Best Gangster Movie of All Time
by gjrb01 | created - 21 Sep 2011 | updated - 29 Sep 2011 | PublicThis list is the “gangster films” as a genre that centers on organized crime or maverick criminals in a twentieth century setting.
This list is full of Pacinos, De Niros, Scorseses, Tarantinos, Ritchies, Coppolas... et al...
Gathering data and reviews to every internet reviews (listverse, AFI, AMC Filmcritics, TopTenReviews.com and user's review here on IMDb.com)
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1. The Godfather (1972)
R | 175 min | Crime, Drama
The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton
Votes: 2,003,044 | Gross: $134.97M
Undisputed No. 1 from all sources and definitely one of the best film of all time.
This Epic tale of a 1940s New York Mafia family and their struggle to protect their empire from rival families as the leadership switches from the father to his youngest son.
A wonderful and awesome 3 hour epic will surely introduce you what gangster and crime film genre is all about
2. Goodfellas (1990)
R | 145 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Votes: 1,251,971 | Gross: $46.84M
Present in all five reviews.. with 2.8 average place in ranking.
Drama of a half-Irish, half-Sicilian Brooklyn boy initiated into a neighborhood mob in his youth, and the struggles he encounters with the gang through the next 25 years.
This real life crime drama will leave you breathless till the very end of Henry Hill's biography..
This is Truly the masterpiece of Martin Scorsese though he did not won on this film. This is the best crime movie I've watched and one of my personal favorite.
3. Pulp Fiction (1994)
R | 154 min | Crime, Drama
The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis
Votes: 2,209,470 | Gross: $107.93M
Also present in all five reviews selection with an average of 5.6th place
An inside look at a memorable community of criminals. Prizefighter Butch Coolidge has decided to stop payment on a deal he's made with the devil.
This a bloody epic from Mr. Quintin Tarantino. His original and unique creativity brings out the movie more stunning and entertaining.
4. Scarface (1983)
18+ | 170 min | Crime, Drama
In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Votes: 912,424 | Gross: $45.60M
Also present in all five reviews selection with an average of 8th place
In Florida, Montana connects with gangster Frank Lopez, and guns his way through the sun washed streets of Miami where he finds power, wealth and passion
Pacino is back in cooperation with gangster mayhem director Brian De Palma... and gives an explosive performance and scenes that forever remain in his character as an actor
5. The Godfather Part II (1974)
R | 202 min | Crime, Drama
The early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton
Votes: 1,358,856 | Gross: $57.30M
Present in just FOUR review selection made it just in fifth place althoug it has average of 2.25th place
Continuing saga of the Corleone family as they move to Nevada and make the casino business their major income source
This is the 3rd Pacino appearance and it is not yet finished. He give s a dazzling powerful character as Michael in Coppola's sequel.
6. The Departed (2006)
R | 151 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg
Votes: 1,416,743 | Gross: $132.38M
Present in four reviews selection with an average of 9th place ranking
The year of the “Long Overdue” award masking as “Best Picture” and “Best Director” respectively goes to down to Martin Scorsese after many so beautiful film he has under his belt. Of course a powerhouse cast made it possible.. (Nicholson, Damon, Di Carpio, Whalberg, Sheen)
Althoug it is remake-something what of 2002 infernal affairs I still love this movie. Plus the ending was too controversially shocking..
7. White Heat (1949)
Not Rated | 114 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A psychopathic criminal with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist.
Director: Raoul Walsh | Stars: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Margaret Wycherly
Votes: 35,550
Present in four reviews selection with an average of 9.75th place ranking
This one of the top classic crime-heist dramas of the post-war period, and one of the last of Warner Bros' gritty crime films in its era. White Heat is an entertaining, fascinating and hypnotic portrait of a flamboyant, mother-dominated and fixated, epileptic and psychotic killer, who often spouts crude bits of humor. The dynamic film, with both film noir and documentary-style elements, is characterized by an increased level of violence and brutality along with classical Greek elements.
8. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
R | 229 min | Crime, Drama
A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan 35 years later, where he must once again confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.
Director: Sergio Leone | Stars: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams
Votes: 376,324 | Gross: $5.32M
Tie with Reservoir Dogs with three selection reviews with an average of 8.67th place ranking
This was Sergio Leone's final film, a four hour long epic. If you're looking for a brief distraction that you'll barely remember 30 minutes later, this isn't the movie for you. However, if you are prepared and able to be undistributed for the nearly 4 hours that this film uses to compress a lifetime -- you will be rewarded with many facets of thought and examination.
9. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
R | 99 min | Crime, Thriller
When a simple jewelry heist goes horribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn
Votes: 1,084,167 | Gross: $2.83M
Tie with Once Upon a Time in America with three selection reviews with an average of 8.67th place ranking
The first full-length movie made by Mr. genius Q.Tarantino. All you can do is pray for a quick death, which you aren't going to get." A perfectly planned heist by six color-coordinated strangers gets washed out when one turns out to be a cop; a drawn-out bloodbath ensues. Whether you love Quentin Tarantino's movie for its stark reality, or loathe it for its unapologetic brutality, most guys agree they'd never want their ear cut off in the unsanitary and infection-causing method depicted here.
10. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
R | 111 min | Action, Biography, Crime
Bored waitress Bonnie Parker falls in love with an ex-con named Clyde Barrow and together they start a violent crime spree through the country, stealing cars and robbing banks.
Director: Arthur Penn | Stars: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman
Votes: 120,314
Present in Three selections with an average of 9.67th place ranking.
11. Casino (1995)
R | 178 min | Crime, Drama
In Las Vegas, two best friends - a casino executive and a mafia enforcer - compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods
Votes: 561,548 | Gross: $42.44M
Present in Three selections with an average of 10.33th place ranking.
12. The Untouchables (1987)
R | 119 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
During Prohibition, Treasury agent Eliot Ness sets out to stop ruthless Chicago gangster Al Capone, and assembles a small, incorruptible team to help him.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro, Charles Martin Smith
Votes: 329,753 | Gross: $76.27M
Present in Three selections with an average of 13.67th place ranking.
13. Donnie Brasco (1997)
R | 127 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
An FBI undercover agent infiltrates the mob and finds himself identifying more with the Mafia life--at the expense of his regular one.
Director: Mike Newell | Stars: Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Michael Madsen, Bruno Kirby
Votes: 331,140 | Gross: $41.91M
Present in Three selections with an average of 15th place ranking.
14. Miller's Crossing (1990)
R | 115 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Tom Reagan, an advisor to a Prohibition-era crime boss, tries to keep the peace between warring mobs but gets caught in divided loyalties.
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, John Turturro, Marcia Gay Harden
Votes: 141,766 | Gross: $5.08M
Present in Three selections with an average of 17.33th place ranking.
15. City of God (2002)
R | 130 min | Crime, Drama
In the slums of Rio, two kids' paths diverge as one struggles to become a photographer and the other a kingpin.
Directors: Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund | Stars: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Matheus Nachtergaele, Phellipe Haagensen
Votes: 798,175 | Gross: $7.56M
Present in Two selections with an average of 4.5th place ranking.
16. Scarface (1932)
PG | 93 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An ambitious and nearly insane violent gangster climbs the ladder of success in the mob, but his weaknesses prove to be his downfall.
Directors: Howard Hawks, Richard Rosson | Stars: Paul Muni, Ann Dvorak, Karen Morley, Osgood Perkins
Votes: 30,194
Present in Two selections with an average of 6.5th place ranking.
17. Infernal Affairs (2002)
R | 101 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A story between a mole in the police department and an undercover cop. Their objectives are the same: to find out who is the mole, and who is the cop.
Directors: Andrew Lau, Alan Mak | Stars: Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Eric Tsang
Votes: 130,941 | Gross: $0.17M
Present in Two selections with an average of 9th place ranking.
The movie that inspires the Departed
18. Rififi (1955)
Not Rated | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Four men plan a technically perfect crime, but the human element intervenes...
Director: Jules Dassin | Stars: Jean Servais, Carl Möhner, Robert Manuel, Janine Darcey
Votes: 36,740 | Gross: $0.06M
Present in Two selections with an average of 9th place ranking.
Tie with Infernal Affairs
19. The Public Enemy (1931)
Passed | 83 min | Crime, Drama
An Irish-American street punk tries to make it big in the world of organized crime.
Director: William A. Wellman | Stars: James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward Woods, Joan Blondell
Votes: 22,961 | Gross: $1.01M
Present in Two selections with an average of 10th place ranking.
20. Snatch (2000)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Crime
Unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers and supposedly Jewish jewelers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond.
Director: Guy Ritchie | Stars: Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Stephen Graham, Vinnie Jones
Votes: 906,919 | Gross: $30.33M
Present in Two selections with an average of 10.5th place ranking.
One of my favorite movie... it was a modern gangster-crime films which barely seen as great as this
21. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
R | 107 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Eddy persuades his three pals to pool money for a vital poker game against a powerful local mobster, Hatchet Harry. Eddy loses, after which Harry gives him a week to pay back 500,000 pounds.
Director: Guy Ritchie | Stars: Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, Jason Statham
Votes: 614,462 | Gross: $3.90M
Present in Two selections with an average of 13th place ranking.
Another Guy Ritchie film which has cool-action packed paced scenes
22. Little Caesar (1931)
Not Rated | 79 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A small-time criminal moves to a big city to seek bigger fortune.
Director: Mervyn LeRoy | Stars: Edward G. Robinson, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Glenda Farrell, William Collier Jr.
Votes: 14,444
Present in Two selections with an average of 13.5th place ranking.
23. Carlito's Way (1993)
R | 144 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A Puerto Rican former convict, just released from prison, pledges to stay away from drugs and violence despite the pressure around him and lead on to a better life outside of N.Y.C.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, John Leguizamo
Votes: 231,702 | Gross: $36.95M
Present in Two selections with an average of 14th place ranking.
24. Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
Passed | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A priest tries to stop a gangster from corrupting a group of street kids.
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan
Votes: 23,136
Present in Two selections with an average of 16th place ranking.
25. Road to Perdition (2002)
R | 117 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A mob enforcer's son in 1930s Illinois witnesses a murder, forcing him and his father to take to the road, and his father down a path of redemption and revenge.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin, Paul Newman
Votes: 283,808 | Gross: $104.45M
Present in Two selections with an average of 16.5th place ranking.
26. A Bronx Tale (1993)
R | 121 min | Crime, Drama
Robert De Niro and Chazz Palminteri give captivating performances in this intense drama about a boy torn between his tough, hard-working father and a violent yet charismatic crime boss.
Director: Robert De Niro | Stars: Robert De Niro, Chazz Palminteri, Lillo Brancato, Francis Capra
Votes: 160,052 | Gross: $17.27M
Present in One selection appearing only 10th place ranking in AMC Filmcritic Org.
27. Mean Streets (1973)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
In New York City's Little Italy, a devoutly Catholic mobster must reconcile his desire for power, his feelings for his epileptic lover, and his devotion to his troublesome friend.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, David Proval, Amy Robinson
Votes: 119,145 | Gross: $3.13M
Present in One selection appearing only 14th place ranking in Listverse.com
28. Bugsy (1991)
R | 136 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of how Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel started Las Vegas.
Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 30,884 | Gross: $49.11M
Present in One selection appearing only 16th place ranking in AMC Filmcritic Org.
29. State of Grace (1990)
R | 134 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A New York cop is recruited to return to his hometown and infiltrate the mob ran by his best friend's brother.
Director: Phil Joanou | Stars: Sean Penn, Ed Harris, Gary Oldman, Robin Wright
Votes: 24,668 | Gross: $1.91M
Present in One selection appearing only 19th place ranking in AMC Filmcritic Org.
30. Get Shorty (1995)
R | 105 min | Comedy, Crime, Thriller
A mobster travels to Hollywood to collect a debt, and discovers that the movie business is much the same as his current job.
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld | Stars: Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, John Travolta
Votes: 88,746 | Gross: $72.08M
Present in One selection appearing only 20th place ranking in AMC Filmcritic Org.
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