Must-See Gangster Movies – The Top Ten Crime Classics

If you love high-stakes drama, morally ambiguous characters and the seedy underbelly of organized crime, get ready for a cinematic treat and our must-see gangster movies that are classics. For bloody shootouts and blatantly corrupt crooks, this collection of mobster movies has it all.

From backroom dealings and border city bloodshed to ultra-violent brawls and international assassin’s guilds, gangster movies have proven a popular staple on the film landscape.

Whether you’re a mob movie enthusiast or new to this type of genre, you’re in for a treat with this rundown of the best and most memorable crime classics ever made.

So, let’s wander down to those dark alleys and smoky lounges and embrace the top 10 gangster movies to watch if you claim to be a card-carrying film-lover and a retro-style champion at least once.

The GodFather (1972)

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Considered by many to be the greatest movie of all time, The Godfather isn’t just a mobster film, it’s a thoughtful exploration of narrative, character, and influence. Marlon Brando’s unforgettable rendition of Don Vito Corleone (“The Godfather”) created a film experience that transcends time with some of its most-quoted lines and iconic music.

Goodfellas (1990)

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Grungy, bawdy and unapologetically cool, Goodfellas puts Henry Hill’s meteoric ascent and tragic downfall right in your lap. With stellar turns by Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci, it is often picked as one of the most accurate portrayals of life in the mob ever conceived.

Scarface (1983)

Directed by: Brian De Palma

“Say hello to my little friend!” Scarface is crude, savage, and completely unforgettable. Al Pacino‘s Tony Montana is a heartless anti-hero whose sky-high ascent and certain-to-plummet crash serve as a dark morality tale about too much ambition, too much excess, and the all-too-common chase after the American Dream. You know, gangster style.

The Departed (2006)

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

An electrifying contemporary masterwork, The Departed thrums with life, brimming with a cast as powerful as its story, the tale of Boston’s Irish mob underworld. Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson lead a first-rate ensemble in a must-see, keep-you-guessing gangland drama, the kind that makes you glad the genre still has some surprises in store.

Casino (1995)

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Las Vegas has never been so perilous. Casino delves into the underworld of the city’s magnificent gaming empire, in which so many big fortunes are lost and found, and tells a serpentine tale of murder, betrayal, and double-crossing.

Magnificently cast, with Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, and Joe Pesci, and powerfully structured, the film moves ahead with a kind of inexorable motion that draws the viewer deeply into the material and into the characters.

The Untouchables (1987)

Directed by: Brian De Palma

Set during the prohibition-infested times, this brings an all-too-gripping drama to light that unfurls around infamous Chicago gangster Al Capone (Robert De Niro). It stars Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness, the federal agent who took down Capone and his organization. Aside from perhaps the epic showdown at the U.S.-Canadian border in 1939’s All Quiet on the Western Front, the 1987 classic The Untouchables makes the most of the World War I-era stairway and the sweeping music that accompany it via the upstairs-downstairs action.

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Directed by: Sergio Leone

An epic tale of companionship, treason, and time misplaced, this evening film features Robert De Niro as an ex-Jewish gang member who muses over his youthful days in New York’s Lower East Side. With stellar visuals and a quite plaintive score, it is a film that rewards the audience’s patience.

Donnie Brasco (1997)

Directed by: Mike Newell

Donnie Brasco is a true story with a basis in fact. It tells of the undercover work done by FBI agent Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp). He infiltrated the mob, forming a dangerous bond with hitman Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino). Donnie Brasco is not a light crime drama. It is a deeply emotional piece that explores the themes of loyalty, identity, and sacrifice.

American Gangster (2007)

Directed by: Ridley Scott

A powerhouse performance is delivered by Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas, the drug kingpin in Harlem, who rises to power and controls a drug operation that smuggled heroin in U.S. military planes. With Russell Crowe as a not-so-relentless cop working on the case, American Gangster is a stylish, intelligent, and hard-hitting look at the seedy side of life in Harlem.

A Bronx Tale (1993)

Directed by: Robert De Niro

De Niro’s directorial debut is a story about growing up, with “mob influence and neighborhood loyalty” providing the backdrop. A young boy finds himself torn between the values of his honestly weird father and the charisma of a local gangster. A Bronx Tale is more than just a crime film. It is a story about identity and the choices that shape it.

These must-see gangster movies you can’t miss are not only about bullets and betrayal but also about the complexity of human ambition, the illusion of power, and the moment-to-moment consequences of living outside the law.

The films on this list have redefined the genre in their own individual ways—at times funny, at times terrifying; with performances you can’t forget; with dialogue that’s shoved its way into American pop culture; and with themes that resonate far beyond the screen.

If you want to watch something or are in the mood to build a collection of drama films about criminals, these are the ones to see. But watch out: once you’re in with these mafiosos, you can’t get out.

There’s plenty more in the genre. Dig deep into the gangster world to discover hidden gems, international hits, and maybe even modern masterpieces. Want the second part? Tell us in comments or share your favorite mob movie we have missed. The underworld is vast, and we are just getting started.

Must-See Gangster Movies – The Top Ten Crime Classics

The GodFather (1972)

Goodfellas (1990)

Scarface (1983)

The Departed (2006)

Casino (1995)

The Untouchables (1987)

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Donnie Brasco (1997)

American Gangster (2007)

A Bronx Tale (1993)

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