Films like The Departed

15 picks with a similar feel

What defines The Departed, going by its Boxlist taste profile: Expect a smart, serious crime thriller, dark rather than wholesome. Best if you like depth over escapism. Its strongest markers on Boxlist are themes of culture clash, unlikely connections and deep rivalry, plus tags such as mole, undercover cop and mobster.

Here are 15 films with a similar feel, ranked by how closely they match that profile. Treat them as picks to try, not a definitive list.

Based on The Departed (2006).

  1. 1

    Donnie Brasco (1997)

    Film7.5

    Why it's like The Departed: Also intricate and weighty, with themes of culture clash and deep rivalry. Common ground: mobster, mafia, undercover.

  2. 2

    Suburra (2015)

    Film7.3

    Why it's like The Departed: Also weighty and dark, with themes of deep rivalry. Common ground: mafia.

  3. 3

    American Hustle (2013)

    Film6.8Lighter option

    Why it's like The Departed: Also dark and intricate, with themes of culture clash and deep rivalry. Common ground: mobster.

  4. 4

    GoodFellas (1990)

    Film8.5Slower burn

    Why it's like The Departed: Also weighty and intricate, with themes of deep rivalry. Common ground: mafia, gangster.

  5. 5

    The Town (2010)

    Film7.2

    Why it's like The Departed: Also dark and weighty, with themes of unlikely connections and deep rivalry. Common ground: friends.

  6. 6

    Legend (2015)

    Film6.9

    Why it's like The Departed: Also intricate and weighty, with themes of deep rivalry. Common ground: gangster.

  7. 7

    The Irishman (2019)

    Film7.7

    Why it's like The Departed: Also weighty and intricate, with themes of unlikely connections and deep rivalry. Common ground: mafia, gangster.

  8. 8

    Fargo (1996)

    Film7.9Lighter option

    Why it's like The Departed: Also intricate and dark, with themes of culture clash and mysteries that are not what they seem. Common ground: police.

  9. 9

    Mississippi Burning (1988)

    Film7.7

    Why it's like The Departed: Also weighty and intricate, with themes of culture clash and deep rivalry. Common ground: police.

  10. 10

    Layer Cake (2004)

    Film7.0Faster-paced

    Why it's like The Departed: Also weighty and intricate, with themes of deep rivalry. Common ground: gangster.

  11. 11

    No Country for Old Men (2007)

    Film7.9

    Why it's like The Departed: Also weighty and dark, with themes of deep rivalry.

  12. 12

    The Drop (2014)

    Film6.7Faster-paced

    Why it's like The Departed: Also weighty and intricate, with themes of deep rivalry. Common ground: mobster.

  13. 13

    Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

    Film7.8

    Why it's like The Departed: Also intricate and weighty, with themes of deep rivalry. Common ground: police.

  14. 14

    Miller's Crossing (1990)

    Film7.5

    Why it's like The Departed: Also weighty and intricate, with themes of deep rivalry. Common ground: gangster.

  15. 15

    Scarface (1983)

    Film8.2

    Why it's like The Departed: Also weighty and dark, with themes of deep rivalry. Common ground: mafia, gangster.

Boxlist compares The Departed with every film in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 6.7 or more from at least 1,000 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point. Ratings are TMDB audience scores out of 10.

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Questions

What should I watch if I like The Departed?
Picks with a similar feel include Donnie Brasco, Suburra, American Hustle and GoodFellas. Each shares part of The Departed's taste profile, themes or tags; the full list has 15 films.
How are these films like The Departed chosen?
Boxlist compares The Departed with every film in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 6.7 or more from at least 1,000 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point.
Is there a lighter film like The Departed?
American Hustle has a similar feel but scores lighter on Boxlist's weightiness scale.

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