Mob flicks have been a staple of the movies ever since the earliest days of cinema. So if you’re looking for movies like The Untouchables, then there’s no shortage of candidates!
Brian De Palma’s epic crime saga was showered in acclaim when it first hit theatres in 1987, thanks to phenomenal performances from the A-list cast and a gripping narrative that plays fast and loose with the facts.
The crime genre is packed full of classic movies, and we’ve got ten of the very finest to recommend that will offer the same thrills as The Untouchables. Let’s get started!
Top 10 Stylish Crime Movies Like The Untouchables
1. Goodfellas (1990)
Goodfellas might very well be Martin Scorsese’s best movie, which is saying something when the director has been responsible for numerous stone-cold classics.
Goodfellas tells the story of Henry Hill’s ascent up the ranks, and upon release, instantly gained iconic status and universal praise from critics, audiences, and former mob members alike.
The writing, direction, cinematography, and performances are uniformly superb, and movies like The Untouchables definitely don’t come much finer than the seminal Goodfellas.
2. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Sergio Leone’s sprawling generation epic is frequently lauded as one of the greatest movies ever made and is essential viewing for anyone happy to luxuriate in the 229 minute running time.
Once Upon a Time in America tells the story of best friends Noodles Aaronson and Max Bercovicz as they rise from street hoodlums to two of the most powerful figures in the New York underworld.
Stunningly shot, thematically rich, and powerfully acted, movies like The Untouchables don’t come much better than Leone’s saga of greed, betrayal, love, and loss.
3. Road to Perdition (2002)
Tom Hanks made a very rare appearance as the bad guy in Sam Mendes’ Road to Perdition, although his Michael Sullivan was eventually revealed as a complex protagonist painted with shades of grey.
The somber comic book adaptation is one of many movies like The Untouchables that share narrative and stylistic similarities, from the sprawling story right down to the painstakingly accurate production design.
One of the best mob movies of the 21st Century, Road to Perdition also doubles as an ultimately moving father and son story.
4. Gangster Squad (2013)
If you’re looking for movies like The Untouchables but fancy something a lot more action-packed and stylish, then Gangster Squad is well worth checking out.
Boasting one of the most star-studded casts in recent memory, Ruben Fleischer’s glossy blockbuster boasts Josh Brolin, Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Anthony Mackie, Nick Nolte, and many more.
Historical accuracy is definitely not the name of the game, but what Gangster Squad lacks in realism it more than makes up for in sheer entertainment value.
5. Heat (1995)
The first onscreen meeting between Robert De Niro and Al Pacino didn’t disappoint, and their shared scene almost instantly entered cinematic folklore.
Outside of that clash of the titans, Heat is a blistering thriller that never lets up for a second, and boasts one of the finest shootouts ever committed to screen left audiences with their jaws on the floor.
Michael Mann is known for his impeccably-crafted thrillers, and if you want movies like The Untouchables set in the modern era, you can’t go wrong with Heat.
6. Casino (1995)
Martin Scorsese built his entire career on making movies about organized crime, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Casino shows a true master working at the top of his game.
Loosely inspired by true events, the movie follows the trials and tribulations of a gambling expert running a casino for a crime syndicate, as he struggles to deal with the various obstacles in his way.
Scorsese regulars Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci are on top form, but Sharon Stone steals the show in the whip-smart Casino as the filmmaker once more reaffirms his status as the king of crime cinema.
7. The Departed (2006)
Martin Scorsese finally won an Academy Award for Best Director at the sixth attempt for The Departed, the blockbuster Hollywood remake of 2002’s Hong Kong classic Infernal Affairs.
A cop infiltrates the mob and a mobster infiltrates the police, and those parallel stories end up just as messy as you would expect given Scorsese’s long and illustrious association with the gangster genre.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, and Mark Wahlberg all deliver awards-worthy performances, giving the morally complex narrative an added layer of authenticity.
8. Last Man Standing (1996)
Walter Hill directed countless gritty thrillers including The Warriors, 48 Hrs. and Southern Comfort, so Last Man Standing was always guaranteed to pack a punch.
The Prohibition-era Western is also a loose remake of Akira Kurosawa’s classic Yojimbo, meaning the story was always guaranteed to be solid at the very least.
Bruce Willis does solid work as the lead of a movie that features all of Hill’s expertly crafted action and macho dialogue wrapped up in the guise of an old school gangster film.
9. L.A. Confidential (1997)
A snapshot of the Golden Age of Hollywood, L.A. Confidential follows a squad of LAPD officers dealing with the fallout that happens when corrupt police become embroiled in the world of celebrity scandal.
Relative unknowns Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce put themselves firmly on the map with two breakout performances, backed by reliable veterans Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, and James Cromwell, along with Kim Basinger’s femme fatale.
Movies like The Untouchables don’t have to remain firmly within the gangster genre, and L.A. Confidential is a period-set noir packed full of twisted style and lavish entertainment.
10. Miller’s Crossing (1990)
The Coen brothers’ third movie is still lauded as one of their best, and movies like The Untouchables don’t always have to rely on big names and splashy set pieces to succeed.
Miller’s Crossing focused on Gabriel Byrne’s Tom Reagan playing two rival gangs against each other as they battle for supremacy during the Prohibition era with inevitably bloody results.
As quirky and offbeat as you’d expect from the Coens, Miller’s Crossing might not be as expensive or flashy as other movies on this list, but it can stand up to all of them in terms of quality.