocket in New York (Jan 27, cinemas)The great John Turturro plays a career pickpocket forced into a high-stakes race against time in this crime thriller from actor turned director Noah Segan. Set in New York, Harry is going to have to live off his wits in the streets of his home city when his day goes awry.Barry Keoghan is among the big-name cast in Crime 101 Crime 101 (Feb 13, cinemas)Irish star Barry Keoghan is among the big-name cast in this forthcoming crime thriller. It revolves around Davis (Chris Hemsworth) an evasive thief whose heists have mystified the police. He’s planning his last one when he crosses paths with insurance executive Sharon (Halle Berry) and Orman (Keoghan), a rival thief with his own darker methods. The top crime stories of 2025 Psycho Killer (Feb 20, cinemas)A highway patrol officer sets out to find out who murdered her husband - and gets more than she bargained for - in the upcoming horror thriller. As her investigations progress, she begins to suspect the man responsible is a sadistic serial killer.Glen Powell stars alongside Margaret Qualley in How to Make a Killing How to Make a Killing (Feb 26, cinemas)Man of the moment Glen Powell and Margaret Qualley star in a black comedy thriller about a man who is disowned by his ridiculously wealthy family. He’s determined to get his inheritance - no matter how many relatives stand in his way. The Bride! (Mar 6, cinemas)Our own Jessie Buckley takes on a monster role in this forthcoming thriller. She plays a murdered young woman brought back to life by a groundbreaking scientist. The snag? She’s rebuilt to be a companion to Frankenstein (Christian Bale) in this thriller from Maggie Gyllenhaal. Cillian Murphy reprises his role as Thomas Shelby for Peaky Blinders movie Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man (Cinemas Mar 6, Netflix Mar 20)The movie spin-off Peaky fans have been waiting for is coming our way this spring, with Cillian Murphy reprising his role as the fearsome and complex Brummie gangster Thomas Shelby. This time, the action is set during WW2 as Tommy returns to Birmingham to face his greatest reckoning. Barry Keoghan joins the cast as a major new character in the film. Normal (Apr 17, cinemas)Edgy English filmmaker Ben Wheatley (Free Fire) directs Bob Odenkirk in his latest. He plays a sheriff posted to the quiet US town of Normal, getting what he hopes will be a reprieve from crazier times. But when a botched bank robbery takes place, he discovers that Normal is anything but. Jackman stars as a shepherd who reads murder mysteries with his sheep The Sheep Detectives (May 8, cinemas)Now here’s something a little different! Sheep are actually the sleuths in this quirky detective comedy, the trailer for which went viral after it was released. Hugh Jackman is George, a shepherd who loves to read murder mysteries to his sheep. When he’s found dead in mysterious circumstances, the sheep pit their wits to crack the crime. Emma Thompson and Patrick Stewart are here for the fun. Mutiny (Aug 21, cinemas)Action king Jason Statham’s Cole Reed is forced to go on the run when his billionaire boss is murdered in front of him. He’s been framed for the killing - leading him to uncover an international conspiracy as he evades the law. Expect bullets, explosions, and lots of high-speed Jason Statham car chases. Read moreEverything we know so far about new TV series on Irish-American gang The WestiesHow to Rob a Bank (Sept 4, cinemas)A big-name cast including Nicholas Hoult and Pete Davidson star in the tale of savvy thieves who stage high-profile heists on social media which nevertheless manage to evade the law. The heist movie is the latest from director David Leitch, whose recent hits include Bullet Train, The Fall Guy and Atomic Blonde. Benedict Cumberbatch stars in the Jo Nesbo hit Blood on Snow Blood on Snow (Nov TBC, cinemas)Acclaimed crime writer Jo Nesbø’s novel gets the big screen treatment in a tale starring Eva Green, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ben Mendelsohn. The story revolves around a fixer tasked with killing a mob boss’s cheating wife. When he falls for the woman he’s supposed to kill, all hell breaks loose. Well-known action director Cary Joji Fukunaga (No Time to Die) is at the helm. Read moreLove/Hate 15 years later: Where are they now?Animals (Date TBC, Netflix)Ben Affleck is set to both direct and star in a new kidnapping thriller for Netflix. Gillian Anderson and Kerry Washington are also on board for the movie, which is set in Los Angeles. It tells the story of a prominent mayoral candidate whose family have to turn to dirty tactics when he’s kidnapped on the eve of the election. Violent Night 2 (Dec 4, cinemas)Following the success of Santa slasher horror Violent Night, David Harbour is back for a gritty sequel. Taking place after the events of the first film, the kick-ass Santa Claus is back to wreak more havoc. The cast also includes Daniela Melchior And Kristen Bell.
