Top 10 crime/gangster films

Hi,
Crime/Gangster is easily my favourite genre in film. I compiled a top 10 of my favourite films in this genre from the last 40 years. It was tough and I had to reluctantly drop Donnie Brasco and Carlito's way. Just set up a blog where I review movies. Would love to hear your thoughts on these.

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10. Miller's Crossing
9. Pulp Fiction
8. The Long Good Friday
7. True Romance
6. Heat
5. Mean Streets
4. The Usual Suspects
3. Once upon a time in America
2. The Godfather 1 & 2(I know but a top 10 is tough)
1. Goodfellas

Pretty damn good list. Would be nice to shoehorn The Untouchables in there.

Out of the 10 you listed and the other 2 you mentioned, I've only missed Miller's Crossing, Once Upon A Time in America, and The Long Good Friday. I've seen the other 9 multiple times and love them all.

A good list. Only one I haven't seen is The Long Good Friday. My only addition would have been The Departed over Heat. I love them both(love the shootout in Heat), but I have to give the nod to The Departed. A good list though, all solid movies.

1. Inside Man
2. The Departed
3. L.A. Confidential
4. American Gangster
5. Goodfellas
6. Heat
7. Casino

These are my personal favorites. 8-10 could be debated.

Oh do, it's a British classic. Fantastic film. There was talk of a remake years back, set in Miami...

Good list, but I say the Departed needs to be on the list. I will agree with number one and two though.

The Departed belongs on no lists. As for this one, needs some branching out, preferably to include more films where the criminals aren't caricatures.

I strongly agree here.
Heat is a cesspool of caricatures.

Pulp Fiction shouldn't be on this list either in terms of being with Goodfellas, Once Upon a Time, Godfather etc. It's a comical flick that happens to be based around crime and gangsters.

__________________
-J. Hussain

In no particular order:
1.Lock,Stock & two smoking barrels (Ritchie)
2: Reservoir Dogs (Tarantino)
3:The Long Good Friday (Mackenzie)
4:Goodfellas (Scorsese)
5Dog day Afternoon (Lumet)
6:Sonatine (Kitano)
7:The Godfather 1&2 (Coppola)
8:Carlito's Way (De Palma)
9:Bangkok for sale (Chun)
10:Band of outsiders (Godard)

Well, I still believe that Pulp Fiction is a crime film, it may not be a neorealist crime film but most of the relevant themes are still there.
I remember reading once that when the real Sicilian bosses of Cosa Nostra (the Italian mob) saw the Godfather 1&2 at the movies, they found it quite hilarious almost as if it was a comedy.
So it's all relative I guess.

My top 10 as follows

1) Goodfellas
2) Godfather 1 & 2
3) Bonnie & Clyde
4) Chinatown
5) Mesrine 1 & 2
6) A Prophet
7) Sonatine
8) Point Blank
9) Scarface (1984) (I felt the remake was much more in-depth and much more evocative than the original)
10) The Long Good Friday

1. The Godfather 1&2
2. Once Upon a Time in America
3. Pulp Fiction
4. The Departed
5. Heat
6. The Usual Suspects
7. Goodfellas
8. Reservoir Dogs
9. The Untouchables
10. Donnie Brasco

Donnie Brasco is a very underrated movie.

I couldn't agree more. The dynamic between Pacino and Depp's characters is beautiful and some of the final scenes are just heart breaking. Pacino turned in his best work in years and Depp rose to the occasion too. I know it treads some familiar gangster/crime film lines but it does it so well it's hard to deny it's place amongst the greats.

I agree about Donnie Brasco. Love that movie. One of my favourite Pacino performances + the ultimate bad ass that is Michael Madsen.

If we're talking about legit gangster films and not just "crime movies", then my list would be something like this:

1. The Godfather
2. The Godfather, Part II
3. Goodfellas
4. The Departed
5. Casino
6. Mean Streets
7. Scarface 1984
8. Gangs of New York
9. Heat
10. Donnie Brasco

I haven't seen Once Upon A Time in America yet but I'm sure it would end up somewhere in that list.

Once Upon a Time...is a pretty disturbing film at times but I think that's what makes it so great, it never hold anything back and I think Sergio Leone really wanted us to hate the characters put on screen, unlike other gangster flicks where we kinda end up enjoying the criminals, this includes everything from Godfather, through Scarface to Pulp Fiction.

Leone wants us to hate the men in his masterpiece and I think that's the way it should be.

If we are not talking about more crime films and less gangster, this would be my top 10:

1) Leon
2) Public Enemies
3) American Gangster
4) The usual suspects
5) Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy
6) CleanSkin
7) Zodiac
8) Sin City
9) Catch me if you can
10) Snatch

I think there are a lot which I missed. If we were speaking about gangster films that would be another story.

I ain't a big fan of crime/gangster movies but I have watched more than 10 that I liked, the first five are what I could consider great movies.

1) Once Upon a Time in America (1984)


Perhaps the greatest crime film of all time by grandmaster, Sergio Leone.

2) Pulp Fiction (1994)


Best crime comedy.

3) The Godfather (1972)


Slightly overrated but still great.

4) Goodfellas (1990)


5) Sonatine (1993)


6) Godfather part 2 (1974)


7) Battles without Honor and Humanity (1973)


8) Drive (2011)


9) The Departed (2006)


10) A Touch of Evil (1958)