An iconic era defined by decadence and pop culture dominance, the 1980s were also filled with a lot of optimism. Hollywood directly reflected these moods and obsessions through some of the most influential movies of all time. And while every generation has their quintessential movies that capture the zeitgeist, the 1980s saw a surge in gangster and mob movies. They achieved mainstream popularity by displaying an excessively lavish lifestyle and the thrill of breaking the law, and soon, gangster movies became more than just entertainment.
From gritty tales to grand spectacles, mob and gangster movies of the ‘80s offered a glimpse into the cutthroat world of organized crime in a true and authentic way. We saw families torn apart by lies, brothers turning against each other for power, and kingpins falling into a pattern of self-destruction after spending decades riding the high.
With so many cinematic classics to choose from, anyone would have a hard time narrowing the decade down to 10 definitive gangster thrillers. But considering factors like direction, performances, and cultural impact, here are what we believe to be 10 of the most outstanding movies in the mob and gangster genre.
10 A Better Tomorrow (1986)
A Better Tomorrow has a glorious legacy. Co-written and directed by John Woo, it centers around two estranged brothers on opposite sides of the law. Sung Tse-Ho is a powerful gangster and member of the Hong Kong triad, but he’s filled with regret and wants to leave the violent life behind to reunite with his younger brother, who has graduated high school and intends to join the police. As the film progresses, Ho realizes just how difficult it is to get out of the underworld of organized crime.
A Story of Brotherhood and Redemption
In classic John Woo fashion, the movie elevates the gangster genre with its innovative stylized violence and emotional character drama. Woo extracts layered performances from leads Leslie Cheung, Chow Yun-fat, and Ti Lung, who get trapped between loyalty, redemption, crime, and morality. The climactic gun battle makes the movie both thoughtful and enthralling. More renowned abroad, A Better Tomorrow was a blockbuster that led to a sequel and has also been remade several times.
9 Black Rain (1989)
In Ridley Scott’s glorious filmography, Black Rain is one of the least successful. But in the gangster genre, it has a cult following. We follow two NYPD detectives, Nick Conklin and Charlie Vincent, who arrest a member of a Yakuza gang for smuggling counterfeit bills into New York and are tasked with escorting him back to Japan. But upon arriving in Osaka, the yakuza escapes. Nick and Charlie find themselves caught in an increasingly hostile gang dispute in Japan’s underworld.
An Intercontinental Crime Story
Despite using an unoriginal premise, Black Rain is well regarded as a gritty crime thriller steeped in cultural clashes. Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia sizzle in complex roles as the two detectives with varying ethics and loyalties. The realistic portrayal of Japan’s criminal underbelly and neon nightscapes, paired with a pulsating soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and exquisitely choreographed fight sequences, make for a highly interesting drama.
8 Gloria (1980)
John Cassavetes’ second collaboration with Gena Rowlands, following 1974’s A Woman Under the Influence, is an indispensable and underseen gem. The protagonist, Gloria Swenson, is a young mother and wife living in New York City and struggling to provide for her family.
When her neighbors are murdered by the mob, Gloria, who was formerly a gangster’s girlfriend, ends up protecting a six-year-old by going on the run with him. Meanwhile, the mob chases them because they believe the boy has an object of their interest.
A Chilling Character Study
Rowlands is a force to be reckoned with as Gloria in the tightly-wound drama about the lingering impacts of being once associated with criminals. She’s vulnerable in the face of circumstance, but her steely resolve is worth praising. Gloria is also equal parts suspenseful and emotional as a genre movie. Plus, the action sequences defy your expectations. Overall, the morally complex narrative paired with Cassavetes’ realistic direction makes it a classic.
7 Prince of the City (1981)
In the same vein as Serpico, Sidney Lumet’s Prince of the City examines police corruption, but this time, with a more accurate portrayal of the institution. We follow New York police officer Daniel Ciello, who, with his buddies, not only witnesses corruption on a daily basis, but is also part of it. But when he feels disillusioned by it all, Ciello decides to become an informant and aid in the prosecution of dirty cops on the condition that he doesn’t have to turn his partners in. However, reforming the system comes with a price.
More Influential Now More Than Ever
Lumet crafts the movie with style and elegance. The bleak portrait he creates of the broken system is compelling and uncompromising, and paired with Treat Williams’ powerhouse performance as the lead, an idealist with a torn-down spirit caught in a consumerist world, the movie becomes oddly stirring. Some may argue that Prince of the City doesn’t fit the mold of a traditional gangster movie, but if they just looked again, they would find all the necessary elements.
6 The Long Good Friday (1980)
In The Long Good Friday, ambitious mob boss Harold Shand plans to expand his empire into the international drug trade, but first, he must establish himself as a legitimate business owner. With careful scheming, he tries to win the American Mafia over. But everything he has built is put at risk under threat from mysterious bombings and assassinations. What follows is a dangerous battle between rival gangs and corrupt police.
Gold Standard Of British Gangster Flicks
The Long Good Friday is directed by John Mackenzie and written by Barrie Keeffe. It unleashes a criminal underworld on the screen and offers a thrilling urban experience to the audience. Bob Hoskins plays Shand, owning the screen with his devious and volatile personality. Helen Mirren plays Victoria, Shand’s girlfriend. Beyond the fast-paced storytelling and visceral action, the movie also explores themes of family, loyalty, and the price of ambition.
5 Thief (1981)
In this noir-tinged thriller, James Caan plays Frank, a skilled jewel thief and ex-convict who spends his nights meticulously planning and executing elaborate burglaries. However, Frank seeks to step back from the profession after carrying out one final heist – a diamond robbery. When his employer is attacked, Frank doesn’t get paid, complications arise, and he’s trailed by a powerful mob boss.
A Neon-Drenched Directorial Debut
The BAFTA-winning director Michael Mann made his debut feature film from a screenplay inspired by Frank Hohimer’s memoir, titled The Home Invaders: Confessions of a Cat Burglar. Under Mann’s direction, Thief emerges both as a slick gangster drama and an intimately portrayed character piece. Caan is nothing short of mesmerizing as Frank; he imbues the character with layers of intrigue and desperation. The tension in the drawn-out heist scenes perfectly compliments the eventual chases and gunfights.
4 Atlantic City (1980)
One of the movies that kickstarted the glorious streak of gangster movies in the 1980s is Atlantic City. Directed by Louis Malle, it centers around Lou, an aging gangster who has left his days of crime behind, and Sally Matthews, a young woman who works at a casino in Atlantic City. When Sally’s estranged husband gets in trouble by stealing some drugs, she teams up with Lou to make some quick money and they get caught up in a high-stakes crime trade.
Poignant and Gritty
An interesting entry into the genre, Atlantic City is proof of the fact that even crime films can contain beauty. And just to be clear, Malle draws this beauty out of authenticity. He portrays the filth of the titular city, the ruins, the moral decay, and the corruption that shrouds every nook and corner. And if the broadwalk’s fading grandeur alone isn’t enough to entice you, the standout also features Bob Lancaster and Susan Sarandon’s understated and modest romance as an added bonus.
3 The Untouchables (1987)
Set during the Prohibition Era, The Untouchables documents federal agent Eliot Ness’ many attempts to take down Al Capone, the notorious kingpin who had been controlling nearly all of Chicago with his bootlegging empire. To go against the deep-rooted corruption, Ness assembles a team made of veteran officer James Malone, Italian-American trainee George Stone, and accountant Oscar Wallace.
Portrays An Era’s Criminal Landscape
While the movie, as you’d expect, culminates with an explosive final confrontation, it is what comes before that makes The Untouchables so legendary. Featuring all-time-best performances from Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, and Robert De Niro, who pops in on the screen occasionally as Al Capone, the movie features several tense set-pieces and suspenseful nail-biting sequences.
Rather than being a movie about gang operations, Brian De Palma’s genre classic captures the unconventional task of taking it down. The movie garnered multiple Oscar nominations, including a win for Connery.
2 Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Once Upon a Time in America is a decades-spanning crime saga that traces the lives of childhood friends David “Noodles” Aaronson and Maximilian “Max” Bercovicz, who started off as mere kids, turned into small-time Jewish gangsters, then became significant members of Manhattan’s criminal underworld because of their 50 years worth of involvement in crime. But as they grow older, dark secrets and regrets threaten to destroy their worlds.
A Sprawling and Unparalleled Gangster Epic
Crafted by Sergio Leone with immense care and precision, Once Upon a Time in America is a four-hour-long (the original version) gangster epic. It was Leone’s final film, and it came 13 years after his previous one. Imbued with mood and symbolism, evocative costumes, and Ennio Morricone’s remarkable score, every frame is a cinematic vision coming to life.
The movie stars Robert De Niro and James Woods, along with Elizabeth McGovern, Joe Pesci, Burt Young, and more. All of the stars offer career-defining as people caught up in a corrosive life of their choosing. Epic in scope and intimate in emotions, it’s a must-watch.
1 Scarface (1983)
By delivering incredible and profitable movies like Wise Guys, The Untouchables, and Scarface, Brian De Palma touched the peak of filmmaking in the 1980s. The latter, set in 1980s Miami, follows ambitious Cuban refugee, Tony Montana, who somehow arrives in the city and finds work in a restaurant. His ruthless pursuit of the American Dream, however, sees him establishing a drug empire and climbing to the status of a major kingpin. But Tony lets his power get ahead of him, which leads to self-destruction.
Al Pacino’s Most Outrageous Performance
Despite being centered on a simple premise, one inspired by Howard Hawks’ 1932 original, Scarface became a modern masterpiece for taking the story in a new and subversive direction. The visual panache and the darkly humorous twists and turns, De Palma’s critique of toxic masculinity and the never-ending pursuit of wealth, paired with the eventual terror and paranoia induced in Tony’s mind, are elements that come together and take viewers on a wild ride.
