The Top 25 Gangster Films of the Last 40 Years
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The greatest gangster film of all time—Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece The Godfather—just turned 40. To celebrate the birthday of Coppola’s classic, we’re counting down the top 25 gangster films that followed it (broadly defining the genre). Here are the top 25 gangster films of the last 40 years:
5. Miller’s Crossing (1990)
In Miller’s Crossing, the Coen brothers achieve something special. They create a film that looks and feels like a gangster classic. But they also infill it with all the beloved trademarks that make them who they are: stylized cinematography, dark humor, clever dialogue and quirky characters, including John Turturro in a spectacular performance as the unpredictable and cowardly Bernie.
4. Mean Streets (1973)
Of all Martin Scorsese’s gangster flicks, none feel as personal as Mean Streets. The main character, played wonderfully by Harvey Keitel, could very well be Scorsese himself, an Italian-American caught in the middle of two lives: crime and religion. Gritty and vigorous with an exhilarating performance from a young Robert De Niro, the film marks Scorsese’s first great gangster feat.
3. The Godfather, Part II (1974)
With the success of The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola’s second chapter—released just two years later—set a new precedent for sequels by proving just as triumphant. Anchored by prevailing performances from Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, the follow-up carries on the mafia saga and explores the parallels between father and son. It’s another tour de force with epic proportions.
2. Goodfellas (1990)
If any gangster film gives The Godfather a run for its money, it’s Goodfellas—Martin Scorsese’s raw and stylish story of real-life mobster Henry Hill (Ray Liotta). Fast, violent and funny (“What do you mean I’m funny?”) with riveting performances from Liotta, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, Scorsese’s biopic walks a fine line between the glamorization and desolation of crime.
1.The Godfather (1972)
What’s there to say about this cinematic staple that hasn’t already been said? Francis Ford Coppola’s classic crime drama epitomizes the word “epic” in every way. The performances, the characters, the narrative, the scope, the setting, the score—everything comes to the screen so, well, epically. For that and a whole slew of other reasons, The Godfather should “have your loyalty” as the greatest gangster film of all time.