Even if you haven’t seen Scarface you have likely heard it being quoted, and for this iconography alone it deserves a place on this list. It is confidently directed – De Palma is excellent at composing delicious, painterly frames and Scarface is no exception (the final showdown is a memorable showcase of visual excess). Related article: FACT-CHECKED Series: 32 Facts on Hollywood Legend Quentin Tarantinoīrian De Palma ’s rise and fall narrative is an incredibly entertaining film, made especially so by a forceful, iconic performance by Al Pacino.

Related article: Martin Scorsese: 32 Facts on the Powerful Auteur of Cinema Synonymous with Hollywood Still, I primarily focused on straight mob films, the best of which tend to focus more comprehensively on the figure and lifestyle of the gangster. For this list films within the heist sub-genre such as Le Cercle Rouge and Reservoir Dogs were considered, as well as broader crime films such as Heat and Pulp Fiction. The best gangster films showcase both the allure and horrific truths in fairly equal measure.

Films like Scarface work better as entertaining showcases of the excesses of the lifestyle, whilst works like Once Upon A Time In America lean more towards the grim reality and psychological repercussions. We as viewers are cautiously curious to see how such a violent, care-free environment works, partially because we know it often stems from real life. Photo/Video: Hollywood Insider YouTube Channel/Illustration by Jessica Glassberg Yes, I’m Talking To You, And I’m Ranking The Ten Best Gangster MoviesĪt their best, gangster films act as fascinating, vicarious experiences of an incredibly high-stakes, lawless world.

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