When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.
From as far back as I remember, I always wanted to watch gangster movies.
Clearly, thats not the original quote, but the sentiment remains true.
Audiences love gangster movies.
They make money, winOscarsand become memorable pop culture artifacts.
De Niro plays mobsters Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, two friends turned foes in a battle for power.
In honor of this movie, we’re ranking the seven best gangster movies.
To make things more interesting, this list will only include one movie per filmmaker.
Apologies to The Departed, The Godfather Part II, Reservoir Dogs and Scarface.
The film was delayed for two years until Saban Films quietly released the film in August 2017.
Dont expect a happy ending.
Watch free onPrime Video
6.
Road to Perdition
Road to Perdition became a swan song for two legends.
The gangster drama was Paul Newmans final live-action role and Conrad L. Halls last movie as a cinematographer.
Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) works as an enforcer for mobster John Rooney (Paul Newman).
Sullivan and Michael flee, and Sullivan is dead-set on avenging the murders by killing the Rooney family.
Road to Perdition is a powerful gangster movie and a better reflection of father-son relationships.
Watch onParamount Plus
5.
Midwife Anna Khitrova (Naomi Watts) delivers a baby from a young teenager who dies in childbirth.
Anna discovers the harrowing circumstances surrounding the teenager and how they lead back to the mafia.
Eastern Promises is the perfect crime thriller a mystery that blurs the line between good and evil.
There is also a fight sequence in the sauna that is genuinely jaw-dropping.
Rent/buy onAmazonorApple
4.
Capones power runs unchecked because he owns most of the cops and city officials.
Pulp Fiction
Is Reservoir Dogs a better pure gangster movie than Pulp Fiction?
Theres an argument there, for sure.
These characters intertwine throughout the movie, creating a series of bloody, funny, and invigorating chapters.
No one does dialogue like Tarantino, and Pulp Fictions script remains one of a kind.
Watch onHuluandParamount Plus
2.
The Godfather
Hand up, I like The Godfather Part II more than The Godfather.
Despite that, The Godfather is the more influential entry in the gangster genre.
Without the original, there is no sequel.
“The Godfather” is also considered one of the most influential movies ever made.
Not bad for a movie that was almost never made.
The ensuing descent into a life of crime becomes a powerful exploration of family, revenge, and betrayal.
Thankfully, Goodfellas earns the No.
1 spot through merit.
Speaking of the Oscars, Dances with Wolves beating Goodfellas for Best Picture remains an all-time miscarriage of justice.
Scorsese never lets the audience catch their breath in Goodfellas.
Its a stylish, pulse-pounding crime thriller that remains unmatched in the genre.
