The 10 Best Movies To Watch if You Like In the Heat of the Night, Ranked

10. "The Conversation" (1974) – Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
You've got a surveillance expert, Harry Caul. Skilled but paranoid. He records a conversation for a client and then, frets about the implications. Did he just set someone up for murder? Layers of paranoia unfold.

The catch here is the psychological intensity, almost too tangible. Ethical dilemmas, professional integrity, all under the microscope. A movie that listens closely to its characters, inviting you to do the same.

9. "The French Connection" (1971) – Directed by William Friedkin
Just like the subway cars that run through its veins, this film is high speed from start to finish. Detectives "Popeye" Doyle and Buddy Russo find themselves knee-deep in a heroin-smuggling ring. International intrigue? You bet. Car chases? Some of the best.

No rest for the wicked or the just; these guys work tirelessly to crack the case, risking life and limb. A procedural pursuit film with grime under its nails, "The French Connection" never hits the brakes.

8. "Chinatown" (1974) – Directed by Roman Polanski
Los Angeles, the 1930s. Jack Nicholson's private investigator, J.J. Gittes, gets embroiled in a mystery involving the city's water supply. Sounds dry? Far from it. He's hired by a woman to find out if her husband is cheating.

Simple, right? Then boom! The real wife shows up, and everyone's confused. Except for Gittes, who's now more entangled than ever. Relationships are illusions; actions have unforseen consequences. Oh, don't forget the incest and corruption. Yep, you never really know what you're getting into until you're way over your head.

7. "Serpico" (1973) – Directed by Sidney Lumet
Cue the New York City streets, grim and unforgiving. Enter Frank Serpico, a cop unlike any other. No bribes, no corruption; man's got ethics!

However, his noble ways don't sit well with the boys in blue. Threats ensue, his life's at risk, and suddenly it's Serpico against the world. In this maze of institutional rot, he's the mouse that roared. By the way, Al Pacino's iconic beard in the movie? Icing on the cake.

6. "Zodiac" (2007) – Directed by David Fincher
A newspaper cartoonist, a reporter, and a detective walk into a bar. Except the bar is 1970s San Francisco, and they're hunting the Zodiac Killer.

Based on true events, the obsessive trio dives headfirst into an abyss of cryptograms and crimson. Yet, the killer remains a phantom. You could say it's a film about solving a puzzle with missing pieces, in which the absence of closure gnaws at you.

5. "Heat" (1995) – Directed by Michael Mann
A meticulous criminal, a relentless cop; both experts in their fields. The cat is Neil McCauley, the mouse, Lt. Vincent Hanna. Their lives intertwine in a ballet of bullets and bank heists. Though opposite, they mirror each other in solitude and commitment to craft.

In between these two, the city of Los Angeles serves not just as a backdrop but almost a character itself, reflective and sprawling. A movie where the lines between right and wrong are smudged by the very people who draw them.

4. "L.A. Confidential" (1997) – Directed by Curtis Hanson
Welcome to 1950s Los Angeles, a glitzy façade for a city rife with corruption. Detectives Exley, Vincennes, and White couldn't be more different, yet they're woven together in an intricate tapestry of crime.

A shotgun massacre, tabloid journalism, and a femme fatale all mix in this cocktail of intrigue. The plot twists and turns like a snake, until it bites. A tight narrative that explores the duality of public image versus private reality.

3. "Donnie Brasco" (1997) – Directed by Mike Newell
So you want to be a gangster? Enter undercover agent Joe Pistone, alias Donnie Brasco, infiltrating the mob. You see, it's not all glitz and glamour; it's a dirty job, literally and morally.

The line between the law and the underworld blurs as Donnie gets closer to Lefty, his mentor in crime. The real story, though, isn't the undercover gig. It's how far one would go for friendship, even if it's with the wrong side of the law.

2. "Memories of Murder" (2003) – Directed by Bong Joon-ho
In a small Korean town, a string of murders occurs. Local cops are clueless, their methods primitive. Then enters a detective from Seoul, and the investigation gains steam.

A study in contrast, the film juxtaposes the city's calculated methodology with the town's crude measures. The pursuit intensifies but leads to dead ends. The conclusion is inconclusive, and the memory of the crimes lingers long after.

1. "Wind River" (2017) – Directed by Taylor Sheridan
The frigid Wyoming wilderness sets the stage for a tale of crime and survival.

A wildlife tracker finds a dead Native American woman in the snow. The FBI sends in a green agent, completely out of her depth. Together, they must navigate both the harsh terrain and an even harsher local community to find the truth.

The landscape is a silent witness, masking a labyrinth of secrets and lies. Cold as ice but with a burning urgency, "Wind River" freezes you to your seat.