Filmmakers have been obsessed time and again with tracing the rise and fall of famous mobsters and their cronies. Gangsters, whether demonized or glamorized, have been a focus of public fascination since stories began spreading in the Prohibition Era about famous professional criminals like Al Capone and John Dillinger.
While some directors have produced harrowing classics about gangsters, like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, others have received way too much credit for genre films that steal from other movies, that present tales that are too moralistic, or that suffer from bombastic, over-the-top acting.
Still, others have been overshadowed by well-known gangster movies such as Reservoir Dogs or Goodfellas. This list highlights five mob movies that are totally overrated, as well another five that tragically underrated.
Overrated: The Boondock Saints (1999)
This cult classic is depicted as a revenge thriller about two Irish Catholic brothers in Boston who decide to take on the Russian mob. It stars Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery as brothers Conner and Murphy McManus. After killing two mobsters in self-defense, they get the idea to kill the entire lot of them, in their minds riding their city of crime and evil.
The pair are vigilantes, though, and they are pursued by an FBI agent played by none other than Willem Dafoe. While many fans of the genre rally around this film, it's really just a poor take on territory already covered by Quentin Tarantino. The director, Troy Duffy, tries to be overly didactic with the McManus brothers' journey, which just comes across as self-indulgent and righteous.
Underrated: The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)
Robert Mitchum plays a Boston mobster past his prime in this unromantic and gritty look into the last gasp of a career criminal. In lieu of going to jail, Mitchum's title character Eddie Coyle becomes a police informant. Despite this, he refuses to give up his lifestyle and maintains his underground gun-running network.
When his mobster friends discover he's a rat, they send his old pal Dillon, played by Peter Boyle, to take him out. Due to its slow pacing and lack of glamorization, many people overlook this movie. However, it's a realistic take on mob life fueled by stellar performances from Mitchum and Boyle.
Overrated: Scarface (1980)
This may be a controversial opinion, but Scarface is one of the most overrated movies of all time, period. It's a campy soap opera from horror auteur Brian De Palma overworked by a histrionic performance from Al Pacino as Cuban gangster Tony Montana. While the De Palma style and set designs are beautiful, the director's tendency to embellish the life of the serial murderer and womanizer is not.
The screenplay for Scarface was written by Oliver Stone, known for his fictionalized, revisionist takes on important historical events. Like many other Stone movies, Scarface relies much more on indulging in the lives of ego-driven characters than on portraying even, compelling narratives.
Underrated: Mona Lisa (1986)
Bob Hoskins may be remembered by American audiences for his performances in silly films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Super Mario Bros., but he was a skilled and talented British actor known for his prolific stage, film, and television career. Mona Lisa is a sad tale about an ex-con named George, played by Hoskins, who is released from prison after taking the rap for his mob boss Mortwell, played by Michael Caine.
George agrees to be bodyguard and driver for a high-end sex worker named Simone. George falls in love with Simone, and she uses his attraction toward her to get him to help her find her best friend, Cathy. When they track her down, it turns out she's actually Simone's lover, leaving George alone and feeling taken advantage of by everyone around him.
Overrated: Gran Torino (2008)
Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino is a problematic and violent film about gangs in Detroit, Michigan, that disregards the complex and troubled history of the city, one marked by racialized violence toward people of color, government corruption, and police brutality. Instead, in Eastwood's world, there's the good guys and the bad guys.
While his character, Walt Kowalski, a Korean War veteran, is clearly prejudice, the film attempts to reconcile with his discriminatory views by transforming him into a man who decides to take on the gangs terrorizing his part of the city. The movie ends, as Eastwood would like you to think, with Kowalski sacrificing himself for the betterment of the neighborhood. However, the white savior trope runs strong here, calling the morality displayed in the movie into question.
Underrated: Killing Them Softly (2012)
Australian director Andrew Dominik knows how to use violence as an effective dramatic tool in his films. From Chopper to The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, he's proven himself capable of making movies about criminals without glamorizing or dehumanizing them. This is also the case with his 2012 film Killing Them Softly, which follows a mobster hired to investigate the robbery of a high-stakes poker game.
Brad Pitt plays said mobster, Jackie, who runs into problem after problem while trying to figure out what's going on. Pitt's on-point portrayal is met with outstanding performances from James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta, Ben Mendelsohn, Richard Jenkins, and Scoot McNairy. The film is also connected by audio and video clips of the events leading up to the 2008 election of President Barack Obama.
Overrated: The Usual Suspects (1995)
This 90s whodunit cult classic is not nearly as good as its hype. After a cargo ship along the San Pedro, California, harbor is blown up, killing 27 people, the police realize millions of dollars worth of cocaine have gone missing. They bring in five suspects, famously portrayed by actors like Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, and Kevin Spacey, to try to figure out what happened.
The big reveal at the end of the movie is that Spacey's character, Verbal, is actually the criminal mastermind the police are after, Keyser Soze. His performance won him an Oscar, but The Usual Suspects turns out to be one of those movies that feels cheap and superficial upon multiple viewings. While the first time watching it might produce, it doesn't stand up to the test of time.
Underrated: Boyz N the Hood (1991)
Boyz N the Hood might not be a perfect film, but it's one of the few gangster films that makes the experiences of black men involved in gangs its primary focus. It's also directed by a black man, filmmaker John Singleton.
Cuba Gooding Jr. plays a troubled teenager named Tre in Central Los Angeles who is sent to live with his father, played by Laurence Fishburne. Once relocated, he becomes friends with Ricky, played by Morris Chestnut and Doughboy, played by Ice Cube. While Tre and Ricky have normal aspirations, Doughboy makes a name for himself as a gangster, and after a run-in with rival gangs takes the lives of his friends, he promises revenge.
Overrated: Snatch (2000)
Guy Ritchie first made a name for himself with his snazzy, fast-paced, and comical take on gangster movies. Like his debut, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch involves multiple plotlines that weave in and out each other. It's also an ensemble movie starring people like Brad Pitt, Jason Statham, Benicio del Toro, and Alan Ford.
Snatch is all style and no substance, a farcical look into the lives of mobsters that is nothing more than entertaining. Ritchie seems to revel in the lifestyle instead of providing viewers with an honest, complex film.
Underrated: Sin Nombre (2009)
Before he directed the acclaimed first season of HBO's True Detective, Cary Fukunaga made this chilling thriller about two teenagers trying to escape their fates. Sayra, a Honduran, attempts to immigrate to the United States to unite with her estranged father's new family. Meanwhile, Casper, a Mexican who has gotten involved with the Mara Salvatrucha street gang, flees after challenging the authority of his crazed and maniacal gang leader, Lil' Mago.
Sin Nombre is a film about the international implications of gang violence, one that deserves more attention and praise, especially in light of recent Central American history.