Typified by its arresting style, complex characters, gritty content, and its intrinsic moral ambiguity, gangster cinema has long been a defining pillar of brilliance and creative innovation in film. However, due to the excessive and often confronting violence, the intimidating intensity, and the unpleasant characters, gangster movies are often burdened by R-ratings and a lack of universal appeal when it comes to amassing monumental figures at the box office.
That being said, with thought-provoking narratives, all-star casts, and some of the greatest directors cinema has ever seen enriching such films,there have been plenty of crime flicks that have become commercial hits. From some of the greatest movies the genre has ever seen to some unlikely financial hits, these 10 titles are the highest grossing films in gangster movie history.
10’Casino' (1995)
Box Office: $116.1 million
It should come as no surprise to anyone thatMartin Scorsesewill feature prominently on this list, given his name is synonymous with gangster cinema at its very best.Casinostands as one of his many defining achievements in the genre, following the resourceful Ace (Robert De Niro) as he is sent to Las Vegas by the mafia to manage several of their casinos. While he excels at his job, his personal connections complicate things as he becomes more powerful.
Marking Scorsese’s return to the crime genre five years after he releasedGoodfellas(which, amazingly, only earned$47 million),Casinothrived at the box office to the tune of$116.1 million, although it did need to make $73 million of its intake internationally to achieve such a figure. It is still celebrated three decades later for itsimpressive scale, immersive style, sublime performances, and for its effective handling of violence and crime.
9’The Godfather Part III' (1990)
Box Office: $136.8 million
While the universally acclaimedThe Godfather Part IIstruggled to perform due to audience perception of sequels in the 1970s,The Godfather Part IIIproved to be much more commercially successful. It sees an aging Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) striving to put an end to his family’s involvement in crime, an ambition that mob leader Don Altobello (Eli Wallach) pushes back against. The aspirations of Michael’s adopted nephew to become a key player in the underworld complicates the situation further.
The Godfather Part IIIis somewhat infamous, a much-maligned final entry to a film odyssey that many feel was already resolved. However, withFrancis Ford Coppoladirecting and many of the original cast coming back, it stands as a film everyone movie buff needs to watch at least once.It isone of Coppola’s highest grossing movieswith a box office intake of$136.8 million.
The Godfather Part III
Watch on Apple TV
8’Killers of the Flower Moon' (2023)
Box Office: $157 million
Scorsese’s ability to make commercially successful R-rated movies has been proven time and time again. However, what he achieved in makingKillers of the Flower Moon, an Apple original film with a preset date for a streaming release,a release that grossed$157 million,cannot be understated, even though it failed to surpass its almighty budget. The biographical crime drama explores the greed and scandal that engulfed 1920s Oklahoma when oil was discovered on Osage Nation land, leading to a series of murders and an FBI investigation.
A staggering feat that sees a veteran Scorsese utilize the full might of his decades of experience,Killers of the Flower Moonthrives as a thematically weighted and visually sublime indictment on a hidden chapter of American history. It marks one of the greatest films of 2020s cinema thus far andan auspicious highlight of gangster moviesfrom one of the genre’s defining masters.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Box Office: $181 million
A stylistic and moody gangster film fromSam Mendesthat is based on the DC graphic novel series of the same name,Road to Perditionis an engrossing depiction of crime and fatherhood in the midst of the Great Depression. Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) is a loyal hitman for mob boss John Rooney (Paul Newman), but he must turn his back on his allegiances and flee when his son witnesses a mob killing, and the rest of his family is murdered.
Atmospherically divine,Road to Perditionuses gloomy imagery to create a weighted and melancholic sense of dread that hangs heavy over a story that invests a great deal in the core father-son relationship.A financial triumph and a critical success, the period gangster movie grossed$181 millionto stand as one of the most successful films that the genre has ever seen,even if it is somewhat underrated today.
Road to Perdition
6’Gangs of New York' (2002)
Box Office: $193.7 million
Another divine marriage of period setting and crime narrative from Martin Scorsese,Gangs of New Yorkis a gritty and ferocious picture propped up by two outstanding lead performances and a rousing tale of revenge and crime. Years after his father was killed bythe notorious Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis)in a brutal gang brawl, Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) arrives in the Five Points to infiltrate the crime lord’s inner circle and avenge his father’s murder.
With DiCaprio’s stardom soaring and Day-Lewis' awe-inspiring villainous turn,Gangs of New Yorkgrossed$193.7 million, which was actually a minor loss for Miramax given the magnitude of the production. However, the film remains an impressive gem in Scorsese’s filmography as well as a rousing crime epic that beautifully depicts its period setting.
Gangs of New York
5’Pulp Fiction' (1994)
Box Office: $213.9 million
An intriguing, ultra-violent, and darkly comedic dive into L.A.’s criminal underbelly,Pulp Fictionis widely regarded to beQuentin Tarantino’s definitive masterpiece and one of the greatest movies of all time. It also yielded immediate and significant financial success,grossing a staggering$213.9 millionoff a relatively lean budget of approximately $8 million, while also becoming an awards season success, winning the illustrious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
It focuses on several entwined tales, following two hitmen working for a notorious crime lord, the crime lord’s wife who has to be entertained by one of the hitmen, and a boxer who failed to throw a fight he was meant to.With Tarantino’s enchanting dialogue, a story as engrossing as it is elaborate, and A-list actors performing at their peak across the board,Pulp Fictionis a timeless masterpiece of crime cinema and one of the most successful films of Tarantino’s career.
Pulp Fiction
4’Public Enemies' (2009)
Box Office: $214.1 million
Michael Mannhas directed some of the great blockbusters of the 1990s and 2000s, ranging from period dramas to action-packed crime thrillers. While 2009’sPublic Enemiescontains many of the director’s defining trademarks, as well as a staggering ensemble cast, its critical and audience approval has been relatively mixed. However, that didn’t prevent it frombecoming one of Mann’s most financially successful films, grossing$214.1 millionwhile competing against other blockbusters likeTransformers: Revenge of the FallenandIce Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
The biographical crime thriller presents an enchanting visual display as it documents the crimes of bank robberJohn Dillenger(Johnny Depp) during the Great Depression as he and his gang are relentlessly pursued by the FBI. While few would regard it to be Mann’s greatest film, it does contain a slick sense of style, brilliant action sequences, anda peculiar leaning towards old cinematic methodsthat make it intriguing.
Public Enemies
3’The Godfather' (1972)
Box Office: $250.3 million
Not only still heralded as the definitive masterpiece of crime cinema, but often cited as the best movie ever made as well,The Godfatheris an intense and compelling drama that is emblematic of Francis Ford Coppola’s excellence as a filmmaker. The aging Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is looking to transfer power of his crime empire to his reluctant youngest son, Michael. However, the succession plan opens the door for the family’s enemies to strike out against the family, making Michael’s decision all the more difficult.
From the performances to the cinematography, the engrossing plot progression, and the iconic music,The Godfatherthrives at an elite level across every single department of film-making.It was an instant classic, winning five Oscars from seven nominations while also earning a whopping$250.3 million, making it, to that point in time,the highest-grossing film cinema had ever seen.
The Godfather
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2’American Gangster' (2007)
Box Office: $269.7 million
A gripping biographical epic fromRidley Scottthat coasts by onstrong performances fromDenzel WashingtonandRussell Crowe,American Gangsteris a somewhat underappreciated gangster film of the modern era. It focuses on the criminal career ofFrank Lucas(Washington), a prolific drug dealer and gangster in Harlem who rises to prominence through the late 60s and 70s, and the detective who stood against corruption in his ranks to bring the crook to justice.
With such immense star power behind it and an intriguing true story basis,American Gangsterwas destined to be a box office hit. It thrived both domestically and overseas, crossing the $100 million mark in just three weeks in America and Canada before going on to make $139.5 million internationally.It’s final tally of$269.7 millionmakes it one of the most successful gangster movies of all time.
American Gangster
1’The Departed' (2006)
Box Office: $291.4 million
Quite possibly Martin Scorsese’s best film of the 21st century,The Departedis a spellbinding crime thriller that utilizes an all-star cast and a brilliantly twisty story to maximum effect. Based onInternal Affairs, it follows a police informant who goes undercover into the Irish mob to figure out who their mole in the police force is. All the while, the mole tries to uncover the identity of the undercover cop before he himself is exposed.
The Departedbecame an awards season hit, winning four Academy Awards from five nominations while also becomingthe highest grossing gangster film of all time with an impressive box office intake of$291.4 million. It debuted at number one, marking the fourth Scorsese film to achieve such a feat, and excelled both domestically and internationally to bethe third most commercially successful movie of Scorsese’s career.
