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Robert De Niro’s 10 Best Crime & Gangster Movies, Ranked

Since the 1970s, Robert De Niro has been one of America’s most respected actors, taking on roles across the spectrum, from war and drama to thriller and comedy. However, he is best associated with crime stories, having played the roles of notorious gangsters, master thieves and more. While not always cast as the leading man, the actor has endeared himself to generations as one of the most talented stars of his generation.




Robert De Niro brings a unique intensity to cinema, particularly when playing the role of feared and notorious gangsters. That being said, some of his best crime stories cast him in more heroic roles, from detectives to bounty hunters. Different films tackle the subject of organized crime in different ways, and the actor has worked alongside visionary directors like Michael Mann and Martin Scorsese to deliver some of the greatest works of cinema of all time.


10 The Irishman Is An Embellished Crime Epic

Role: Frank Sheeran


The Irishman tells the story of hitman Frank Sheeran, as he goes from an ordinary meat truck driver to working for the Philadelphia crime family. Initially doing low-level work, the man soon takes on jobs as a contract killer. When he meets notoriously corrupt union boss Jimmy Hoffa, Frank’s proximity to the mob’s leadership places him in a precarious position — which only gets worse when he’s hired to kill Hoffa.

The Irishman is a modern crime saga that delivers the perfect cast for its genre, reuniting Robert De Niro and Al Pacino for this gangster epic. Due to its length, the film is something of an acquired taste, but stands as a testament to Martin Scorsese’s skills as a storyteller, and is one of the best De Niro movies of the 21st century.


9 Midnight Run Combines Buddy Comedy and the Mob

Role: Jack Walsh

Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin star in Midnight Run

Midnight Run follows Los Angeles bounty hunter Jack Walsh as he is tasked with finding mob accountant turned fugitive Jonathan “the Duke” Mardukas. Having embezzled millions from the Mafia and fleeing the FBI, the Duke is a wanted man by both sides. When Walsh finds him in New York, he’s forced to escort him across the United States on the ground, turning to freight trains, coaches and cars to make it — all while fleeing cops, assassins and a rival bounty hunter.

Composite image Immortan Joe Fury Road, Clark Griswold Vacation, Road Trip

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Midnight Run covers a lot of ground for its story, blending buddy comedy and road trip adventure with organized crime and drama. Culminating in a climactic sting operation in an airport, the movie places Walsh’s feud with mob boss Jimmy Serrano front and center of his character arc. Once an honorable Chicago cop, the hero was run out of town by the gangster for his integrity, leading him to turn to bounty hunting. The film has since become an influential part of its niche, inspiring modern bounty hunter movies like The Rundown.

8 Cop Land Is the Definitive Corrupt Cop Movie

Role: Moe Tilden

Sylvester Stallone as Freddy Heflin in Cop Land stands in front of car


Cop Land takes place in a small suburban town just outside of New York that’s primarily populated by NYPD cops. The town is policed by Sheriff Freddy Heflin, an honest cop who looks up to his big city law enforcement residents — but is prevented from joining the force due to being deaf in one ear. When he begins to realize that the cops in his town are corrupt, settling there to avoid the jurisdiction of their own force, he is torn between doing what’s right and maintaining harmony.

Cop Land features an impressive cast, including Sylvester Stallone as the main character, Robert De Niro as an internal affairs cop, and stars like Ray Liotta, Harvey Keitel and Robert Patrick. Arguably the definitive corrupt cop movie, it sees its NYPD villains act as its own Mafia-like organization, following its hero’s moral conundrum as he pursues what’s right.


7 Casino Is the Perfect Chaser for Goodfellas Fans

Role: Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein

Robert DeNiro as Sam "Ace" Rothstein in Casino

Casino follows the story of Sam Rothstein, a Jewish-American gambling professional who works for the Chicago mob running games in Las Vegas. Set throughout the 1970s, the story follows Rothstein as he struggles to maintain control of his operation in the face of growing mistrust from the mob, a collapsing marriage and FBI investigations.


Casino boasts an all-star cast almost as impressive as Goodfellas, with De Niro leading the story alongside Joe Pesci, Sharon Stone, Don Rickles and James Woods. In-keeping with the best mob movies, the film is a tale of how crime breeds mistrust and deception which, in turn, leads to downfall.

6 Once Upon A Time In America Documents A Personal Crime Saga

Role: David Aaronson

Robert De Niro giving someone an incredulous look while wearing a fedora - Once Upon a Time in America.


Once Upon A Time In America documents the story of David “Noodles” Aaronson at various points in his life, from his youth when he and his friends got involved in crime to old age. After banding together to slowly rise above other crime bosses in their neighborhood, Noodles and his friends get involved in bootlegging at the height of Prohibition. However, after losing his friends in a police shootout, the man searches for a stash of money they’d hidden. In old age, Noodles is drawn into a tale of political scandal that leads to a surprising revelation about his friends.

Martin Scorsese

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Once Upon A Time In America is as epic a crime saga as it gets, covering decades of American organized crime as Noodles faces the consequences of his and his friends’ actions. Argued by many to be the most underrated film in Sergio Leone’s career — partly due to studio interference leading to an inferior theatrical cut, the movie shows De Niro at the top of his acting game.


5 Goodfellas Is the Definitive Mob Movie of the ’90s

Role: James Conway

Goodfellas revolves around the story of Henry Hill, a young man who, in an effort to escape the abuse and neglect of his family, falls in with the Mafia. Initially getting involved in basic duties as a courier or messenger, Henry rises to the top as he falls in the good graces of mob boss Paul Cicero, and befriends Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito. Together, the three live lives of luxury, but soon get on the wrong side of the family due to their actions, from Tommy’s violent nature to Henry’s drug habit and undercutting the family.


Goodfellas tells the story of the Italian mafia from the perspective of an ordinary man who “lucked” into the family, exploring the dual life of a mobster as Henry struggles to maintain a stable family. Telling the story from a single, ground-level perspective allows the story to feel relatable, showing how temptation and greed turned Henry from a likable wiseguy into a paranoid witness on the run.

4 The Untouchables Cast De Niro As America’s Most Infamous Gangster

Role: Al Capone

Robert De Niro As Al Capone In The Untouchables


The Untouchables explores the efforts of Prohibition officer Elliot Ness in bringing down Al Capone’s crime empire during the Great Depression. Forming a squad of honest cops in the endlessly corrupt Chicago, Ness hits Capone where it hurts, disrupting his smuggling operations and targeting his finances. However, when the notorious gangster sends his assassin after the team, Ness’ quest for justice turns personal, culminating in the trial of the century.

The Untouchables cast De Niro as Al Capone, perhaps the most infamous gangster in American history, even eclipsing the likes of Gotti and Dillinger. De Niro disappears into the role of Capone, turning in one of the most terrifying performances of his career through his fits of rage and use of intimidation to keep the city paralyzed by fear and corruption.


3 The Godfather Part II Is An Epic Sequel

Role: James Conway

Vito kills Don Fanucci in The Godfather Part 2.

The Godfather films follow the saga of Michael Corleone as he returns home from the Second World War to attend his sister’s wedding. His father, Vito Corleone, is a feared but respected mob boss, dubbed the “Godfather” by those around him. After Vito’s death in the first film, Michael inherits his criminal empire, stepping into the role of Godfather as he grows the enterprise. The second film alternates between Michael five years after the first film and flashbacks to the story of the younger Vito in the 1910s as he immigrates to America and begins his life of crime. In the present, Michael becomes the target of an assassination attempt and power struggle, leading him to consolidate control as political pressure mounts against him.


al pacino in the godfather

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Playing the younger Vito Corleone was one of De Niro’s breakout roles, and instantly established him as one of the best actors in Hollywood. Believed by some to be the greatest crime film ever made, the sequel weaves together the tale of a father and son, bringing an origin story to the Corleone crime family. An epic saga of revenge, moral decay and the building of an empire, Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic sequel is one of De Niro’s best works.


2 Jackie Brown Is Quentin Tarantino’s Most Underrated Film

Role: Louis Gara

Jackie Arrives At The Airport In Jackie Brown

Jackie Brown follows the story of its titular protagonist, a flight attendant who helps a gun runner, Ordell Robbie, smuggle money. When she’s picked up by an ATF agent, she begins to fear that Robbie may have her killed, as is his reputation when it comes to turncoats. She negotiates a deal with Ordell, stating that she will help him smuggle over half a million dollars and trick the ATF into believing that she’s cooperating. In reality, she hatches a plan to play both sides and make off with the money herself — all while developing a relationship with bail bondsman Max Cherry.


While Jackie Brown isn’t De Niro’s biggest performance, with him receiving limited screen time, his role as Louis Gara, Ordell’s old cellmate, makes for one of his best. The film continues to be one of the most overlooked in both director Quentin Tarantino’s directorial career and De Niro’s acting history — despite being among the best-written and most entertaining for both.

1 Heat Is Michael Mann’s Masterpiece

Role: Neil McCauley


Heat follows the story of a band of hardened, heavily armed bank robbers in Los Angeles as they plan their next big score. While the cast consists of a number of characters, the story focuses on the rivalry between criminal mastermind Neil McCauley and LAPD detective Vincent Hanna. Where McCauley is a cold, calculating expert, ready to walk away from anyone who drags him down, Hanna is a dysfunctional cop struggling to maintain an ailing marriage. As their paths intersect, the men realize they’re two sides of the same coin, both driven by their focus on their jobs at the expense of their personal life.

While not a classic Mafia movie, Heat is one of the finest crime movies ever made, and features one of De Niro’s greatest performances as he prepares for the robbery of a lifetime. The movie that officially made Michael Mann one of the greatest thriller directors of all time, it also delivers an assortment of career-best performances from its cast, bringing one of the best-written scripts in the genre to the big screen.


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