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The Mule poster

Movies that feel likeThe Mule (2018)

Earl Stone, a man in his eighties, is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. Easy enough, but, unbeknownst to Earl, he's just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. He does so well that his cargo increases exponentially, and Earl hit the radar of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates.

If you loved The Mule, the closest films we have are The Traitor (2019), Holy Spider (2022) and Good Time (2017). All three share The Mule's gritty and contemplative feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Neighboring Sounds (2012).

🍅 69% Rotten Tomatoes★ 7 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Clint Eastwoodgrittycontemplativetense
7 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · Amazon Prime Video · Midnight Pulp

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If The Mule hit the spot, these will too

The Traitor poster
The Traitor
2019 · dir. Marco Bellocchio
🍅 86%★ 7.1drama · crime · thrillerRent or buy

The same preoccupation in both: a true story

Palermo, Sicily, 1980. Mafia member Tommaso Buscetta decides to move to Brazil with his family fleeing the constant war between the different clans of the criminal organization. But when, after living several misfortunes, he is forced to return to Italy, he makes a bold decision that will change his life and the destiny of Cosa Nostra forever.

Holy Spider poster
Holy Spider
2022 · dir. Ali Abbasi
🍅 82%★ 7.3thriller · drama · crime

Common ground: a true story

A journalist descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad as she investigates the serial killings of sex workers by the so called "Spider Killer", who believes he is cleansing the streets of sinners.

Good Time poster
Good Time
2017 · dir. Benny Safdie
🍅 91%★ 7.3crime · thriller · dramaRent or buy

Gritty where it counts, contemplative underneath

After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Connie Nikas embarks on a twisted odyssey through New York City's underworld to get his brother Nick out of jail.

The Wild Goose Lake poster
The Wild Goose Lake
2019 · dir. Diao Yinan
🍅 91%★ 6.7crime · drama · thriller

Crime with a pulse of tension, in both cases

A gangster ends up making a mistake that causes every gun on both sides of the law to point at him. While on the run, he comes across a mysterious woman who might get him out of trouble or make things worse.

The Guilty poster
The Guilty
2018 · dir. Gustav Möller
🍅 98%★ 7.5thriller · drama · crimePrime Video

Gritty drama in both cases

The difference: Reviewed even better

Police officer Asger Holm, demoted to desk work as an alarm dispatcher, answers a call from a panicked woman who claims to have been kidnapped. Confined to the police station and with the phone as his only tool, Asger races against time to get help and find her.

Layer Cake poster
Layer Cake
2004 · dir. Matthew Vaughn
🍅 81%★ 7.2drama · thriller · crime

One thread runs through both: drug mule

When a seemingly straight-forward drug deal goes awry, XXXX has to break his die-hard rules and turn up the heat, not only to outwit the old regime and come out on top, but to save his own skin...

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie poster
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
2019 · dir. Vince Gilligan
🍅 92%★ 7.3crime · drama · thrillerNetflix

Both lean on stillness more than on thriller

In the wake of his dramatic escape from captivity, Jesse Pinkman must come to terms with his past in order to forge some kind of future.

Suburra poster
Suburra
2015 · dir. Stefano Sollima
🍅 90%★ 7.4crime · drama · thriller

Crime built on tension, twice over

A gangster known as "Samurai" wants to turn the waterfront of Rome into a new Las Vegas. All the local mob bosses have agreed to work for this common goal. But peace is not to last long.

Shoplifters poster
Shoplifters
2018 · dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda
🍅 99%★ 7.9drama · crime · thrillerNetflixPrime Video

Gritty drama, and it commits to that

In the outskirts of Tokyo, a poor but close-knit group living on the fringes of society survives through shoplifting and odd jobs. When Osamu and his son take in a neglected young girl, their already fragile existence begins to unravel. As the family grows attached to her, buried secrets surface, forcing them to confront the true meaning of love, belonging, and what makes a family.

Emily the Criminal poster
Emily the Criminal
2022 · dir. John Patton Ford
🍅 93%★ 6.7crime · drama · thriller

Contemplative thriller in both cases

Desperate for income, Emily takes a shady gig buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a charismatic middleman named Youcef. Seduced by the quick cash and illicit thrills, they hatch a plan to take their business to the next level.

The Bank Job poster
The Bank Job
2008 · dir. Roger Donaldson
🍅 79%★ 7.2thriller · crime · dramaPrime Video

Another one that scratches it

Terry is a small-time car dealer trying to leave his shady past behind and start a family. Martine is a beautiful model from Terry's old neighbourhood who knows that Terry is no angel. When Martine proposes a foolproof plan to rob a bank, Terry recognises the danger but realises this may be the opportunity of a lifetime.

Neighboring Sounds poster
Neighboring Sounds
2012 · dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho
🍅 91%★ 7.1thriller · drama · crime

Cut from the same drama cloth

An independent private security firm arrives at a middle-class neighborhood in Recife, Brazil.

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The best-reviewed films that share The Mule’s defining feeling.