There are only a few movie genres that reflect the sheer naturalism and attraction, like the genre of gangster movies.
No one likes real-life gangsters that go to unspeakable limits and hurt multiple innocents to get their way. Despite that, gangster movies that showcase the mob mentality in its full swing are like the guilty pleasure of American viewers.
The fact that you are able to look closely into the lives of some of the most notorious gangsters in America and even step in their shoes is unexpectedly very interesting and entertaining.
One of the biggest criticisms of gangster movies is that it tends to glamorize and romanticize those criminals by casting charming and actors to play their roles.
We do not quite stand with though, gangsters and their influence are very apparent in the American culture. The fact that watching a movie that involves a gangster’s rich life would make that life more appealing stands defeated because apart from showing the highs, they also accurately depict their downfall.
Moving on, today, we will be assisting you in choosing the next mob movies to binge through our list of best gangster movies of all time. So, let’s get to it.
Best Mob Movies of All Time
The Godfather
There is no other mob movie that is better than this masterpiece. “The Godfather” trilogy is the best portrayal of Italian Mafia on the big screen ever.
The phenomenal performances by Marlin Brando, Al Pacino, Talia Shire, and Diane Keaton make the trilogy immensely entertaining. Out of the three movies, fans have been unable to agree upon which the best movie is. They are that good.
Goodfellas
The greatest movie by Martin Scorsese “Goodfellas” is also one of the best gangster movies of all time. This is also the only film that can somewhat match the brilliance and sheer rawness of “The Godfather.”
Martin Scorsese has delivered a lot of great crime movies and is still not stopping. His 1990’s film “Goodfellas,” which is inspired by Nicolas Pileggi’s book “Wiseguys,” revolves around one Henry Hill who is a half-Sicilian, half-Irish dude, is obsessed with the luxurious and bossy life of New York’s gangsters.
He grows up to be one of them, but things don’t really go as planned for Henry. Jay Liotta plays Henry Hill, and the film also features veteran genre stars, Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci. All of these performances really make this movie one of the best mob movies.
Boyz N the Hood
This movie was written and directed by John Singleton, primarily for a film school submission, but after the public release of his debut movie “Boyz n the Hood”, it became a massive hit.
With a cast that features Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, and Ice Cube and a story that accurately depicts the lives of young blacks in the hood, “Boyz n the Hood” is easily one of the best gangster movies of all time.
City of God
This movie is based on the Novel by Paulo Lins’ by the same name and focuses on the uprise of Rio de Janeiro’s organized crime.
The story of “City of God” follows two guys: One is a gangster who deals drug in the Cidade de Deus suburb of the city, and the other one is a photographer who takes it upon himself to capture the essence of this mafia world.
The film is very entertaining and enlightening, which makes it one of the best gangster movies ever.
The Departed
This is another one of Martin Scorsese’s films in this list, and it may not be at the same level as “Goodfellas” but is still one of the best mob movies of all time.
The story of this movie involves many moles and a cat-and-mouse race between the Mafia and the mob fighting to get the upper hand on each other.
The film is backed by memorable performances by Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, and Alec Baldwin.
Menace II Society
The story of this film revolves around a young guy trying to break out of the crime cycle in his family and neighborhood. The story is depicted beautifully by top-tier actors like Tryrin Turner, Larez Tate, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Charles Dutton.
Miller’s Crossing
As the name carefully represents, “Miller’s crossing” follows a dude who tries to play on both sides.
For more context, this take on mob movies by Joel and Ethan revolves around the years-old rivalry of Italian and Irish mob. On the other side, one gang’s mole tries to maintain his loyalty and integrity while playing by both sides.
American Gangster
This Ridley Scott’s gangster movie is inspired by the real-life of Frank Lucas, who infamously smuggled cocaine in the United States through the planes coming back to the country after the Vietnam war.
While doing this, Lucas was able to develop a personal Empire for himself using his cunning and smart reading skills. After a while, one local cop starts examining his activities closely.
Once upon a time in America
An absolute Legend of the spaghetti Western, Sergio Leone, comes up with this unorthodox crime drama that follows David Aaronson, portrayed by Robert De Niro. The plot revolves around Aaronson’s life during his time in the lower East side of New York.
It does a great job in showing the entire circle of organized criminals, from the way they get into this business and how they get out.
Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs is the movie that put Quentin Tarantino on the map. The movie revolves around after and before of a successful jewelry robbery.
This movie was so essential for Quentin Tarantino because it set major parameters and Standards for his upcoming movies like senseless glare, eccentric characters, and crime.
Conclusion
Gangsters or mobsters have always affected the lives of many in the US. We are all aware of the passion they have for perpetuating crime and the limits these mobsters go-to for fulfilling their wishes. Cinema is a great way to let the general public know about these criminals’ mentality and functionality.
Since the beginning of cinema, many different moviemakers have tried to depict the gangs’ raw and natural lifestyle in their movies. While some are great, others lack the originality. So, if you are looking to dive deep into the world, you must watch those films that are worth it.
With our team’s help, we have listed out the best gangster movies of all time, in our opinion. You must definitely give them a watch this weekend.
Now, we are aware that entertainment is highly subjective, so if you, as a fan of this genre, have better recommendations for best mob movies, then you are more than welcome to use the comments section below to drop those picks.
