The best gangster movies of all time
The top 3 according to 144 votes from people: The Godfather (1972) · The Godfather Part II (1974) · White Heat (1949). (Updated May 10, 2025.)
From 1930s Chicago to Hong Kong, Rio and Marseille: the greatest gangster films, ranked from StudioBinder, The A.V. Club and Time Out.
Top 15
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1
The Godfather (1972)
The Corleone family and the rise of Michael.
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2
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Young Vito and Michael as the new don.
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3
White Heat (1949)
Cagney's psychotic Cody Jarrett on top of the world.
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4
Goodfellas (1990)
Henry Hill's life in the mob, by Scorsese.
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5
Scarface (1983)
Tony Montana's rise and fall in Miami.
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6
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Fifty years of Jewish gangsters in New York, by Sergio Leone.
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7
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
The outlaw couple who changed American cinema.
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8
The Long Good Friday (1980)
Bob Hoskins's London crime boss on his worst weekend.
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9
A Prophet (2009)
A young inmate rises in a French prison, by Jacques Audiard.
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10
Casino (1995)
The mob skimming Las Vegas, by Scorsese.
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11
Miller's Crossing (1990)
Prohibition-era double-crosses, by the Coen brothers.
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12
Bugsy (1991)
Bugsy Siegel and the invention of Las Vegas.
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13
Infernal Affairs (2002)
A mole in the police and a mole in the triad.
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14
The Public Enemy (1931)
James Cagney and the grapefruit, a pre-Code classic.
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15
City of God (2002)
Gangs in a Rio favela over three decades.
Candidates
They don't make it into the top 15… yet. Vote for them to move them up.
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16
The Untouchables (1987)
Eliot Ness against Al Capone, by Brian De Palma.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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