Since the pre-code movies of the 1930s, gangster films have been a go-to subgenre for major Hollywood studios. The biggest names the industry has ever seen have directed films of this ilk — most of them in the decade at hand. Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino are among just a few examples of big-name directors that appear on the list.
So, you should without a doubt recognize most of the titles featured herein, as they also feature star-studded casts on top of the talent behind the scenes. And for what it’s worth, international films will be included in the list. All that said, these are the twenty best gangster movies of the 1990s, ranked.
20The Godfather: Part III
Although it’s seen in a fairly negative light nowadays,The Godfather: Part III(1990) is nonetheless a solid piece of American cinema thanks to a bevy of behind-the-scenes facets of filmmaking: take its editing, for example. The fascinating choices in that regard rival the film’s shot value, and its art direction is worth writing home about in itself. All three of those elements were recognized at the 63rd Academy Awards, and although they came up short,The Godfather: Part IIIpicked up four other nominations as well.
In spite of some pannedefforts from Sofia Coppola, the day was saved by Andy García. His performance garnered one of the aforementioned nominations (Best Supporting Actor, in particular), and it remains among the most impressive efforts of his critically acclaimed career. And of course, there are plenty of other prominent players worth noting inThe Godfather: Part III, from Francis Ford Coppola and Al Pacino to Diane Keaton and Talia Shire. This franchise holds massive name value, but this particular entry is most appropriately placed at the start of the list.
19Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
After buying into a series of high-stakes games of three-card brag and coming up short, four lifetime friends (also low-level criminals) find themselves in debt. Thus, they decide to rob a local gang, and the plot flourishes from there with hilarious dialogue and convincing performances. Written and directed by Guy Ritchie, one of England’s best modern filmmakers, this was his feature-length debut. And it’s a fairly famous one, for what it’s worth.
ButLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels(1998) also featured the on-screen debuts of two English actors: Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones. While you may not recognize the latter, Statham is among the biggest action stars to ever live thanks to franchises likeFast and the FuriousandThe Transporter. But back to the film at hand: it was a massive successat the box officeand resonated fondly enough with critics to spawn a television show. That’s a solid legacy, and the film seems to get better with age.
18King of New York
This entry stars Christopher Walken as a New York City drug lord who sets out to reestablish his empire upon his release from prison. And it features a star-studded supporting cast, with efforts from the likes of David Caruso, Laurence Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, Giancarlo Esposito, and Steve Buscemi. And although their respective characters run the gamut of importance, each of those actors perform adequately herein.
Reviews from critics were positive enough, butKing of New York(1990) came up completely short at the worldwide box office. It accrued just half of its $5 million budget, and for whatever reason, it hasn’t even picked up traction in hindsight. Granted, several other films on the list were released in this very year, easily overshadowing the more under-the-radar release ofKing of New York. But the film at hand is still of the utmost quality for a gangster flick, coming in here at number eighteen.
17Get Shorty
Directed by Barry Sonenfeld, this gangster comedy wasadapted to the screenby Scott Frank from an Elmore Leonard novel of the same name, released in 1990. It stars John Travolta as Chili Palmer, a loan shark from Miami who finds himself involved — entirely by accident, mind you — in the production of a Hollywood feature film. And as a result of this premise,Get Shorty(1995) is one of the most original films on the list.
Of course, that can mainly be attributed to the storytelling efforts of Leonard, the aforementioned novelist. But its cast saw everything into perfect fruition, with others such as Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, and even James Gandolfini all appearing herein. And while this placement on the list could seem a bit low for fans ofGet Shorty, it could on any given day place even higher than number seventeen.
16A Bronx Tale
Several actors appear multiple times on this list: take Al Pacino and John Travolta, for instance. They’ve already materialized once a piece withThe Godfather: Part IIIandGet Shorty, respectively. But another frequent portrayer of gangsters in Hollywood is of course Robert De Niro. This marks his first appearance on the list, withA Bronx Tale(1993) standing out in that regard as it’s also De Niro’sfeature-length directorial debut.
It follows Calogero, a teenager in the titular New York City borough who gets caught up in the world of organized crime. The presence of the mafia in Calogero’s respective neighborhood is led by De Niro’s character, “Sonny”. They share a dazzling dynamic — both the characters and the actors that portray them. And everything else comes into perfect behind-the-scenes fruition inA Bronx Taleto render it an essential gangster film of the 1990s.
Due to dulcet dialogue and powerful performances, the character interactions withinPusher(1996) will absorb your attention alone. Of course, it features a tantalizing plot as well, with the events kicking off once Frank (played by Kim Bodnia) experiences a drug deal gone wrong. He finds himself owing a significant sum of cash to his supplier, and has just a few days to pay back his debts. And while Bodnia performs brilliantly, there are two names truly worth noting here in this Danish crime thriller: starting with Nicolas Winding Refn.
You may recognize him as the director ofDrive(2011), starring Ryan Gosling. ButPusherwas his feature directorial debut, and it spawned a critically acclaimed franchise with two direct sequels and an English-language remake. ButPusheralso marks the first collaboration between Refn and superstar actor Madds Mikkelsen. This was his on-screen debut as well, and it remains one of the highest-quality projects from every name involved.
14Sonatine
A Yakuza film written, directed, and edited by Takeshi Kitano — one ofJapan’s all-time greatest filmmakers— this is the project that put him on the international map. But what’s more is that, on top of all those behind-the-scenes crafts, Kitano also stars inSonatine(1993) as Murakawa. Essentially a foot soldier in the yakuza, Murakawa is growing tired of his life as a gangster, but he’s among several members sent to Okinawa to initiate an exchange of peace. Of course, the plot escalates from there, but there’s plenty more worth writing home about.
Both writing and directing each of his projects renders Kitano an auteur. French for “author”, it essentially means that he sees an artistic vision into specific fruition each time he begins production on a given project. His other popular films from even this decade include the likes ofBoiling Point(1990) andFireworks(1997). But without a doubt,Sonatineis the most important, and it’s one of the best gangster movies of the 1990s.
With Warren Beattyin the titular role, this entry is among the most critically acclaimed on the list, with ten total nominations to its name at the 64th Academy Awards. In fact,Bugsy(1991) even walked away with a couple wins: one for Best Art Direction, the other for Best Costume Design. They were both well-earned — as were the other nominations garnered at the ceremony.
Directed by Barry Levinson, this entry was written by James Toback about the real-life figure Bugsy Siegel. An American mobster, Bugsy Siegel is credited with being a primary proponent of the Las Vegas Strip, while the film focuses on his relationship with Virginia Hill. This is a well-made film from every fathomable perspective, and it could on any day wind up even higher on the list.
12Miller’s Crossing
Power struggles between rival gangs are a common plot element with regard to this subgenre, and they’re commonplace on this very list. Written anddirected by Joel and Ethan Coen, this film sees the protagonist playing the respective groups of criminals against one another. And with a career-defining performance from Gabriel Byrne, the lead (named Tom Reagan) also undergoes palpable development.
Related:The 10 Most Underrated Movies From the Coen Brothers
Of course, the Coen Brothers are among the most popular filmmakers Hollywood has ever produced. They know how to make a neo-noir film — take their debut,Blood Simple(1984) for instance. Their keen directorial instincts and a rock-solid script help renderMiller’s Crossing(1990) one of the best gangster flicks of the decade. And, if you’re a John Turturro fan, this may be his greatest ever performance.
The first of two films from Martin Scorsese to appear on the list isCasino(1995), starring Robert De Niro as Ace Rothstein. He’s an expert handicapper of gambling, and the plot kicks off with Ace being assigned to run the day-to-day activities of the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. One of Scorsese’s greatest characters, Ace was portrayed to an absolute tee by De Niro, with this going down as one of the more underrated projects from everyone involved. And that includes the supporting cast.
In his third collaboration with both Scorsese and De Niro, American actor Joe Pesci portrays Nicky Santoro, whileSharon Stone appearsas Ace’s wife Ginger McKenna. Everyone shared a dynamic rapport not just as characters re: the screenplay, but also the actors and their performances.Casinocaps off the spiritual gangster trilogy from Scorsese, which started withMean Streets(1973) back in the day and continued with a film that appears much later in the list. And frankly,Casinofacilitated the perfect resolution.
