Men who love crime. We hate them in real life but we love them in films. There's something about on-screen gangsters that appeal to movie lovers. Sadly, most of these gangsters existed in the real world and they caused plenty of havoc. But we aren't here to play judge, jury, and executioner. We are just here to enjoy movies.
Plenty of gangster movies have been made over the last century. Plenty of them have been good but sadly not all of them were perfectly made. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the following films are as close to perfection as it gets. Honorable mentions go to the likes of The Departed and Bugsy for narrowly missing out.
Pulp Fiction (1994) - 93%
Pulp Fiction has many iconic moments, the most popular one being John Travolta's dance scene. He could have easily won Dancing With The Stars with those moves. In fact, the scene was so good that Quentin Tarantino recreated it in his most recent film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Sorry, Di Caprio, you tried, but Travolta's dance remains the best.
The Travolta of the '90s was untouchable. With his performance in this film, he got a Best Actor nomination at the 1995 Academy Awards. Samuel L. Jackson also proved to the world that he was a gifted actor who should be taken very seriously. Everyone has adored Nick Fury ever since. You are amazing Nick. Sorry. We mean Sam. You are amazing Sam.
The Long Good Friday (1982) - 96%
In The Long Good Friday, Harold Shand is riding high as London's top gangster. He fully controls the docks through which most illegal shipments enter the country. He also owns a yacht and resides in a beautiful penthouse with his mistress.
However, one Easter weekend, his fortune takes a hit when both his Rolls Royce and his pub get bombed. A bomb is also found in his casino before it blows up. Shand is thus left in a dilemma because his empire is now in shambles, his life is in danger and members of an American crime family are also coming to town to discuss a business deal with him.
Goodfellas (1990) - 96%
With quotes such as Joe Pesci's "What do you mean I'm funny? I'm funny how? Do I amuse you? I am I a clown to you?" it's no surprise that this film ranks highly. Based on Wiseguy, the best-selling novel by Nicolas Pileggi, Goodfellas tells the story of mobster and eventual FBI informant aka 'rat' Henry Hill (Ray Liotta). In fact, the movie almost went by the name Wiseguys before it was eventually changed to Goodfellas. Great choice.
In Goodfellas, Hill is a half-Irish and half-Sicilian New York youngster who idolizes the criminals in his neighborhood known as the wise guys. He begins doing errands for them and eventually gets their trust. Together with his friend Tommy (Joe Pesci), he quickly rises up the ranks. However, he quickly learns that like other Irish-Italians before him, including Jimmy (Robert DeNiro), he can never become one of the top guys.
A Prophet (2009) - 97%
Hollywood movies tend to get the most press but outside the US, there tend to be other movies that are equally as compelling. Take A Prophet (Un Prophete) for example. With a solid 97% score, it beats all of Tarantino's films. Where are the Oscars?
A Prophet traces the life of Malik El Djebena, a 19-year-old man who is sentenced to 30 years in prison and cannot read or write. As a younger convict, he is bullied by a gang leader. However, the gang leader begins to like him, given the way he efficiently handles tasks. He quickly becomes influential behind bars while also cooking up his own devious plans.
Mean Streets (97%) - 1973
It looks like we might have a case of one smart kid taking all the top spots. Another Martin Scorsese movie ranks highly in the gangsters' corner on Rotten Tomatoes. De Niro was here too. My God! These two love each other too much.
Mean Streets follows Charlie, a young man who wants to be a respectable and feared gangster just like his favorite uncle. In as much as he wants to strengthen his position in the underworld and move out of his impoverished neighborhood with his girlfriend, things end up becoming a little more complicated than he thought.
White Heat (1949) - 97%
Widely regarded as one of the best gangster movies of all time, White Heat has inspired many other movies. The United States Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry in 2003, labeling it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
White Heat is about a mobster who happens to be a mommy's boy. Despite being married to a beautiful woman named Verna, Cody, the psychotic leader of the Jarrett gang, remains too attached to his mother. In fact, his last words before he is killed are "Made it, Mum! Top of the world!" Goodness!
The French Connection (1971) - 98%
The 70s were the years during which gangster flicks scooped all the awards. The French Connection won five Oscars, including Best Actor for Gene Hackman, Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film is based on Robin Moore's novel of the same name. So, what's it about?
Narcotics are streaming into New York City in large volumes, so two police detectives Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle and Buddy Russo set themselves on a mission to track down the source. It turns out that French drug Kingpin Suave Alain Charnier is the supplier. But with a wide network of associates and a ruthless right-hand man like Pierre Nicoli, taking him down proves to be very difficult.
The Godfather (1972) - 98%
Before he disappeared into oblivion and later resurfaced to call Marvel movies despicable, Francis Ford Copolla made amazing movies like this. The Godfather is easily the best gangster movie of the New Hollywood Era. It simply has no competition. Everything about it from the cinematography to the acting was perfect.
Even though Marlon Brando used a weird accent, like a piece of steak was stuck in his throat, his performance as Don Vito Corleone remains legendary. Al Pacino's performance as Michael Corleone also remains his best to date. *spoilers* The scene where he murders Virgil "The Turk" Solozzo for shooting his father remains one of the best moments in the history of cinema.
The Public Enemy (1934) - 100%
Forget the Michael Mann film starring Johnny Depp as Great Depression Era gangster John Dillinger. There was another film sharing a similar name, only in the singular form. And it was better, much better. Critics unanimously agreed that it didn't have a single flaw.
The Public Enemy tells the story of another Prohibition Era gangster called Tom Powers. The movie begins by showing how Tom's environment corrupted him a child. He had access to a beer hall, pool, and plenty of bad friends As he degenerates into a ruthless lowlife, his mother still believes that he is a good boy. She only discovers who he really is when he has become a proper gangster who is too grown to be corrected.
Angels With Dirty Faces (1938) - 100%
This is the movie that inspired the fake gangster film-inside-film that Kevin McCallister used to scare gangsters in Home Alone. In the popular comedy, Kevin uses the dialogue of a film called Angels With Filthy Souls to scare the Wet Bandits. Many thought it was not a real film but it was specifically made for that movie.
In Angels With Dirty Faces, two young pals called Rocky and Jerry commit a robbery. Jerry manages to escape but Rocky gets captured. As punishment, Rocky gets sent to a reform school. Jerry changes his ways and becomes a preacher when he grows up. However, Rocky ends up becoming a proper criminal. When fate brings the two former friends together, their worlds are turned upside down.