Plot: Set in Brazil, three kids who make a discovery in a garbage dump soon find themselves running from the cops and trying to right a terrible wrong.

KBZ’s Take: Fun and thrilling Fugitive film where the fugitives are 3 kids –Raphael (Rickson Tevez), Gardo (Eduardo Luis) and Rat (Gabriel Weinstein). Though the film also has an A-list supporting cast of Rooney Mara, Martin Sheen and Wanger Moura, it’s the kids’ journey in exposing political corruption that drives the film.

The film is also very reminiscent of another Brazilian film, City of God (2002), with its depiction of the slums of Rio de Janeiro and the children living their striving for a better life. Though it’s not as raw or intense as City of God, if you enjoyed that film, you’ll likely enjoy this film as well.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Lzb8T1

Plot: Set in postwar America, a man watches his seemingly perfect life fall apart as his daughter’s new political affiliation threatens to destroy their family.

KBZ’s Take: Starring Ewan McGregor (in his directorial debut), American Pastoral is based on a Philip Roth novel of the same name. Though critical response to the film was harsh and its box office numbers were tepid, it’s one of the lesser-known but better films of the subgenre.

Unlike other films of the subgenre that typically follow common Fugitive film tropes, American Pastoral has a unique setting during the 1960’s and focuses on a Fugitive theme rarely covered – fugitives of political activism turned radical.

If you’re an action-oriented fan of Fugitive films, American Pastoral might not be for you. However, if you like Drama Films About Families focused on parents struggling with the loss of a child to political beliefs, then definitely check this film out.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3ZZDk5H

Plot: Alberta, a mousy young woman with the survival skills of a snail, loses cash that isn’t hers, so she runs from her small town to Seattle where her old babysitter lives, a dominatrix with a classy apartment and a life plan.

KBZ’s Take: This is a film where the Dark & Black Comedy is the foundation of the film as it ebbs and flows between dramatic and thrilling sequences. While the film also deals with S&M, it’s used as comedic device to drive the plot forward. And that is where the thrills start as Alberta’s first foray as a Dominatrix leads to disastrous results.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/40hdlHn

Plot: In the south of Laos, an American volunteer doctor becomes a fugitive after he intervenes in the sexual assault of a young woman. When the assailant’s body is pulled from the Mekong River, things quickly spiral out of control.

KBZ’s Take: If you’ve ever traveled internationally, this film will hit home with you. Though most of us are familiar with laws in are own country, what would we do if faced with a situation where we were subject to the laws of the foreign country?

That’s the basic premise of River as Rossif Sutherland (John Lake) quickly finds himself in a ‘good Samaritan gone wrong’ situation and on the run from Laos law enforcement. It’s a thrilling film where the suspense is non-stop until you arrive at the bittersweet ending. Highly recommended for fans of the subgenre.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://youtu.be/ZckFrjiih10

Plot: A gangster on the run sacrifices everything for his family and a woman he meets while on the lam.

KBZ’s Take: This Neo-Noir film might not be for everybody but fans of the subgenre shouldn’t miss it. The action-set pieces are sparse (but very memorable) and there are visual scenes and framing that will stay with you long after the film has ended. Director Diao Yinan takes common Fugitive film tropes and adds his own unique style to them. The closest comparison we can think of is how Michael Mann uses similar styling and framing methods to elevate a subgenre film – Thief (1981), Heat (1995) and Collateral (2004) as just a few examples.

Though this is a recent film, it’s relatively unknown within the subgenre. However, if you’re a fan of Neo-Noir or Films About Fugitives, it’s one film you shouldn’t miss.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/402SXJR

Plot An unlikely friendship unfolds between a young deaf boy, Wesley, and a fugitive criminal who takes refuge in an abandoned barn on the family’s rural North Dakota farm.

KBZ’s Take: This is a very good subgenre film that could have been one of the best of the subgenre with a few tweaks. As it stands, it’s still a very good film centered around the relationship between The Man (Aaron Paul) and Wesley (Danny Murphy).

Some of the film’s plot points and situations might seem familiar to fans of the subgenre as it doesn’t re-invent many of the tropes of the subgenre and is a slow film focused on its characters. However, what the film lacks in action or inventiveness, it more than makes up for with outstanding performances from Paul, Murphy, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Scoot McNairy. It’s a great example of how an excellent cast can elevate a seemingly mundane subgenre story.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3yOCNYy

Plot: Two fugitives land in hot water when they take a hostage who poses a threat to their well-being.

KBZ’s Take: We’ll start off by saying we did not see the twist in this Australian film coming. We though it would zig one way but zagged another. And we’re happy it did because the twist makes the film that much better. It’s also another subgenre film where the excellent cast makes it a more memorable Fugitive film.

Stephen Moyer (Bill from True Blood), Teresa Palmer (Lights Out (2016)) and a very young Travis Fimmel round out the leads. You might even do a double take when you see Fimmel as this film was before his star turning role as Ragnar Lothbrok in the Vikings television series. Palmer and Fimmel are the fugitives and Moyer plays the Agoraphobic widower who can’t venture outside of his house.

Once the fugitives enter the house, the plot primarily takes place there with typical subgenre suspense of the police becoming suspect of Moyer’s new houseguests. But that’s also where the film creates its own path by focusing much more on the psychological dynamic between the three individuals. We’ll leave it there as we don’t want to spoil the film for you, but we do highly recommend the film for fans of the subgenre.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3ZZ8Pgv

Plot: Accused of a murder he didn’t commit; a prosecutor sets out on a mission to clear his name.

KBZ’s Take: We mentioned this film in an earlier list as it’s a remake of Manhunt (1976) which was #7 on our Top Films About Fugitives You Haven’t Seen 1970’s list. The updated version of Manhunt is more a reimagining that follows most of the basic plot points of the original – lawyer is setup, goes on the run and eventually confronts the pursuing police officer. The 2019 film also updates the story to feature modern Sci-Fi Biotech and Thriller Conspiracy film elements.

While we’ll always be fans of the original film, John Woo has added his own signature style to this reimagining. Yes, there are doves as there are also the exciting shootouts, people sliding on the ground while firing accurately and other classic Woo style action. However, the film feels a bit disjointed as it continually changes between Chinese, Japanese and English dialogue – it would have been much better sticking with one language. Also, the updated story line with the modern Sci-Fi Biotech angle feels a bit forced and not fully fleshed out.

Despite those shortcomings, Manhunt is still one of the decade’s better action-packed fugitive films. Like the original film, it features some exciting set pieces. Where the original had the fugitive trying to escape via a plane, this update has a thrilling chase on jet skis. Manhunt might not be one of Woo’s best, but even his average films are worth seeing – especially this one.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://www.netflix.com/title/80209866

Plot: When two youngsters meet and fall for each other, they must go on the run from the girl’s corrupt father, who is also the sheriff of the town.

KBZ’s Take: Bill Paxton made our previous list of the Top Fugitive Films You Haven’t Seen 1990’s as the overeager yet good intentioned small-town sheriff in One False Move (1992). Here he plays the exact opposite role – the corrupt and murderous police sergeant of a rural town who abuses his daughter. That abuse leads Jonas Ford (Josh Wiggins) to go on the run with Casey Carawy (Sophie Nélisse).

Though other subgenre films have used similar plots, Mean Dreams differentiates itself with its ongoing suspense. There are a multitude of suspenseful sequences in this film – many before the young couple go on the run. We would liken the amount of suspense in this film to Paxton’s One False Move. Like that film, you’ll have a good idea of where things are heading but it’s an anxiety-filled ride getting there.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3YYc8TD

Plot: Slim and Queen’s first date takes an unexpected turn when a policeman pulls them over for a minor traffic violation. When the situation escalates, Slim takes the officer’s gun and shoots him in self-defense. Now labelled cop killers in the media, Slim and Queen feel that they have no choice but to go on the run and evade the law. When a video of the incident goes viral, the unwitting outlaws soon become a symbol of trauma, terror, grief and pain for people all across the country.

KBZ’s Take: Having looked at the previous four decades of Fugitive films, we have noted the themes that have emerged during different periods of time. The 70’s involved anti-establishment and counterculture themes, the 80’s featured media’s fascination and exploitation of fugitives and the 90’s had violent yet likable fugitives. Queen & Slim is a subgenre film that incorporates many of these past themes but lives in the here and now with many of the pressing societal and political issues of the day.

Queen & Slim is a snapshot in time for future generations to look back on as police brutality took center stage in the nation during the George Floyd protests in 2020. While the film came out a year prior, it was prescient in highlighting many of the issues at the heart of the protests. Many past films in the subgenre have highlighted political issues of their day and Queen & Slim is no exception.

At its core, the film is much more a love story between two individuals that are suddenly thrust together and on the run. Like other great films of the subgenre, the characters and their development over time are at the forefront of the story. And that ultimately is what makes Queen & Slim one of the best subgenre films – the relationship between Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith) and Slim (Daniel Kaluuya) and their growing recognition of the role they’re playing in societal change.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/402KK8f