America’s fascination with the mob goes back to the country’s founding. With the rise of Hollywood came the glamorization of mob crime, with some of the most iconic films and scenes ever put on screen. Starting with the legendary 1950s television series The Untouchables has been one of the most romanticized pieces of mob fiction, including the hit 1987 film by the same name directed by Brian De Palma. Discover the six best films that do the Untouchables justice.
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1. Scarface (1983)
Al Pacino stars at Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant looking to make it big in the drug trade in 1980s Miami. A loose cannon, Tony’s wild style puts him on top of the Miami drug action. However, his wild mood swings, lust for his former boss’ mistress, drug addiction, and sexual desire for his sister ultimately lead to his undoing.
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2. American Gangster (2007)
Denzel Washington takes on the starring role of Frank Lucas, one of the most notorious and successful drug dealers in 1970s New York. Frank enlists his family to smuggle high-grade cocaine from Vietnam to sell it as Blue Magic packets. The devastation is so profound that Russel Crowe stars as the detective obsessed with bringing Frank Lucas down.
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3. Road to Perdition (2002)
This groundbreaking film stars Tom Hanks in one of his first violent roles. As an Irish mob enforcer, Tom Hanks, starring as Michael Sullivan, whose unyielding loyalty is permanently shattered when his family is killed by his mentor and mob boss, John Rooney, starring the late Paul Newman. After discovering his family’s death, all of Michael’s loyalty is thrown out the window as he stops at nothing to get revenge and take down his former mob clan. Daniel Craig, 007, also stars in Road to Perdition.
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4. The Departed (2006)
Martin Scorsese directs yet another mobster epic. This time, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as undercover cop Billy Costigan, who goes undercover to take down a powerful Boston mob family. Jack Nicholson stars as Frank Costello, the head of the powerful Boston mob family. As Billy and Frank get closer, Billy’s struggles to maintain his cover and his personal life begin to take their toll. But what Billy doesn’t know is that Frank has an undercover agent shaking down and gathering intel on the Massachusets State Police, staring Matt Damon.
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5. Public Enemies (2009)
Set in the Great Depression, Public Enemies is an action-packed movie about the FBI pursuing elite bank robbers. The main villain is the legendary mobster Johnny Dillinger, played by Johnny Depp. Often compared to the iconic film Bonnie and Clyde, Public Enemies is a cinematic delight following the rise and fall of John Dillinger robbing banks across America. Meanwhile, Christian Bale stars as special FBI agent Melvin Purvis, who stops at nothing to bring down Dillinger and his life of crime.
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6. Casino (1995)
Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro hook up in this crime thriller set in 1970s Las Vegas. Life is good for Sam “Ace” Rothstein. Seemingly having it all, Ace runs a local casino and has the town eating out of palm. However, as his success grows, so do his enemies. But little does Sam know that the most significant threat lies within. With his life in danger, Sam must find a way out of the game while outfoxing his treacherous wife and close friend, Nickey. Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci also star.
If you like mob movies, these six films give you a running start on their enduring appeal, epic violence, and torn loyalty. Each film tries to point out the humanity and conflicting motivations of mob leaders and villains. It also depicts how much alike the mob and the cops determined to take them down are.
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