There are some movie genres that are hard to avoid and become compulsive. Movies about the mafia, triads, or other forms of organized crime. It’s lucky that I enjoy gangster movies because Netflix has some of the best. Gangster movies have a certain appeal that draws audiences in.
It could be a rebellious curiosity, the opulent lifestyles the characters lead, or their dominance and ability to get away with anything that draws people in. The mob genre has skyrocketed in popularity and success among audiences since the debut of The Godfather.
There’s a wide selection of gangster movies on Netflix, from the grim to the brutal to the silly. Watch the must-watch gangster movies on Netflix while you relax as you journey through the world of gangsters through surprising plots and deceptive turns.
Top 10 Gangster Movies on Netflix
The top 10 gangster movies on Netflix are listed here. Add these highly recommended gangster movies to your watch list. If done correctly, the combination of drama and action makes this genre a surefire box office hit. In light of this, we thought you might like to read about the best gangster movies available on Netflix.
1. The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather is still a blockbuster of the genre after 50 years. The Godfather is a best-selling 1969 novel by Mario Puzo that many consider to be the precursor to later gangster films. The Corleone family, led by patriarch Vito Corleone (Brando), is the subject of the 1945-1955 period drama.
Watch the narrative reveal how the family’s terrible experiences led the youngest son, Michael (Pacino), to go from a hesitant outsider to a vicious mafia boss. The Godfather is recognized as one of the greatest films ever made and is a milestone in the gangster genre.
2. American Gangster (2007)
Frank Lucas, a real-life gangster from North Carolina, is the subject of the film American Mobster. American Gangster, a fictional account of the criminal career of North Carolina gangster Frank Lucas who smuggled heroin into the United States aboard American military planes departing for the Vietnam War, features noted artists such as Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe and Josh Brolin.
Most reviews of the film gave it high marks. In 1968, Frank Lucas (Washington), right-hand man of Harlem mob boss Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson, began selling heroin by purchasing it in Thailand and smuggling it into the United States through through Vietnam War veterans.
However, Frank is the subject of a special task force led by Newark cop and aspiring lawyer Richie Roberts (Crowe). American Gangster received 21 nominations despite overusing creative license with the plot, including two Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Supporting Actress.
3. The Irishman (2019)
Despite its length, The Irishman is able to draw you in. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci star in Martin Scorsese’s 2004 documentary film The Irishman, based on Charles Brandt’s nonfiction book “I Heard You Paint Houses.” The film is the longest and most expensive of Scorsese’s career, clocking in at around three hours.
The film opens with Frank Sheeran (De Niro), an old Irish American who served in World War II, recounting his story of working as a hitman for the Italian-American mafia. He recalls his early days as a hitman, working for the crime family of gangster Russell Bufalino (Pesci), who started out as a truck driver.
4. The Gentlemen (2020)
An American who establishes his drug empire in the United Kingdom is followed by The Gentlemen. The Gentlemen, a British crime drama directed by Guy Ritchie, focuses on an American cannabis seller operating in England. Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell, Henry Golding and Matthew McConaughey are in the cast.
Following the commercial success of the film, Netflix is currently developing a spin-off television series. At Oxford University, where he received a Rhodes Scholarship, Pearson (McConaughey) began selling marijuana to his fellow students.
He made the decision to drop out of school and used force to establish his criminal empire. After that, he plans to retire and sell his business. Unfortunately, this led to anarchy, which in turn sparked a series of extortion attempts and plots aimed at bringing him down.
5. The Road to Perdition (2002)
You’ll be on the edge of your seat the entire time you watch Road to Perdition, a crime thriller. The year 1931 is the setting for Max Allan Collins’ graphic novel of the same name, Road to Perdition. The story, which stars A-list actors like Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law and Daniel Craig, is set during the Great Depression and examines the bond between a father and son as they seek revenge.
Irish mob boss John Rooney (Newman) raised Michael Sullivan (Hanks), who is now an adult. He quickly becomes Rooney’s ruthless henchman. Even more than his son Connor (Craig), Rooney adores Sullivan like his real son. Sullivan and his eldest son, Michael, are betrayed by Connor, who kills his wife and youngest son, and they leave only to make plans to avenge his family.
6. Goodfellas (1990)
Various critics’ organizations have chosen Goodfellas as the best film of the year. Pileggi’s 1985 fact-based book Wiseguy was the basis for the film Goodfellas. Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino are part of the cast of the film directed by Scorsese.
One of the greatest gangster films ever made was Goodfellas. The story follows Henry Hill (Liotta) and his friends and family from 1955 to 1980 as they experience success and failure. When he was younger, Henry was fascinated by crime and the presence of the mafia in his Brooklyn neighborhood.
He went from being a petty criminal to becoming a powerful gangster. Henry quickly develops an addiction to cocaine, which ultimately causes him to fail. Even if nothing else is important to Henry, the plot keeps you interested from start to finish.
7. The Departed (2006)
The Departed has received numerous accolades worldwide. The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese like many other films on this list, is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs and is also largely based on the Boston Winter Hill Gang.
Instead of the typical Irish mob boss from a gangster movie, Frank Costello (Nicholson), Colin Sullivan (Damon) is used as a spy by the state police to join Costello’s group with undercover state trooper Billy Costigan (DiCaprio). When both sides become aware of the problem, things start to get heated.
8. Donnie Brasco (1997)
In Donnie Brasco, the blurred lines of undercover agents are explored. Donnie Brasco, starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp, is based on the 1988 nonfiction book of the same name by Joseph D. Pistone and Richard Woodley. The film is based on the true story of undercover FBI agent Pistone (Depp), who infiltrated the Bonanno crime family in the 1970s.
Under the guise of Donnie Brasco, a Florida jewel thief, Pacino’s aging mob hitman Lefty Ruggiero has allowed Brasco to rise through the ranks and into his inner circle. The lines between Brasco and his friendship with Ruggiero blur as his cover increases. The film Donnie Brasco was a box office success and received favorable reviews.
9. Gun City (2018)
Gun City is a buried historical gem of a gangster film. The Spanish-French thriller Gun City, also known as La Sombra de la ley, is set in 1921 Barcelona. The story examines anarchist conflict and police violence and stars Luis Tosar, Michelle Jenner, Vicente Romero, and Jaime Lorente as the main characters. The detectives pursue the anarchists who robbed a military train as the plot develops.
Lines become blurred when investigators’ information-gathering techniques are called into question. They are resorting to increasingly cruel tactics of violence, including murder. Gun City may not look as impressive as the other games on this list. However, fans of historical mafia films would enjoy this Spanish production.
10. Triple Frontier (2019)
The camaraderie of five former Delta Force operators is explored in Triple Frontier. Triple Frontier, which stars Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac and Charlie Hunnam, is more of an action-adventure film based on a story by Boal. Triple Frontier, a Netflix original series about a gang of former U.S. Army Delta Force operatives who band together to plan a crime lord heist, received largely positive reviews from critics upon its release. first.
Santiago “Pope” Garcia (Isaac), a private military advisor, enlisted his fellow former Delta Force operators to accept a hefty reward under the guise of working for the government. The crew were then persuaded by Pope to steal the money for themselves. Affleck’s (Red Fly) insatiable need for money took its toll.