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Under the all-encompassing umbrella genre of “crime,” there lie subgenres of gangster flicks like Bonnie and Clyde, assassin tales like Léon the Professional, and then epic mob films like Goodfellas. In this definitive guide, we’re focussing solely on classic mafia films that changed the filmmaking landscape.
Mob films as a genre have changed drastically since the studio days of James Cagney film noir crime flicks. The same subject matter that built the “bad guy” archetype also created the anti-hero: Henry Hill, Lorenzo, and later Tony Soprano, the first major anti-hero of primetime TV that changed the face of television forever. Mafia films blur the lines between black and white, offering us characters that are very much in the gray area, gripping you with their skewed moral codes and life-altering decisions. Here are 10 essential mafia films available to stream in order of most iconic.
'The Godfather' (1972)
Francis Ford Coppola‘s adaptation of Mario Puzo’s bestseller isn’t just the best mafia film of all time — it has remained in AFI’s top 5 films of all time since its release. To say it has inspired countless mafia films, parodies, and quotable moments simply wouldn’t do it justice. Other than Citizen Kane, this is by far the most famous, impactful film to date. [GoWatchIt]
'Goodfellas' (1990)
Martin Scorsese‘s mob masterpiece is one of those movies you’ll never forget. From the winding of the famous Copacabana dolly shot to the insanity of having Ray Liotta break the fourth wall in the court room, this is a director’s movie at its core. It just also happens to be one of the most well-acted, brutally violent mob movies of all time. [GoWatchIt]
'The Godfather: Part II' (1974)
Though nothing is better than the first, this is the only case in which the second is better than its predecessor. Part II is everyone’s favorite of The Godfather films, probably because it was way more badass and Robert De Niro was in it. [GoWatchIt]
'Scarface' (1983)
Though the excessive violence and drug use didn’t sit well with critics upon release, Brian De Palma‘s Scarface has become a pillar of mafia films and is easily one of the most quoted films probably ever, thanks to the script by Oliver Stone. Tony Montana (Al Pacino) flees Communist Cuba, lands in Miami, and rises up to be one of the most powerful drug kingpins in the world. [GoWatchIt]
'Donnie Brasco' (1997)
Based on Brasco’s autobiography, My Undercover Life in the Mafia, the film follows the FBI agent (portrayed by Johnny Depp) who sneaks into the inner circle of the Bonanno crime family. As the years go on, Brasco realizes he’s not only breaking the law, but also endangering his fellow police. [GoWatchIt]
'The Public Enemy' (1931)
James Cagney is downright terrifying as Tom Powers in The Public Enemy, especially when he shoved that grapefruit in Mae Clarke’s face. Before Brando and De Niro, James Cagney was the master of mafia movies throughout the entirety of the ’30s and ’40s. [GoWatchIt]
'On the Waterfront' (1954)
Marlon Brando is Terry Malloy, a boxer turned longshoreman who uncovers the control and corruption between the rulers of the waterfront docks and law enforcement. A political masterpiece that was just as controversial offscreen as it was on after director Elia Kazan helped blacklist eight Communists in the film industry prior to its release. [GoWatchIt]
'Casino' (1994)
Sure, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci were great and all, but Sharon Stone pushed this mob classic to this essential list. Plus, Vegas mobsters are automatically more fun than regular mobsters because they’re in Vegas. Based on Nicholas Pileggi’s book, Scorsese captured the disease of greed and the corruption that comes with power in this brilliant mafia drama. [GoWatchIt]
'Pulp Fiction' (1994)
When Quentin Tarantino sent his script about the lives of two mob hit men to Harvey Weinstein, under the title read “Final Draft.” His tenacity kept the notorious Harvey Scissorhands from cutting any of Tarantino’s brilliance, and thus the legend of Jules and Vincent was born. Broken narrative, hyperviolence, and one hell of a soundtrack; Pulp Fiction is everything you want in a mob tale. [GoWatchIt]
'Miller's Crossing' (1990)
After Raising Arizona, the Coen Brothers revisited the oddball film noir homage with Miller’s Crossing, similar to their first feature, Blood Simple. Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne) is the ultimate anti-hero in the Coen’s two-hour motif of mob films of the past. Though it flopped at the box office, it has gone on to become one of the most critically acclaimed Coen Brothers films. [GoWatchIt]
