Movies Like White Heat (1949)

White Heat is a 1949 crime, drama, thriller film from Raoul Walsh with a MovieMagicScore of 7.6/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Lady Killer and Face/Off.

Crime Drama Thriller

Lady Killer

1933

An ex-gang member tries to resist his old cohorts' criminal influence after he suddenly becomes a Hollywood movie star.

6.8

MagicScore

Face/Off

1997

In order to foil a terrorist plot, an FBI agent undergoes facial transplant surgery and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind. The plan turns sour when the criminal wakes up prematurely and seeks revenge.

7.0

MagicScore

Raw Deal

1948

Joe Sullivan is itching to get out of prison. He's taken the rap for his accomplice Rick, a sadistic mobster who owes him $50,000 from the job they pulled. Rick sets up an escape for Joe, assuming that Joe will be killed while fleeing. But with the help of his love-struck girl Pat and his sympathetic legal caseworker Ann, Joe gets further than Rick intended...

6.7

MagicScore

Kiss of Death

1995

Jimmy Kilmartin's an ex-con who's trying to go straight. But he can't say no to a quick driving job because his so-called friend's life is threatened. The job is for Little Junior Brown, a violent and powerful villain. When things go wrong, Jimmy is left to do the time, and his whole life is turned upside-down, but if that wasn't enough, the cops won't leave Jimmy alone when he gets out... They want Little Junior Brown.

5.7

MagicScore

Con Air

1997

Newly-paroled former US Army ranger Cameron Poe is headed back to his wife, but must fly home aboard a prison transport flight dubbed "Jailbird" taking the “worst of the worst” prisoners, a group described as “pure predators”, to a new super-prison. Poe faces impossible odds when the transport plane is skyjacked mid-flight by the most vicious criminals in the country led by the mastermind — genius serial killer Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, and backed by black militant Diamond Dog and psychopath Billy Bedlam.

6.8

MagicScore

The Town

2010

Doug MacRay is a longtime thief, who, smarter than the rest of his crew, is looking for his chance to exit the game. When a bank job leads to the group kidnapping an attractive branch manager, he takes on the role of monitoring her – but their burgeoning relationship threatens to unveil the identities of Doug and his crew to the FBI Agent who is on their case.

7.2

MagicScore

Son of a Gun

2014

Locked up for a minor crime, 19 year old JR quickly learns the harsh realities of prison life. Protection, if you can get it, is paramount. JR soon finds himself under the watchful eye of Australia's most notorious criminal, Brendan Lynch, but protection comes at a price.

6.4

MagicScore

RED

2010

After surviving an assault from a squad of hit men, retired CIA black ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team for an all-out war. Frank reunites with old Joe, crazy Marvin and wily Victoria to uncover a massive conspiracy that threatens their lives. Only their expert training will allow them to survive a near-impossible mission -- breaking into CIA headquarters.

6.7

MagicScore

A Man Escaped

1956

A captured French Resistance fighter during World War II engineers a daunting escape from prison.

7.9

MagicScore

#10

Free Money

1998

A deranged prison warden with a nasty habit of killing escapees forces the boyfriends of his teenage twin daughters into a shotgun wedding, after they claim to be pregnant. All hope seems lost, until the husbands hatch a madcap plan to rob a money train to freedom.

5.4

MagicScore

#11

A Prophet

2009

Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. On his arrival at the prison, he seems younger and more brittle than the others detained there. At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group.

7.6

MagicScore

#12

Dance, Fools, Dance

1931

When misfortune hits hard on the Jordan family of Chicago's upper class, Bonnie Jordan, a dazzling and witty girl, finds a job as an aspiring reporter; however, his naive younger brother Rodney takes a twisted path and gets involved with the wrong people.

6.4

MagicScore

#13

Bandits

2001

After escaping from prison, Joe and Terry go on a crime spree, robbing banks through Oregon and California in order to finance their scheme for a new life south of the border. Unfortunately, things get more complicated when they meet Kate, who runs into them with her car. She joins the bandits on their cross-country spree, and eventually she steals something, too: their hearts.

6.3

MagicScore

#14

Dillinger

1973

After a shoot-out kills five FBI agents in Kansas City the Bureau target John Dillinger as one of the men to hunt down. Waiting for him to break Federal law they sort out several other mobsters, while Dillinger's bank robbing exploits make him something of a folk hero. Escaping from jail he finds Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson have joined the gang and pretty soon he is Public Enemy Number One. Now the G-men really are after him.

6.5

MagicScore

#15

Gone in Sixty Seconds

2000

Upon learning that he has to come out of retirement to steal 50 cars in one night to save his brother Kip's life, former car thief Randall "Memphis" Raines enlists help from a few "boost happy" pals to accomplish a seemingly impossible feat. From countless car chases to relentless cops, the high-octane excitement builds as Randall swerves around more than a few roadblocks to keep Kip alive.

6.4

MagicScore

#16

Bangkok Dangerous

2008

When carrying out a hit, assassin Joe always makes use of the knowledge of the local population. On arriving in Bangkok, Joe meets street kid Kong and he becomes his primary aide. But when Kong is nearly killed, he asks Joe to train him up in the deadly arts and unwittingly becomes a target of a band of killers.

5.2

MagicScore

#17

Taken 3

2014

Ex-government operative Bryan Mills finds his life is shattered when he's falsely accused of a murder that hits close to home. As he's pursued by a savvy police inspector, Mills employs his particular set of skills to track the real killer and exact his unique brand of justice.

6.3

MagicScore

#18

Abduction

2011

For many years, Nathan Harper has had the uneasy feeling that life with his family isn't quite what it seems. As he draws closer to uncovering the truth, he is hunted by assassins, forcing him to flee with his neighbor, Karen, the only person he can trust.

5.9

MagicScore

#19

Baby Driver

2017

After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.

7.4

MagicScore

#20

Die Hard

1988

High above the city of L.A. a team of terrorists has seized a building, taken hostages, and declared war. One man has manages to escape... An off-duty cop hiding somewhere inside. He's alone, tired... and the only chance anyone has got.

7.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like White Heat?

The top films similar to White Heat by MovieMagicScore are Lady Killer (6.8), Face/Off (7.0), Raw Deal (6.7). Each shares crime/drama/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is White Heat worth watching?

White Heat holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.6/10 from 510 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is White Heat?

White Heat (1949) is a crime, drama, thriller film directed by Raoul Walsh, starring James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien.

Where can I find more recommendations like White Heat?

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 Lady Killer Movies like Face/Off Movies like Raw Deal Movies like Kiss of Death Movies like Con Air Movies like The Town

About movies like White Heat

This ranked list pairs White Heat (1949), a crime and drama and thriller film from Raoul Walsh, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of James Cagney 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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