Criminal

Criminal

Year: 2016

Runtime: 113 min

Language: Punjabi

Director: Ariel Vromen

ActionSci-FiDramaMysteryThrillerCrime

A skilled covert agent is fatally wounded during a mission, prompting a risky procedure to transfer his memories and expertise into the mind of a criminal. This unlikely recipient must then complete the agent's dangerous, unfinished assignment, confronting a complex network of lies and potential disaster. He finds himself caught in a web of deceit as he races to prevent a global catastrophe, all while grappling with the memories of a life that isn't his own.

Criminal (2016) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at Criminal (2016) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In a world where covert operations blur the line between duty and obsession, a desperate experiment threatens to rewrite the very meaning of identity. When a top‑level intelligence officer is mortally wounded during a high‑stakes mission, his agency turns to a radical procedure that can graft his memories, skills, and unfinished objectives onto another mind—a gamble that could either save the world or unleash chaos.

The operation selects an unlikely host: a hardened criminal whose own past is marked by violence and loss. Jerico Stewart awakens to the flood of another man’s life, feeling the weight of secret dossiers, family ties, and a looming deadline that was never meant for him. Across the same shadows, Bill Pope—the fallen operative—had built a reputation for precision and emotional depth, traits now haunting Jerico as they surface in fragments of recollection. At the center of this uneasy merger, Dr. Franks, the architect of the memory‑transfer technology, watches with a mixture of clinical detachment and moral unease, aware that the procedure hangs on a razor‑thin edge between salvation and disaster.

As the borrowed expertise begins to reshape Jerico’s instincts, he is thrust into a labyrinth of hidden agendas, international intrigue, and a ticking sense of urgency that suggests a global catastrophe is on the horizon. The film’s tone balances relentless suspense with moments of introspective melancholy, inviting the audience to question where the person ends and the implanted persona begins. The stark contrast between Jerico’s original brutality and the disciplined, often tender instincts of Bill Pope creates a compelling internal conflict, driving a narrative that feels both gritty and oddly hopeful.

Against a backdrop of shadowy agencies and unseen threats, the story explores the price of sacrifice, the elasticity of memory, and the paradox of finding redemption through someone else’s legacy. The tension lies not only in the external mission but in the psychological tug‑of‑war that forces a man to reconcile two lives—one his own, the other borrowed—while racing against an invisible clock that could reshape the world.

Last Updated: August 10, 2025 at 04:00

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Identity crisis thrillers with memory transfer like Criminal

Protagonists who must navigate a life that isn't their own to survive.If you liked the high-tech identity conflict in Criminal, you'll enjoy these movies where characters grapple with memories that aren't their own. This list features sci-fi thrillers and dramas exploring brainwashing, memory implants, and psychological transformations under pressure, creating a tense and emotionally heavy viewing experience.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically begins with a drastic procedure or event that implants another person's essence into the protagonist. This forces them on a mission tied to that person's life, creating a dual conflict: completing the external objective while internally reconciling their new, fractured sense of self. The journey is often one of reluctant redemption.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread are united by the core theme of fractured identity. They share a high-intensity, tense tone where psychological disorientation is as threatening as physical danger, leading to bittersweet or morally complex resolutions about the nature of self.

Grim techno-thrillers with high stakes like Criminal

High-stakes action where advanced technology creates morally complex, emotionally heavy scenarios.Looking for more movies like Criminal? This list features gritty, fast-paced action thrillers where advanced technology drives the plot into morally gray areas. These films maintain a high level of tension and intensity, punctuated by violence, but often reveal a melancholic or bittersweet emotional core amidst the chaos.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread often follow a race against time to prevent a catastrophic misuse of technology. The protagonist is typically an unlikely or unwilling hero operating in a morally ambiguous world. The plot is driven by a series of escalating action sequences and betrayals, building towards a resolution that saves the day but leaves deep emotional scars.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their unique blend of a fast, brutal, and tense action-thriller exterior with a surprisingly heavy emotional weight. They share a specific vibe: the cold, impersonal threat of technology contrasted with the raw, human cost of the conflict, resulting in a bittersweet victory.

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Criminal

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