Quintessential Mob Movies That Make an Offer You Can’t Refuse

Mafia movies typically depict organized crime syndicates and their struggles for power. They usually portray mobsters, unlawful exploits, and the ways that a life of crime impacts families and other relationships—often to great (and bloody) dramatic effect. While many films of this genre focus on the Italian American Mafia, the category has widened over time to include other international organized crime outfits such as the Russian/Odessa Mafia, Chinese triad, Japanese yakuza, and Irish mob.

What makes a Mafia movie great?

Dialogue: “You can’t learn about it in school, and you can’t have a late start” when “you a gangster now,” as per “Carlito’s Way.” Sharp dialogue, quotable lines, and believable accents all help connect the audience with the filmic world.

Authenticity: The finest of the genre ooze with realism. The culture, language, and behavior should feel authentic, as though the characters are real people (in many of the films below, in fact, the characters are based on real people).

High tension: Viewers are kept on the edge of their seats due to deceptions, betrayals, suspenseful events, and intense conflict driven home by dark cinematography and soundscapes.

Complex characters and strong performances: The best gangster films often leave lasting impressions on the strength of their complex characters and bravura performances. Plenty of lesser gangster films are able to replicate the style and embrace the violence, vernacular, and tone that defines the genre—but without compelling characters and performances to ground the drama, they’re bound to come up short compared to the greats.

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The best Mafia films from the U.S.

• “The Godfather” trilogy (1972–90): If there’s a singular film that defines Italian mafia movies as a genre, it would be “The Godfather.” Mario Puzo’s novel of the same name hit shelves just a couple of years prior, in 1969, and instantly broke all-time sales records. The novel and subsequent film adaptation helped to reframe the public’s perception of the Mafia by offering a more realistic (though still fictionalized) look into the inner workings of Italian American organized crime.
  
  Beyond forever altering how the world looked at the Mafia, “The Godfather” also irrevocably changed the look and feel of Italian mobster movies moving forward. Brando’s Vito Corleone became one of the most imitated and parodied characters in pop culture history, and lines like “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse” and “Leave the gun, take the cannoli” entered the zeitgeist as timeless quotes. The whirlwind success of “The Godfather” and its arguably even better sequel released two years later brought with it a cavalcade of prestigious awards. The films racked up 11 Academy Award nominations each and won nine Oscars in total, including the Best Picture prize both times.
  
  Over the years, copycats and imitators have tried to recapture the magic of “The Godfather” films to varying degrees of success. Even filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola tried to recapture the magic many years later with “The Godfather Part III” in 1990, but the belated trilogy capper couldn’t hold a candle to the original duology.

• “Mean Streets” (1973): Between the release of “The Godfather” and “The Godfather Part II,” Martin Scorsese made his first but certainly not last contribution to the gangster genre with “Mean Streets.” While his filmography is packed with variety, gangsters were a subject that the director found himself returning to throughout his career. Whether it’s the Boston mob of “The Departed” or the Bufalino crime family of “The Irishman,” no singular director is more closely linked with the onscreen depiction of organized crime than Scorsese.
• “Scarface” (1983): After starring as Michael Corleone in “The Godfather,” Al Pacino turned Tony Montana into another of cinema’s most iconic gangsters. “Scarface” offers a more over-the-top and action-oriented spin on the genre than many of its American contemporaries.
• “Once Upon a Time in America” (1984): A decade after rising to international notoriety and taking home the supporting role Oscar for his work as the young Vito Corleone in “The Godfather Part II,” Robert De Niro returned to the criminal underworld with this twisty take on Jewish gangsters in New York City from the great Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone.
• “The Untouchables” (1987): It’s prohibition agents vs. the infamous Al Capone in this gangster flick from Brian De Palma (who also helmed “Scarface”) that excels in its action set pieces and earned Sean Connery the only Academy Award of his career.
• “Goodfellas” (1990): “Goodfellas” just might be the only movie that can go toe-to-toe with “The Godfather” for the title of king of the gangster genre. Arriving nearly two decades later, this film, based on the life of mobster Henry Hill, defied the tropes and cliches established by “The Godfather” and breathed fresh life into the genre. Its impeccable sense of style and energy, sprawling decades-long storyline, world-class performances, and masterful filmmaking make it one of Scorsese’s best.
• “Carlito’s Way” (1993): While it’s not Al Pacino’s best gangster film on a story level, “Carlito’s way” packs its share of iconic moments and provides director Brian De Palma with yet more opportunities to flaunt his prowess as a director of intricately choreographed action sequences.
• “Casino” (1995): Sometimes considered to be living in the shadow of “Goodfellas,” Scorsese’s “Casino” is a distinctive and exceptional gangster film in its own right that pits the great Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro against each other in a friendship-turned-feud for the ages.
• “Donnie Brasco” (1997): “Donnie Brasco” felt like a changing of the guard in a sense as Al Pacino aged into the supporting role of an elder gangster who had been around the block while Johnny Depp stepped into the starring role Pacino would have played in his younger days.
• “The Departed” (2006): Its four Academy Awards wins don’t lie: “The Departed” provides an incisive look into a dual double-cross and cemented Scorsese as the genre’s filmmaking master.  
• “The Irishman” (2019): Not content to rehash what worked in the past, Scorsese has made each foray into the gangster genre mean something vastly different; no two of these films have felt the same. Nearly three decades after “Goodfellas” seemingly set in stone the definitive vision of organized crime in American cinema, Scorsese broke his own mold with “The Irishman.” This exceptional piece of work feels as much like a post-gangster film as it does a true gangster film, in the way a music genre can progress, like punk evolving into post-punk. The reflective, meditative vision found within the film feels like it could only come from a world-class director who spent his entire career examining gangsters up close.

The best mob films from outside the U.S. 

While the Mafia is an integral part of American cinema, it’s also a genre that has flourished all around the world. Here are some notable international gangster films.

Italy 

• “Bandits in Milan” (1968): Four bandits take on a nail-biting series of heists in this “poliziotteschi” film—one of the many grindhouse subgenres from back in the heyday of exploitation cinema.
• “Gomorrah” (2008): Based on real events, this film provides an unflinching portrayal of the Camorra organization’s crimes.
• “Suburra” (2015): Also a retelling of actual happenings, “Suburra” shows just how much money talks in both politics and crime. It would go on to be adapted as a Netflix series.

Hong Kong

• “Infernal Affairs” trilogy (2002–03): This popular action thriller was later remade as Scorsese’s “The Departed.”
• “Chasing the Dragon” (2017): The rise and fall of a drug lord and a corrupt police officer throughout the 1960s and 1970s is shown as both violent and visceral.
• “A Better Tomorrow” (1986–87): Two brothers—one a reformed gangster and one a police officer—confront the consequences of their choices in this epic series by John Woo.

France

• “Mesrine” (2008): The two-part gangster epic chronicles the explosive life of Jacques Mesrine, France’s public enemy No. 1.
• “Le Delous” (1962): Upon being released from prison, a man immediately becomes entangled in a web of violence and theft in the film Quentin Tarantino cited as an inspiration for “Reservoir Dogs.”

South Korea

• “A Bittersweet Life” (2005): A crime boss’s enforcer is betrayed, causing him to choose between loyalty and revenge.
• “Nameless Gangster” (2012): Corruption and betrayal reign in this exploration of organized crime in 1980s Busan.
• “The Drug King” (2018): “The Drug King” paints a riveting tale of the rise and fall of real-life drug lord Lee Doo-sam.

The U.K.

• “The Long Good Friday” (1980): Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren shine in this film following the partnerships of a London gangster, an American mafioso, and IRA assassins. 
• “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” (1998): Guy Ritchie made a name for himself with darkly comic gangster films like this one and “Snatch” (2000).
• “Gangster No. 1” (2000): The gangster films of writing partners Louis Mellis and David Scinto also include “Sexy Beast” (2000) and “44 Inch Chest” (2009).

Indonesia

• “The Raid” films (2011–14): While “The Raid: Redemption” does feature gangsters as adversaries, it was the sequel, “The Raid 2: Berandal” that doubled down and became a full-fledged gangster epic with some of the best action ever shot.
• “The Night Comes for Us” (2018): The tale of a former triad enforcer seeking to protect a young girl from his ex-colleagues is as brutal as it is moving.

Brazil

• “City of God” (2002): This drama set in Rio de Janeiro demonstrates the consequences of choice and is considered a true masterpiece.
• “Elite Squad” films (2007–10): Director José Padilha would go on to direct and produce the gangster streaming series “Narcos.”

Denmark

• “Pusher” trilogy (1996–2005): Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, this trilogy follows the desperate, violent acts of Copenhagen drug dealers.
• “In China They Eat Dogs” (1999): Both funny and savage, this movie follows a not-quite-intrepid bank robber and his brother.

Japan 

• “Yakuza Papers” (1973–2003): Stylistically, yakuza films like this 11-film series are frequently more violent than their international equivalents and occasionally take on a more action-oriented stance. 
• “Outrage” trilogy (2010–17): The work of director Takeshi Kitano also includes “Boiling Point” (1990), “Sonatine” (1993), and “Hana-bi” (1996), aka “Fireworks.”
• “Black Society” trilogy (1995–99): The bizarre and ultraviolent spins on the genre from director Takashi Miike also include “Ichi the Killer” (2001) and “Gozu” (2003).