A staple of Hollywood since the earliest days of cinema, gangster crime movies have 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 the best movies of all time. From the early days of iconic entries like The Public Enemy all the way to more modern standouts like The Departed, gangster flicks have been captivating audiences with their thrilling stories and nuanced examinations of criminality.
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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 the best gangster movies bravely 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.
You are watching: 10 Gangster Movies That Defined The Genre
10
The Irishman (2019)
Directed By Martin Scorsese
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6.3/10
The Irishman
R
BiographyDramaCrime
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.
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Release Date
November 27, 2019
Runtime
210 minutes
Cast
Bobby Cannavale
, Jack Huston
, Joe Pesci
, Jesse Plemons
, Sebastian Maniscalco
, Al Pacino
, Kathrine Narducci
, Stephen Graham
, Ray Romano
, Aleksa Palladino
, Anna Paquin
, Robert De Niro
, Harvey Keitel
, Jake Hoffman
Director
Martin Scorsese
Writers
Steven Zaillian
Studio(s)
Netflix
Distributor(s)
Netflix
Expand
Following a number of notably disastrous examples, digitally de-aging movie stars has always been a controversial topic. As such, the news that this technique would be used on The Irishman’s cast 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.
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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.
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The Irishman is 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.
9
Gangs Of New York (2002)
Directed By Martin Scorsese
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9.7/10
Gangs of New York
R
CrimeDrama
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.
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Release Date
December 20, 2002
Runtime
167 Minutes
Cast
Leonardo DiCaprio
, Cameron Diaz
, Daniel Day-Lewis
, Jim Broadbent
, John C. Reilly
, Henry Thomas
, Liam Neeson
, Brendan Gleeson
Director
Martin Scorsese
Main Genre
Drama
Writers
Jay Cocks
, Steven Zaillian
, Kenneth Lonergan
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Taking the genre to the 1860s with exemplary results, Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York is 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.
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Leonardo DiCaprio & Martin Scorsese Collaborations |
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Gangs of New York (2002) |
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The Aviator (2004) |
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The Departed (2006) |
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Shutter Island (2010) |
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The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) |
|
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) |
Gangs of New York swiftly 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 between Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, an artistic partnership that would go on to produce another seminal outing for the genre in 2006’s The Departed.
8
The Untouchables (1987)
Directed By Brian De Palma
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9.3/10
The Untouchables
R
CrimeHistoryThriller
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.
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Release Date
June 3, 1987
Runtime
1h 59m
Cast
Kevin Costner
, Sean Connery
, Charles Martin Smith
, Andy Garcia
, Robert De Niro
, Richard Bradford
, Jack Kehoe
, Brad Sullivan
Director
Brian De Palma
Main Genre
Crime
Writers
David Mamet
Studio(s)
Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s)
Paramount Pictures
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Inspired by the eponymous group of legendary law enforcement agents tasked with taking down Al Capone, 1987’s The Untouchables is 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 from Sean 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 Untouchables features gangster genre icon Robert De Niro as Al Capone.
The genre typically offers a more layered and complex take on the nature of criminality, but The Untouchables highlights 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.
7
Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Directed By Guy Ritchie
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10/10
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
R
ComedyCrime
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.
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Release Date
August 28, 1998
Runtime
106 Minutes
Cast
Jason Flemyng
, Dexter Fletcher
, Nick Moran
, Jason Statham
, Steven Mackintosh
, Vinnie Jones
, sting
, Peter McNicholl
Director
Guy Ritchie
Main Genre
Crime
Writers
Guy Ritchie
Studio(s)
HandMade Films
, SKA Films
, The Steve Tisch Company
, Summit Entertainment
Distributor(s)
Gramercy Pictures
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Many notable offerings could be argued to have defined the British gangster movie, with acclaimed numbers like Layer Cake, Snatch, or Legend all 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 of Ritchie’s best movie villains, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is 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.
6
Once Upon A Time In America (1984)
Directed By Sergio Leone
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9.6/10
Once Upon a Time in America
r
CrimeDrama
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.
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Release Date
June 1, 1984
Runtime
229 Minutes
Cast
Robert De Niro
, James Woods
, Elizabeth McGovern
, Treat Williams
, Tuesday Weld
, Burt Young
, Joe Pesci
, Danny Aiello
Director
Sergio Leone
Main Genre
Crime
Writers
Harry Grey
, Leonardo Benvenuti
, Piero De Bernardi
, Enrico Medioli
, Franco Arcalli
, Franco Ferrini
, Stuart Kaminsky
, Sergio Leone
Studio(s)
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Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor(s)
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Warner Bros. Pictures
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A masterful epic from the Dollars trilogy director Sergio Leone chronicling the rise and fall of a group of young Jewish gangsters, the condensed American edition of 1984’s Once Upon a Time in America was 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 America boasts 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 America was one of the first outings to indicate that there might be life beyond The Godfather for 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 throughout Leone’s final movie.
5
Scarface (1983)
Directed By Brian De Palma
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9.7/10
Scarface
R
CrimeDrama
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.
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Release Date
December 9, 1983
Runtime
170 minutes
Cast
Al Pacino
, Michelle Pfeiffer
, Robert Loggia
, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
, Miriam Colon
, F. Murray Abraham
Director
Brian De Palma
Main Genre
Crime
Writers
Oliver Stone
, Howard Hawks
, Ben Hecht
Studio(s)
Universal Pictures
Distributor(s)
Universal Pictures
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A remake of the 1932 original outing of the same name chronicling the life of drug lord Tony Montana, 1983’s Scarface duly 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’s epic last stand scene is 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, Scarface is 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.
4
The Departed (2006)
Directed By Martin Scorsese
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9.8/10
The Departed
R
ThrillerDramaCrime
A remake of the 2002 film Infernal Affairs, Martin Scorcese’s The Departed is one of the definitive crime epics. It follows Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a Massachusetts State Police officer who serves as an informant for mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), and Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), an undercover cop placed within Costello’s organization. Both Sullivan and Costigan scramble to uncover the other’s identity in order to save their own lives from the wrath of Costello and his gang.
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Release Date
October 6, 2006
Runtime
151 minutes
Cast
Martin Sheen
, Matt Damon
, Jack Nicholson
, Mark Wahlberg
, Leonardo DiCaprio
Director
Martin Scorsese
Main Genre
Crime
Writers
William Monahan
, Alan Mak
, Felix Chong
Studio(s)
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Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor(s)
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Warner Bros. Pictures
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Inspired by the acclaimed Korean movie Infernal Affairs and loosely based on the true story of the Boston Winter Hill Gang, 2006’s The Departed unfolds 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 to Goodfellas for 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 Departed is also notable for featuring numerous nods to classic gangster movies from the past in the vein of 1932’s Scarface. 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.
3
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Directed By Francis Ford Coppola
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8.3/10
The Godfather Part II
r
CrimeDrama
Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather II continues Michael Corleone’s story as he expands the Corleones’ presence as a crime syndicate. The film is also half devoted to the backstory of Vito Corleone, following his rise to power in 1920s New York City. While The Godfather is considered one of the greatest movies ever made, The Godfather Part II was able to live up to the original and secure six Oscars at the 1975 Academy Awards.
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Release Date
December 20, 1974
Runtime
202minutes
Cast
Al Pacino
, Robert De Niro
, James Caan
, Diane Keaton
Director
Francis Ford Coppola
Writers
Francis Ford Coppola
, Robert De Niro
, Al Pacino
Studio(s)
Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s)
Paramount Pictures
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Widely viewed as one of the greatest movie sequels of all time, it’s hard to adequately encapsulate The Godfather Part II’s impact 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 II ranks 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 II showed 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 II remains an indispensable entry in a franchise that has done more to shape the genre than any other.
2
Goodfellas (1990)
Directed By Martin Scorsese
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10/10
Goodfellas
R
BiographyCrimeDrama
Goodfellas is a 1990 crime film starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Ray Liotta. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and outlines the life and times of mobster Henry Hill. It’s based on the book Wiseguy, written by Nicholas Pileggi.
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Release Date
September 21, 1990
Runtime
145 Minutes
Cast
Robert De Niro
, Ray Liotta
, Joe Pesci
, Lorraine Bracco
, Paul Sorvino
, Frank Sivero
Director
Martin Scorsese
Main Genre
Crime
Writers
Nicholas Pileggi
, Martin Scorsese
Studio(s)
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Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor(s)
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Warner Bros. Pictures
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While a large swathe of movie fans refuse to even entertain the notion, Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas is the rare example of a movie that can legitimately rival entries from The Godfather franchise 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 royalty in endlessly rewatchable style.
|
Martin Scorsese’s Gangster Movie Ratings On IMDb |
|
|---|---|
|
Mean Streets (1973) |
7.2 |
|
Goodfellas (1990) |
8.7 |
|
Casino (1995) |
8.2 |
|
Gangs of New York (2002) |
7.5 |
|
The Departed (2006) |
8.5 |
|
The Irishman (2019) |
7.8 |
Leveraging an array of stunning performances, Goodfellas’ wickedly talented ensemble cast provided the character molds for countless fictional gangsters that would follow. Rubber-stamping Scorsese’s best movie’s status as a number that defined the gangster genre, celebrated director David Chase has revealed that Goodfellas even inspired him to make the iconic crime drama, The Sopranos, a front-runner for the greatest television show of all time.
1
The Godfather (1972)
Directed By Francis Ford Coppola
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64
9.5/10
The Godfather
R
DramaCrime
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.
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Release Date
March 24, 1972
Runtime
175 minutes
Cast
Marlon Brando
, Al Pacino
, James Caan
, Robert Duvall
, Richard S. Castellano
, Diane Keaton
, Talia Shire
, Gianni Russo
, Sterling Hayden
, John Marley
, Richard Conte
, Al Lettieri
, Abe Vigoda
, Rudy Bond
, Al Martino
, Morgana King
, Lenny Montana
, John Martino
, Salvatore Corsitto
, Richard Bright
, Alex Rocco
, Tony Giorgio
, Vito Scotti
, Tere Livrano
Director
Francis Ford Coppola
Main Genre
Drama
Writers
Mario Puzo
, Francis Ford Coppola
Studio(s)
Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s)
Paramount Plus
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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’s The Godfather in 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 the Corleone crime family is as close to a flawless movie as physically conceivable.
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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.
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6
Deeply steeped in Italian immigrant culture, The Godfather has 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 the gangster crime genre and is almost universally revered to this day.
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Category: Entertainment