It’s been just over a decade since the release of Grand Theft Auto V, which is why it’s no surprise that the excitement for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI is at a fever pitch. Per IGN, the game’s reveal has reached more views than Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom combined and has passed Mr.Beast for the most views in 24 hours for a non-music video (that record is still held by BTS). That’s wild. But we still have a long way to go until the game comes out in 2025, with a target being fiscal 2024 (so before April 2025). Who knows if Rockstar will delay the game, but regardless, we have to wait a good while until we can get hands-on with this one. So we thought we’d give you some titles to check out to get you in that GTA Vice City vibe. Titles on this list may evoke the tone, spirit, or themes seen in the trailer between its setting or the two leads.

Bonnie and Clyde

Grand Theft Auto VI will mark the debut of a female protagonist for the franchise’s story mode. But Lucia won’t be alone, as she’ll be doing crime with her man, who is unnamed in the trailer but leaks point to him being named Jason. As the two can be seen sticking up a liquor stock and will likely be making a career out of theft, why not look to the original dynamic duo? Bonnie and Clyde was released in 1967 and is a biographical account of the titular characters as they robbed their way through the American South circa the 1930s. The setting may be off, but the sense of two criminals in love going against the world fits the narrative theme of this game. Much like how Rockstar Games likes to push boundaries, Bonne and Clyde was part of the New Hollywood films of the 60s that pushed back against the censorship norms of the time and opted to fill the film with much more explicit sex and violence, something considered to be very taboo at the time.

True Romance

Written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott, True Romance is a road trip romance movie filled with crime. Two members of Detroit’s lower class meet and quickly fall in love, get married the next day, and steal a shipment of drugs from the Mafia to get their lives started. They flee to Los Angeles, all while the dregs of society are hot on their tail. Full of flashy colours, wacky side characters and plenty of action, True Romance in many ways feels like a live-action Grand Theft Auto tale already. Plus, it has an all-star cast, including Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Brad Pitt, Samuel L. Jackson, Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken and Gary Oldman.

True Lies

Written and directed by James Cameron, True Lies is an action comedy that stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a US task force agent living a domestic double life and Jamie Lee Curtis as his unsuspecting wife. There’s tons of action, with a chase sequence taking place on Old Seven Mile Bridge, which you can see Rockstar recreated in the trailer, complete with a ramp for doing stunts near the end.

Miami Vice (Original Television Series)

Created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann, the original Miami Vice TV series is perhaps one of the most influential shows of its time. It used a lot of contemporary music and pop culture references and People Magazine stated the show was the first one to push the boundaries of the medium since television turned to colour. The show, set in Miami circa the 80s, is full of cops investigating prostitution and drugs within the city of Vice and it makes a great companion to watch leading up to the release of GTA VI. Many of the visuals, from the colour pallet, silhouetted palm trees, and fashion, would go on to become staples of 80s imagery.

Miami Vice (2006 film)

We already have a piece on Michael Mann’s 2006 remake of the hit 80s show, but the Miami Vice movie may be a solid watch in anticipation of GTA VI. There’s a shot in the game’s reveal trailer that features Go-Fast boats whizzing by the port and that reminded me so heavily of the opening of Mann’s film. That movie saw two Miami Dade officers going undercover in the narcotic scene of South America and while you’re not playing as cops in the game, I’d be surprised if there isn’t some sort of cartel element in the game; the city is called Vice City for a reason after all.

Bloodline (Season One)

The first season of Netflix’s Bloodline is a fantastic tour de force of writing and acting. Unfortunately, subsequent seasons fall short but on the upside, the first season is fairly self-contained, so you can watch it and get a complete story. Set in the Florida Keys, Bloodline follows a respectable family and their various problems as they cover up a sinister crime. The show may take place largely in an affluent hotel on the water, but we also cross paths with the lowlives of the Keys, and seeing as how Rockstar will recreate the Keys in GTA VI, this is a great recommendation.

Bad Boys For Life

We never did a review for Bad Boys For Life but this third entry in the franchise, sans Michael Bay in the director’s chair, is a surprisingly enjoyable watch. Far more nuanced and dramatic with less awkward humour that plagues Bay’s work, this movie has big action scenes, fast cars, and lots of style; all set in that neon-soaked Miami setting. If you’ve never tried this one out due to maybe feeling a bit tired of the franchise or Michael Bay, maybe give this one a go, you may be surprised. I know I was.

Spring Breakers

Set during spring break in St. Petersberg, Florida, this A24 film is all about a group of college students who, in a desperate attempt to get the money for their vacation, rob a restaurant, which thus opens the door for their journey up the criminal ladder. Once in Florida, they end up crossing paths with a local drug dealer/rapper named Alien, who bails them out of jail after a party, and the four girls descend into a crazy life of crime and excess; Florida style. So in other words, it fits in perfectly with all those faux-social media posts found in the GTA VI trailer.

Scarface

Brian DePalma’s crime epic was actually met with negative reviews when it was first released in 1983 but has gone on to become a prolific and influential film that would help define the genre. Set in the 80s, the game would be a big inspiration for the original Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and while GTA VI is a modern set game, there’s nothing wrong with soaking in the flash 80s of Miami to get you in the mood.

Florida Man

Many of the faux-social media posts in the GTA VI trailer riff off the unseen aspects of the bizarre life in Florida and the show Florida Man on Netflix, riffing off of the meme, also seems to capture that vibe, so much so that one of the consistent comments in the game’s trailer was about its similarities to this show. Want to see a gator strolling into a convenience store? GTA has you covered, want to see someone try and flamethrower a raccoon with spray freshener? Florida Man has you covered. The show was not well received by critics but has found a niche fanbase for its crazy antics.

2 Fast 2 Furious

The second film in the Fast franchise not only ditched Vin Diesel but also its L.A. setting, relocating the action to sunny Miami. Considering car customization seems to be playing a big role in GTA VI based off the reveal trailer footage, complete with tricked-out lowriders, souped-up muscle cars, and plenty of high-end exotics, revisiting this entry, which is directed by the late, great John Singleton, makes this a worthy incision to get excited for the next Grand Theft Auto game, even if ranks low on our list of Fast films.

Tango & Cash

By Alex Abbey

Tango & Cash takes the tropes from every ridiculous 80s action movie and tries to go even further. Not one, but TWO rogue cops get caught on the wrong side of the law. Caught in a conspiracy, framed for a crime they didn’t commit, and the worst part is… they can’t stand each other. Think The Odd Couple but with machine guns. Stallone is the clean cut no-nonsense business type, and Kurt Russell is the unsophisticated slob with zero discipline and even fewer manners. Also, Terry Hatcher is there. Together they have to fight for their lives using only their wits, ingenuity, and mountains of ammunition. With over-the-top dialogue, even more over-the-top action, and a baddie with one of the worst British accents ever committed to film, can these two overcome their mutual hatred of each other to defeat the cartoonishly evil gang lord-themed villains?!

So those are our picks to get you in the mood for Grand Theft Auto VI, will you be checking any out or were there any we missed? Let us know!