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Squad 36 (Bastion 36) is directed by Olivier Marchal and is based on Michel Tourscher's novel Flic Requiem. Squad 36 follows Antoine Cerda, a police commander in the prestigious Research and Intervention Brigade (BRI), who, after a disciplinary sanction, is transferred to the Anti-Crime Brigade (BAC).
13 months later, two members of his former team are murdered within 24 hours. When a third member disappears mysteriously, Antoine takes the leap of faith to conduct his own investigation, plunging into an intense police war and a downward spiral.
Cast of Squad 36:
- Victor Belmondo as Antoine Cerda
- Tewfik Jallab as Sami Belkaïm
- Yvan Attal as Charles Balestra
- Juliette Dol as Hanna Levasseur
- Soufiane Guerrab as Richard Esteves
Upon its release, Squad 36 achieved significant success, reaching 3rd place in Netflix's global top 10 for non-English films within three days, amassing 7 million views, and featuring in the top 10 of 57 countries.
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If viewers enjoyed Squad 36 for its themes of law enforcement rivalries, moral dilemmas, and investigations, here are seven other crime thrillers worth watching.
Disclaimer: The following list is ranked in no particular order, and the opinions expressed belong solely to the author. Reader discretion is advised.
End of Watch, and other movies to watch if you liked Squad 36
1) Heat (1995)
Heat (1995) is a crime epic film written and directed by Michael Mann, featuring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro as the leading men, accompanied by Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, and Val Kilmer. It explores the relationship between a professional thief (De Niro) and an LAPD cop (Pacino) and how their chase game affects their profession as much as their personal lives.
Mann originally wrote the script in 1979, inspired by real-life Chicago detective Chuck Adamson's pursuit of crook Neil McCauley, namesake for De Niro's character. McCauley and his gang pull off an armored car robbery in Heat, which brings Lt. Vincent Hanna into the picture.
While McCauley sets up one final score and balances leaving everything behind for a new life, Hanna catches up to him, bringing a showdown wherein their firm allegiance to their cause creates a violent and inexorable confrontation.
Similar to Squad 36, Heat captures the violent clash between law enforcement and criminals, where duty and personal obsession collide.
Where to watch: Disney+
2) Sicario (2015)
Sicario (2015) is an action crime thriller directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Taylor Sheridan in his first screenplay. The movie stars Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, and Josh Brolin and is about an idealistic FBI agent who is hired by a government task force to take out a ruthless Mexican drug cartel.
Agent Kate Macer is a member of an undercover team commanded by CIA agent Matt Graver and cryptic operative Alejandro Gillick. Kate becomes increasingly uneasy with their lethal tactics and agendas as they carry out perilous operations. Between a moral and ethical dilemma, she is tested to her limits.
Squad 36 and Sicario depict top-ranking officers in a brutal universe of crime and corruption where ethical limits are regularly transgressed.
Where to watch: Prime Video
3) Training Day (2001)
Training Day (2001) is a crime thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Ayer. Starring Denzel Washington as veteran LAPD narcotics detective Alonzo Harris and Ethan Hawke as rookie officer Jake Hoyt, Training Day follows their intense 24-hour ride through the crime-ridden areas of Los Angeles.
Jake is being investigated by Alonzo, but the veteran cop's questionable methods shortly come into question. Through the day, Jake gets himself immersed in a world of violence and corruption and is forced to decide where his loyalties lie in a survival and power game which proves to be lethal.
Squad 36 and Training Day share a gritty approach to policing, where the questionable tactics of an older cop test the ideals of a younger one.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV+
4) The Departed (2006)
The Departed (2006), directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan, is a remake of Infernal Affairs (2002) and loosely inspired by Boston's Winter Hill Gang.
The movie also features Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg, with supporting roles by Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin, among others.
Set in Boston, The Departed follows mob boss Frank Costello, who plants Colin Sullivan in the state police while undercover cop Billy Costigan infiltrates Costello’s crew. As both sides hunt for the traitor in their ranks, a tense game of deception and betrayal unfolds.
Deception and loyalty are shared themes that run through Squad 36 and The Departed, as undercover police officers risk everything to reveal concealed threats among them.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV+, Netflix
5) End of Watch (2012)
End of Watch (2012) is an action thriller movie directed and written by David Ayer, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña as LAPD officers Mike Zavala and Brian Taylor. The movie follows their routine patrols, run-ins with violent gangs, and close friendship, as well as their personal lives.
Shot in Los Angeles on a budget of $7 million, End of Watch sees Taylor and Zavala hunted by the Sinaloa Cartel and having a deadly fight for survival.
Similar to Squad 36, End of Watch shows the brotherhood and peril of front-line police work, where any mission could be their last.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV+, Netflix, HBO Max
6) HIT: The Second Case (2022)
HIT: The Second Case (2022) is a Telugu crime thriller directed and written by Sailesh Kolanu. A sequel to HIT: The First Case (2020), the movie features Adivi Sesh, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Suhas, and Rao Ramesh.
SP Krishna Dev "KD" of the HIT team is given a gruesome murder case in which some of the victims' body parts are sewn together. His investigation provides leads to a women's welfare organization, but things turn personal when his partner Aarya is attacked.
KD pursues the leads, which take him to a tragic history that leads him to an unexpected revelation about the killer's motive and identity.
Both Squad 36 and HIT: The Second Case are about dogged investigations with revelations and risks to the individuals.
Where to watch: Prime Video
7) Flight Risk (2025)
Flight Risk (2025) is an American action thriller film directed by Mel Gibson, with Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, and Topher Grace playing the lead roles.
The movie is about a pilot (Wahlberg), who must fly an Air Marshal (Dockery) and a criminal (Grace) across the Alaskan terrain, where concealed agendas and identity switches turn the mission into a survival kill game.
U.S. Marshal Madolyn Harris escorts informant Winston to testify against the Moretti crime family, only to discover their pilot is a hitman sent to kill him. Forced to take control, she battles betrayal and deadly skies, leading to a brutal showdown and crash landing in a fight for justice.
Squad 36 and Flight Risk are equally intense action thrillers, where cops have to outsmart deadly foes while trying to beat the clock.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV+
Viewers can watch the movie Squad 36 on Netflix.
