The Best Gangster Movies of All Time Show a Twisted Side of the American Dream
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Few genres embody the definition of a “cult classic” quite like the mob mentality fandom of gangster films. After all, nothing builds a bond between viewer and protagonist quite like bearing witness to (and borderline aiding and abetting) their life of crime for a full two hours.
Being a fan of gangster films often requires some dedication—from keeping up with richly interwoven networks of alliances, to learning the backstories of infamous ganglords. Luckily, there’s no need to be loyal to just one. Vito Corleone can’t see you sneaking around with Antonio Montana on your watch history, and hardly even knows about everything you’ve been up to in Southie with the Irish mob. So fuhgeddabout the guilt of watching and lean in,.
From Prohibition-era bootleggers to urban folk heroes, these films shine an investigative light on organized crime: both in the warm shine of Hollywood romanticization and the cold, harsh exposure of reality. These are the best gangster movies of all time.
The Godfather
Fans will likely debate for eternity over which film of The Godfather trilogy takes the cake. (Or takes the cannoli, for that matter.) But, if you’re new to the collection in its entirety, it’s best you meet the don himself through Francis Ford Coppola’s original installment. Set in 1940s New York, the film centers around head Italian Mafia man Vito Corleone and his family, including performances by Al Pacino, Marlin Brando, Talia Shire, and Diane Keaton.
Goodfellas
Goodfellas is considered by many to be Martin Scorsese’s greatest film, and that’s saying something. Based on Nicolas Pileggi’s book Wiseguys, Goodfellas tells the story of Henry Hill: a half-Irish, half-Sicilian New Yorker who rises up in the ranks of his Brooklyn neighborhood’s mob. Despite his dedication to them in the face of legal pressure, Henry soon finds himself at odds with both law enforcement and the mobsters. The film boasts a classic cast, including Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Paul Sorvino.
Boyz n the Hood
Originally developed as a film school submission by writer-director John Singleton, it wasn’t long before his debut film Boyz n the Hood would become a major motion picture, nominated for multiple Academy Awards, added to the National Film Registry, and referenced as a key title in contemporary Black cinema. Boyz n the Hood tells the story of three young men, played by Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Morris Chestnut, as they grow up in South Central Los Angeles. Despite their varying trajectories within their shared environment, their intertwined fates soon expose just how inescapable their local gang culture can be.
City of God
Adapted from Paulo Lins’s novel of the same name, City of God focuses upon the growth of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro. The narrative offers a dual perspective of two young men: one a photographer who chooses to document the area’s increasing gang/drug activity, and one who executes upon this environment by becoming a powerful drug dealer.
The Departed
Few films have been as beloved as The Departed. Seriously, the dedication to this film runs so deep that fans raised money for a campaign to change its final scene. Centered in South Boston, this Martin Scorsese-directed film reimagines the Hong Kong crime movie Internal Affairs as a story that circulates around a criminal investigation of the Irish mafia. The film, essentially, is a rat-race between two rats to rat out one another, with performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, and Alec Baldwin among others.
Menace II Society
Directed by the trailblazing Allen and Albert Hughes, Menace II Society follows the coming of age of Caine Lawson, an 18-year-old living in Watts, Los Angeles, who is determined to break out of his neighborhood’s cycle of crime. The powerful ensemble of Tyrin Turner, Jada Pinkett Smith, Larenz Tate, and Charles Dutton provide a rounded perspective of Lawson’s many life influences. Most powerful of all, though, is the reality that even his best influences and intentions don’t guarantee a way out.
Miller’s Crossing
Joel and Ethan Coen’s take on the gangster genre is not to be missed. Circulating the rivalry between an Irish and Italian mob, Miller’s Crossing follows one gang’s right-hand man on his complicated attempt to maintain loyalty while playing both sides.
American Gangster
Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, American Gangster is based on the life of Frank Lucas, a gangster who became infamous in Harlem for trafficking heroin into the U.S. on planes returning from the Vietnam War. While Lucas creates a personal empire for himself with his cunning trading skills, his activity starts being closely traced by a local cop.
Once Upon a Time in America
The king of the Spaghetti Western, Sergio Leone, takes on new territory in this crime drama following David Aaronson, played by Robert DeNiro. His iconic film follows Aaronson’s life on the Lower East Side of New York. Tracing Aaronson and his gang of companions from childhood innocence to their adulthood of organized crime, the film turns the genre on its head in a thoughtful and well-rounded perspective of life in, and outside of, crime.
Reservoir Dogs
This film that essentially put Quentin Tarantino on the map and with good reason. Following the before and after of a failed jewelry robbery, Reservoir Dogs embodies so much of the strengths that have become Tarantino’s signature: senseless gore, plots convoluted enough to be crime cases, and truly eccentric characters.
Few genres embody the definition of a “cult classic” quite like the mob mentality fandom of gangster films. After all, nothing builds a bond between viewer and protagonist quite like bearing witness to (and borderline aiding and abetting) their life of crime for a full two hours.
Being a fan of gangster films often requires some dedication—from keeping up with richly interwoven networks of alliances, to learning the backstories of infamous ganglords. (And a stomach to, you know, endure the gore and guts that often come with these Scorsese epics.) Luckily, there’s no need to be loyal to just one. Vito Corleone can’t see you sneaking around with Antonio Montana on your watch history, and hardly even knows about everything you’ve been up to in Southie with the Irish mob. So fuhgeddabout the guilt of watching and lean in.
From Prohibition-era bootleggers, to urban folk heroes, to cyberpunk biker gangs, these films shine an investigative light on organized crime: both in the warm shine of Hollywood romanticization and the cold, harsh exposure of reality. These are the best gangster movies of all time.
The Untouchables
Of course, any collection of the best gangster movies ever made will look a lot like a list of the Robert De Niro's best films. That said, we can't leave out The Untouchables, where De Niro gives what many would tell you is film's best portrait of Al Capone. Kevin Costner as a crime-busting Eliot Ness isn't too shabby, either.
Watch on HBO Max Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+
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Akira
Unfortunately, our current world doesn't look quite as cool as Akira, which shows us the '80s approximation of what 2019 would look like. But still, 1988's adaptation of the long-running manga series still stands as an all-timer, not only amongst gangster films, but in anime, sci-fi, cyberpunk, and hopefully—if Taika Waititi eventually directs the Hollywood take on Akira—live action.
See the original post on Youtube
Goodfellas
Goodfellas is considered by many to be Martin Scorsese’s greatest film, and that’s saying something. Based on Nicolas Pileggi’s book Wiseguys, Goodfellas tells the story of Henry Hill: a half-Irish, half-Sicilian New Yorker who rises up in the ranks of his Brooklyn neighborhood’s mob. Despite his dedication to them in the face of legal pressure, Henry soon finds himself at odds with both law enforcement and the mobsters. The film boasts a classic cast, including Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Paul Sorvino.
Watch on HBO Max Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+
See the original post on Youtube
Boyz N the Hood
Originally developed as a film school submission by writer-director John Singleton, it wasn’t long before his debut film Boyz n the Hood would become a major motion picture, nominated for multiple Academy Awards, added to the National Film Registry, and referenced as a key title in contemporary black cinema. Boyz n the Hood tells the story of three young men, played by Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Morris Chestnut, as they grow up in South Central Los Angeles. Despite their varying trajectories within their shared environment, their intertwined fates soon expose just how inescapable their local gang culture can be.
Watch on Amazon Watch on YouTube
See the original post on Youtube
The Godfather Part II
Sure, there's likely a major contingent of film buffs who will tell you that the The Godfather trilogy peaked in the original. But The Godfather Part II still stands, nearly 50 years after its release, as the go-to example of how a sequel can be just as good (if not better!) as the original. Plus, watching a young Robert De Niro play Vito Corleone never fails to leave you in awe.
See the original post on Youtube
City of God
Adapted from Paulo Lins’s novel of the same name, City of God focuses upon the growth of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro. The narrative offers a dual perspective of two young men: one a photographer who chooses to document the area’s increasing gang/drug activity, and one who executes upon this environment by becoming a powerful drug dealer.
See the original post on Youtube
The Departed
Few films have been as beloved as The Departed. Seriously, the dedication to this film runs so deep that fans raised money for a campaign to change its final scene. Centered in South Boston, this Martin Scorsese-directed film reimagines the Hong Kong crime movie Internal Affairs as a story that circulates around a criminal investigation of the Irish mafia. The film, essentially, is a rat-race between two rats to rat out one another, with performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, and Alec Baldwin among others.
Watch on Netflix Watch on HBO Max Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+
See the original post on Youtube
Menace II Society
Directed by the trailblazing Allen and Albert Hughes, Menace II Society follows the coming of age of Caine Lawson, an 18-year-old living in Watts, Los Angeles, who is determined to break out of his neighborhood’s cycle of crime. The powerful ensemble of Tyrin Turner, Jada Pinkett Smith, Larenz Tate, and Charles Dutton provide a rounded perspective of Lawson’s many life influences. Most powerful of all, though, is the reality that even his best influences and intentions don’t guarantee a way out.
Watch on Netflix Watch on HBO Max Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+
See the original post on Youtube
Miller's Crossing
Joel and Ethan Coen’s take on the gangster genre is not to be missed. Circulating the rivalry between an Irish and Italian mob, Miller’s Crossing follows one gang’s right-hand man on his complicated attempt to maintain loyalty while playing both sides.
Watch on Amazon Watch on YouTube
See the original post on Youtube
American Gangster
Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, American Gangster is based on the life of Frank Lucas, a gangster who became infamous in Harlem for trafficking heroin into the U.S. on planes returning from the Vietnam War. While Lucas creates a personal empire for himself with his cunning trading skills, his activity starts being closely traced by a local cop.
Watch on Apple TV+ Watch on YouTube
See the original post on Youtube
Once Upon a Time in America
The king of the Spaghetti Western, Sergio Leone, takes on new territory in this crime drama following David Aaronson, played by Robert DeNiro. His iconic film follows Aaronson’s life on the Lower East Side of New York. Tracing Aaronson and his gang of companions from childhood innocence to their adulthood of organized crime, the film turns the genre on its head in a thoughtful and well-rounded perspective of life in, and outside of, crime.
Watch on Netflix Watch on Apple TV+
See the original post on Youtube
Reservoir Dogs
This is the film that essentially put Quentin Tarantino on the map and with good reason. Following the before and after of a failed jewelry robbery, Reservoir Dogs embodies so much of the strengths that have become Tarantino’s signature: senseless gore, plots convoluted enough to be crime cases, and truly eccentric characters.
Watch on HBO Max Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+
See the original post on Youtube
The Irishman
Only in a Martin Scorsese film could Robert De Niro be the least Italian guy on set. Born half-Italian, half-Irish, he's spent his film career in Scorsese pictures playing anyone other than an Italian guy. In Goodfellas, he's an Irish hijacker named Jimmy Conway, and in Casino, he's a Jewish sports racketeer named Sam Rothstein. De Niro follows suit in The Irishman as aging Irish gangster Frank Sheeran, a hitman for the Philadelphia Mafia who interacts with Jimmy Hoffa.
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On the Waterfront
Marlon Brando stars as a struggling dock worker in On the Waterfront, a 50's classic directed by Elia Kazan that depicts what little options the average man has at his disposal to deal with organized crime.
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The Public Enemy
in 1931's The Public Enemy (an early hit for Warner Bros.), James Cagney plays Tom Powers, a bootlegger during the era of Prohibition who becomes embroiled in a gang war.
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Tokyo Drifter
With some of the most vibrant colors and catchy scores, Seijun Suzuki's Japanese noir, Tokyo Drifter, follows a yakuza hitman on the run after he tries to escape a life of crime and murder. Forced to abandon his life and become a "drifter," he fends off attacks from hitman sent to silence him including veteran killer "The Viper."
Watch on The Criterion Channel Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+
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Little Caesar
Early film star Edward G. Robinson stars as "Little Caesar," a cutthroat Chicago gangster who rises through the ranks to control all of the city's Northside.
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Get Carter
The London crime bosses have it coming when one of their best hitmen, Jack Carter (Michael Caine), finds his brother dead in a purported drunk-driving accident. Unsatisfied with their explanations, he goes on a one-man tirade to get answers.
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Le Doulos
"Doulos," are French gangsters defined by the kind of hat they wear, as well as a signaler of potential police informants. In this classic tale of deception and jewelry heists, director Jean-Pierre Melville solidified himself as a master of French noir.
Watch on The Criterion Channel Watch on Apple TV+
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Gangs of New York
There are accents galore in Gangs of New York, a film about a gang war in 1860's New York starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a kid named Amsterdam Vallon and Daniel Day-Lewis as a gang leader named Bill "the Butcher" Cutting.
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Scarface
Scarface follows Cuban refugee-turned gangster Tony Montana (Brian De Palma), a symbol of excess, power, and a favorite reference-point among rappers comparing themselves to the larger-than-life cocaine kingpin.
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Casino
Classic Scorsese gangster chaos ensues after the Chicago mafia sends their sports handicapper, Sam "Ace" Rothstein, to Sin City Las Vegas to run the Tangiers Casino.
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King of New York
In a somewhat uncharacteristic role that he still manages to excel at, Christopher Walken stars as Frank White, a New York City drug kingpin released from prison who finds that his organization, and the police who crackdown on organized crime, have both changed in his absence.
Watch on Amazon Watch on Tubi Watch on Apple TV+
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Le Cercle Rouge
Another Jean-Pierre Melville-directed gangster film, Le Cercle Rouge (The Red Circle) is about a jewelry heist and the police on the gangster's tail. Known for its 30-minute-long heist sequence, Le Cercle Rouge is the director's thrilling Franco-Italian masterpiece.
Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+
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New Jack City
Drug kingpin, Nino Brown, runs his Cash Money Brothers (CMB) crew like a legal corporation. Shortly after getting into the crack business, CMB pulls in a million dollars a week. But one thing that makes New Jack City potent is its shedding light on drug addiction. A cop, Scotty, played by Ice T, plants a recovering addict inside of CMB, a plan that fails miserably. Scotty has to come with plan B to take down Nino and his CMB comrades.
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Léon: The Professional
At only 12-years-old, Mathilda finds herself in the care of Léon, a professional assassin, after her family is murdered. Mathilda becomes a protégé of Leon as she learns how to become an assassin.
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The French Connection
The French Connection actually has some of the best chase scenes of all time. The movie follows two NYPD detectives who attempt to stop a Marseilles-based heroin. The plot involves a $32 million shipment of high-grade heroin smuggled from Marseilles to New York hidden in a Lincoln Continental.
A complicated deal is set up between the French people, an American money man and the Mafia. Doyle, a tough cop with a shaky reputation who busts a lot of street junkies, needs a big win to keep his career together.
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A Better Tomorrow
This story is the tale of two brothers: one a successful counterfeiter and the younger a fledgling graduate of the HK police academy. The plot revolves around the split when the younger brother learns the other is a criminal and the efforts of the criminal brother to reform. Along the way are plenty of heists, double-crosses, and shoot outs.
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