7 Years Ago, Netflix Released The Last Gangster Movie Masterpiece

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Gangster movies are a cornerstone of Hollywood history. From early hits like Scarface, Angels with Dirty Faces, and The Public Enemy, to later classics such as The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Once Upon a Time in America, the genre has consistently captivated audiences. These films launched or solidified the careers of many stars and filmmakers, including Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Martin Scorsese, and Harvey Keitel, among others.

The gangster movie genre isn’t as popular as it used to be. While films like American Gangster, City of God, and The Departed were successful in the early 2000s, the genre’s popularity declined in the following decade. In fact, many would argue the last truly great gangster film was released on Netflix seven years ago.

The Irishman Was The Last Truly Great Gangster Movie

Many consider The Irishman to be the ultimate gangster film. Released in 2019, this long and detailed movie brought together Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci for a project directed by Martin Scorsese. It was a modern take on classic gangster stories, and despite its impressive cast, the film managed to be even more compelling than expected.

The story of The Irishman unfolded over decades, feeling both significant and detailed. The actors portrayed flawed characters with remarkable depth, and Martin Scorsese’s direction transformed this intimate story into a grand, visually stunning film. Considering its troubled development, its lengthy runtime of over three hours, and the extensive use of digital de-aging, the film surprisingly shouldn’t have worked, but it did.

Despite its long length, most viewers likely finished The Irishman feeling the runtime was justified and the digital aging effects were well done. Like his films The Departed and Goodfellas, Scorsese focused on the human side of the story beneath the violence, and it was this emotional connection that made Frank Sheeran’s life so captivating throughout the entire film – even with a bathroom break or two.

Was The Irishman A Farewell To Epic Gangster Movies?

One way to understand why no gangster films have quite matched The Irishman is through how the story is told. The film unfolds as an elderly gangster, played by De Niro, remembers his life from a nursing home, taking us all the way from his initial involvement in crime to the present day.

This film is a darkly funny and tragic story, and it feels like director Martin Scorsese is saying goodbye to the gangster genre, much like his character is leaving a life of crime. It’s essentially a final, grand gangster film, filled with familiar actors, classic themes, and powerful emotions. It has the feeling of a Hollywood send-off to this beloved style of filmmaking. Like a classic rock band on their farewell tour, The Irishman feels like a spiritual successor to iconic movies such as The Godfather and Goodfellas.

Following The Irishman, many crime thrillers and gangster films have been released, but none have reached the level of the genre’s classics, or truly attempted to. Hollywood needs a director to revitalize the gangster movie formula with a bold, modern mafia drama, demonstrating that The Irishman wasn’t the last great film of its kind.

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2026-01-18 19:30