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Subgenre Sampler

 
John Wick: Chapter 4John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
Dir. Chad Stahelski
Feat. Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård
Keanu's stonefaced man–alone takes his fight to the High Table as he seeks to dispatch the most powerful players in the underworld, from New…
Miss BalaMiss Bala (2019)
Dir. Catherine Hardwicke
Feat. Gina Rodriguez, Ismael Cruz Córdova
Mexican crime thriller which marks a gritty turn for director Catherine Hardwicke (TWILIGHT), with Gina Rodriguez (JANE THE VIRGIN) playing a woman…
True Story of the Kelly Gang, TheTrue Story of the Kelly Gang, The (2019) Recommended
Dir. Justin Kurzel
Feat. George MacKay, Essie Davis, Nicholas Hoult
Justin Kurzel (SNOWTOWN) directs this adventurous retelling of the Australian story of bushranger and outlaw Ned Kelly, based on Peter Carey's 2001…
Dog Eat DogDog Eat Dog (2016)
Dir. Paul Schrader
Feat. Nicolas Cage, Willem Dafoe
Demonstrating that age hasn't tamed him, 70–year–old director Paul Schrader delivers this frenetic, nihilistic black comedy based on the…
Live by NightLive by Night (2016)
Dir. Ben Affleck
Feat. Ben Affleck, Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson
Ben Affleck's love letter to film noir set in Prohibition–era Boston where the flow of booze is controlled by an underground network of…
LegendLegend (2015)
Dir. Brian Helgeland
Feat. Tom Hardy, Emily Browning, Taron Egerton
Tom Hardy flexes his acting muscle as the identical twin gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray in this otherwise unremarkable drama that charts the rise…
Equalizer, TheEqualizer, The (2014)
Dir. Antoine Fuqua
Feat. Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloe Grace Moretz
Hiding from his violent past, a man lives a quiet life working at a hardware store. When he is confronted by a new underground crime syndicate. He…
Raid 2, TheRaid 2, The (2014) Recommended
Dir. Gareth Evans
Feat. Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Julie Estelle
Picking up from where it last left off, this epic sequel to the best martial arts movie in recent memory combines gangland melodrama (reminiscent of…
Gangster SquadGangster Squad (2013)
Dir. Ruben Fleischer
Feat. Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin
This straight–shooting, bang–a–minute gangster flick scores as both an entertaining throwback to 40s–era crime fighting, and…
LawlessLawless (2012)
Dir. John Hillcoat
Feat. Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce
Three ambitious brothers from the south turn to bootlegging, only to come up against the might of powerful urban gangsters in this vivid…
22 Bullets22 Bullets (L' Immortel) (2010)
Dir. Richard Berry
Feat. Jean Reno, Marina Fois, Richard Berry
Violent gangland thriller has Jean Reno out for revenge after his former friend shoots 22 bullets into him.
El NarcoEl Narco (2010)
Dir. Luis Estrada
Feat. Damian Alcazar, Joaquin Cosio, Ernesto Gomez Cruz
Intense crime drama that offers a hellish version of Mexico and the drug war seen through the eyes of a man returning to his home country after…
Give 'Em Hell MaloneGive 'Em Hell Malone (2009)
Dir. Russell Mulcahy
Feat. Thomas Jane, Ving Rhames, French Stewart
A tough as nails private investigator squares off with gangsters and their thugs to protect a valuable secret. Malone goes through hell to protect…
Horde, TheHorde, The (La Horde) (2009)
Dir. Yannick Dahan, Benjamin Rocher
Feat. Aurelien Recoing, Eric Ebouaney, Doudou Masta
Fist–pumping zombie flick pits cops and criminals in a fight for their life against the walking dead amidst the slums of Paris. Bloody and…
Perrier's BountyPerrier's Bounty (2009)
Dir. Ian Fitzgibbon
Feat. Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Gabriel Byrne
Jovial Irish caper in the vein of Sexy Beast, with Murphy as a petty crim in hock to a local gangster. A talented cast clearly enjoying themselves…
Public EnemiesPublic Enemies (2009)
Dir. Michael Mann
Feat. Johnny Depp, Marion Cotillard, Christian Bale
Michael Mann transposes the cops–and–robbers psychology of HEAT to depression–era America in this ambitious, if at times inadequate…
RocknRollaRocknRolla (2008)
Dir. Guy Ritchie
Feat. Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandiwe Newton
Stylephile Guy Ritchie revisits well–trodden territory with this typically tangled crime caper involving a menagerie of seedy opportunists…
Sky Kids Sky Kids (The Flyboys) (2008)
Dir. Rocco de Villiers
Feat. Stephen Baldwin, Tom Sizemore, Jesse James
Big hearted adventure follows the exploits of a bullied loner and protective best friend who inadvertently cross paths with a scheming mobster (a…
American GangsterAmerican Gangster (2007)
Dir. Ridley Scott
Feat. Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Hefty gangster flick in the tradition of SCARFACE, SERPICO, et. al., but based on an amazing true story: Washington plays Frank Lucas, the driver to…
Eastern PromisesEastern Promises (2007) Aro Favourite
Dir. David Cronenberg
Feat. Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel
A muscular, satisfying thriller set in the underworld of the Russian mafia in London, this reteams the director and star of A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE,…
Rogue AssassinRogue Assassin (War) (2007)
Dir. Philip G Atwell
Feat. Jet Li, Jason Statham
Mildly entertaining actioner pits Statham as an FBI detective hell–bent on revenge after Li kills his partner; titular character Li, meanwhile,…
Smokin' AcesSmokin' Aces (2007)
Dir. Joe Carnahan
Feat. Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Alicia Keys
A high–strung crime caper of competing assassins from the dir. of NARC, dispatching with boyish glee a bevy of visual and narrative bullet…
You Move You DieYou Move You Die (2007)
Dir. Ketzal Sterling
Feat. Ketzal Sterling, Bruce Hopkins
Ad hoc gangster thriller out of Auckland concerns a stolen engagement ring, and its ensuing recovery by a desperate fiancée and his posse of…
City of Violence, TheCity of Violence, The (2006)
Dir. Ryoo Seung-Wan
Feat. Doo-hong Jung, Kil-Kang Ahn
A dazzling, action–fantastic revenger by way of Korea, this draws its considerable bloodletting from the aftermath of a funeral, where two…
ExiledExiled (Fong juk) (2006) Recommended
Dir. Johnnie To
Feat. Anthony Wong, Simon Yam, Richie Ren
Master exponent of genre Johnnie To pays homage to spaghetti westerns and the bygone era of John Woo in this energetic, skilfully dispatched action…
No Mercy For The RudeNo Mercy For The Rude (2006)
Dir. Cheol-hie Park
Feat. Ha-kyun Shin
A mute hitman limits his contract killings to ‘rude’ individuals, saving up for a voice–restoring operation in this unconventional riff on…
Assault on Precinct 13Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)
Dir. Jean-François Richet
Feat. Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, Drea De Matteo
Effective update of John Carpenter's 1970s classic in which high–impact action and a fairly convincing raw tenseness carry the wellworn tale of…
Bittersweet Life, ABittersweet Life, A (2005)
Dir. Ji-woon Kim
Feat. Byung-hun Lee
A suave mob enforcer's mercy for one of his intended victims results in the full wrath of the Korean organised crime world in this slick, ultra…
DominoDomino (2005)
Dir. Tony Scott
Feat. Keira Knightley, Mickey Rourke, Delroy Lindo
Brash, hyperkinetic action rendition of the life and times of Domino Harvey (played by Knightley), the daughter of movie–star Laurence Harvey,…
Get Rich or Die Tryin'Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)
Dir. Jim Sheridan
Feat. 50 Cent, Terrence Howard
Gangster–rap star "Fiddy" Cent (a.k.a. Curtis Jackson) tells the rags–to–riches tale of his Queens, NYC upbringing and how he saved…
Infernal Affairs 2Infernal Affairs 2 (Mou gaan dou II) (2003)
Dir. Wai Keung Lau, Siu Fai Mak
Feat. Edison Chen, Shawn Yue, Carina Lau
Solid prequel to the hit Hong Kong policier, goes back in time to the era of the 1991 and moves forward in three acts to the Chinese handover,…
Infernal Affairs 3Infernal Affairs 3 (Mou gaan dou III) (2003)
Dir. Wai Keung Lau, Siu Fai Mak
Feat. Andy Lau, Tony Leung (Chiu-wai), Leon Lai
Actual sequel to the hit Hong Kong gangland–cop thriller attempts valiantly to tie up loose ends, both picking up where corrupt cop Ming (Lau)…
Infernal AffairsInfernal Affairs (2002) Recommended
Dir. Wai Keung Lau, Siu Fai Mak
Feat. Andy Lau, Tony Leung (Chiu-wai), Anthony Wong
This dynamic cops ‘n’ robbers spectacle is populist Hong Kong film–making at its most slick and sophisticated. Infused with more than a…
ReturnerReturner (2002) Recommended
Dir. Takashi Yamazaki
Feat. Takeshi Kaneshiro
Kitted out with a charismatic cast, CGI–action that delivers, and tongue–lightly–in–cheek, this slick, big–budget…
Road To PerditionRoad To Perdition (2002) Recommended
Dir. Sam Mendes
Feat. Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law
Handsomely–mounted Chicago gangland flick that casts Tom Hanks against type as a mob hitman who becomes an ‘angel of vengeance’ after he is…
Fulltime KillerFulltime Killer (2001)
Dir. Johnnie To, Wai Ka-Fai
Feat. Andy Lau, Simon Yam, Kelly Lin
Two very different hit men face off in this Hong Kong action film, with Andy Lau playing a flamboyant new hotshot who is tracking down the number one…
Pistol OperaPistol Opera (2001)
Dir. Seijun Suzuki
Feat. Makikio Esumi, Shirley Yamaguchi, Kirin Kiki
A comeback of sorts for brilliant Japanese director Seijun Suzuki, who brings a self–referential and at times incomprehensibly abstract style…
Gangster No. 1Gangster No. 1 (2000)
Dir. Paul McGuigan
Feat. Malcolm McDowell, David Thewlis, Paul Bettany
Ageing gangster Malcolm McDowell recalls his ascendance in the 70s to London’s underworld throne at the expense of the ‘Butcher of Mayfair’,…
Get CarterGet Carter (2000)
Dir. Stephen Kay
Feat. Sylvester Stallone, Rachael Leigh Cook, Mickey Rourke
Unnecessary remake of the British hard–boiler transposes the action to the Pacific Northwest where Las Vegas mob enforcer Sylvester Stallone…
SnatchSnatch (2000) Recommended
Dir. Guy Ritchie
Feat. Dennis Farina, Brad Pitt, Benicio Del Toro
A LOCK STOCK knock–off by 'im–who–knows–best: the director himself, Guy Ritchie. Like its predecessor, this cockney…
Time and TideTime and Tide (2000)
Dir. Tsui Hark
Feat. Nicholas Tse, Wu Bai
Healthy measures of hard–boiled alienation and gyroscopic fire–fights ignite this Hong Kong kick–butt–fest that somersaults…
Boondock Saints, TheBoondock Saints, The (1999)
Dir. Troy Duffy
Feat. Sean Patrick Flannery, Norman Reedus, Willem Dafoe
Irish–Bostonian brothers Sean Patrick Flannery and Norman Reedus become vigilante saints after knocking off some Russkie wise guys, becoming…
BustedBusted (Everybody Loves Sunshine) (1999)
Dir. Andrew Goth
Feat. Goldie , David Bowie
North London mobster glory awaits Goldie (the drum–n–bass star) who must reclaim his criminal empire from a…
Running Out of TimeRunning Out of Time (1999)
Dir. Johnnie To
Feat. Andy Lau, Lau Ching-wan
A crackingly–paced, plot–bending Yin–Yang heist drama, with terminally–ill master jewel thief Andy Lau playing against the…
Hitman (1998)
Dir. Tung Wai
Feat. Jet Li
Would–be assassin Jet Li joins in the race to avenge the murder of an evil Japanese businessman for the tune of $100 million, but is encumbered…
PaybackPayback (1998) Recommended
Dir. Brian Helgeland
Feat. Mel Gibson, Deborah Kara Unger
Mel Gibson gets to behave badly as an indestructible armed robber who gets carried away on a sadistic get–even mission against a crime…
Sleepless TownSleepless Town (Fuyajo) (1998)
Dir. Chi-Ngai Lee
Feat. Takeshi Kaneshiro, Sihung Lung, Kathy Chow
Hybridistic pan–Asian thriller set in the 'sleepless' red–light district of Tokyo, where petty crim Kaneshiro must revisit his gangster…
Young Thugs - Innocent BloodYoung Thugs - Innocent Blood (1997)
Dir. Takashi Miike
Feat. Naoto Takenaka
Gangster shenanigans with cult dir. Takashi, this time taking a more measured approach to the story of four young friends who drift together and…
FledFled (1996)
Dir. Kevin Hooks
Feat. Stephen Baldwin, Laurence Fishburne
Violent comedy handcuffs together movie–obsessed computer whizz Stephen Baldwin with no–nonsense criminal Laurence Fishburne. Breaking a…
Glimmer Man, TheGlimmer Man, The (1996)
Dir. John Gray
Feat. Steven Seagal, Damon Wayans
Buddhist detective Steven Seagal partners up with a wisecracking Damon Wayans in this LA variation on 48 HRS. Hunting a serial killer linked to the…
Last Days of Frankie the FlyLast Days of Frankie the Fly (1996)
Dir. Peter Markle
Feat. Dennis Hopper, Michael Madsen
Dim–bulb mobster Frankie (Dennis Hopper) tires of his sadistic boss Sal (Michael Madsen) and decides to branch out into the LA porn–movie…
Mulholland FallsMulholland Falls (1996)
Dir. Lee Tamahori
Feat. Nick Nolte, Michael Madsen, Chazz Palminteri
ONCE WERE WARRIORS director Lee Tamahori goes Hollywood with this tough gangster noir, fitted with an all–star cast and open chequebook. At…
AssassinsAssassins (1995)
Dir. Richard Donner
Feat. Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas, Julianne Moore
A dark, protracted tale of two hitmen, old hand Sylvester Stallone who wants out of the racket, and new kid on the block Antonio Banderas out for…
HeatHeat (1995) Recommended
Dir. Michael Mann
Feat. Al Pacino, Robert De Niro
Epic bank–heist drama matches heavyweight detective Al Pacino against master–thief Robert De Niro. While this dream pairing generates the…
God of Gamblers ReturnGod of Gamblers Return (1994)
Dir. Wong Jing
Feat. Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun–Fat returns as a charming poker player who enjoys the quiet life until a challenger kills his wife and begins to target his friends. …
Pulp FictionPulp Fiction (1994) Aro Favourite
Dir. Quentin Tarantino
Feat. John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman
With just his second film, Quentin Tarantino not only became a household name but a massive cultural phenomenon. He miraculously surpasses…
Carlito's WayCarlito's Way (1993) Recommended
Dir. Brian De Palma
Feat. Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Viggo Mortensen
De Palma contains his usual showy excess and proves he can be a consummate storyteller with this captivating, multi–layered crime yarn. Al…
Full ContactFull Contact (1992)
Dir. Ringo Lam
Feat. Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun–Fat rescues his friend from a loan shark, but the friend leaves him for dead in a botched robbery and takes off with his girlfriend. A…
Men of RespectMen of Respect (1991)
Dir. William Reilly
Feat. John Turturro
MacBeth is courageously transposed here into the American gangster milieu, with the dependably good Turturro as the power–hungry tyrant whose…
MobstersMobsters (1991)
Dir. Michael Karbelnikoff
Feat. Christian Slater, Richard Greico, Patrick Dempsey
Christian Slater, Richard Grieco and Patrick Dempsey play the infamous trio that changed the face of organised crime. Very violent film attempts to…
Dick TracyDick Tracy (1990) Recommended
Dir. Warren Beatty
Feat. Warren Beatty, Madonna
A glossy update of the comic–book and 1940s TV serial with Warren Beatty as the suave crime–buster. Superb art–direction, costumes…
God of Gamblers (1990)
Dir. Wong Jing
Feat. Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun–Fat plays a gambling king who is de–throned by amnesia, then embraced by a petty hustler who discovers he can trigger his memory…
GoodfellasGoodfellas (1990) Aro Favourite
Dir. Martin Scorsese
Feat. Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro
The double–edged allure of life in the Mafia is richly detailed in Martin Scorsese's riveting saga that follows a young mobster through three…
King of New YorkKing of New York (1990) Recommended
Dir. Abel Ferrara
Feat. Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne, Wesley Snipes
A ruthless drug lord (Walken) is determined to resume his throne as the king of New York's underworld after five years behind bars. A vicious crime…
State of GraceState of Grace (1990) Recommended
Dir. Phil Joanou
Feat. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Ed Harris
Penn returns to his Irish mob roots in New York's Hell's Kitchen to find tenuous–at–best relations with the neighbouring Mafia. Oldman…
Canton Godfather, TheCanton Godfather, The (Miracles; Mr. Canton and Lady Rose) (1989) Recommended
Dir. Jackie Chan
Feat. Jackie Chan, Anita Mui
Though light on martial arts, this lavish period production is generally considered Jackie Chan's most accomplished movie. At once inspired by THE…
Killer, TheKiller, The (1989) Aro Favourite
Dir. John Woo
Feat. Chow Yun-Fat
Action at break–neck speed with a body–count to match the running time, this smorgasbord of super–violence with lashings of good…
ColorsColors (1988)
Dir. Dennis Hopper
Feat. Sean Penn, Robert Duvall
A grim portrait of law enforcement. Mismatched police partners are assigned to the rife gang–related problems in South–Central L.A.
Flaming BrothersFlaming Brothers (Jiang hu long hu men) (1988)
Dir. Tung Cho 'Joe' Cheung
Feat. Chow Yun-Fat, Alan Tang, Pat Ha
Two close friends from the island of Macao (Tang and Yun–Fat) become dangerously involved in the Chinese triads through decades of prosperity…
Sicilian, TheSicilian, The (1987)
Dir. Michael Cimino
Feat. Christopher Lambert, Terence Stamp, Joss Ackland
Still reeling from the box office catastrophe of HEAVEN'S GATE, Michael Cimino turned his attention to this Mario Puzo–scripted saga about an…
Untouchables, TheUntouchables, The (1987) Recommended
Dir. Brian De Palma
Feat. Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro
Well–cast and generally classy update of the adventures of Elliot Ness, the earnest law enforcer who took on Al Capone during the prohibition…
Better Tomorrow, ABetter Tomorrow, A (1986)
Dir. John Woo
Feat. Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun–Fat stars in the high–octane gangster flick that literally changed the face of the genre. A cop becomes ostracized by the force…
2019: The New Barbarians2019: The New Barbarians (Nuovi barbari, I) (1985)
Dir. Enzo G. Castellari
Feat. Fred Williamson, Giancarlo Prete
Third and final episode in the post–apocalyptic BRONX WARRIORS series, escapes the bloody rubble of New York City for a MAD MAX–style…
Once Upon a Time in AmericaOnce Upon a Time in America (1984) Aro Favourite
Dir. Sergio Leone
Feat. Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern
An all–star cast feature in Sergio Leone's violent but sobering gangland saga, following the rise and fall of four Jewish childhood pals…
Escape From the BronxEscape From the Bronx (1990: Bronx Warriors II) (1983)
Dir. Enzo G. Castellari
Feat. Henry Silva, Giancarlo Prete
Dystopian sequel to the cult 80s dud BRONX WARRIORS, with New York City a wasteland ruled over by vicious motorcycle gangs and corporate villains.…
ScarfaceScarface (1983) Aro Favourite
Dir. Brian De Palma
Feat. Al Pacino
Sweat–breakingly violent portrait of a contemporary mobster with Pacino in top gear as the ruthless megalomaniac. Stunning, if you can hack…
1990: The Bronx Warriors1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982)
Dir. Enzo G. Castellari
Feat. Vic Morrow, Fred Williamson, Christopher Connelly
Renowned cheese–fest in which youth gangs of the post–Apocalypse Bronx, battle each other and an evil corporate arms manufacturer. Prime…
Assault On Precinct 13Assault On Precinct 13 (1976) Recommended
Dir. John Carpenter
Feat. Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston
A deserted urban jail comes under siege by a ruthless gang in this contemporary reworking of RIO BRAVO. The pin–drop atmosphere is intensified…
Yakuza, TheYakuza, The (1975)
Dir. Sydney Pollack
Feat. Robert Mitchum, Ken Takakura
Mitchum challenges the sword and secrets of the Japanese Mafia in this accomplished actioner written by Paul Schrader and Robert Towne.
That Man BoltThat Man Bolt (1973)
Dir. David Lowell Rich, Henry Levin
Feat. Fred Williamson, Byron Webster, Miko Mayama
Colourful action film blending blaxploitation, martial arts, and spy influences, with Fred Williamson (HELL UP IN HARLEM) starring as a karate sex…
Boxcar BerthaBoxcar Bertha (1972)
Dir. Martin Scorsese
Feat. Barbara Hershey, David Carradine
Dir. Scorsese's first 'for hire' effort, constructing an atmospheric and reasonably sturdy period gangster film, set in the Depression. Produced by…
French Connection, TheFrench Connection, The (1971) Recommended
Dir. William Friedkin
Feat. Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider
An influential crime picture based on the largest narcotics seizure of all time. Won the Oscar for Best Picture for its realistic portrait of New…
St. Valentines Day MassacreSt. Valentines Day Massacre (1967)
Dir. Roger Corman
Feat. Jason Robards Jr., George Segal, Ralph Meeker
A great, trigger–happy actioner from cult film–maker Corman, based on events that led to the murder of many of Chicago's underworld,…
Machine Gun KellyMachine Gun Kelly (1958) Recommended
Dir. Roger Corman
Feat. Charles Bronson, Susan Cabot
A baby–faced Bronson gives an exciting edge to this superior B–movie biopic, based around the criminal career of the Depression–era…

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