The words “gangster movie” are all but sure to conjure up images of tough guys in pressed suits, intimidating officials, cutting off body parts, and dumping bodies in a haze of cocaine dust and cigar smoke. But as the genre has evolved, the world of gangster movies has become a veritable tapestry of stories, ranging from the most absurd comedies to the most serious dramas. Appropriately, Netflix has a pretty varied selection of mobsters, mafiosos, and kingpins for your perusal. They range from mindless action flicks and darkly comedic thrillers to dry character dramas and cinematic masterpieces by legendary filmmakers. Below, we’ve put together a curated list of the best gangster movies you can stream on Netflix right now.
For more recommendations, check out our list of the best movies on Netflix or the best Netflix shows you can binge-watch.
Disclaimer: These titles are available on US Netflix.
Editor’s note: This article was updated May 2025 to include GoodFellas.
‘GoodFellas’ (1990)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 8.7/10
Considered by many to be director Martin Scorsese’s magnum opus, GoodFellas follows Ray Liotta’s Henry Hill, a man who had always dreamed of becoming a gangster. However, the lavish highs of a crooked life are contrasted by devastating, violent lows as the reality of a life of crime is explored. A legendary gangster flick that laid the groundwork for many that came after it, GoodFellas leaves no stone unturned in the immersive life of Henry Hill. Unapologetically bloody and featuring more quoteable moments than you can count, GoodFellas deserves its iconic status. – Jake Hodges
‘The Infiltrator’ (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes: 72% | IMDb: 7.0/10
Directed by Brad Furman, The Infiltrator stars Walter White himself, Bryan Cranston, as Robert Mazur, a US Customs Service special agent who is tasked with going undercover to bring down a huge drug and money laundering empire fronted by the infamous Pablo Escobar. Made even more fascinating when learning it is based on a true story, The Infiltrator is an intricate character study that examines the minute details involved in this eye-catching cat-and-mouse chase. – Jake Hodges
‘Rambo: Last Blood’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 26% | IMDb: 6.1/10
A sequel to the 2008 Rambo film and the fifth movie in the franchise, Rambo: Last Blood stars the timeless Sylvester Stallone, who co-wrote the screenplay, as the titular John Rambo. With four decades of action-packed heroism in the rearview mirror, Rambo faces one more mission — only this time, he has to confront his entire past to overcome the odds. Stallone is a certain action legend, with the veteran proving that age is just a number in Rambo: Last Blood. Although its critical score isn’t anything impressive, audiences gave the film an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, proving it’s an easy-viewing fan-favorite flick. – Jake Hodges
‘Black Mass’ (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes: 73% | IMDb: 6.8/10
Directed by Scott Cooper, Black Mass is a biographical crime drama based on Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill‘s 2000 book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob. Written by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, the film is a dramatized retelling of true events surrounding American mobster Whitey Bulger, who led the Winter Hill Gang, an Irish Mob group in Somerville, Massachusetts. The biopic focuses on Whitey, the brother of a state senator and a notorious criminal in South Boston, who teams up with an FBI agent to wipe out a rival mafia family invading his territory. But things quickly take a wrong turn when he begins to take advantage of the affiliation. Johnny Depp stars as Whitey Bulger, leading an all-star cast that includes Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Jesse Plemons, Peter Sarsgaard, Dakota Johnson, and Corey Stoll. Black Mass has received highly positive reviews for its compelling performances and gripping narrative.
‘The Irishman’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 7.8/10
Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman is an epic crime drama that stars Robert De Niro as Teamster and hitman Frank Sheeran. The film was directed and produced by Scorsese from a screenplay by Steven Zaillian, and it’s based on Charles Brandt’s 2004 book I Heard You Paint Houses. In the movie, Sheeran narrates how he went from truck driver to mafia hitman, becoming friends with mobster Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). When Hoffa butts heads with the mob, Frank finds himself in a difficult position. The film’s ensemble supporting cast includes Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Harvey Keitel, and more. A critically acclaimed film, The Irishman is more than a gangster movie. Sure, it’s got mobsters doing mobster things, but unlike films like Goodfellas or Casino, The Irishman looks at a gangster in his twilight years reflecting on the choices he’s made with regret. Powerfully acted and beautifully composed, the film has received a number of accolades, including 10 Academy Award nominations. At three-and-a-half hours long, the movie takes you on quite the journey, but it’s utterly cinematic from start to finish.
‘The Gentlemen’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 75% | IMDb: 7.8/10
An action comedy film written, directed, and produced by Guy Ritchie, The Gentlemen stars Matthew McConaughey as an American cannabis don in England who wants to cash out of the Underworld, a desire that sets off a chain reaction as rival gangsters swoop in, hoping to steal his empire. The movie also stars Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant. With a narrative that’s Guy Ritchie at his best, The Gentlemen is exciting, slick, and darkly funny. The film is a rollercoaster ride full of eccentric characters, as told by a singularly unreliable narrator (Hugh Grant, not Guy Ritchie). The movie’s biggest strength is its ensemble cast, and even though McConaughey is the undisputed star, it’s the characters played by Grant, Charlie Hunnam, and Colin Farrell that really steal the show. Since its premiere in 2019, The Gentlemen has become both critically acclaimed and an audience favorite, grossing $115 million worldwide and spawning a spin-off Netflix series that has (mostly) nothing to do with the movie.
‘The Highwaymen’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 59% | IMDb: 6.9/10
A period thriller movie directed by John Lee Hancock, The Highwaymen stars Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson as two former Texas Rangers in the 1930s who are trying to catch Bonnie and Clyde. Written by John Fusco, the film also stars Kathy Bates, John Carroll Lynch, Kim Dickens, Thomas Mann, and William Sadler. The story of the Bonnie and Clyde manhunt is a very familiar one, but The Highwaymen shifts the perspective to the other side of the line, focusing on two men who come out of retirement to join the chase. Though the movie received mixed reviews, the performances of its ensemble cast more than make up for the somewhat dry material. Costner and Harrelson deliver strong performances in the lead roles, and they share an easy chemistry that forms the main engine of the film’s narrative. Everything else is just the background for their story, including Bonnie and Clyde.
‘The Outsider’ (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes: 17% | IMDb: 6.3/10
Directed by Martin Zandvliet and written by Andrew Baldwin, The Outsider is a Japanese-American film set in post-WWII Japan that stars Jared Leto as Nick, a Marine imprisoned in a Japanese prison who saves the life of a yakuza. In return, the man’s clan arranges for Nick’s release, and he subsequently ends up joining the gang. Besides Leto, the movie also stars Tadanobu Asano, Kippei Shiina, Shioli Kutsuna, and Emile Hirsch. Largely panned by critics but significantly better received by audiences, The Outsider is a flawed but entertaining movie. The script is hardly fresh material, and its characters easily devolve into stereotypes. However, the period setting, with its appropriate costumes and aesthetics, adds a certain appeal to the film, with impressive, well-composed cinematography that creates a dark and moody atmosphere. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of the Japanese yakuza films it emulates, but The Outsider is ultimately an enjoyable movie that doesn’t deserve the hate it gets.
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