A staple of Hollywood since the earliest days of cinema,gangster crime movieshave formed an intrinsic part of popular culture. Several of the genre’s most beloved and influential outings have been acclaimed by fans and critics alike, with many of the finest examples lauded as some of thebest movies of all time. From the early days of iconic entries likeThe Public Enemyall the way to more modern standouts likeThe Departed, gangster flicks have been captivating audiences with their thrilling stories and nuanced examinations of criminality.
Along the way, cinema has witnessed several gangster movies that have defined the genre in their own unique way. Establishing what works best for this brand of film through bold experimentation, many of thebest gangster moviesbravely took a chance on what was an unproven central premise or creative direction at the time, only to be rewarded in the most satisfying manner imaginable by the film in question going on to attain iconic status. In other cases, gangster movies have successfully added inspired new elements, improving on the tried and tested formula while shaping the modern genre.
The Irishman
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Based on the nonfiction book “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt, The Irishman follows Frank Sheeran and his time working for the Italian mafia. In recounting his past, the mob hitman recalls his possible involvement with the slaying of Jimmy Hoffa.
Following a number of notably disastrous examples,digitally de-aging movie starshas always been a controversial topic. As such, the news that this technique would be used onThe Irishman’scast of cinematic gangster royalty likely led to a sense of trepidation among many fans. However, Martin Scorsese soon proved that his old magic hadn’t gone anywhere. Receiving a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the epic crime saga chronicling Frank Sheeran’s life debuted to a fanfare of critical acclaim.
10 Scorsese Trademarks In The Irishman
From voiceover narration to religious overtones, The Irishman exhibits many of the familiar hallmarks of Martin Scorsese’s filmmaking.
The Irishmanis also notable for providing a uniquely poignant perspective on criminality.Sheeran isn’t the first gangster character audiences have seen consumed by guilt and regret, but he’s one of the more prevalent cases where they get to see the individual grow old at the same time. The devastating, yet subtle, manner in which Robert De Niro conveys the elderly hitman’s reflection on the wasted nature of his life hits home in a manner that few gangster movies ever have.
Gangs of New York
Gangs of New York, directed by Martin Scorsese, is a historical drama that explores the violent rivalries between immigrant groups in 19th-century New York City. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Amsterdam Vallon, who returns to the Five Points area seeking revenge against Bill the Butcher, played by Daniel Day-Lewis. The film dramatizes the socio-political unrest in America during that era, highlighting issues like gang warfare and ethnic tension.
Taking the genre to the 1860s with exemplary results, Martin Scorsese’sGangs of New Yorkis popular culture’s preeminent historical gangster offering. Featuring an electric turn from the human Academy Award magnet, Daniel Day-Lewis, as Bill “The Butcher” Cutting, cinema had never seen anything quite like Scorsese’s picture before;an epic tale of gang warfare set against the backdrop of a gorgeously vibrant historic take on the area that would become New York City.
The Wolf of Wall Street(2013)
Killers of the Flower Moon(2023)
Gangs of New Yorkswiftly established the fact that quality gangster movies could take place long before the various organized crime eras typically associated with offerings from the genre. The film is also notable for being the first collaboration betweenScorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, an artistic partnership that would go on to produce another seminal outing for the genre in 2006’sThe Departed.
The Untouchables
The Untouchables, directed by Brian De Palma, is a crime drama set during Prohibition-era Chicago. The film stars Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness, a federal agent determined to bring down the notorious gangster Al Capone, portrayed by Robert De Niro. Alongside Sean Connery as seasoned officer Jim Malone, Ness forms an elite team to combat organized crime, focusing on the legal strategy to dismantle Capone’s empire.
Inspired by the eponymous group of legendary law enforcement agents tasked with taking down Al Capone, 1987’sThe Untouchablesis a unique offering in that it’s one of cinema’s finest gangster movies told from the perspective of law enforcement as the movie’s protagonists. Boasting an Academy Award-winning performance fromSean Connery in one of his best movies,The Untouchables’notably black-and-white take on the morality of the conflict between law enforcement and the Mob was sharply juxtaposed with the traditional gangster movie formula.
The Untouchablesfeatures gangster genre icon Robert De Niro as Al Capone.
The genre typically offers a more layered and complex take on the nature of criminality, butThe Untouchableshighlights that this is not a prerequisite for success.De Palma’s offering paints the various moral codes of his heroes and villains in much broader strokes than the nuanced likes of Scorsese or Coppola,but still manages to conjure up a beloved and timeless genre staple nonetheless.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a British crime film directed by Guy Ritchie. Released in 1998, the film follows a group of friends who become embroiled in the London underworld after a high-stakes card game goes wrong. Their attempts to repay a substantial debt lead them into intersecting criminal activities involving a variety of eccentric characters. The ensemble cast includes Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, and Jason Statham.
Many notable offerings could be argued to have defined the British gangster movie, with acclaimed numbers likeLayer Cake,Snatch, orLegendall constituting worthy examples. However, the preeminent authority in this category dates back to 1998 with Guy Ritchie’s cult-classic feature film debut,Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,released to rave reviews and introducing the director to a global audience.
Painting a gloriously immersive picture of London’s murky underworld against the backdrop of multiple interconnected criminal stories,Ritchie’s riotous outing proved that iconic gangster movies and black comedy could complement each other perfectly. Featuring a magnificently grimy rogues' gallery of colorful characters that includes some ofRitchie’s best movie villains,Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrelsis also a notable gangster film for the genre courtesy of a killer soundtrack, highlighting the beneficial effect that this creative choice could have on offerings of its ilk.
Once Upon a Time in America
Once Upon a Time in America tells the story of a group of Jewish gangsters in New York City over several decades, from their youth in the 1920s to their final days in the 1960s. Robert De Niro and James Woods star in the 1984 crime drama directed by Sergio Leone.
A masterful epic from theDollarstrilogy director Sergio Leone chronicling the rise and fall of a group of young Jewish gangsters, the condensed American edition of 1984’sOnce Upon a Time in Americawas brutally panned. However, in sharp contrast, the European edition has been acclaimed as one of the greatest movies ever made, with audiences citing Robert De Niro’s emotionally devastating lead performance and Leone’s intricately constructed narrative as the film’s strongest elements.
Once upon a Time in Americaboasts a rating of 8.3 on IMDb, as well as a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 83%.
An evocative deep dive into themes of betrayal, greed, and loyalty,Once Upon a Time in Americawas one of the first outings to indicate that there might be life beyondThe Godfatherfor the genre. With the acclaimed version of the movie clocking in at 229 minutes, it’s also arguably the preeminent epic gangster offering. It’s also notorious for pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable to show in a gangster film, with several harrowing depictions of sexual violence dotted throughoutLeone’s final movie.
Scarface
Brian De Palma’s iconic crime drama is loosely based on the 1929 novel of the same name and follows Cuban refugee Tony Montana (Al Pacino), who begins a life of crime after arriving in Miami. It chronicles his rise from a penniless thug to one of the richest and most ruthless kingpins in the world, amassing a criminal empire worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
A remake of the 1932 original outing of the same name chronicling the life of drug lord Tony Montana, 1983’sScarfaceduly went on to obliterate its predecessor in terms of lasting cultural impact. Playing host to some of cinema’s most iconic pieces of dialogue, Brian De Palma’s picture also features a number of the most instantly recognizable and widely parodied moments in cinematic history. In particular, Montana’sepic last stand sceneis one of the most unforgettable sequences ever brought to life onscreen.
Leveraging the stunning talents of genre mainstay Al Pacino to the maximum extent possible,Scarfaceis also renowned for being one of the most profane movies of all time; a status quo that would persist in the genre moving forward. The movie has also had a distinct influence on popular culture’s music landscape, with many artist names, song titles, and lyrics inspired by the legacy of this seminal gangster offering.
The Departed
The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese, depicts the tense interplay between the police and the Irish Mafia in South Boston. As an undercover officer infiltrates the criminal underworld, a syndicate informant rises within the police force, culminating in a high-stakes struggle to uncover the dual moles within their ranks.
Inspired by the acclaimed Korean movieInfernal Affairsand looselybased on the true storyof the Boston Winter Hill Gang, 2006’sThe Departedunfolds from the perspective of two “rats”;a corrupt detective, and an informant deep undercover in a vicious criminal gang.Exploring themes of guilt, greed, and identity, this Irish Mafia masterpiece serves as a worthy successor toGoodfellasfor Scorsese, while arguably providing the genre with its finest offering since the Ray Liotta-led effort debuted in 1990.
The film is contentiously the quintessential blend of the genre’s strongest elements…
Stuffed with powerhouse performances and jaw-dropping twists to complement the movie’s thrilling narrative,The Departedis also notable for featuring numerous nods to classic gangster movies from the past in the vein of 1932’sScarface. The film is contentiously the quintessential blend of the genre’s strongest elements, bringing Scorsese’s inimitable style of gangster direction into the 21st century, while paying loving homage to the iconic entries that preceded it.
The Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part II is a continuation of the Corleone crime family saga. The film explores Vito Corleone’s early life in Sicily and 1910s New York, while Michael Corleone navigates the 1950s, seeking to expand the family’s influence into Las Vegas, Hollywood, and Cuba. Released in 1974.
Widely viewed as one of thegreatest movie sequels of all time, it’s hard to adequately encapsulateThe Godfather Part II’simpact on popular culture.Chronicling two separate narrative threads orienting around the Corleone family set at different times,Francis Ford Coppola’s outing initially didn’t receive the same level of glowing critical reception as its predecessor. However, subsequent reassessment of the 1974 sequel has led to the movie being labeled as one of the greatest films ever made.
Boasting an exemplary rating of 9.0,The Godfather Part IIranks fourth on IMDb’s Top 250 Movies; two places behind its predecessor,The Godfather.
While follow-up movies aren’t exactly commonplace within the genre,The Godfather Part IIshowed that gangster sequels could enhance the quality of the original offering; an enviable state of affairs when the first film is contentiously cinema’s finest movie. Featuring unforgettable dialogue, first-rate performances, and rich characters who have gone on to inspire a cadre of imitators,The Godfather Part IIremains an indispensable entry in a franchise that has done more to shape the genre than any other.
Goodfellas
GoodFellas chronicles the life of Henry Hill, a young Brooklynite with half-Irish, half-Sicilian heritage, as he rises through the ranks of a Mafia family. As he navigates the criminal underworld, he is mentored by seasoned gangster Jimmy Conway amidst the backdrop of organized crime in New York.
While a large swathe of movie fans refuse to even entertain the notion, Martin Scorsese’sGoodfellasis the rare example of a movie that can legitimately rival entries fromThe Godfatherfranchise for the illustrious title of cinema’s finest and most influential gangster film. One of the greatest movies ever made, Scorsese’s sprawling epic sees the director at his inimitable best,chronicling Henry Hill’s rapid rise and fall from the dizzying heights of gangster royaltyin endlessly rewatchable style.
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The Irishman(2019)
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Leveraging an array of stunning performances,Goodfellas’wickedly talented ensemble cast provided the character molds for countless fictional gangsters that would follow. Rubber-stampingScorsese’s best movie’sstatus as a number that defined the gangster genre, celebrated director David Chase has revealed thatGoodfellaseven inspired him to make the iconic crime drama,The Sopranos, a front-runner for the greatest television show of all time.
The Godfather
The Godfather chronicles the Italian-American Corleone crime family from 1945 to 1955. Following an assassination attempt on family patriarch Vito Corleone, his youngest son Michael emerges to orchestrate a brutal campaign of retribution, cementing his role in the family’s illicit empire.
Widely regarded as the greatest gangster picture ever made and viewed by many as a front-runner for the best film of all time, there isn’t a great deal to say about Francis Ford Coppola’sThe Godfatherin terms of effusive praise that hasn’t been said many times before. An unforgettable gangster masterpiece filled with some of the most immortal scenes and dialogue that cinema has to offer, Coppola’s magnum opus introducing theCorleone crime familyis as close to a flawless movie as physically conceivable.
The Godfather’s Five Families Of New York Explained
While The Godfather focuses on the rise and fall of members of the Corleone family, the trilogy also tells the stories of four other families.
Deeply steeped in Italian immigrant culture,The Godfatherhas inspired films, television shows, and even video games, arguably providing a cinematic Big Bang moment for a burgeoning genre that had yet to take off in earnest at the time of its release. Leveraging the considerable might of one of the greatest screenplays ever written, it’s hard to overstate the social impact of this seminal movie, a timeless classic that defined thegangster crime genreand is almost universally revered to this day.
