The Crime Epics Every Movie Fan Should See at Least Once

Crime films often benefit from longer runtimes, as many tell stories of characters rising to power and then falling from grace. To fully explore these arcs – the initial hardships, the peak of success, and the subsequent downfall – requires detailed storytelling. Some crime films also experiment with this structure, even playing with the order in which the story is told. The following list includes both traditional and experimental crime epics, with the only requirement being a runtime of at least two and a half hours. However, multi-part films, such as *Infernal Affairs* or *Kill Bill*, were not considered.

I was surprised to see *The Irishman* just outside my top ten. It’s a really ambitious film, but honestly, it doesn’t quite reach ‘must-see’ status. Speaking of filmmakers I admire, Paul Thomas Anderson’s work always gets my attention, so in the spirit of appreciating great cinema, I’ve put together a list of ten crime epics that *absolutely* deserve your time, ranked from essential to just plain fantastic.

One of the following entries contains a discussion of scenes involving sexual assault.

10) Casino

Eleven years after appearing together in Sergio Leone’s *Once Upon a Time in America*, Robert De Niro and James Woods reunited for Martin Scorsese’s *Casino*. As in the earlier film, Woods delivers a truly captivating performance, perfectly embodying a slick and untrustworthy character.

While *Casino* isn’t as consistently captivating as Scorsese’s other epic crime films like *Goodfellas*, *Gangs of New York*, or *The Irishman*, and sometimes struggles with its length and somewhat unsympathetic characters, it remains the essential pairing to *Goodfellas* – both are based on books by Nicholas Pileggi. *Casino* does offer something *Goodfellas* didn’t: standout performances from Sharon Stone and the legendary Don Rickles.

Stream Casino on Prime Video.

9) Once Upon a Time in America

Let’s address the obvious: *Once Upon a Time in America* doesn’t portray women very well. Even the significant female characters, Carol and Deborah, feel like one-dimensional stereotypes. The film also includes troubling scenes where the main character, Noodles, sexually assaults both of them.

Though difficult to watch, the film’s most intense moments powerfully reinforce its central message: we shouldn’t glorify gangsters. The movie portrays them as driven by greed and self-interest, hurting everyone around them. *Once Upon a Time in America* excels at showing the ultimate emptiness of their lives. Ultimately, the film reveals that there’s surprisingly little difference between the main character and the one we perceive as the villain.

Stream Once Upon a Time in America on Prime Video.

8) American Gangster

Ridley Scott has made several great crime films, including *Thelma & Louise* and *Matchstick Men* (though some of his others, like *The Counselor*, *All the Money in the World*, and *House of Gucci*, didn’t quite hit the mark). However, *American Gangster* stands out as his definitive gangster movie, and it’s a truly excellent story of a criminal’s rise and fall.

The film works well for a couple of reasons. First, despite being over two and a half hours long, it feels fast-paced thanks to its complex and engaging characters, particularly Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas, Russell Crowe as Richie Roberts, and Josh Brolin as Detective Trupo. Second, it features a shockingly intense scene – when Frank Lucas threatens Idris Elba’s character, Tango, in broad daylight. Tango dares Lucas to shoot him, assuming he won’t, but quickly learns he’s made a dangerous miscalculation.

7) Gangs of New York

For many years, Robert De Niro was the actor director Martin Scorsese relied on most. However, beginning with the 2002 film *Gangs of New York*, Leonardo DiCaprio seemed to become Scorsese’s primary collaborator (though Scorsese and De Niro continued to work together). Scorsese consistently brought out powerful and compelling performances from DiCaprio, as seen in films like *Gangs of New York*, *The Aviator*, *The Departed*, *Shutter Island*, *The Wolf of Wall Street*, and *Killers of the Flower Moon*.

Their collaborations are consistently excellent and highly recommended. We debated between *Wolf* and *Gangs of New York*, but ultimately chose *Gangs* as the better film. Despite some flaws, it immediately grabs your attention with a powerful opening scene and features a fantastic performance by Daniel Day-Lewis.

Stream Gangs of New York on MGM+.

6) Scarface

Unlike the other films mentioned, *Scarface* is more of a widely recognized pop-culture phenomenon than a deeply thoughtful epic. However, it’s incredibly entertaining, and Al Pacino’s intense performance as Tony Montana is captivating.

Despite its 170-minute runtime, Brian De Palma’s *Scarface* moves at a captivating pace. Even though Tony Montana is a terrible person, it’s hard not to find yourself hoping he succeeds. He’s definitely not someone you’d want as a close friend – he simply wouldn’t care about you. Combined with a truly iconic soundtrack and a distinctive visual style that still influences filmmakers today, *Scarface* remains one of the most important and influential films of the 1980s.

Stream Scarface on Hulu.

5) The Departed

Martin Scorsese’s *The Departed* draws heavily from the 2002 film *Infernal Affairs* and the story of the Winter Hill Gang. The character of Frank Costello, played by Jack Nicholson, is a combination of two real-life figures: James “Whitey” Bulger, a leader of the Winter Hill Gang, and Frank Costello, an Italian-American gangster who worked with “Lucky” Luciano in New York City.

The film isn’t focused on historical accuracy, but it’s a testament to Scorsese’s talent that the captivating mystery feels so real. The story creates a sense of distrust among the characters, while the audience is already aware of everyone’s true identities. We’re left anticipating the moment everything will unravel and the whole situation will collapse.

4) Pulp Fiction

As we touched on earlier, some crime movies play around with the order of events. Quentin Tarantino is a master of this, and his film *Pulp Fiction* is arguably his most famous, memorable, and enjoyable nonlinear work (though *Inglourious Basterds* is just as good in many ways).

This film perfectly captures the rise of independent cinema in the 1990s. *Pulp Fiction* was a huge commercial success, known for its stylish direction, brilliant writing, and fantastic performances – especially John Travolta’s memorable comeback role.

Stream Pulp Fiction on Prime Video.

3) Heat

Fans are still hoping for a follow-up to the film *Heat*, potentially based on the 2022 novel by Meg Gardiner and director Michael Mann. However, even if a sequel never happens, the original 1995 movie remains a grand, detailed story with well-developed characters.

Perhaps *Heat 2* works best as a novel. It’s hard to imagine capturing the unique magic of having Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, and Al Pacino – all at the peak of their careers in the mid-90s – together in one project. Each actor delivers an Oscar-worthy performance, the film balances grand scale with personal stories, and the six-minute shootout remains one of the most thrilling and intense scenes ever filmed.

2) Goodfellas

Featuring incredible performances from Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and the late Ray Liotta, *Goodfellas* is considered one of the best-acted movies of the 1990s. It’s also Martin Scorsese’s most impressive gangster film, and many believe it would be the greatest film in the genre if not for two landmark movies released twenty years earlier.

Goodfellas is a flawlessly made film. The script, co-written by Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi (author of *Wiseguy*), keeps the story moving quickly while still developing its characters fully. The film features a large cast, but every single character is memorable. The dialogue is sharp and engaging, Scorsese’s direction is precise and focused, Joe Pesci delivers a frighteningly intense performance as Tommy DeVito, Paul Sorvino perfectly embodies a powerful father figure as Paulie Cicero, and Ray Liotta expertly ties everything together.

1) The Godfather & The Godfather Part II

It feels like everything possible has already been said about *The Godfather* and *The Godfather Part II*. But that’s understandable – they’re widely considered two of the most captivating and brilliantly made films of all time.

These two films are fantastic both individually and even better when watched back-to-back. The acting is flawless, the visuals are stunning, and Nino Rota’s music is unforgettable – they’re truly exceptional. However, it’s best to skip *The Godfather Part III*, even the revised version, *The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone*, as it doesn’t measure up to the original films.

Stream The Godfather and The Godfather Part II on MGM+.

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2025-09-29 00:43