Love The Sopranos? These 10 Gangster Movies Will Keep You Hooked!

The Sopranos is a brilliant crime drama that follows the life of mob boss Tony Soprano. Tony recently stepped into the role of boss of the DiMeo crime family, which triggered a panic attack due to the numerous layers of stress. While making tough decisions and embracing violence, Tony sought help from a psychiatrist for his panic attacks and personal issues. The trials and tribulations of the DiMeo crime family began in 1999 and continued until 2007.

The Sopranos adopted a new storytelling format, transforming television and ushering in a Golden Age of TV. With phenomenal acting, amazing character arcs, and an authentic portrayal of mafia rules, the show creates a lingering desire in the audience for more. Fortunately, there are plenty of gangster films available, and some serve as perfect companions to The Sopranos.

City of God Shows Gritty Gangster Warfare From the Perspective of a Young Up-And-Coming Photographer

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

City of God is an epic story following the rise of gang warfare in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. The film comes from the perspective of Rocket, who is striving to leave behind his crime-ridden small town in pursuit of photography. As petty crimes against the rich evolve into different factions of gangs fighting one another, Rocket is as compelled to avoid the chaos as he is compelled to document the town’s destruction.

City of God is one of the most realistic displays of gang warfare, loaded with themes of morality and the complexities of organized crime. It embraces grounded and realistic crime just like The Sopranos does. The story of City of God has recently continued with most of the original cast in a television series sequel spin-off.

Goodfellas Provides the Perfect Mafia Story With the Rise and Fall of Henry Hill

IMDb Rating: 8.7/10

Goodfellas follows the story of Henry Hill, as he enters the world of organized crime as a young man and thrives after aligning himself with two other criminals. Hill initially started as a fence, or someone who steals goods and sells them back for profit, for Timmy Conway and Tommy DeVito. As the mafia world evolved with the drug trade becoming an angle for money, the newer mob members started to push the older ones out.

Goodfellas is a flawless demonstration of the rules of organized crime and how much money influenced the members’ lives. The film is jam-packed with iconic scenes and doesn’t shy away from intense violence, just like The Sopranos. Goodfellas also starred almost thirty of the actors from The Sopranos, which included Michael Imperioli and Lorraine Bracco.

Analyze This Has a Similar Overlap to the Sopranos With Mob Bosses Seeking Help From Psychiatrists

IMDb Rating: 6.7/10

Analyze This follows a chance interaction between a psychiatrist, Dr. Ben Sobel, and a mafia don, Paul Vitti. Paul had recently been getting random panic attacks and episodes where he broke down emotionally, so he sought the help of Dr. Ben to get to the bottom of his problems. However, Dr. Ben has his share of issues. Dr. Ben recognizes Paul from the news, so is reluctant in his approach toward caring for Paul.

Analyze This came out around the same time as The Sopranos, yet neither pulled inspiration from one another. However, they’re both similar in the psychiatrist/mafia don interaction. Both bosses struggle with anxiety and are trying to get their lives together. Analyze This is a worthy watch because of its hilarious plot if its subtle similarities to The Sopranos isn’t enough.

A Bronx Tale Showcases the Moral Choice Between Power and Honesty

IMDb Rating: 7.8/10

A Bronx Tale follows the story of a young man, Calogero, split between following the hardworking ways of his father or following the path of a charming mob boss. Lorenzo, Calogero’s father, is a bus operator, whose working-class discipline is something he’s trying to instill in his son. Sonny is a charismatic boss who sees potential in Calorgero. The film unfolds in the 1960s Bronx, with racial tensions in the film’s backdrop.

A Bronx Tale is considered one of the best coming-of-age stories and stars two actors from The Sopranos, Francis Capra and Lillo Brancato. Capra played Tony Soprano as a child in flashbacks to Tony’s childhood, while Brancato played Matthew Bevilaqua. Family loyalty, moral dilemmas, and the allure of complicated gangster life are some of the things this film has in common with The Sopranos.

Once Upon a Time in America Was Inspired by the Godfather Series

IMDb Rating: 8.3/10

Once Upon a Time in America is about a Jewish gangster who left New York only to return thirty-five years later. Upon his return, David “Noodles” Aaronson reflects and confronts his past which is filled with regret. David meets up with his only remaining friend, Fat Moe, reminiscing further about all the ones that he’s lost over time. He also confronts his ex-friends, Cockeye, Patsy, and Max as they all flash back.

Once Upon a Time in America was Sergio Leone’s version of an epic like The Godfather after he watched the film and was moved by it. Leone does a marvelous job developing the characters, showing them as young men and how crime affects their life trajectory. The film is perfect for fans of The Sopranos because of its realism, family dynamics, betrayals against loved ones, and the burden that crime has on everyone.

The Godfather Trilogy Shows the Brilliant Rise and Fall of Michael Corleone

IMDb Rating: 9.2/10, 9.0/10, and 7.6/10

The Godfather series is an astounding epic following Michael Corleone taking over his father’s operation as the head of a mafia family. Initially, he wanted nothing to do with it, but after his father was almost killed, he became a powerful figure in the crime family. In the second film of the series, he’s reserved but calculated, orchestrating some of the hardest decisions as the boss of the family. By the final film, he’s reflective and grief-stricken, suffering from the inner turmoil of the life he chose.

The Godfather trilogy is mentioned numerous times throughout The Sopranos, on top of Silvio Dante’s horrible impersonation of Michael Corleone from The Godfather Part III. The show overlaps with The Godfather trilogy through its familial bonds and guilt from killing loved ones. For any fan of an epic mob story like The Sopranos, The Godfather trilogy is worthy of a watch.

Gomorrah Is an Authentic Depiction of Organized Crime in Naples, Italy

IMDb Rating: 7.0/10

Gomorrah tells the story of several individuals affected by mafia crime in the slums of Campania. The Camorra crime syndicate profits off of corruption, cocaine distribution, and chemical waste. Ciro and Marco try to fight against the mafia by stealing some of their weapons. Others like Pasquale hide from the Camorra so that he doesn’t have to pay the protection fees forced upon his tailor shop. Regardless of the choice in favor or against the Camorra, its stranglehold on Italy is far too deep.

Gomorrah takes a realistic approach toward visceral violence rather than a cinematic one. Many critics felt it provided a bleak view of the mafia, where no escape is possible for those around the Camorra. While The Sopranos has been praised for its authenticity in mobster portrayals, Gomorrah takes it one step further and several steps darker.

The Public Enemy Follows Tom Powers’ Rise From Petty Criminal to the Head of a Bootlegging Ring

IMDb Rating: 7.6/10

The Public Enemy follows Tom Powers, starting as a shoplifter and thief with his buddy Matt Doyle. In an attempt to escape their impoverished lives, they upgrade to bootlegging, leading to murder. As Tom rises in the world as a gangster, his notoriety grows, which puts him in the crosshairs of other gangs and cops. Tom tries to stay close to his family, but as the crime world sucks him in, he starts to pull away from them, too.

The Public Enemy is easily one of the best gangster movies of the 1930s. It’s also one of Tony Soprano’s favorites, even though his last viewing brought him to emotional tears. After losing his mother, Livia, Tony sees how Tom loved his mother and wishes he had that same bond with his own. While the story and dynamic are different from The Sopranos, it makes for a perfect gangster film to watch nonetheless.

Mean Streets Shows the Bleak Dreams of Several Young Men Wanting To Be In the Mafia

IMDb Rating: 7.2/10

Mean Streets is about a low-level mobster, Charlie Cappa, living in Little Italy, New York, who’s trying to survive the risky life he took on. On top of the risks of the mob, he tries his best to keep his best friend, Johnny Boy, out of trouble. Johnny Boy is a gambler whose reckless behavior grows more volatile in every scene. While Charlie protects his friend from death by the mob, he battles his Catholic guilt.

Mean Streets is Martin Scorsese’s ingenious first gangster movie. The film launched the career of David Proval, the actor who portrayed Richie Aprile in The Sopranos. Mean Streets delivers the mundane side of mafia life just like The Sopranos does and even showcases the difficulties of climbing the ladder in the mob.

Gangs of New York Is an Epic Tale of Murderous Revenge

IMDb Rating: 7.5/10

Gangs of New York is a period drama following Amsterdam Vallon and his pursuit of revenge against the man who killed his father decades ago. The film takes place in the infamous Five Points neighborhood where numerous gangs fight one another. The Irish Catholic Immigrants were often up against the Nativists, led by Billy the Butcher. As Amsterdam gets closer to the Butcher, he secretly conspires to kill him, which ultimately leads to a bloody gang showdown.

Gangs of New York is a must-see for any Daniel Day-Lewis fan. The film has no bad performances, doesn’t shy away from gritty gangster life, and every scene is provocatively creative. It’s without a doubt the type of film Tony Soprano would’ve loved, demonstrating corruption and gratuitous violence throughout the film.

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