There is a distinction between gangster movies and crime films more generally, to the extent that the former is more of a sub-genre that exists within the latter (the main genre). Or, less confusingly, every gangster movie is also a crime movie, but not every crime movie is a gangster movie. So, sure, if Taxi Driver counts as a crime film, then it’s one of the most intense and unnerving of all time, but it’s not really about organized crime or gangs, so it’s not found below.
What you will get below, instead, is a collection of gangster movies that highlight tension and suspense, sometimes in ways that get genuinely anxiety-provoking. That’s not to say they’re all difficult to sit through, necessarily, but more so that each of them has at least one sequence or quality that sets them out from other gangster films, making them more intense than average.
10
‘Rififi’ (1955)
It was hard picking 10 movies here, with White Heat just missing out. With that not making the cut, it then followed that most of the Golden Age of Hollywood gangster movies would also be exempt, as White Heat was about as raw and intense as gangster movies got in the first half of the 20th century. If you go a little into the 1950s, however, you do find Rififi.
Now, this is probably more of a heist movie, but it also crosses over into gangster movie territory because of some of the characters, and because an inevitable crew/gang of criminals has to be formed in order to pull off the heist. When it comes to the heist, Rififi was just too strong in intensity to leave off this ranking, with it being the standout sequence within a movie where everything else is pretty great (and dark, by the standards of a 1950s release), too.
9
‘The Untouchables’ (1987)
Suspenseful is probably the better word to use when describing The Untouchables, rather than “intense,” because there isn’t really much complexity or nuance here, in terms of it being a good vs. evil sort of crime film. And that’s okay, because it really works for what it is, and it’s old-fashioned in a charming sort of way, all the while retaining that high level of suspense Brian De Palma is often known for (best displayed in some of his non-gangster movies, like Blow Out and arguably Carrie, too).
With The Untouchables, you’ve got Robert De Niro playing a cartoonishly evil Al Capone, and then Kevin Costner leading a squad of no-nonsense special agents who’ll stop at nothing to bring him down. There are some incredible set pieces here, in The Untouchables, many of them being pulse-quickening (especially the extended sequence/shootout in the train station).
8
‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992)
With Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction (1994) is probably the better movie than Reservoir Dogs (1992), but if it can be counted as a gangster movie, then it doesn’t belong here quite as much as Reservoir Dogs, owing to Tarantino’s first movie being a little more intense than his second. Like Rififi, Reservoir Dogs also counts as a heist movie, but it famously opts out of showing the heist, instead exploring the lead-up to – and aftermath of – it in non-chronological order.
Much of it’s about the surviving criminals realizing one of their own is probably an undercover cop, and so tension and mistrust ensue in near-agonizing quantities. Also, there is that one scene you might’ve heard (bad/tasteless pun intended) about that really pushes Reservoir Dogs, briefly, over the line from being very intense to almost too much to handle.
7
‘The Godfather’ (1972)
The Godfather is obviously about as good as epic movies get, but evaluating it as a gangster movie, it’s also admirable in how dark and unapologetic it was with its violence, at least for the time it came out. Plenty of people in 1972 would’ve remembered seeing the much tamer crime movies of the 1930s and 1940s, and even if a non-gangster movie like Bonnie and Clyde kind of walked so The Godfather could run, The Godfather really ran. For 1972, it was fast.
The Corleone family here hasn’t gone through a complete downfall, by the end of The Godfather, but those still standing are kind of on the way there, with a soon-to-be-mentioned sequel getting even bleaker. But The Godfather (1972) is very much sufficiently downbeat and shocking (at least when it comes to the scenes where people get whacked) for it to be worth including here.
6
‘The Godfather Part II’ (1974)
No surprises, here’s The Godfather Part II. There is a debate to be had around whether this one’s genuinely better than the first movie, but what’s not really up for debate is the topic of which one is darker. The Godfather Part II intensifies the sense of tragedy already found/felt in the first film, and makes Michael Corleone (now head of the family empire) fall further, morally speaking.
That being said, The Godfather Part II does take its time a little more, so the pacing might technically make it feel less thrilling than The Godfather, but it goes for the jugular at very precise moments, and that makes it an ultimately upsetting watch. As for The Godfather Part III… well, it’s a little harder to care quite as much about that movie, though it’s definitely not a terrible gangster film (just disappointing compared to the first two, really).
5
‘City of God’ (2002)
Adapted so effectively from the 1997 novel of the same name that some might be surprised to learn there even was a novel, City of God is one of the all-time greatest Brazilian movies. It takes place in and around the Cidade de Deus (“City of God”), which is a favela in Rio de Janeiro, with the movie showing how crime defines life for many who live there, be they young or old or somewhere in between.
City of God jumps around between a few prominent characters, and it also ends up spanning a decent length of time, albeit doing those things without ever feeling too chaotic or out of control. It’s the right kind of out of control and messy, and the way it’s filmed and paced, as well as the willingness it shows to have characters exit the story very suddenly, all make it a confronting and oftentimes nerve-wracking watch.
4
‘Goodfellas’ (1990)
Admittedly, dread isn’t felt constantly throughout Goodfellas, since this simultaneously stylish and grounded gangster movie is quite funny at times, albeit usually in a black comedy sort of way. There is a balance achieved, and further, some of the funny parts also happen to be intense. It’s an obvious example, but the whole “Funny how?” scene really demonstrates this the best, because it’s all about an uneasy interplay between terror and humor.
Call it a microcosm of the whole movie, maybe. Or, more accurately, maybe it should just be said that Goodfellas is happy to throw you around for a rather breathless two and a half hours, and if you’re into gangster movies, you’ll probably feel happy to be thrown. It’s a film that shows Martin Scorsese at the height of his directing powers, but there are two more gangster films of his that are arguably more unnerving than Goodfellas.
3
‘Casino’ (1995)
There is a general variety when it comes to the gangster films of Martin Scorsese, with the debatable exception of Casino. Cynical though it may sound, this one can kind of be summarized as “Goodfellas in Las Vegas, and also, everyone is meaner, more profane, and extra prone to violence.” It’s possibly a spiritual sequel to Goodfellas, though there’s an argument to be made that The Irishman does a better (or at least more impactful) job at exploring some comparable themes, but from – and about – a very different stage in life.
Still, this isn’t really about quality, and this whole ranking is more concerned with tension, and darn, Casino is a pretty harrowing watch, and it stays so for a runtime that ends up being just one minute shy of three hours. Moments of comedic relief (if the comedy of Goodfellas could be called relieving) are sparse in Casino, and the acts of violence are much more intense, and shown in more detail, which makes this a pretty tough sit. The film’s message regarding the mob, and what they did to Las Vegas, for a time, is very well communicated, as a result. There aren’t really too many ways to misread what this movie’s putting down (unlike, arguably, The Wolf of Wall Street, which it has to be noted some people have not really gotten properly, but that’s another rant for another time).
2
‘Once Upon a Time in America’ (1984)
Before directing Once Upon a Time in America, Sergio Leone had primarily made Westerns, so it’s a little unusual that his final film ended up being a gangster movie, but it was as good a gangster movie as his Westerns were Western movies. The narrative here spans a massive amount of time, and it’s also not in chronological order, so you get an old man reckoning with his past as both a child and a young adult.
Once Upon a Time in America de-romanticizes the American gangster even more than The Godfather Part II did.
Partly as a kid, but definitely as an adult, he and his criminal gang did some pretty mortifying things, which is part of the reason Once Upon a Time in America is so intense. It de-romanticizes the American gangster even more than The Godfather Part II did, and as a deconstruction of the whole genre, it’s quite masterful (if, admittedly, also difficult to watch at some points).
1
‘The Departed’ (2006)
The Departed is not the best Martin Scorsese gangster movie, since the aforementioned Goodfellas exists, but it is his most intense movie overall, and organized crime is indeed a big part of the narrative here. It’s about a cop going undercover to take down Boston’s Irish Mafia, but then at the same time, someone on the other side of the law is sent “undercover,” in effect, to infiltrate the police.
Also, The Departed is one of the best remakes of all time, with Infernal Affairs being worthy of an honorable mention here, since that one’s also rather intense. But there is something extra suspenseful about so much of The Departed, and it’s the kind of thing that puts you on edge throughout, but in a good way. Feeling uncomfortable never felt so good (or it didn’t until 2019, when Uncut Jahms came out).
The Departed
- Release Date
-
October 6, 2006
- Runtime
-
151 minutes
Source link
