The Best Gangster Movies of All Time

Genre definitions are messy affairs. When it comes to “gangster movies” we mean, intuitively, movies involving ... gangsters. But what kind of “gangster” are we talking about? And how far back do we go? Are the Borgias gangsters? Was Pope Alexander VI? Was the Catholic Church?

And what about "gangs"? Gagsters belong to gangs, but are “gang movies” the same as “gangster movies”? Is one more gangster than another? And what do we make of "mobs" and "mafias"? Plenty of street gang structures imitate these syndicates, so are they really that much different? And then, there are “cartels.” Cartels don’t seem much different from organized mob families either. Therefore, cartel films should also be included in gangster movies. Right?

It’s all a bit confusing. So, screw it, we're including everything: gang films, mob films, cartel films, whatever. If you’re here looking for a list of just Italian-American mob movies, this isn’t your list. (That said, chill out, we’re putting your Godfather at the top, okay?)

What unites these films is simply a focus on the criminal collective. These aren’t just films that involve gang elements and characters, but films explicitly about the criminal group, the leader, or a particular member. Of any type of "gang."

Alright, alright, enough with the definitions, jeez. Here, in no particular order, are the best “gangster movies” ever.