There are many great gangster movies and TV shows that often don't receive the praise they deserve and are overlooked due to the more popular classic mob movies such as The Godfather, Casino and Goodfellas.
Die hard gangster movie fans will probably be more than acquainted with most, if not all of the entries on the list.
However, if you are new to movies and TV shows on organized crime you might be in for a treat.
Let me take you through ten of my favorite underrated gangster movies and TV shows to keep you entertained this year.
Underbelly is one of my favorite crime-drama TV shows and rightly deserves it's place as our first entry on the list. The soundtrack score from Burkhard Dallwitz is also an amazing piece of work.
Daniel John Patrick "Danny" Greene was an Irish American mobster and associate of Cleveland mobster John Nardi during the gang war for the city's criminal operations during the 1970s.
Die hard gangster movie fans will probably be more than acquainted with most, if not all of the entries on the list.
However, if you are new to movies and TV shows on organized crime you might be in for a treat.
Let me take you through ten of my favorite underrated gangster movies and TV shows to keep you entertained this year.
1. Underbelly
Underbelly is an Australian television true crime-drama series which first aired on the Nine Network on 13 February 2008.
The first season of Underbelly is based loosely on the true story of the Melbourne gangland war(1995-2004) largely between the Moran crime family/Carlton Crew and rival drug dealer Carl Williams.
The series is based on the book Leadbelly: Inside Australia's Underworld, by journalists John Silvester and Andrew Rule.
The first season of Underbelly is based loosely on the true story of the Melbourne gangland war(1995-2004) largely between the Moran crime family/Carlton Crew and rival drug dealer Carl Williams.
The series is based on the book Leadbelly: Inside Australia's Underworld, by journalists John Silvester and Andrew Rule.
Underbelly is one of my favorite crime-drama TV shows and rightly deserves it's place as our first entry on the list. The soundtrack score from Burkhard Dallwitz is also an amazing piece of work.
2. Gotti(1996)
Gotti: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Mafia Don is a 1996 HBO original crime drama film made for television directed by Robert Harmon.
The film stars Armand Assante in the title role as infamous Gambino crime family boss John Gotti, along with William Forsythe, and Anthony Quinn.
The movie as you can probably guess is the life story of John Gotti who rose to the head of the Gambino crime family before being convicted in 1992 of racketeering and murder.
Armand Assante has probably been my favorite portrayal of John Gotti on the big screen and the 1996 Gotti movie is one of my go-to mob films.
The film stars Armand Assante in the title role as infamous Gambino crime family boss John Gotti, along with William Forsythe, and Anthony Quinn.
The movie as you can probably guess is the life story of John Gotti who rose to the head of the Gambino crime family before being convicted in 1992 of racketeering and murder.
Armand Assante has probably been my favorite portrayal of John Gotti on the big screen and the 1996 Gotti movie is one of my go-to mob films.
3. Essex Boys(2000)
Essex Boys is a 2000 British crime film. It was directed by Terry Winsor and stars Sean Bean, Alex Kingston, Tom Wilkinson, Charlie Creed-Miles and Holly Davidson.
The film is based loosely around events in December 1995 that culminated in the Rettendon murders of three drug dealers in Rettendon, Essex, UK.
Sean Bean stars as the ruthless Jason Locke who has just been released from prison and takes Billy (Charlie Creed-Miles) under his wing as his driver.
Whilst it is loosely based on real events, pretty much none of the movie stays true to the story of the "Essex Boys".
Probably not as good as its more recent counterpart Rise of the Footsoldier, but definitely worth a watch if you enjoy British gangster films.
The film is based loosely around events in December 1995 that culminated in the Rettendon murders of three drug dealers in Rettendon, Essex, UK.
Sean Bean stars as the ruthless Jason Locke who has just been released from prison and takes Billy (Charlie Creed-Miles) under his wing as his driver.
Whilst it is loosely based on real events, pretty much none of the movie stays true to the story of the "Essex Boys".
Probably not as good as its more recent counterpart Rise of the Footsoldier, but definitely worth a watch if you enjoy British gangster films.
4. Kill The Irishman(2011)
Kill the Irishman is a 2011 American biographical crime film directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, and starring Ray Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Christopher Walken, and Val Kilmer.
The movie is based on the life of Irish-American gangster Danny Greene, and was adapted from the book To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia by Rick Porrello.
The movie is based on the life of Irish-American gangster Danny Greene, and was adapted from the book To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia by Rick Porrello.
Daniel John Patrick "Danny" Greene was an Irish American mobster and associate of Cleveland mobster John Nardi during the gang war for the city's criminal operations during the 1970s.
5. Witness to the Mob (TV Movie 1998)
Witness to the Mob is a made-for-TV film based on the life story of Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, who was the underboss of John Gotti in the Gambino Crime family.
Witness to the Mob stars Nicholas Turturro, Tom Sizemore, Debi Mazar, Abe Vigoda, Frank Vincent, Michael Imperioli, Vincent Pastore, Tony Sirico, Frankie Valli and many others.
As you can see from the list, Witness to the mob stars about half the cast of the TV show The Sopranos.
Witness to the Mob is one of my favorite mob movies overall and I feel it takes some unjust criticism from mafia film fans.
Nicholas Turturro makes a good Sammy "The Bull" Gravano as we follow his rise up the Gambino crime family before turning against his boss John Gotti and entering the witness protection program.
Witness to the Mob stars Nicholas Turturro, Tom Sizemore, Debi Mazar, Abe Vigoda, Frank Vincent, Michael Imperioli, Vincent Pastore, Tony Sirico, Frankie Valli and many others.
As you can see from the list, Witness to the mob stars about half the cast of the TV show The Sopranos.
Witness to the Mob is one of my favorite mob movies overall and I feel it takes some unjust criticism from mafia film fans.
Nicholas Turturro makes a good Sammy "The Bull" Gravano as we follow his rise up the Gambino crime family before turning against his boss John Gotti and entering the witness protection program.
6. Blue Murder: Killer Cop (TV Mini-Series 2017)
Blue Murder: Killer Cop is a two-part Australian television miniseries based on true events, produced by the Seven Network and premiered on 6 August 2017. It is a sequel to the miniseries Blue Murder which screened in 1995 on the ABC.
Blue Murder is the story of Australia's most notorious former detective, Roger Rogerson.
If you are a fan of the Underbelly TV series then you will most likely enjoy Blue Murder and will probably recognize many familiar faces from Underbelly.
Having watched many documentaries on Roger Rogerson, Richard Roxburgh's portrayal is spot on and you almost have to remind yourself at times that he isn't the real Rogerson.
Both Blue Murder mini-series are worth a watch if you enjoy the stories of Australian organized crime.
Blue Murder is the story of Australia's most notorious former detective, Roger Rogerson.
If you are a fan of the Underbelly TV series then you will most likely enjoy Blue Murder and will probably recognize many familiar faces from Underbelly.
Having watched many documentaries on Roger Rogerson, Richard Roxburgh's portrayal is spot on and you almost have to remind yourself at times that he isn't the real Rogerson.
Both Blue Murder mini-series are worth a watch if you enjoy the stories of Australian organized crime.
7. Top Boy
Top Boy is a British television crime drama series, written and created by Ronan Bennett and directed by Yann Demange and Jonathan van Tulleken, first broadcast on 31 October 2011 on Channel 4.
Set on the fictional Summerhouse housing estate in Hackney, East London, the series follows the lives of a group of people involved in drug dealing and street gangs.
Top Boy is one of the best crime shows to come out of Britain in recent years and there is also a second series which is equally as good, with a third said to be potentially in the works.
Set on the fictional Summerhouse housing estate in Hackney, East London, the series follows the lives of a group of people involved in drug dealing and street gangs.
Top Boy is one of the best crime shows to come out of Britain in recent years and there is also a second series which is equally as good, with a third said to be potentially in the works.
8. Dead and Alive: The Race for Gus Farace (1991)
Dead and Alive: The Race for Gus Farace is another made for TV movie based on a true story.
A small-time drug dealer kills an undercover Drug Enforcement Agent and becomes the target of a widespread manhunt by New York cops, federal lawmen and his fellow mafia associates.
Starring some familiar faces such as Samuel L.Jackson, Frank Vincent, Tony Danza, Ted Levine and Nicholas Turturro.
A small-time drug dealer kills an undercover Drug Enforcement Agent and becomes the target of a widespread manhunt by New York cops, federal lawmen and his fellow mafia associates.
Starring some familiar faces such as Samuel L.Jackson, Frank Vincent, Tony Danza, Ted Levine and Nicholas Turturro.
9. The Take
The Take is a four-part British television crime drama series, adapted from the novel by Martina Cole.
The Take stars Tom Hardy, Brian Cox, Shaun Evans, Kierston Wareing, Margot Leicester and Charlotte Riley.
The story is based around Freddie Jackson(Tom Hardy), recently released from prison and is set to make up for lost time having made the right connections whilst inside.
The Take was actually my first introduction to the acting of Tom Hardy who obviously has gone on to carve a massive career and he is excellent as the psychopathic gangster Freddie Jackson.
Probably the most underrated and likely unknown entry on the list. Well worth a watch for all British crime drama fans.
The Take stars Tom Hardy, Brian Cox, Shaun Evans, Kierston Wareing, Margot Leicester and Charlotte Riley.
The story is based around Freddie Jackson(Tom Hardy), recently released from prison and is set to make up for lost time having made the right connections whilst inside.
The Take was actually my first introduction to the acting of Tom Hardy who obviously has gone on to carve a massive career and he is excellent as the psychopathic gangster Freddie Jackson.
Probably the most underrated and likely unknown entry on the list. Well worth a watch for all British crime drama fans.
10. Eastern Promises(2007)
Eastern Promises is a 2007 British-Canadian-American gangster film directed by David Cronenberg, from a screenplay written by Steven Knight.
The film stars Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, Sinéad Cusack and Armin Mueller-Stahl.
Eastern Promises offers something different from the rest of the usual run of the mill gangster movies on our list and delves into the world of the Russian mafia.
Viggo Mortensen stars as Nikolai, who is both ruthless and mysterious, has ties to one of the most dangerous crime families in London.
He crosses paths with Anna (Naomi Watts), a midwife who has come across potentially damaging evidence against the family, which forces him to set in motion a plan of deceit, death and retribution.
The film stars Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, Sinéad Cusack and Armin Mueller-Stahl.
Eastern Promises offers something different from the rest of the usual run of the mill gangster movies on our list and delves into the world of the Russian mafia.
Viggo Mortensen stars as Nikolai, who is both ruthless and mysterious, has ties to one of the most dangerous crime families in London.
He crosses paths with Anna (Naomi Watts), a midwife who has come across potentially damaging evidence against the family, which forces him to set in motion a plan of deceit, death and retribution.
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