Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Criminal - The American Dream

What if we hoped to grow up to be a criminal

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Criminal - The American Dream launched in 2015; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   This American Life - Anatomy of Doubt▲60

   Two crimes: one with shoddy police work, the other, stellar

   2016 · its alternatives →

2. 2
   Hidden Brain - Broken Windows▲76

   How a theory of crime policing was born & what went wrong

   2016 · its alternatives →

3. 3
   Allusionist 23: Criminallusionist ▲65

   Criminal's Phoebe Judge on the language of crime & lying

   2015 · theallusionist.org · its alternatives →

4. 4
   Criminal - 28: P.D.I.D.▲76

   A story about police and transgendered people

   2015 · feedproxy.google.com · its alternatives →

5. 5
   This American Life - 562: The problem we all live with▲89

   First of a two-part series rethinking and reinvent education

   2015 · thisamericanlife.org · its alternatives →

6. 6
   This American Life - Return to the scene of the crime▲4

   Crime

   2015 · thisamericanlife.org · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Reply All - Perfect Crime▲68

   Defying the logic of online reviews

   2016 · soundcloud.com · its alternatives →

8. 8
   Future Crimes▲89

   How to protect yourself from digital criminals

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

9. 9
   WTF with Marc Maron - Horatio Sanz▲58

   Horatio wanted to grow up to be a CIA agent

   2015 · content.libsyn.com · its alternatives →

10. 10
    This American Life - How I got into college▲85

    One funny & one amazing story on college admissions

    2015 · thisamericanlife.org · its alternatives →

11. 11
    Criminal - Animal Instinct▲66

    Animals are criminals too.

    2015 · overcast.fm · its alternatives →

12. 12
    Future Crimes▲64

    Inside the Digital Underground

    2017 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Reply All - 65: On the Inside, Part II▲60

    "A murder he claims that he didn't commit"

    2016 · soundcloud.com · its alternatives →

14. 14
    I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp: An Autobiography▲66

    Autobio from one of the first New York punks

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

15. 15
    Crimetown #2: The Wiseguys▲54

    How does a kid from Providence become a mob enforcer?

    2016 · soundcloud.com · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Crime & Guilt▲66

    Real stories from a a defense attorney.

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

17. 17
    This American Life - 556: Same Bed, Different Dreams▲66

    People that imagine radically different futures.

    2016 · thisamericanlife.org · its alternatives →

18. 18
    This American Life - My Damn Mind▲68

    The brain can betray you or benefit you. Act I w/ the NYT

    2016 · its alternatives →

19. 19
    Freakonomics: Why Are We Still Using Cash?▲85

    What do robbery, tax evasion & drug dealing have in common?

    2016 · freakonomics.com · its alternatives →

20. 20
    This American Life - How to Win Friends and Influence People▲76

    Stories of people climbing to be number one.

    2016 · overcast.fm · its alternatives →

21. 21
    Making a Murderer - Behind the scenes of the new Netflix documentary▲130

    A true crime story more interesting than Serial

    2016 · traffic.libsyn.com · its alternatives →

22. 22
    Criminal▲6

    A new take on noir that turned the heist story on its head.

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Criminal Podcast▲115

    Real stories behind unbelievable crimes

    2015 · thisiscriminal.com · its alternatives →

24. 24
    Dreamer's Roadmap▲65

    An app for undocumented immigrants to find scholarships

    2016 · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →