Gangster movies – both old and recent – can be found in abundance on several streaming services, just in time to watch for the weekend. Streamers like Prime Video, Tubi, Netflix, and HBO Max all have their fair share of gangster films in their respective libraries.
For almost a century, the gangster movie genre has been the source of some of the greatest movies ever made, with The Godfather in particular actually being a strong candidate for the greatest of all time. Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, and The Godfather Part II also tend to rank very high, not to mention many of the other gangster films to achieve critical acclaim over the years.
A great many of these films are streaming on various services. This weekend could be an ideal opportunity to rewatch or experience for the first time a Martin Scorcese masterpiece, take in an under-the radar gem, or check out an ageless classic from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
The Departed (Netflix)
One of the best gangster movies of the 21st century is leaving Netflix on September 30, so this weekend could be a good time to watch The Departed. Directed by a legend of the genre, Martin Scorcese, The Departed stars DiCaprio and Matt Damon as a gangster and police officer, who both develop undercover lives on the opposing side of the fight between the Irish Mob and police.
Naturally, taking a character each from the world of law enforcement and the criminal underground and then immersing them in the other half of the battle is a concept with a ton of storytelling potential, and The Departed wastes none of it, using this setup to explore the moral and psychological impacts of living undercover from two very different perspectives.
Heavy on violence, The Departed brilliantly shows off the darkest aspects of the gangster movie genre, and easily justifies its 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Roaring Twenties (Tubi)
In the 1930s, James Cagney was the defacto king of the gangster movie genre, regularly playing morally ambiguous hoodlums who get mixed up in organized crime. Among his most notable gangster movie outings was The Roaring Twenties, a 1939 film that takes a look back at the Prohibition Era and the Great Depression.
Although these phases in American history were not so long ago when The Roaring Twenties first hit theaters in 1939, the movie provides a fascinating exploration of this incredibly important era, and how organized crime fit into the picture.
It accomplishes this through its focus on three World War I veterans, played by Humphrey Bogart, Jeffrey Lynn, and James Cagney. Due to different experiences, the three men embark on separate paths after the war, with both Bogart and Cagney’s characters becoming gangsters.
The movie follows the various events in their lives as they become bootleggers during Prohibition, and are pushed to even further lows by the stock market crash.
Casino (Prime Video)
Directing movies like Goodfellas, The Departed, and more recently, The Irishman, have solidified Martin Scorcese’s reputation as one of the greatest directors in the gangster movie genre. Another film that’s contributed to that legacy is Casino, which Scorcese directed in 1995. Featuring a star-studded cast led by Robert DeNiro, Casino takes a deep dive into the criminal underworld of 1970s Chicago.
Serving as the focal point of Casino’s story is Robert DeNiro’s Sam “Ace” Rothstein, a low-level member of the Chicago Mafia who gets put in charge of a large casino. Scrocese’s movie chronicles the relationships he develops with the figures tied to the casino, and given the nature of his associations, it’s no surprise his life becomes frought with violence, betrayals, corruption, and death.
Casino’s success led to a long list of accolades, not the least of which is an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, which went to Sharon Stone for playing Ace’s love interest. Along with Pulp Fiction, Casino is one of the greatest gangster films of the 1990s, if not of all time.
Dead End (Tubi)
Due to appearing in multiple quality entries in the genre, actors like DeNiro and Cagney have become gangster movie icons. Something similar can be said of Humphrey Bogart, who starred in several such films, particularly in the early part of his career. Admittedly, many were forgettable B-movies, but Dead End belongs in a completely different category.
Released in 1937 and now streaming for free on Tubi, Dead End sees the Hollywood legend play Hugh “Baby Face” Martin, a gangster who returns home to see his family in the slums of New York City. His presence amounts to a bad influence a group of youngsters, who begin to take up his bad habits.
Dead End paints a horrible picture of gangster life, and of Bogart’s character in particular. On top of a great Bogart performance, Dead End pulls no punches as it delivers a grim, and even depressing story, and one that’s perfectly befitting its subject material. Dead End doesn’t try to offer the standard Hollywood happy ending, and it’s not one that would feel appropriate regardless.
Dead End boasts a score of 83% Rotten Tomatoes score and four Academy Award nominations (including one for Best Picture).
Pulp Fiction (Prime Video)
Prime Video is currently hosting multiple all-time great gangster flicks, including Pulp Fiction. Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 ensemble movie brings together a great cast, with Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, and Harvey Keitel all playing a role in the movie being one of the best of its kind.
Comprising multiple segments, Pulp Fiction tells several different crime stories, holding very little back when it comes to its depiction of the violence that comes with the world of organized crime. The memorable characters it creates – especially Samuel L. Jackson’s Jules Winnfield – has a lot to do with the iconic status Pulp Fiction has achieved, not to mention the movie’s many great one-liners.
In addition to being a great gangster movie, Pulp Fiction is one of Quentin Tarantino’s best films, as well as a must-watch on Prime Video.
