Movies Like New Jack City (1991)

New Jack City is a 1991 crime, drama, thriller film from Mario Van Peebles with a MovieMagicScore of 6.6/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Fresh and American Gangster.

Crime Drama Thriller

Fresh

1994

Death and violence anger twelve year old drug courier Fresh, who sets his rival employers against each other.

7.2

MagicScore

American Gangster

2007

Loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina, who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, before being detained by a task force led by Newark Detective Richie Roberts.

7.6

MagicScore

The French Connection

1971

Tough narcotics detective 'Popeye' Doyle is in hot pursuit of a suave French drug dealer who may be the key to a huge heroin-smuggling operation.

7.5

MagicScore

Menace II Society

1993

A young street hustler attempts to escape the rigors and temptations of the ghetto in a quest for a better life.

7.5

MagicScore

Half Nelson

2006

Despite his dedication to the junior-high students who fill his classroom, idealistic teacher Dan Dunne leads a secret life of addiction that the majority of his students will never know. But things change when a troubled student Drey makes a startling discovery of his secret life, causing a tenuous bond between the two that could either end disastrously or provide a catalyst of hope.

6.6

MagicScore

Mama Weed

2020

A translator working for the police gets involved in the other side of drug dealing.

5.8

MagicScore

Bound by Honor

1993

Based on the true life experiences of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, the film focuses on two Indigenous Latino American half-brothers Paco and Cruz, and their bi-racial (half-Indigenous Latino American and half-European American) cousin Miklo. It opens in 1972, as the three are members of an East L.A. gang known as the "Vatos Locos", and the story focuses on how a violent crime and the influence of narcotics alter their lives. Miklo is incarcerated and sent to San Quentin, where he makes a "home" for himself. Cruz becomes an exceptional artist, but a heroin addiction overcomes him with tragic results. Paco becomes a cop and an enemy to his "carnal", Miklo.

8.2

MagicScore

Paulette

2012

Paulette lives alone in a housing project in the Paris suburbs. With her meager pension, she can no longer make ends meet.

6.5

MagicScore

The Heroin Busters

1977

Drug use in the city of Rome is at an all-time high. Children score from dealers in front of their schools, mules waltz straight through airport security, and Interpol's main man, Mike Hamilton, is at his wits' end. Fed up to the back teeth with the local police force's incompetence, his only hope is to rely on one of his own men, Fabio, an officer so deep undercover that no-one but Hamilton knows who he really is. Even as Fabio gains the trust of cartel leader Gianni, however, the dealers are edging ever closer to the truth, and when his cover is blown, the hunter becomes the hunted as Fabio finds himself alone in a desperate fight to survive.

6.3

MagicScore

#10

Gomorrah

2008

An inside look at Italy's modern-day crime families, the Camorra in Naples and Caserta. Based on a book by Roberto Saviano. Power, money and blood: these are the "values" that the residents of the Province of Naples and Caserta have to face every day. They hardly ever have a choice and are forced to obey the rules of the Camorra. Only a lucky few can even think of leading a normal life.

6.9

MagicScore

#11

Get Rich or Die Tryin'

2005

A tale of an inner city drug dealer who turns away from crime to pursue his passion, rap music.

6.8

MagicScore

#12

Divines

2016

In a ghetto where religion and drug trafficking rub shoulders, Dounia has a lust for power and success. Supported by Maimouna, her best friend, she decides to follow in the footsteps of Rebecca, a respected dealer. But her encounter with Djigui, a young, disturbingly sensual dancer, throws her off course.

7.7

MagicScore

#13

Dark Angel

1990

Jack Caine is a Houston vice cop who's forgotten the rule book. His self-appointed mission is to stop the drugs trade and the number one supplier Victor Manning. Whilst involved in an undercover operation to entrap Victor Manning, his partner gets killed, and a sinister newcomer enters the scene...

5.9

MagicScore

#14

Paid in Full

2002

Ace is an impressionable young man working for a dry cleaning business. His friend, drug dealer Mitch, goes to prison. In an unrelated incident, he finds some cocaine in a pants pocket. Soon, Ace finds himself dealing cocaine for Lulu. Via lucky breaks and solid interpersonal skills, Ace moves to the top of the Harlem drug world. Of course, unfaithful employees and/or rivals conspire to bring about Ace's fall.

6.8

MagicScore

#15

Trainspotting

1996

Heroin addict Mark Renton stumbles through bad ideas and sobriety attempts with his unreliable friends --Sick Boy, Begbie, Spud and Tommy. He also has an underage girlfriend, Diane, along for the ride. After cleaning up and moving from Edinburgh to London, Mark finds he can't escape the life he left behind as Begbie and Sick Boy come knocking.

8.0

MagicScore

#16

Bad Lieutenant

1992

While investigating a young nun's rape, a corrupt New York City police detective, with a serious drug and gambling addiction, tries to change his ways and find forgiveness.

7.0

MagicScore

#17

Heaven Knows What

2015

A young heroin addict roams the streets of New York to panhandle and get her next fix, while her unstable boyfriend drifts in and out of her life at random.

6.5

MagicScore

#18

City Hall

1996

The accidental shooting of a boy in New York City leads to an investigation by the Deputy Mayor, and unexpectedly far-reaching consequences.

5.9

MagicScore

#19

Payback

1999

With friends like these, who needs enemies? That's the question bad guy Porter is left asking after his wife and partner steal his heist money and leave him for dead -- or so they think. Five months and an endless reservoir of bitterness later, Porter's partners and the crooked cops on his tail learn how bad payback can be.

6.8

MagicScore

#20

The Basketball Diaries

1995

A high school basketball player’s life turns upside down after free-falling into the harrowing world of drug addiction.

7.4

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like New Jack City?

The top films similar to New Jack City by MovieMagicScore are Fresh (7.2), American Gangster (7.6), The French Connection (7.5). Each shares crime/drama/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is New Jack City worth watching?

New Jack City holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.6/10 from 564 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is New Jack City?

New Jack City (1991) is a crime, drama, thriller film directed by Mario Van Peebles, starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Allen Payne.

Where can I find more recommendations like New Jack City?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more crime recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Fresh Movies like American Gangster Movies like The French Connection Movies like Menace II Society Movies like Half Nelson Movies like Mama Weed

About movies like New Jack City

This ranked list pairs New Jack City (1991), a crime and drama and thriller film from Mario Van Peebles, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Wesley Snipes take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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