Some film genres are addicting. Films about the mafia, triads, or other forms of organized crime. It’s good that you like mafia movies because Netflix has some of the best. Mafia movies have a certain allure that draws people in.
People are drawn in by the characters’ rebellious curiosity, opulent lifestyles, dominance, and ability to get away with anything. Since the release of The Godfather, the success and popularity of the mob genre among audiences have skyrocketed.
Netflix has a large selection of gangster movies, whether they are grim, brutal, or even silly. Stream the must-watch mafia movies on Netflix to unwind as you journey through the world of gangsters via surprising plots and deceptive turns.
List of the best mafia movies on netflix
Here is a list of the best mafia movies on netflix. Add these Gangster films that come highly recommended to your watch list. When done correctly, the combination of drama and action makes this genre a sure-fire box office success. In light of this, we thought you might be interested in learning about the best mafia movies on Netflix.
1. The Godfather (1972)
Genre | Mafia, Action |
Director | Francis Ford Coppola |
Cast | Marlon Brando James Caan Richard S. Castellano Al Pacino Diane Keaton Robert Duvall |
IMDb Rating | 9.2 |
After 50 years, The Godfather remains a smashing blockbuster in the genre. The Godfather is a best-selling novel by Mario Puzo, published in 1969 that many consider the forerunner to later gangster films. The period drama revolves around the Corleone family, led by patriarch Vito Corleone (Brando).Watch as the story reveals how the family’s traumatic experiences transformed Michael (Pacino) from a hesitant family outsider to a vicious mafia boss. The Godfather is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made and a landmark in the gangster genre.
2. American Gangster (2007)
Genre | Gangster, Mafia |
Director | Ridley Scott |
Cast | Denzel Washington Chiwetel Ejiofor Lymari Nadal Russell Crowe Ted Levine John Hawkes |
IMDb Rating | 7.8 |
The film American Mobster is based on the true story of Frank Lucas, a mobster from North Carolina. American Gangster, a fictionalized account of North Carolina gangster Frank Lucas’s criminal career in which he smuggled heroin into the United States on American military planes departing for the Vietnam War, stars reputable actors such as Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, and Josh Brolin.
The film received mostly positive reviews. In 1968, Frank Lucas (Washington), the right-hand man of Harlem mafia boss Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson, began dealing heroin by purchasing it in Thailand and smuggling it into the US through Vietnam War veterans.
On the other hand, Frank is the target of a special task force led by Newark cop and aspiring attorney Richie Roberts (Crowe). Despite abusing too much creative license with the plot, American Gangster received 21 nominations, including two Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Supporting Actress.
3. The Irishman (2019)
Genre | Mafia, Horror, Mystery |
Director | Martin Scorsese |
Cast | Robert De Niro Joe Pesci Ray Romano Al Pacino Harvey Keitel |
IMDb Rating | 7.8 |
Despite its length, The Irishman manages to captivate you. Martin Scorsese’s 2004 documentary film The Irishman stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci and is based on Charles Brandt’s nonfiction book “I Heard You Paint Houses.” The film is the most extended and most expensive of Scorsese’s career, lasting approximately three hours.The film begins with Frank Sheeran (De Niro), an elderly Irish American who served in WWII, recounting his experiences as a hitman for the Italian-American Mafia. He recalls starting as a hitman for the crime family of gangster Russell Bufalino (Pesci), who began as a truck driver.
4. The Gentlemen (2020)
Genre | Comedy, Action, Crime |
Director | Guy Ritchie |
Cast | Matthew McCounaughey Michelle Dockery Lyne Renee Jeremy Strong Colin Farrell Tom Wu |
IMDb Rating | 7.8 |
The Gentlemen follow an American who establishes a drug empire in the United Kingdom. Guy Ritchie’s British crime drama The Gentlemen centers on an American cannabis salesperson in England. The cast includes Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell, Henry Golding, and Matthew McConaughey.
Due to the film’s commercial success, Netflix is now developing a spin-off television series. Pearson (McConaughey) began selling marijuana to his fellow students at Oxford University, where he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship.
He decided to drop out of school and use force to build his criminal empire. He intends to retire and sell his company after that. Unfortunately, this resulted in anarchy, which sparked a series of extortion attempts and plots to destabilize him.
5.Road to Perdition (2002)
Genre | Horro, Mafia, Drama |
Director | Sam Mendes |
Cast | Tom Hanks Paul Newman Liam Aiken Tyler Hoechlin Rob Maxey Ciaran Hinds |
IMDb Rating | 7.7 |
You will be on the edge of your seat the entire time you watch Road to Perdition, a criminal thriller. 1931 is the setting for Max Allan Collins’s graphic novel Road to Perdition. The story, which stars Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, and Daniel Craig, is set during the Great Depression and examines the bond between a father and son when seeking vengeance.Now an adult, Michael Sullivan (Hanks) was raised by Irish mob leader John Rooney (Newman). He quickly becomes Rooney’s ruthless enforcer. Rooney adores Sullivan as much as he does his son Connor (Craig). Connor betrays both Sullivan and his eldest son, Michael, by murdering his wife and younger son, and they leave only to form plans to avenge his family.
6. Goodfellas (1990)
Genre | Gangster, Suspense |
Director | Martin Scorsese |
Cast | Robert De Niro Joe Pesci Paul Sorvino Ray Liotta Mike Starr Chuck Low |
IMDb Rating | 8.7 |
Several critics’ organizations named Goodfellas the best film of the year. Pileggi’s 1985 nonfiction book Wiseguy served as the inspiration for the film Goodfellas. The cast of the Scorsese-directed film includes Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino.
Goodfellas is one of the best gangster movies ever made. From 1955 to 1980, the story follows Henry Hill (Liotta) and his friends and family as they achieve and fail. Henry was fascinated by the crime and Mafia presence in his Brooklyn neighborhood when he was younger.
He rose from a minor offender to a powerful mobster. Henry quickly develops a cocaine addiction, which eventually leads to his failure. Even though nothing else matters to Henry, the plot holds your attention from start to finish.
7. The Departed (2006)
Genre | Thriller, Gangster |
Director | Martin Scorsese |
Cast | Leonardo DiCaprio Jack Nicholson Martin Sheen Matt Damon Mark Wahlbery Ray Winstone |
IMDb Rating | 8.5 |
On a global scale, The Departed has received numerous accolades. Like many other films on this list, The Departed was directed by Martin Scorsese and is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. It is also loosely based on the Boston Winter Hill Gang.
Instead of the typical gangster movie’s Irish mob boss, Frank Costello (Nicholson), the State Police use Colin Sullivan (Damon) as a spy to join Costello’s group along with undercover state trooper Billy Costigan (DiCaprio). When both parties know the problem, things begin to heat up.
8.Donnie Brasco (1997)
Genre | Mafia, Romance |
Director | Mike Newell |
Cast | Al Pacino Michael Madsen James Russo Johnny Depp Bruno Kirby Gerry Becker |
IMDb Rating | 7.7 |
The hazy limits of undercover agents are explored in Donnie Brasco. Donnie Brasco, starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp, is based on Joseph D. Pistone and Richard Woodley’s 1988 nonfiction book. The story is based on FBI undercover agent Pistone (Depp), who infiltrated the Bonanno crime family in the 1970s.
Pacino’s aging Mafia hitman, Lefty Ruggiero, allowed Brasco to rise through the ranks and enter his inner circle under the guise of Donnie Brasco, a Florida jewel thief. As his cover grows thicker, the lines between Brasco and his friendship with Ruggiero become increasingly blurred. Donnie Brasco was a box office success and received positive reviews.
9. Gun City (2017)
Genre | History, Drama |
Director | Dani de la Torre |
Cast | Luis Tosar Vicento Romero Paco Tous Michelle Jenner Jaime Lorente Manolo Solo |
IMDb Rating | 6.3 |
Gun City is a forgotten historical gangster film. Gun City, also known as La Sombra de la ley, is a Spanish-French thriller set in 1921 Barcelona. The story examines anarchist conflict and police violence, and the main characters are Luis Tosar, Michelle Jenner, Vicente Romero, and Jaime Lorente. As the plot unfolds, detectives are pursuing anarchists who stole a military train.
When the investigators’ methods for gathering information are called into question, the lines become blurred. They employ increasingly heinous violence tactics, including murder. Gun City may not be as visually appealing as the other games on this list. On the other hand, fans of historical mafia films will enjoy this Spanish production.
Wrapping Up!
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