Genre: Gangster
Gangster stories follow the rise and fall in organized crime — loyalty, violence, and ambition inside the family business of the underworld.
-
Mean Streets (1973)
Scorsese's 1973 breakthrough. Harvey Keitel and De Niro as Little Italy hustlers. Catholic guilt, street violence, jukebox soundtrack. -
A Bronx Tale (1993)
Robert De Niro's 1993 directorial debut. Father versus neighborhood gangster for boy's loyalty. Chazz Palminteri play adaptation. -
The Untouchables (1987)
Brian De Palma's 1987 Eliot Ness biopic. Costner, Connery, De Niro as Capone. Mamet screenplay. Connery's Oscar. -
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Sergio Leone's 1984 final film. De Niro, James Woods. New York Jewish gangsters across five decades. Three hours forty-five minutes uncut. -
The Public Enemy (1931)
William Wellman's 1931 pre-code gangster classic. James Cagney as Tom Powers. Grapefruit in the face. Foundation of the genre. -
White Heat (1949)
Raoul Walsh's 1949 noir gangster. Cagney as psychopathic mama's boy Cody Jarrett. Made it Ma, top of the world. Genre climax. -
Donnie Brasco (1997)
Mike Newell's 1997 undercover FBI drama. Depp as agent infiltrating Mafia, Pacino as the made man who befriends him. Forget about it. -
Miller’s Crossing (1990)
Coens' 1990 Prohibition-era gangster film. Gabriel Byrne as Tom Reagan. The film the Coens made between their two most-praised early works and the underrated one. -
Mesrine (2008)
Richet's 2008 two-part French gangster epic. Vincent Cassel as Jacques Mesrine. Killer Instinct and Public Enemy Number One. Four hours total, earned. -
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Coppola's 1974 sequel-and-prequel. De Niro as young Vito, Pacino as Michael. The film that proved sequels could exceed originals.