Here Are The 15 Finest Gangster Movies You Can Watch Right Now:
From the 1930s to now, gangster movies have been a hit, and each decade has seen a wide range of styles. The 2000s were undoubtedly the most exciting decade for gangster movies because the styles were so different, even though the stories were very identical.
With names such as Martin Scorsese and Ridley Scott on the list, it’s clear that the biggest directors in the history of the movie business made gangster movies in the 2000s. In addition, most of the movies on this list have groups full of big names.
Like musicals and Westerns, mob and gangster movies are something you have to get used to. These types of music tend to have clear-cut “either you like them as well as you don’t” choices, with no in-between.
A crime movie from the 2000s could be about the world’s most evil mobsters. One director could make it look like a shiny, fun thrill ride, while another could make it look like a frightening Shakespearean tragedy.
RocknRolla:
People who have seen a Guy Ritchie movie know what to expect from it. Many people consider Ritchie as England’s answer to Quentin Tarantino. Ritchie’s movies have a lot of fast-paced conversation.
And Richie’s most straight-up gangster film since his first movie as a director, 1998’s Lock, Stock, as well as Two Smoking Barrels, is Rock n’ Rolla. The director had a string of bad movies before 2008, but going back to his original style showed that Guy Ritchie films were more than just a style; they were a brand.
Many movies have tried to copy that style, but none of them come close to the genuine thing. Rock n Rolla is the star of his career, and it also has Tom Hardy’s big break.
Mesrine:
This is another French movie. It has two parts. Mesrine: Killer Instinct, the first part, begins with the main character, Mesrine, serving in the French Army during the Algerian War and inflicting horrific acts of violence upon dozens of prisoners.
After his service, he moved back in with his parents. Instead of getting a real job, he gets involved in crime and becomes one of the most infamous thieves in the country.
Both parts were directed by Jean-François Richet from stories he wrote alongside Abdel Raouf Dafri. Continuing the exciting trip, the second part, titled “Public Enemy #1,” takes the story forward.
Another name that stands out is Vincent Cassel, who plays the real-life character Jacques Mesrine. Many people think this is his best performance, but he is one of France’s best performers. However, Mesrine would continue to be great even without Cassel in the cast.
Black Souls:
While “Black Souls” is about three boys who have different ideas about their family’s criminal past, it is also about how a life of crime affects everyone involved. “Black Souls” is an exciting mob movie from Italy that deals with themes of forgiveness and payback while focusing on family as its main theme.
The oldest brother, Luciano, has decided to live a quiet life in the woods and stay out of his siblings’ business. What this means is that they don’t seem to agree on anything.
Due in large part to their younger brother’s illegal money, the middle brother, Rocco, keeps up the appearance of being a legitimate businessman. Out of the three, Luigi is the one who openly deals drugs across foreign borders.
Adding Leo, Luciano’s son, who sees his uncle Luigi as a superhero, is one of Director Munzi’s smart moves that turns up the moral issues to eleven. The young man’s naivety and tendency to snap at people set off a chain of events that led rival families and groups to seek revenge against these brothers.
Those who don’t want to do any of the dirty work suddenly realize they’re doing more than what their own morals allow. Instead, “Black Souls” looks at how the worst parts of ourselves are just like the best parts, and maybe all we need is a little push.
The Irishman:
In the movie, Frank Sheeran talks about his time working for the infamous Bufalino crime family and how he moves up the ranks to become a top hitman.
A huge gangster movie from Scorsese in which he works with old friends Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. The director did a good job of making his old classic feel retro. The film’s duration of 209 minutes ensures that not a single minute is wasted.
King Of New York:
King of New York has the same style as Escape from New York as well as Good Time, both of which are about crime in New York City. Colors used in this subgenre, like bright blues and greens, make it look interesting.
Christopher Walken leads an all-star group in the movie King of New York. This crime movie about gangsters makes you think about how “Robin Hood” thugs are and how they sometimes see themselves as heroes.
Gangs Of New York:
Gangs of New York was one of the most bold movies ever made. It’s not quite as good as the best gangster movies score, but it’s still a huge success. Scorsese managed to build a mile-long 1800s New York street in Italy, where most of the main filming took place. It’s this attention to detail that makes the 2002 movie such a show.
Gangs of New York creates a world with a lot of depth that not many movies can match. But along with the amazing set and outfit design and the setting in the past, it has Daniel Day-Lewis’ most famous part as Bill the Butcher, one of the scariest movie killers ever.
A Bittersweet Life:
In the early 2000s, South Korean films like “Oldboy” by Park Chan-wook made them famous around the world. Recently, films like “Parasite” by Bong Joon-ho have brought them back to life.
That thriller brought the area back into the spotlight for movie fans. But the truth is that South Korean directors have never stopped making great movies. A Bittersweet Life is the best proof of this claim.
The story is about a hitman named Kim Sun-woo, who is told to follow the wife of his boss and find out if she is cheating on him. Sun-woo confirms his boss’s fears, but he still decides to spare the wife. This makes the hitman a target for his own boss.
And yes, even in the world of movies, this is one of the least well-known films in the group. But it did very well at the box office around the world, and reviewers gave it mostly good reviews when it came out. Really, A Bittersweet Life has a great review of 100% upon Rotten Tomatoes, which is well-deserved.
A Prophet:
Someone from Algeria who is new to jail gets along well with a Corsican gangster. This is a problem because there are two main groups in the prison Muslims and Corsicans. By staying close to the Corsicans, would he be betraying his heritage? In the end, does he side with the Muslim mob? If he could choose, would he do nothing?
If “A Prophet” had been directed by someone less skilled, it would have turned into a typical jail crime movie that eagerly answers those questions while focusing more on style than content.
Thankfully, Jacques Audiard speeds up the story in a way that is almost surgical. Even though the questions are finally answered, Audiard bids his time here, just like the main character Malik, to make us feel like we care about the main character.
It really does work, though. Even though the main character in “A Prophet” ends up getting involved in crime, we can still worry about and cheer for him.
When it comes to crime movies, this one works best when it makes you think, especially when you understand that we cared about the character, even though his “success story” in prison involved doing things we’d rather not see other characters do.
When you feel that way, you know it’s right to praise the director and the actor who brought a dull stereotype to life.
Gangs Of Wasseypur:
Gangs of Wasseypur was a masterpiece of Indian cinema that has won over crime movie fans all over the world. Anurag Kashyap directed the movie, which depicts a deadly family feud spanning three generations.
Kashyap’s direction is both fierce and mesmerizing, as he handles hundreds of characters, a plot, violence, and killing over the course of the two-part saga.
The Friends Of Eddie Coyle:
It was one of the first great movies about the Boston mob. Because of its long history with Irish, Italian, and African American gangs, Boston has a unique view of crime movies.
Whitey Bulger’s Winter Hill Gang partly influenced the focus of this story, which centers around the Irish mob. The Friends of Eddie Coyle is one of the most true-to-life gangster movies ever made. The filmmakers shot the entire movie on location in and around Massachusetts.
Road To Perdition:
A lot of people might not know this, but Road to Perdition was based on a comic book. It’s one of the best comic book movies that isn’t about superheroes, and it came out in 2001.
This additionally explains why the film looks so good: director Sam Mendes took the noir-soaked set design straight from the comic book images.
Aside from how beautiful it is, Road to Perdition was one of the most interesting movies since The Godfather Part II about how men who are related to each other fight. The movie is about a civil war between two men who work for John Rooney, who was the most powerful gang during the Great Depression.
Eastern Promises:
David Cronenberg wrote and directed Eastern Promises, which stars Viggo Mortensen as the lead. It is their second and last work together on the list.
It also has actors like Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel in it, and the story of Eastern Promises is about Watts’s character Anna, who is a birthing expert. A Russian gang forced a 14-year-old girl to work as a prostitute in London, and she gave birth to their child and died while giving birth.
The mob then turns their attention to the child when Anna finds out about the mother’s past and where the baby came from. Even though Eastern Promises got great reviews when it came out, it only made $56 million worldwide, even though it cost $50 million to make.
And because of that unsuccessful attempt to make money in theaters, it’s now known as a cult picture. Each movie in Cronenberg’s body of work seems to go beyond what he has already done to make killing look beautiful.
Yes, that’s a good way to describe Eastern Promises. The story is full of mean things that happen to everyone. But the dedication of the actors in this movie, especially Mortensen’s work, might be the most amazing thing about it.
Infernal Affairs:
It’s hard to speak about Andy Lau as well as Alan Mak’s great movie without bringing up the American version, which became famous all over the world. Actually, it’s not fair that the main thing that makes “Infernal Affairs” unique is that Martin Scorsese utilized almost every story from it as a model for “The Departed.”
Either movie is better than the other, but it really depends on your personal tastes in movies about similar topics. So, “Infernal Affairs” is all about how two characters’ secret work wears them down.
These two characters become friends while working together as spies for the Hong Kong Police Force as well as a powerful gang for ten years, trying to beat each other and figure out the other person’s identity so they can finally clear their own names.
The world has always had a soft spot for Hong Kong action movies. But with “Infernal Affairs” and its bravery to make deep observations about the hard parts of its characters’ daily lives, that love has grown stronger.
We now have Hollywood action movies that try to be political and social with their language and ideas, but most of the time they fail. Random event? I don’t believe that.
Elite Squad:
Rio’s streets have smelled like blood for decades because of the war between dangerous gangs. Because the Pope has arrived, a captain of special forces has been sent to get rid of the gangs that are terrorizing the streets. Elite Squad is a thrilling story regarding the war between gangs that terrorizes people and the government.
Killing Them Softly:
Killing Them Softly is the most recent gangster movie on this list. It shows how organized crime has changed American society since the housing market crashed. Plus, it’s one of the most effective crime movies ever.
The film showcases the themes of doubting commitment and escaping poverty in fresh and innovative ways. It’s one of the greatest Brad Pitt movies, and James Gandolfini also does a great job. Some people don’t like the last scene, but it’s been stuck with me for years.
