This is the fifth in a series of articles where we’ll be covering the Top Films About Gangsters. The Gangster Films subgenre typically acts as an umbrella subgenre that also includes Films about Mobsters, The Mob, The Mafia, The Yakuza, The Triad and other forms of Organized Crime. Because organized crime covers such a wide area of criminal activity, the Gangster Films subgenre is often associated with other Crime subgenres including Films About Assassins & Hitmen, Films About Capers & Heists, Films About Cops & the FBI, Films About Narcos, Films About Gambling and Films About Undercover Agents. While some Films About Gangs or Films About Drug Trafficking will also often be included in this subgenre, we have unorganized, teen gangs and films that primarily deal with drug dealers in their own collections, dependent on the film’s overall theme.
Films About Gangsters have had a long and storied history in Cinema from Little Caesar (1931) and Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) to classic mafia films of the 70’s with The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974). Other popular Gangster films over the past decades include On the Waterfront (1954), Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Scarface (1983), The Untouchables (1987), Goodfellas (1990), City of God (2002) and The Departed (2006).
This fifth article will cover the Top Films About Gangsters You Haven’t Seen from the 2010’s and you can check out additional articles by decade below. We are also going to include a Best Of subgenre article as a grand finale. There are so many great Gangster Films over the last 70 years that we felt it best to break down some of the subgenre’s forgotten and lesser-known gems by decade before we give you the Best Of list which will likely feature many films you’ve already heard of or have seen.
- Top Films About Gangsters You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s
- Top Films About Gangsters You Haven’t Seen – 1980’s
- Top Films About Gangsters You Haven’t Seen – 1990’s
- Top Films About Gangsters You Haven’t Seen – 2000’s
- Top Films About Gangsters You Haven’t Seen – 2010’s
- Best Recent Gangster Films
- Best Films About Gangsters
The 2010’s continued a downward trend in classic and quality films of the subgenre though the quantity of films increased. British Gangster Films continued to be released en masse though they couldn’t quite compare to the classic films of the prior decade. However, Asian Gangster Films would take over during this decade and produce some of the classic Gangster films of the decade. And continuing previous trends, Historical Biopics and Historical Event Films involving organized crime, mobsters and gangsters remained popular despite varying quality.
The British Gangster Film was a microcosm of the entire subgenre this decade – quantity over quality. Due to the previous decade’s popularity, driven mainly by Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn, there was a continued influx of British crime films in the 2010’s with many of these films failing to reach the impact or popularity of previous efforts. In fact, the only film of this group during the decade we would note as a classic of the subgenre is Legend (2015). Other notable British Gangster Films of the 2010’s included The Kid (2010), Bonded by Blood (2010), Welcome to the Punch (2013), Top Dog (2014), We Still Kill the Old Way (2014), Rise of the Footsoldier II (2015), Bonded by Blood 2 (2016), We Still Steal the Old Way (2017), London Heist (2017), Rise of the Footsoldier III (2017) and Rise of the Footsoldier 4: Marbella (2019).
While the British Gangster Film continued its downward trend, there was noticeable rise in another theme of the subgenre – the Asian Gangster Film. Though Asian Gangster Films had always been present in the subgenre from Sonny Chiba’s gangster films of the 1970’s in Yakuza Wolf (1972) and Bodyguard Kiba 2 (1973) to other classic Asian subgenre films including Infernal Affairs (2002) and Election (2005), it wasn’t until this decade that there was an enduring string of great Gangster films out of Asia. Notable Asian Gangster Films from the 2010’s included Outrage (2001), Nameless Gangster (2012), Beyond Outrage (2014), The Outlaws (2017), Believer (2018), Ash is Purest White (2018), Cities of Last Things (2018), The Drug King (2018), The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019) and The Wild Goose Lake (2019).
Historical Biopics continued as a predominant theme of the subgenre in the 2010’s covering some lesser-known real life mobsters and gangsters. 22 Bullets (2010) starring Jean Reno would highlight the later life of French gangster Jacky Imbert. The life story of Kevin Lewis and his involvement with organized crime would be detailed in The Kid (2010). Bonded by Blood (2010) would profile the drug dealers and gangster ultimately involved in the Rettendon murders in England. Italian Gangster and bank robber Renato Vallanzasca would be the subject of Angel of Evil (2010). One of the best underrated films of the subgenre, Kill the Irishman (2011), would set its focus on Cleveland mobster Danny Greene. Both Rob the Mob (2014) and The Wannabe (2015) would chronicle Thomas and Rosemarie Uva’s incredulous and moronic plan to rob the New York City mob. Infamous American crime boss Whitey Bulger would be portrayed by Johhny Depp in Black Mass (2015). Legend (2015) would be another biographical film covering London’s infamous gangsters, The Krays. The notorious South Korean drug dealer and crime lord of 1970’s Busan, Lee Doo-sam, would be profiled in South Korea’s The Drug King (2018). The Traitor (2019) would detail Sicilian mobster Tommaso Buscetta’s role as an informant in the largest anti-Mafia trial in Italian history. And both Jimmy Hoffa and his main enforcer, Frank Sheeran, would be the subjects of The Irishman (2019).
On the Historical Event Films side of the subgenre, there were also both famous and lesser-known events involving organized crime covered throughout the decade. Nameless Gangster (2012) would be set against the government’s crackdown on organized crime and corruption in 1980’s South Korea. LAPD’s Gangster Squad formation in the 1940’s would serve as the basis for Gangster Squad (2013). American Hustle (2013) would detail some of the players involved in the FBI’s ABSCAM operation targeting corrupt members of Congress. Organized crime’s use of the French Connection was covered by the French film, The Connection (2014). The Mafia Capitale in Rome and its various activities would be central to the plot of Suburra (2015). Carbone (2017) would follow organized crime’s eventual involvement in the Carbon Connection Scandal of the late 2000’s. And the murders of South Korea’s serial killer, Yoo Young-chul, heavily inspired the film The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019).
Our complete list of Films About Gangsters, The Mafia and The Mob features over 378+ films from 1954 – 2024. This collection features almost every film featuring mobsters, gangsters, the yakuza and other forms of organized crime. If you don’t see a film in our collection, it is likely in other collections such as Films About Assassins & Hitmen, Films About Capers & Heists, Films About Cops & the FBI, Films About Narcos, Films About Gambling, Films About Gangs and Films About Drugs & Narcos. Also, as we’re always updating our collections and will be releasing additional articles of great Gangster Films, subscribe to our newsletter for our latest updates as we post them.
Classic Films About Gangsters from the 2010’s: 22 Bullets (2010), Kill the Irishman (2011), Outrage (2001), American Hustle (2013), Black Mass (2015), Legend (2015), Suburra (2015), The Outlaws (2017), Carbone (2017), Believer (2018), The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019) and The Irishman (2019).
Films About Gangsters from the 2010’s that didn’t make our list: The Bannen Way (2010), Bonded by Blood (2010), Angel of Evil (2010), Boca (2010), London Boulevard (2010), Mob Rules (2011), Nameless Gangster (2012), For the Love the Money (2013), Stand Up Guys (2012), Gangster Squad (2013), Dead Man Down (2013), Welcome to the Punch (2013), Blood Ties (2013), Beyond Outrage (2014), Wicked Blood (2014), Tommy (2014), Top Dog (2014), Bad Turn Worse (2014), Falcon Rising (2014), Bad Country (2014), By the Gun (2014), The Connection (2014), We Still Kill the Old Way (2014), The Wannabe (2015), Rise of the Footsoldier II (2015), Term Life (2016), Bonded by Blood 2 (2016), Live by Night (2016), We Still Steal the Old Way (2017), The Lost Brother (2017), London Heist (2017), The Beautiful Ones (2017), Racer and the Jailbird (2017), The Outsider (2018), Forgive Us Our Debts (2018), Dogman (2018), Boys Cry (2018), Crossroads: One Two Jaga (2018), Ash is Purest White (2018), Cities of Last Things (2018), The Drug King (2018), El Chicano (2019), We Die Young (2019), The Whistlers (2019), Vault (2019) and The Kitchen (2019).
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Here is our list of the Top Films About Gangsters You Haven’t Seen – 2010’s. Note: Due to the overwhelming number of Gangster Films this decade, we have included a Top 20 vs. our usual Top 10 list of films.
Rank #20 – 1:
#20 Criminal Activities (2015) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#19 Blue Ruin (2013) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#18 The Family (2013) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#17 Easy Money (2010) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#16 Run All Night (2015) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#15 The Traitor (2019) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#14 The Kid (2010) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#13 The Wild Goose Lake (2019) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#12 22 Bullets (2010) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#11 Wild Card (2015) Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
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