Review Tales

“As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.”

Relax, before you hit the report button, I’m not confessing to any shady past. I just wanted to kick off this article with one of the coolest quotes in cinema history. Wait, did I just say cool? Does that mean I think it’s cool to be a gangster? I mean, there is definitely something large in the power and danger that belongs as accessories to a life on the edge. Michael Corleone, Henry Hill, Ace Rothstein—doesn’t each of them have a small part in our imagination? Of course, the life of crime has an inevitable downfall, but that doesn’t make the ride any less exciting.

Gangster flicks offer a view behind the curtain into lives where stakes are high and life-and-death-type choices are routine. But here’s the thing: there really isn’t any formula for a gangster film. Directors have worked with this genre in so many ways. You got your whodunits, where you try to figure out exactly who’s behind everything that happens. There are character studies you get lost in, ones about the complex and often tragic lives of those who have chosen to go down the wrong side of the law. Then there’s the coming-of-age drama in which we are witness to the young person being seduced by the allure of the mafia, growing up in a world where loyalty can be bought and sold.

In other words, gangster movies are not one genre but many, each of which holds a special lens up to the criminal underworld. But here’s the catch: these movies aren’t for everyone. Certainly, some people turn up their noses at them as glamourizations of crime; take a closer look, and you’ll find that the best of them offer much deeper commentary on morality, power, and the human condition.

So, if you’re ready to tread into this world of high-stakes drama and morally complex characters, here are the 20 perfect gangster movies you need to see before you die. Let’s cut to the chase and start this list.

City of God (2002)

I had to start this list with the finest gangster movie of the 21st century. City is God is also the quintessential gangster flick and a complete deconstruction of it. As I mentioned before, this movie is only a gangster movie on the surface, but as you dig deep, it unpeels itself and reveals various genres that are decorated in one of the most compelling narratives ever. It also is one of those movies that use the city as a character- The City of God is always alive. The characters grow as the city grows. There is no beginning or end. The plot is snowball-like and expands across different city locations and decades.

The movie is objectively one of the best-paced and edited pieces ever. It is the finest kind of literature that sticks with you long after the credits roll. Even as the initial shock wears off, you realize you have just been giving a lecture on how inequality creates a lawless environment that sets entire generations back in Brazil. Take a bow Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund for making a gangster movie for generations.

25th Hour (2002)

25th Hour isn’t really a gangster film, I mean it belongs to that category, but there is something very bittersweet and ponderous about it that makes it the most unique entry in the genre. First thing first, this is Spike Lee’s best movie ever. very few gangster movies can make you so emotional. The ultimate tribute to New York in all its hellhole glory. The post-9/11 haze of depression and self-reflection magnified into a small-scale story and yet speaks to the entire city at large, the absolute need to escape from it all or be stuck within this prison forever.

The movie is already very sad, and it makes it way sadder that we have lost both Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Patrice O’Neal who turn up in the movie in a small yet pivotal cameo. Perhaps, the most contemplative gangster movie of all time.

Birds of Passage (2018)

Mob epics aren’t supposed to be this great without the input of Italian-American filmmakers – or so we’ve been conditioned to believe. Now to be clear, Birds of Passage isn’t technically a mob epic, but it certainly has the sweeping grace and texture of one. It starts out as a particular type of film where a man has to win the approval of the family of the woman he loves. Before you can sense it, you’re watching the slow decay of a heritage and tradition of a people as Westernization, drugs, guns erode long standing traditions.

There’s a tone of lament with each chapter, the violence is never gratuitous or explicit but rather needless and blunt like actual violence. There is none of the operatic style of Coppola’s Godfathers , or Scorsese’s kinetic rocknroll documentary style. The closest this film gets in comparison is City of God, but more meditative and less flashy as the story spans years and decades. As it stands, this is the best take on how the drug trade took over Columbia – in all its beauty and in all its pain. A must see for gangster movie fans and film lovers in general.

GoodFellas (1990)

Not sure what to say about this masterpiece, which is for my money the greatest gangster movie of all time. The thing I hate about GoodFellas that it is so universally acknowledged as being the greatest that you can’t even say how it is the greatest without sounding redundant and basic. That said, GoodFellas is the absolute greatest! Nothing more to say or add. Long live Martin Scorsese, you are the best we got.

Eastern Promises (2007)

David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises is one of the most unique gangster movies of all time. It is not heavy-handed, preachy nor offers direct answers. Viggo Mortensen’s cold and menacing portrayal of a gangster in the movie avoids stereotypes and offers a more believable and nuanced performance. While Cronenberg is mostly known for body horror, his venture into the mafia genre is nothing short of spellbinding. His fascination with human bodies is presented here as well, but infused with the elements of organized crime with the involvement of the Russian Mafia. The bathroom fight scene is one of the greatest scenes ever in cinema and ending completely packs a punch to make this a classic in the gangster movie genre.

The Long Good Friday (1980)

The Long Good Friday is one of the most fearsome, electric and well thought out gangster movies ever made. The strange thing about this movie is that it is quite a formulaic gangster movie, but the execution of the formula is immaculate. Bob Hoskins puts in a tremendous performance and Mirren and him present an extremely endearing couple. The British gangster movie directed by John Mackenzie doesn’t relinquish its hold on you for even a microsecond and leaves a lasting impression on you to make it linger in your brain long after the end credits roll. This is a must-see for all gangster movies fans as it is one of the very best in the genre.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Another basic but an essential pick in the gangster movie genre. You might question me why am I even putting “The Wolf of Wall Street” in the perfect gangster movies list when it is essentially about a bunch of scamsters who did fraud through phone by selling fake stocks. But, if you question this then I will question your understanding of the genre. “The Wolf of Wall Street” is a crime drama through and through. Sure, it doesn’t involve gun fights and gratuitous violence, but it showcases white collar crime in all of its brutality and irony.

Despite being possibly the most entertaining movie of the god of gangster movie genre Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street is weaving a lot of brutality beneath. It is outrageously hilarious but the hilarity is only there to question your morals. Jordan Belfort gets away with so much to only spend his time in prison playing tennis and in the end becoming an influencer of some sorts, this is the most horrifying thing about this white-collar crime drama, which is not only the best white collar crime drama of the last decade but also one of the Scorsese’s most immaculate creations ever.

Outrage (2010)

Takeshi Kitano is one of the most versatile directors of all time. His filmography is so diverse that you fail to acknowledge what his actual style is. However, when he is in his true element directing a gangster movie, he is completely peerless. His late career gangster movie Outrage takes a few pages from Fukasaku’s “Battles without Honor and Humanity” and blends it with Beat’s cold cynical violence and bit of slasher horror vibe. The end result you get from this blend is unbridled mayhem. Much like its title, the movie is outrageous, funny, violent, amusing, tragic and above all, one of the best gangster movies of the last decade.

A Bittersweet Life (2005)

Kim Jee-Won’s “A Bittersweet Life” is a beautiful bloodbath. When it comes to Korean gangster movies, only a few movies come close to this masterpiece. Kim takes a simple premise that could have easily turned out like any other Korean revenge movie- overwrought and cliched and makes it something stylish and different. The plot of the movie is already phenomenal, but it is highly elevated by its soft light cinematography and an otherworldly OST.

It is one of the prime examples of why sometimes a gangster genre movie requires a unique style to exalt familiar substance. Not to mention, the performance by Lee Byung-hun is simply sublime. Go watch this Korean gangster movie and learn the definition of style.

Training Day (2001)

Training Day is another gangster movie that doesn’t break new ground. It is not doing something extremely inventive or out of this world. But, that doesn’t stop it from being a masterpiece in the genre. The movie wastes no time in getting into the action and from then on, it is non-stop. Carried by the towering personality of Denzel Wasington and an impeccable performance of Ethan Hawke, this movie of Antonie Fuqua is an absolute treat for gangster movie fans.

The movie contains a manic energy that I can liken to breaking bad levels of intensity and tension. Again, so what if it is not groundbreaking or inventive? Pretty much everything about Training Day is perfect. From acting to the writing to the story’s structure to the gritty adrenaline rush it gives you. It is a film about law, justice, and the strange characters that live on the sides. Gorgeous cinema, right there!

Satya (1998)

In 1998, Satya felt like the first peek into the minutiae of a gangster in urban India. It treats as it would normal people, catching up with them not just when they were on the job but also when they drank and argued with their wives and went on dates. The film is not afraid to throw in critiques of the Indian police, which then sparks debate about moral code and the ends justifying the means. How badly do the cops want to catch the criminals? Should an imperfect system be bent even further just to catch criminals who will still continue operating even in prison? Where is the accountability when the men sworn to protect citizens place those same citizens in harm’s way in an attempt to catch the bad guys? Classic crime drama dilemmas!

This gangster movie is unflinching, memorable, gritty, meandering Indian cinema. It gave the industry raw teeth, leaving a rabid bite mark on audiences who didn’t want to be talked down to! Director Ram Gopal Verma, writer Anurag Kashyap, Manoj Bajpayee, J.D. Chakravarty, Shefali Shah, Urmila Matondkar, would all go on to carry Bollywood into the stratosphere, and it all began with their big break Satya! Now THAT’S truth!

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

It is impossible to watch “Once Upon a Time in America” and not feel a mixture of nostalgia and melancholy by the end. Sergio Leone’s final masterpiece is everything a gangster movie should be and more. Beautifully filmed, brilliantly acted, meticulously crafted 4-hour masterclass with an excellent cinematography by Tonio Delli Colli and a masterful soundtrack by Ennio Morricone.

Leone worked on this film for almost 20 years and it shows in every single frame of it. Every single scene in this gangster epic is a rousing piece of art that belongs in the museum. A towering achievement in the realm of filmmaking, an absolute gift that keeps on giving and inspiring generations to come.

Casino (1995)

Loosely based on prohibition era Jewish Mobster Arnold Rothstein, Martin Scorsese’s stylish yet gruesome mob flick ‘Casino’ portrays the rise and fall of Jewish Mobster ‘Ace’ Rothstein and his childhood friend Nicky Santoro (played by arguably the greatest duo in cinema, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci). We witness their rise to power, but also their demise. We witness a story of greed. We witness a story of betrayal.

Do not be put off by its 3hr runtime, this movie goes by tremendously fast. From the start, you are drawn into this world of cheating, stealing and killing. Throughout the 3 hours you will come across beautiful cinematography, impeccable acting (looking at the cast you cant really expect anything less), and a plot that might even have you calling Scorsese the greatest to ever do it. After watching this, how can you not say that he doesn’t have a valid claim to the title of greatest filmmaker ever. To me, Scorsese has nothing more to prove, this film just cements his position as one of the greatest.

Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)

It is not a mere coincidence that I am putting “Gangs of Wasseypur” right after “Casino” in this list of perfect gangster movies. The creator of this epic gangster drama, Anurag Kashyap has himself admitted that he took inspiration from the character of Ginger from Casino in writing the female characters of Gangs of Wasseypur. There is nothing new or inspiring I have to say about this gangster movie masterpiece that hasn’t already been said.

Anurag Kashyap masterfully blends the narrative structure of “GoodFellas” with the atmosphere of “City of God” to deliver a masterclass in every single department of filmmaking. And the movie is propelled by some of the finest performances ever seen in the history of world cinema. Possibly, the best Indian movie of the last decade.

The Godfather (1972)

When people talk about their love for cinema., and filmmaking in general, if they don’t put “The Godfather” into the conversation as one of the very best films ever made, then it is not love. Still after more than 50 years, Francis Ford Coppola’s movie is the envy of every film that came after it. Nothing more to add. It is one of the greatest of all time.

Mean Streets (1973)

Martin Scorsese’s first gangster movie, a genre where his name is brought up in every discussion. The movie has all the interesting characters and violence that you would expect from every other one of Scorsese’s gangster movies, but the most striking thing in “Mean Streets” is paying for your own sins. Oh, and it is extremely funny too, before Scorsese dipped his toes completely into the gangster movies, he ended up making a mob comedy that is nothing but a sight to behold.

In the end, even if Mean Streets in one of the earlier gangster movies of the legend Martin Scorsese, it manages to be rough and raw with its unflinching look at the mob lifestyle. It totally establishes the parameters of Scorsese’s career at the outset. For this reason, it is categorized as a perfect gangster movie.

Scarface (1983)

Scarface is a completely crazy movie when it comes to the gangster genre. The excessively aggressive character of Tony Montana played to perfection by Al Pacino is instantly iconic. And to be honest, it is like the director Brian De Palma was in Tony Montana mode himself when directing this movie- he also wanted more, more and more at every aspect of filmmaking. When you hear of “glitter and glamour” you should think about Scarface. The club scenes, the pool scene, mansions, etc.

I will admit, I do see some flaws of Scarface, as it is clunky in parts and somewhat dated, but the overly stylish filmmaking and Al Pacino’s once-in-a-generation performance never let those flaws become evident. And, it comes out as the perfect gangster movie.

A Bronx Tale (1993)

Simple, poignant and utterly affecting. These are terms I would use to describe Robert De Niro’s directorial debut “A Bronx Tale”. As I mentioned in the beginning of the article about the versatility of the gangster genre, A Bronx Tale is one of the most unique gangster movies you will ever see. On the surface it looks like your routine gangster flick, but as the end credits of the movie roll, it is a guarantee that you will be completely shattered.

More than a gangster epic it is a film about life, a story about purpose and a tale of talent. It makes me really mad that Robert De Niro didn’t get to direct many movies in his career, because he clearly knows how to make a picture effective and he did that to utmost perfection with “A Bronx Tale”.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Reservoir Dogs is an iconic start to Tarantino’s epic filmmaking career as the generation’s most celebrated and love director. While the movie is not an out and out gangster cinema, it infuses several elements together to offer a riveting ride. The movie moves back and forth through time to give you exactly what you need to know about several characters and then lets you put the pieces in order to make sense of them.

Admittedly, Tarantino has gotten better with time boasting various classics in his illustrious filmography, but, this film still remains one of his very best because of its sheer boldness and madness. The gangster drama combines elements of heist Tarantino’s classic B-movie and serve a delectable dish that you devour in all of its glory.

The Irishman (2019)

I had to save the best for the last. I will admit, GoodFellas is objectively the greatest Scorsese gangster movie of all time, but The Irishman makes me feel things that I have hardly felt in any other movie. People call “Taxi Driver” or “The King of Comedy” Scorsese’s darkest works, but to me nothing comes even close to “The Irishman“. Its unflinching look at the mob life with strong emphasis on personal connections completely hit home.

After starting the movie in a typical rock-n-roll manner, Scorsese leaves you with a cold feeling at the end. The movie definitely picks its essence from “Once Upon a Time in America”, but to be it manages to be even more emotionally charged and resonating. You feel the guilt of Frank Sheeran from his early beginnings as a mob hitman to his descend into a lonely old man filled with regrets. The melancholic atmosphere in “The Irishman” makes it a unique entry in the Scorsese’s mob movie universe. Honestly, I can write thousands of paragraphs for praise of this movie, but even that would not be enough to sum up its greatness. This is a perfect movie and I am eternally grateful to Martin Scorsese for making this.

So, yes, this is it from my side for this list. A lot of you might complain that I was a little biased here (considering the amount of Martin Scorsese movies in this list), but I promise I tried to be as neutral as possible. If you enjoy these gangster movies, you have a special place in my heart, if you don’t then I hope a re-watch changes something for you. And yes, the gangster movie genre is my favorite, so you will see many articles like this in the future, please bear with me.