10 Movies To Watch If You Love Goodfellas

Goodfellas is one of Martin Scorsese’s best films with some even calling it his greatest work. The film won numerous awards at the time of its release and has been compared to The Godfather in terms of its significance to the gangster and organized crime genre.

Perhaps this status of being one of the greatest films in history is exactly the reason why it is so hard to find other movies that are able to live up to its genius, at least to some extent. Nonetheless, here are 10 movies to watch if you love Goodfellas.

10 Road To Perdition (2002)

Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Road to Perdition is a film that largely relies on visuals to convey emotions instead of dialogue and this was done so well that the film’s cinematographer, Conrad L. Hall, won a posthumous Academy Award for his work on the film.

The story is set in 1931 during the Great Depression and follows a mob enforcer and his son who seek revenge on the mobster who killed the rest of their family. The film stars Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Stanley Tucci, Daniel Craig, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and others.

9 Donnie Brasco (1997)

Donnie Brasco is a somewhat forgotten crime drama, starring Al Pacino and  Johnny Depp. At the time of its release, it was a great box office success and even received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

It is loosely based on the true story of Joseph D. Pistone, who was an undercover FBI agent who infiltrated the Bonanno crime family in New York City in the 1970s while using the alias, Donnie Brasco.

8 American Gangster (2007)

American Gangster is a biographical crime film brought to the big screen by Ridley Scott and a cast that includes Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr., Josh Brolin, and others. It was a huge success and was nominated for multiple awards.

The film follows the criminal career of a real-life gangster from La Grange, North Carolina – Frank Lucas. Lucas smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes that were coming back from the Vietnam War.

7 A Bronx Tale (1993)

A Bronx Tale is another underappreciated gangster film, starring and directed by Robert De Niro. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was a critical success, successfully launching the career of De Niro’s co-star, Chazz Palminteri.

The coming-of-age story tells of the early life of an Italian-American boy Calogero, who encounters a local Mafia boss. He is then torn between racism in his community, the temptations of organized crime, and the values instilled in him by his father.

6 Carlito’s Way (1993)

Carlito’s Way was directed by Brian De Palma and stars Al Pacino and Sean Penn in the title roles. Though it was neither a critical nor a commercial success at the time of its release, it had subsequently become a cult film.

The film follows the criminal, Carlito Brigante. He vows to go straight and eventually retire in paradise, but it turns out to be extremely difficult for him to escape his criminal past, so he gets pulled into the same activities that got him imprisoned in the first place.

5 The Untouchables (1987)

Directed by Brian De Palma, The Untouchables is based on the book of the same name and stars Robert De Niro, Sean Connery, Kevin Costner, Charles Martin Smith, Andy Garcia, and others. It was a massive critical and commercial success, getting four Academy Award nominations, with Connery winning for Best Supporting Actor.

Set during the era of Prohibition, it follows the Federal Agent Eliot Ness, who sets out to stop Al Capone. To do this, he puts together a small, hand-picked team.

4 Scarface (1983)

Though Scarface is actually a remake, it is definitely one of the best there is of such kind. Also directed by Brian De Palma, it stars Al Pacino in its title role and has a screenplay written by Oliver Stone.

The film tells the story of Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee who arrives in 1980s Miami having absolutely nothing, but gradually rises to become a powerful drug lord with both friends and enemies.

3 Once Upon A Time In America (1984)

Once Upon a Time in America is by far one of Sergio Leone’s best works. Starring Robert De Niro, James Woods, Joe Pesci, Elizabeth McGovern, and others, it is considered one of the best gangster films of all time.

The film tells the story of two friends David “Noodles” Aaronson and Maximilian “Max” Bercovicz who lead a group of Jewish ghetto youth to rise to prominence as New York gangsters. The film is divided into two storylines and explores such themes as childhood friendships, love, lust, loss, betrayal, greed, and the rise of mobsters in America.

2 The Godfather Trilogy (1972 – 1990)

Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather was a revolutionary film, with its sequel being no less prominent and the third film in the trilogy being … well, definitely not a terrible film. With a cast of such stars as Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, James Caan, and many others, it is perhaps the greatest crime trilogy of all time.

The films focus on the Italian American mafia Corleone family, with two central figures being Vito Corleone and his son Michael. The family goes through various trials and tribulations with its ups and downs.

1 The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)

It’s certain that if you liked Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, you will probably like most of his films. Scorsese’s frequent collaborations with such actors as Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci helped establish them as the best in the crime genre.

Among some of his best pictures, Mean Streets, Casino, Gangs of New York, The Departed, and The Irishman are all amazing crime films with various talented actors in the title roles, but the one that matches up to Goodfellas is The Wolf of Wall Street, which tells the story of Jordan Belfort, who becomes extremely rich thanks to his sharp wit.

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