With names like Martin Scorsese and Ridley Scott appearing on the list, it’s clear thatgangster filmsfrom throughout the2000swere directed by the biggest filmmakers the industry has ever seen. And for the most part, the movies on this list feature star-studded casts to boot. You’ll without a doubt recognize the majority of films featured herein. But along the way, you’re bound to find a title that appears more unfamiliar.
And for what it’s worth, some of the best and most important gangster movies ever made were directed by filmmakers who hail from regions outside the United States. Thus, international productions will without a doubt be included on the list. All that said, these are the eighteen best gangster films of the 2000s, ranked.
18Sexy Beast
The directorial debut of Jonathan Glazer, the film at hand was co-written by both Louis Mellis and David Scinto. And although none of those three names are likely to appear familiar to American audiences, you are likely to recognize the names of the actors among its cast: take Ben Kingsley, for instance. His efforts inSexy Beast(2000) garnered a nomination at the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor, with other talented thespians including Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, and Amanda Redman.
Related:Best Ben Kingsley Movies, Ranked
It’s a fairly generic plot: a persistent and hotheaded mob boss convinces a retired thief to return to the crime gamefor one more heist. And a somewhat stylistic visual approach with back-and-forth, well-delivered dialogue saves the film from its poor pacing. Not to say it’s bad. But the quality of this entry is defined in the end by the performance from Kingsley, withSexy Beastultimately kicking off the list.
With Tom Hardy in the titular role as one of the most violent criminals in the history of Britain, this entry features some of the most brutal bloodbaths from any film on the list. For those unfamiliar: Michael Peterson was given the name Charles Bronson for his prowess as a bare-knuckle fighter. Because of his notorious penchant for violence, Bronson was consistently placed in different jail facilities and sent to solitary confinement to avoid further interactions with other prisoners.
And while the overall product isn’t the strongest narratively or the most technical from behind the scenes, several facets of filmmaking are seen into solid fruition here inBronson(2008) enough to warrant a spot on the list. Its sound design is intense and engaging from the start, and its camerawork rivals the film’s steady commitment to continuity editing. Sure, this may be among the more unpopular films on the list. ButBronsonis nonetheless an essential 2000s movie about gangsters.
16Public Enemies
After breaking his gang out of Indiana State Penitentiary, notorious, real-life bank robber John Dillinger (played by Johnny Depp) sets out to a safe house. Opposite Depp is Christian Bale, who plays an FBI agent named Melvin Purvis here inPublic Enemies(2009). During the prison escape, Purvis shoots and kills Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd — a member of the gang, played briefly by Channing Tatum — and is then promoted by J. Edgar Hoover to lead the pursuit of Dillinger.
Each player in the plot is cast to perfection, with other big-name performers like Marion Cotillard, Giovanni Ribisi, and Carey Mulligan making their respective appearances. American filmmaker Michael Mann is one of the greatest directors of gangster movies to ever live, having made other classics of the subgenre such asHeat(1995). This entry in his critically acclaimed filmography doesn’t hold up quite as well as that ’90s classic, and it was never as acclaimed by critics. ButPublic Enemiesnonetheless remains a staple entry of 2000s gangster movies, ultimately landing at number sixteen.
Written and directed by Guy Ritchie, this entry connects two storylines into one. The first plot chronicles a stolen diamond and the search to get it back, while the other story follows a boxing promoter who gets in deepwith a gangster. And on top of an intriguing premise,Snatch(2000) also boasts some of the most high-profile actors you’ll read about today, with names such as Jason Statham and Brad Pitt appearing among the cast.
The former being the most famous collaborator of Richie’s, having provided the lead role for his debut two years prior inLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels(1998). The film at hand is one step up in quality, with witty wordplay and taut story structure found at the center of each page of its script.Snatchis one of the most fan-favorite gangster movies of the 2000s, and it’s easy to see why. It without a doubt deserves this spot at number fifteen.
14Layer Cake
The directorial debut of Matthew Vaughn, this entry features Daniel Craig in the lead role. And off the bat, it’s worth noting that Craig’s performance here inLayer Cake(2005) led to his being cast as James Bond in the following year. Considering Craig’s caliber in those famous spy’s shoes, that’s all that really needs to be said regarding the legacy of this entry. But of course, it’s also worth delving into the plot, as the titleLayer Cakerefers to the social strata of the British underworld.
Craig’s protagonist —a cocaine dealerwho exchanges violence for well-mannered business negotiations — remains unnamed throughout the film, only referred to in the credits as “XXXX”. This provides the film with a particularly alluring and almost anonymous atmosphere. And as the protagonist also undergoes tangible development wishing to leave the business,Layer Cakeis also rendered one of the most powerful entries on the list.
13A History of Violence
As its title may suggest,A History of Violence(2005) is by no means for the faint of heart. It’s the first of two movies on the list to feature the famous director-actor duo of David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen, and it’s among their most famous projects, respectively. Based on a graphic novel of the same name from 1997 — written by John Wagner and Vince Locke — this entry was adapted by Josh Olson about a local diner owner (Tom, played by Mortensen) who stops an attempted robbery.
Related:Best Viggo Mortensen Performances, Ranked
This leads him to be known as a hometown hero. But that status doesn’t come without its enemies, as Tom soon thereafter finds himself at odds with a powerful and ruthless gangster. And although one of the primary appeals for audiences andA History of Violencewould be its statements on the general nature ofviolence depicted within film, this entry proves to be a masterclass from every perspective of behind-the-scenes filmmaking, too. It’s well-written, strong in its tactics of editing, and its cinematography is focused from the first featured frame.A History of Violenceholds up wonderfully all these years later, and on any given day, it could place even higher on the list than number thirteen.
English director Sam Mendes burst onto the Hollywood scene a few years prior to this release withAmerican Beauty(1999). That’s one of the most critically acclaimed directorial debuts ever, having garnered golden statuettes for both Best Picture and Best Director at the 72nd Academy Awards. Thus, all eyes were on Mendes when he released the film at hand:Road to Perdition(2002). It wasn’t nearly as well-acclaimed, but it nonetheless garnered six nominations at the 75th Academy Awards, with Conrad L. Hall even picking up a posthumous win for Best Cinematography.
And while the film’s effective use of lighting,carefully curated color palette, and world-class camera movements did render this one of Hall’s finest works, perhaps the most notable quality ofRoad to Perditionwould be the efforts of its cast. Tom Hanks leads the pack as Michael Sullivan, an enforcer for a mob boss who’s in turn portrayed by Paul Newman in the final live-action role of his career. Newman picked up a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the aforementioned ceremony, while other talented names among this cast include Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci, and Daniel Craig. And they all perform wonderfully in this twelfth pick of the list.
11Gangs of New York
With Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead roles and Martin Scorsese sitting in the director’s chair,Gangs of New York(2002) was always destined to succeed on paper. In his first feature film of the twenty-first century, Scorsese recruited other performers such as Cameron Diaz and John C. Reilly to renderGangs of New Yorkone of the most fan-favorite titles on the list.
It’s a fairly famous plot about the battle for control of Five Points, a slum in New York City that harbors two rival gangs. Of course, Bill “The Butcher” Cutting is in charge of one, with hisportrayal by Day-Lewisgoing down as one of the best antagonist performances of the century thus far, up there with Javier Bardem fromNo Country for Old Men(2007) and Heath Ledger fromThe Dark Knight(2008). His performance in the end defines the quality of this entry, withGangs of New Yorkcoming in just outside the list’s top ten.
10A Prophet
One of the highest-rated films from a critical standpoint on the list isA Prophet(2009), an epic crime film from Jacques Audiard set in a French prison. Tahar Rahim shows up in the eponymous role — a petty criminal who enters the prison at the start of the film — with other French performers such as Niels Arestrup and Adel Bencherif making their respective appearances. Its plot follows the aforementioned protagonist (named Malik El-Djebena) as a young French man of Algerian descent who quickly rises through the hierarchy of the aforementioned prison.
And although this is one of the longer films on the list, there’s no wasted screen time inA Prophet. Each frame is carefully crafted with a bevy of high-quality, behind-the-scenes techniques, and the actors herein are at the top of their games. And as the plot progresses and the main character Malik reaches the upper ranks of the Corsican mafia, truly tangible development occurs. It’s a story that compounds every imaginable emotion into one, well-made package.
9Eastern Promises
Written anddirected by David Cronenbergwith Viggo Mortensen in the lead role,Eastern Promises(2007) marks their second and final collaboration to appear on the list. It also features thespians like Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel, with the plot ofEastern Promisesfollowing Watts’s character Anna, a birthing specialist. She delivers the child of a 14-year-old girl who was forced into prostitution by the Russian mafia in London, and she dies in childbirth. But when Anna discovers the mother’s background and the baby’s origins, the mafia sets their sights on the child.
AlthoughEastern Promisesreceived great reviews upon release, it made just $56 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of $50 million. And due to that lackluster attempt to make money in movie theaters, it’s now considered a cult film. In each entry of his filmography, Cronenberg seems to surpass his past achievements of aestheticizing violence. That’s very much the case withEastern Promises, with the vicious atmosphere lingering around every corner of its plot. But perhaps the most impressive quality of this film would be the commitment of its thespians — particularly the efforts of Mortensen.
