"The BFI Companion to Crime" offers detailed information on the sub-genres and motifs of movies dealing with criminals and their behavior: prison dramas, heist stories, kidnappings, the exploits of serial killers, juvenile delinquents, and hired guns. Phil Hardy also includes articles on the historical and social background of crime movies. The Mafia, the Japanese yakuza, the FBI, and the underworld of union rackets, prostitution, and drugs are some of the topics covered.

Fictional characters such as Sherlock Holmes, Inspector Maigret, Philip Marlow, Al Capone, and Pretty Boy Floyd appear in these pages, along with the literary sources of many crime films. The works of Graham Greene, Dashiell Hammett, Mickey Spillane, and Eric Ambler are among those featured.

Abundantly illustrated with more than 500 photographs, this is the book for film enthusiasts and anyone interested in the crime genre.