The Top 10 Best Mafia Movies

5. A Bronx Tale 

Robert De Niro goes from starring in mafia movies to directing them (and also still starring in them) with A Bronx Tale. Mafia movies have a lot in common with coming-of-age tales, since they tend to follow the rise of new recruits through the organization as they learn no one makes it out of the mob life, well, alive. A Bronx Tale takes a more literal approach to that aspect by following a boy named Calogero, who finds himself torn between the allure of a local mob boss (Chazz Palminteri) who wants to recruit him and his father (De Niro) who wants him to live a good, honest life. This combination manages to set A Bronx Tale apart from mafia movies and coming-of-age films, while still being an exemplary example of both. 

4. The Irish Man

Hey, look! It’s another Martin Scorsese film on this list of mafia movies. While I don’t agree with the director’s definition of what qualifies as “cinema”, I will admit that he is definitely a master of the craft. The Irish Man is a beast of a movie at nearly three-and-a-half hours and stars three of Scorsese’s favorite people in the world, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci (I guess Leonardo DiCaprio was too busy). It follows the events and relationships that lead to the “disappearance” of teamster, Jimmy Hoffa, through the perspective of mafioso Russell Bufalino. Personally, I think it could stand to lose a half-hour or so of runtime, but it’s still an excellent retelling of one of the most infamous incidents in American mafia history.   

3. Once Upon a Time in America 

The final installment of Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time Trilogy definitely deserves a spot among the best mafia movies of all time, as long as you watch the original European version and not the American cut. The film stars none other than Robert De Niro as “Noodles”, and follows his rise and demise in organized crime during prohibition in New York. It’s hard to talk about the story without ruining it, since Leone takes a non-linear approach to part of the narrative. I want to be clear that Once Upon a Time in America is a masterpiece and universally agreed to be one of the greatest gangster movies of all time. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, I urge you to check it out.

2. Goodfellas

In all honesty, I had a heck of a time deciding if Goodfellas deserved the number one spot on this list of mafia movies. It has a considerable reputation in the industry for a number of reasons, but it also happens to be one of the most enjoyable mafia movies I’ve ever seen (for some of the same reasons). This time Ray Liotta gets a shot at playing the lead in Scorsese’s film recapping the life of mafia “associate” Henry Hill. Don’t worry, De Niro and Pesci are still in it and are absolutely phenomenal in their roles. Goodfellas is a wild ride through the 70s, a time in which the mafia ran rampant in major cities across America. It’s a story that seems too crazy to be believed, but it’s actually based on the memoir written by Henry Hill himself, and he consulted on the movie. I guess sometimes the truth is crazier than fiction.

1. The Godfather Part 1 and 2

As I mentioned, it was really difficult to decide what to put at the top of this list of mafia movies. Goodfellas is the kind of movie you stop to watch every time you stumble across it on TV, but The Godfather is kind of the Godfather of mafia movies. It’s a sacred film among cinephiles who bicker day in and day out over whether the original or the sequel is superior. Since I didn’t want to wade into that dispute, I simply gave them a tie for number one. It’s actually a trilogy, but no one really cares about The Godfather 3. The series follows the Corleone family, which is a major player among the New York crime families. Specifically, it centers around the eldest son, Michael (Al Pacino) taking over from patriarch Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) as head of the family. There’s nothing that I can say about The Godfather that hasn’t been said before. So, I’ll just tell you if you’re looking for the penultimate mafia movie, you found it/them. 

Honorable Mention: Gomorrah 

Sure, mafia movies always talk about “the old country” but not many of them feature more than a scene or two in Italy. That’s why I wanted to give an honorable mention to Gomorrah, which gives a glimpse into the world of the Camorra. The Camorra isn’t exactly the mafia, since it’s made up of “clans” instead of having a clear pyramid structure of power. The story follows the Casalesi as they fight a war with another clan over the course of a year. Despite not technically being a “mafia” movie, Gomorrah deals with a lot of the same themes and story elements. Besides, the mafia was born in Italy. So, it just makes sense to include Gomorrah with them, since they’re all one big happy family over there, right? Well, I mean besides all the murder and betrayal. 

Shout-Out: Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai

If you’re looking for a mafia movie unlike any other, you’re going to want to check out Ghost Dog. The film deconstructs the genre by planting a modern samurai in the middle of it. Forest Whitaker plays the titular Ghost Dog, who has dedicated his life to the ancient way of the samurai and follows it with absolute devotion. So, when a wiseguy named Louie (John Tormey) saves Ghost Dog’s life, he insists on becoming Louie’s retainer (aka, guy who kills guys with his samurai skills). Ghost Dog is heavily influenced by hip-hop culture, the Japanese Hagakure, and good old mafia movies. It doesn’t seem like these elements would go together but Jim Jarmusch something remarkable  

Dishonorable: Corky Romano

All you have to do is watch the trailer for Corky Romano and you’ll understand why it’s getting a dishonorable mention. Chris Kattan once more plays the kind of obnoxious character who makes you want to wrap a plastic bag around their head just to make them shut up. This time the character is a vet who happens to also be the son of a mafia don. Wanting to bring him into the business, they send him undercover within the FBI as a mole. As you can guess, nothing makes sense and everything is awful in this excruciating mafia movie that should have been wacked before it left the writer’s room. 

There you have it, the top 10 mafia movies of all time. There are a ton of films featuring Italian-American organized crime, and I’d love for you to mention some of your favorites in the comments below. As always, I’ll be updating this list as new mafia movies are released. So, be sure to check back to see how the rankings might change in the future. Until then, Stars & Popcorn reminds you that this list is not an endorsement of the “alleged” “entrepreneurial” “practices” utilized by some “associates” tied to some successful “family businesses”, Capisce.