8 Best Gangster Movies That Redefined Crime Cinema

Gangster films have been loved by the audience for a longer time than we could have thought. The complex morality and unforgettable narratives have redefined the genre itself.

Movie Insiderz has come up with a list of the eight best gangster movies that not only won at the box office but also gathered massive critical praise. 

8 best gangster movies that still rule the 21st-century cinema

The Godfather (1972)

Francis Ford Coppola gave us a delightful watch in an era when such a masterpiece wasn’t expected. The film highlights the doings of the Corleone crime family, set in 1940s New York. 

A power transition is explored between the father patriarch Don Vito Corleone (played by Marlon Brando), and his hesitant son, Michael (Al Pacino). Michael is left with no option but to take over the family business from which he was almost detached earlier.

He had to take this step after his father was nearly killed. And this is where the film takes a full turn when the son transforms into a ruthless Mafia boss, initiating a sanguinary conflict within the family. 

Scarface (1983)

This is an unforgettable gangster story of Tony Montana (Al Pacino), a Cuban refugee who came to Miami during the Mariel boatlift. It was the time in 1980 when, struck by economic hardships, several Cubans came to southern Florida via Mariel Harbor. 

Montana is hungry for wealth and power, which leads him to build an empire, but not free from drug addiction and mercilessness. The intense performance by Al Pacino and gritty violence made the film memorable.

The themes of power, style, excess of wealth, drugs, and relationships are smartly interwoven with the characters’ charisma. The powerful visual style sets a distinct taste for the audience in the genre. 

The Untouchables (1987)

A classic gangster film rooted in the 1930s Chicago during the time of Prohibition. Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) forms the titular team of lawmen to hunt down Al Capone (Robert De Niro). He is the city’s most powerful crime boss.

The plan is to charge him for tax evasion, but the corruption is on the rise. Ness struggles to keep pace with his mission due to various obstacles, even if that means Capone’s influence over the police itself. 

Director Brian De Palma blended historical fiction and stylish filmmaking so well that it left a lasting impression in the world of gangster movies. The iconic imagery with remarkable performance is a celebrated piece of art to date. 

Goodfellas (1990)

Goodfellas is a classic flick among the best gangster movies that perfectly assembles glamour and a mob’s allure with illustrations of violence and a life of crime. The film is set in the 1950s, where Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) is attracted to the glamour and power of the mafia. 

He enjoys his high life with his fellows, Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci), with full access to power and money. But it does not stay like that for long until drugs and paranoia start hitting Henry, which affects his decision to become a federal informant. 

Martin Scorsese did not opt to show the glossy side of the criminal world, and it is always like that, to be honest. The film did dig deeper into the lifestyles of these gangsters, which came with a complete package. 

Casino (1995)

Martin Scorsese again blew us away with another gangster hit, Casino, in 1995. It will be no surprise if we say that major hits in the best gangster movies list are by Martin Scorsese. 

And needless to say, Robert De Niro seems to be the maestro in this genre’s acting. He is a resourceful Sam “Ace” Rothstein in the film, presiding over the management of the mob’s casinos. 

The complex dynamics of the involvement of mobs in casinos are displayed aptly in this crime drama. It shapes the relationships between Ace, his friend Nicky Santoro (portrayed by Joe Pesci), and his wife Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), showing a gradual downfall of the crime world filled with corruption.

Variety reviewed it as: 

“Scorsese has mixed good actors with familiar Vegas personalities and very real-seeming older mob types to excellent effect. Technically, “Casino” is virtually beyond compare.” [Source]

Snatch (2000)

Guy Ritchie has a trademark style of direction, already enjoyed by the fans in The Covenant (2023). Snatch is one of his best gangster movies, which incorporates dark comedy and is set in London’s criminal underworld. 

Two storylines are running side by side in the film; one is where a diamond, pursued by various criminals, is stolen. The other plot focuses on a boxing match that has its roots connected to a dangerous crime boss named Brick Top (Alan Ford) and an expert boxer, Mickey (Brad Pitt). 

The series of events of both the plot stories intertwine somehow, which gives us a fantastic show of double-crosses, violence, and ultimate struggle to get their hands on the diamond. 

The Departed (2006)

Another superb gangster movie that has dark suspense with vibes of modern classics. The Departed presents a cat-and-mouse thriller taking shape between an undercover cop (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) to keep an eye on the Bostonian gang and a superlative degree mole (played by Matt Damon) in the Boston Police Department. 

The story unfolds masterfully as the two men continue with their double lives and find it hard to keep the balance of things on both sides. There is a constant struggle to keep their identities clandestine while trying to survive in their respective worlds. 

The Irishman (2019)

Robert De Niro already has a ‘gangsta’ type of look, and he capitalized on it by playing a major role in The Godfather II (1974). Again, making good use of it, he starred in the recent modern underworld film, The Irishman, with the Godfather himself, Al Pacino. 

The story involves a truck driver, Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), who becomes a hitman for the Bufalino crime family. Another important character of the film is Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), a powerful Teamsters leader. 

The film is a clever anecdote of Sheeran’s life and his friendship with Hoffa, eventually resulting in Hoffa’s disappearance. A depiction of Sheeran’s life over the decade and his choice between his loyalty and friendship is explored in the film. 

Think we missed any of the best gangster movies? Let us know your picks below.