Since the film industry began, there has been a fascination with gangster movies. You can go as far back as 1930 and find Edward G Robinson starring in Little Caesar, and the genre has never gone away. The great viewing public has always turned out to see the latest gangster movie, and instantly you think of classics like The Godfather or Menace to Society.
The mix of drama and action makes this genre a sure-fire box office hit, but only if they do it right. With that in mind, we thought you might like a look at the best gangster films to watch on Netflix.
Top 10 Best Gangster Movies on Netflix
10. The Ruthless (2019)
This Netflix original hails from Italy and follows the rise of Santo Russo, a teenage rebel that discovers he has a talent for crime, and we see his rise to kingpin is a violent and unrelenting roller coaster. Filled with pretty much all of the usual gangster tropes, The Ruthless is still a film that fans of the genre will get something from.
IMDB Rating 6.2
9. Gun City (2019)
The setting for this Spanish-French collab is Barcelona 1921, and we follow a group of detectives that are trying to track down a team of anarchists that have hijacked a military train. However, as things start to escalate, the good guys start to look like the bad guys as the lines between the two groups grow continuously blurred. With civil war looming, the clock is ticking toward a disaster in this gripping thriller.
IMDB Rating 6.3
8. Imperial Dreams (2014)
When he is released from prison, he returns to his old stomping ground in Watts, Los Angeles, and finds that his past is not ready to be forgotten. Starring a young John Boyega, this is an often overlooked classic that has a mesmerizing performance from the actor and is equal parts thrilling and poignant. Released to critical acclaim, this could be one you may have missed, so check it out now.
IMDB Rating 6.7
7. The Shadow of Violence (2020)
Set in rural Ireland, The Shadow of Violence follows a complex moral maze for a former boxer that has to care for his son, who is autistic, while working as a right-hand man for a family of drug dealers. There are some incredible performances from the cast, in particular, a star turn from Cosmo Jarvis, and this gritty and violent film is often moving and emotional.
IMDB Rating 6.8
6. Legend (2015)
This was not the first movie about The Kray twins, and it may not be the last, but this violent and often darkly comic version of the true life events of the mobsters operating in London through the fifties and sixties was given a lift from the performance by Tom Hardy, who played both Ronnie and Reggie in the movie. The rise and fall of the twins is the focus of this screenplay, and this very British gangster flick makes it onto our list.
IMDB Rating 6.9
5. Blow (2001)
Johnny Depp makes it onto our list with this outrageous film chronicling the life and times of real-life criminal George Jung. Becoming prominent in the 1970s, the film sees Jung becoming a right-hand man for notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar, importing tons of cocaine from Columbia to the US. Depp gives a terrific performance here, matched by Penelope Crus playing his drug-dependent wife Mirtha.
IMDB Rating 7.5
4. Donnie Brasco (1997)
Based on a real-life story from the 70s, this story stars Johnny Depp once again in a starring role as an FBI operative that goes undercover to infiltrate the New York Mafia. As his cover goes deeper and deeper, the lines start to blur for Depp, and his relationship with Al Pacino, in fine form here, is almost hypnotic. A real edge-of-your-seat gangster flick that has an ending few forget.
IMDB Rating 7.7
3. The Gentlemen (2019)
From the mind of Guy Ritchie, a master of the British crime drama, this black comedy starred Mathew McConaughey and Colin Farrell with some well-known faces also making some appearances. Hugh Grant is particularly memorable as investigator Fletcher, looking into all kinds of convoluted plots and scandals.
IMDB Rating 7.8
2. The Irishman (2019)
When you see the names Scorsese and DeNiro you have to think of Goodfellas, but twenty years after that masterpiece, Netflix presented us with The Irishman. This movie was also quite loosely based on the true life story of soldier turned truck driver Frank Sheeran, played by Robert DeNiro, who goes on to become a hitman for the mob. Sheeran is looking back at his life, and the high-profile disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa is integral to the plot. This three-hour-long epic divided audiences on release, but if you are a fan of all kinds of filmmaking then this is an unmissable movie experience.
IMDB Rating 7.8
1. Scarface (1983)
Al Pacino is at the top of our list here as Tony Montana in this twice-removed remake of Scarface. His performance here is often cited as one of the best movie gangsters ever to shoot up the silver screen, and if you think about it, you will probably be aware of, or even be able to quote a line from this flick. Over the top, perhaps, but you cannot deny the pop culture value that Scarface has left us. How many parodies or homages have you seen of this movie through all kinds of media? Violent, ambitious, and iconic, Scarface is for many the epitome of the gangster film, and if you have not watched it, stop reading right now and go find it on Netflix.
IMDB Rating 8.3
Well, that’s our list of the Top 10 Best Gangster Movies on Netflix. What do you think should be added? Comment below!
