Summary

• Many gangster films fall just short of perfection due to critical flaws like casting decisions or abrupt endings.
• Eastern Promises offers a powerful exploration of human trafficking but falls short with an unsatisfying conclusion.
• The Irishman reunites Scorsese, De Niro, and Pacino in a fantastic exploration of Frank Sheeran, but its prolonged runtime and CGI effects distract viewers.

While there have been countless fantastic gangster movies over the years, very few can claim the title of pure perfection and were often held back by one critical flaw. It may be a casting decision, an unnecessary subplot, or a bloated runtime, but there have been so many examples of movies that had perfection within their reach, only for it to be snatched away by one key issue. This does not mean these movies were not great; it’s just that certain issues could be improved upon for them to earn the title of genuinely perfect.

Some of the best gangster movies ever made feel entirely untouchable, as films like the first two Godfather films have consistently been part of the conversation around the best movie ever, regardless of genre. Other releases had everything going for them, but it must be itted that one aspect held them back from being the perfect version of their story. While some viewers believe it’s blasphemy to criticize some of these classic films, these beloved gangster movies were so close to being perfect, if not for one key flaw that held them back.

15 Eastern Promises (2007)

Directed by David Cronenberg

Director David Cronenberg added his unique voice to the gangster genre with his excellent story of the Russian mob Eastern Promises. Through brutal realism and one of Viggo Mortensen’s greatest performances, this was a powerful exploration of human trafficking and excessive violence that packed a serious emotional punch. However, Eastern Promises also had a rather abrupt ending, with much of the climatic action taking place offscreen. Unfortunately, this resulted in an almost perfect movie feeling somewhat incomplete, as viewers were left wanting more and with several unanswered questions.

14 Boyz N The Hood (1991)

Directed by John Singleton

As John Singleton's directional debut, this first-time filmmaker knocked it out of the park with the powerful social messaging seen in Boyz n the Hood. The urban crime drama shone a light on the violence of street life in disenfranchised African American communities, pioneering the hood film genre and influencing later classics like Training Day. Boyz n the Hood was an incredible drama with amazing casting, including Laurence Fishburne, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Ice Cube, although its social commentary sometimes came at the expense of characterization and narrative depth, which held the film back from being perfect in all respects.

13 Snatch (2000)

Directed by Guy Ritchie

Nobody can make a British gangster film better than Guy Ritchie, whose unique sense of style and powerful aesthetics resulted in crowd-pleasing crime movies with their own brand of humor. Snatch was the perfect example of Ritchie’s talents as a small-time boxer, played by Jason Statham, found himself under the thumb of a ruthless gangster. But it was Brad Pitt as the Irish Traveler Mickey O’Neil who held Snatch back from perfection because, despite giving a solid performance, his Irish accent was genuinely terrible, and he came across more like a parody character than a truly realized person.

12 The Godfather Part III

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

With two perfect movies already making the Godfather series the most famous gangster franchise of all time, the release of The Godfather Part III had a lot to live up to and unfortunately crumbled amid these incredible expectations. Looking back, all the pieces of a great movie were there, but a rushed script, misguided casting, and a lack of essential characters like Tom Hagen meant The Godfather Part III couldn’t live up to the previous two movies. The Godfather Part III’s one fatal flaw was that it was made for financial reasons rather than the artistry that propagated the previous films.

11 Jackie Brown (1997)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino paid homage to 1970s blaxploitation cinema with his excellent crime movie Jackie Brown. As Pam Grier’s greatest performance, she played the titular flight attendant-turned-money-smuggler to perfection as Tarantino expanded upon his rich and highly stylized cinematic world. With sharp dialogue, a fantastic cast, and a cool, laid-back style, Jackie Brown had a slower pace than the rest of Tarantino’s work, and although this contributed to its unique feeling, it also meant it never felt quite as urgent as the very best Tarantino movies.

10 American Gangster (2007)

Directed by Ridley Scott

American Gangster stood as one of Ridley Scott’s best movies, as the intense game of cat and mouse between acting legends Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington made for thrilling viewing. However, the attempt to balance Frank Lucas' (Washington) crime story with Richie Roberts’ (Russell Crowe) made the film feel uneven as it tried to pack too much into an epic true crime narrative. As an engrossing and powerful story that proved Scott could stand toe-to-toe with the best gangster filmmakers out there, American Gangster could have been perfect if it was slightly more streamlined.

9 Touch Of Evil (1958)

Directed by Orson Welles

As one of the all-time great directors, Orson Welles proved his talents in the gangster genre with the classic film noir Touch of Evil. This technical masterpiece was badly received when it was first released in 1958, as Welles’ singular vision was tampered with, and Universal executives forced Welles out during post-production (via Guardian.) While Welles’ vision was later restored, and Touch of Evil was re-released in 1998, the damage had been done to its reputation, and for decades, the innovative and emotionally gripping nature of the underrated classic was ignored by general viewers.

8 Gangs Of New York (2002)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

As the first collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio and featuring Daniel Day-Lewis as the iconic villain Bill the Butcher, Gangs of New York had all the makings of modern gangster movie classics. Packed with style and impressive action sequences of rivaling gangster factions, Gangs of New York also suffered from a disted narrative and underdeveloped characters. As a highly ambitious project, Gangs of New York tackled too many themes and never provided the space to delve into any of them with the level of depth they required.

7 Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Directed by Guy Ritchie

Guy Ritchie proved himself an exciting new voice in British cinema with his gangster classic Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. With compelling performances from Jason Statham in his acting debut and Vinnie Jones in an intimidating and influential role, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels felt almost like the British equivalent of a Tarantino movie. While all the pieces of a great film were in place, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels also featured too many overlapping plotlines and was an unfortunate example of style over substance in of narrative heft.

6 The Untouchables (1987)

Directed by Brian De Palma

The Untouchables was a stylized Prohibition-era gangster movie by Brian De Palma that featured an incredible cast, including Kevin Cosner, Robert De Niro, and Sean Connery. With fantastic action sequences and era-appropriate locations, The Untouchables was a wonderfully entertaining film whose melodramatic dialogue and simplistic good-versus-evil narrative failed to capture the morally conflicted urgency of the best gangster movies. The Untouchables was a very good movie, and if it had leaned more into the gritty realism of its time period, it could have been truly perfect.