Best movies like The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
The multigenerational saga of the rise and fall of the Corleone crime family.
IMDB Rating: 9.3
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 583 min
Plot tags: surprise ending, epic
Best tv shows and movies like The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (1992):
Similar in 82%
Underworld U.S.A. (1961)
Plot Summary:
A bitter young man sets out to get back at the gangsters who murdered his father.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: rough, realistic, suspenseful, serious, neo noir, retro, expressionism, hood, cult classic, visually stunning
Similar in 81%
Black Caesar (1973)
Plot Summary:
Tommy Gibbs is a tough kid, raised in the ghetto, who aspires to be a kingpin criminal. As a young boy, his leg is broken by a bad cop on the take, during a payoff gone bad. Nursing his vengeance, he rises to power in Harlem, New York. Angry at the racist society around him, both criminal and straight, he sees the acquisition of power as the solution to his rage.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: grindhouse, neo noir, psychotronic, hood, crime drama, grim, cult classic, action thriller, action adventure, rough
Similar in 76%
Billy Bathgate (1991)
Plot Summary:
In the year 1935, a teen named Billy Bathgate finds first love while becoming the protégé of fledgling gangster Dutch Schultz.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: stylized, erotic, serious, realistic, suspenseful, gloomy, light, romantic, sexy, unusual plot structure
Similar in 78%
Massacre Mafia Style (1974)
Plot Summary:
Terror reigns when Mimi, the son of a deported Don, along with his associate Jolly Rizzo wage a bloody war for control of the West Coast underworld, battling hordes of hard-boiled mobsters and deadly black pimps on their rise to the top!.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 919
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: grindhouse, crying, independent film, cult film
Similar in 90%
Gloria (1980)
Plot Summary:
When a young boy's family is killed by the mob, their tough neighbor Gloria becomes his reluctant guardian. In possession of a book that the gangsters want, the pair go on the run in New York.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 123 min
Plot tags: tense, road movie, neo noir, suspense, art house, postmodern, grim, rough, serious, captivating
Similar in 76%
Badge 373 (1973)
Plot Summary:
When his partner is killed, tough Irish detective Eddie Ryan (Robert Duvall) vows to avenge the death, whatever the cost. As he begins unraveling clues, his behavior becomes so outrageous that he's obliged to turn in his badge, but the experience only emboldens him. Ryan eventually learns that his partner was caught up in a Puerto Rican gun-running scheme masterminded by a crook named Sweet Willie (Henry Darrow), who wants to foment revolutionary war.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 884
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: grim, exciting, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, weird
Similar in 81%
Knockaround Guys (2001)
Plot Summary:
Four sons of well-known New York mobsters must retrieve a bag of cash from a small Montana town ruled by a corrupt sheriff.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: suspense, stylized, intense, realistic, semi serious, rough, talky, surprise ending, dark comedy, cult classic
Similar in 78%
Men of Respect (1990)
Plot Summary:
In this modern day version of Shakespeare's Macbeth, a hitman heeds a spiritualist's prophesies that he will rise to the head of his family. He starts his ascension by clandestinely executing the heads of the family and casting the blame on others. However, with power comes consequences that are also predicted by the seer.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 935
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, exciting, suspense, independent film, rough, suspenseful, stylized
Similar in 75%
The Outfit (1973)
Plot Summary:
A two-bit criminal takes on the Mafia to avenge his brother's death. Earl Macklin is a small time criminal who is released from prison after an unsuccessful bank robbery only to discover that a pair of gunmen killed his brother.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: neo noir, serious, realistic, exciting, suspense, retro, grindhouse, hood, cult classic, crime thriller
Similar in 81%
Empire (2002)
Plot Summary:
A big time drug dealer Victor Rosa is looking to get out of the game and sees his chance with a big deal with a new friend who happens to be a Wall St. stockbroker. Thinking this will be his chance to go out on top Victor soon finds out that he has been double crossed and his last option is to get revenge.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: intense, suspense, melancholic, stylized, rough, serious, suspenseful, hood, tense, realistic
Similar in 90%
Year of the Dragon (1985)
Plot Summary:
In New York, racist Capt. Stanley White becomes obsessed with destroying a Chinese-American drug ring run by Joey Tai, an up-and-coming young gangster as ambitious as he is ruthless. While pursuing an unauthorized investigation, White grows increasingly willing to violate police protocol, resorting to progressively violent measures -- even as his concerned wife, Connie, and his superiors beg him to consider the consequences of his actions.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 134 min
Plot tags: neo noir, controversial, brutal, suspense, intense, serious, realistic, suspenseful, exciting, detective
Similar in 82%
King of New York (1990)
Plot Summary:
A former drug lord returns from prison determined to wipe out all his competition and distribute the profits of his operations to New York's poor and lower classes in this stylish and ultra violent modern twist on Robin Hood.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 41000
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: Italy, USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: neo noir, atmospheric, hood, tense, suspense, intense, serious, captivating, realistic, dark
Similar in 87%
The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
Plot Summary:
Young Anthony Soprano is growing up in one of the most tumultuous eras in Newark, N.J., history, becoming a man just as rival gangsters start to rise up and challenge the all-powerful DiMeo crime family. Caught up in the changing times is the uncle he idolizes, Dickie Moltisanti, whose influence over his nephew will help shape the impressionable teenager into the all-powerful mob boss, Tony Soprano.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 61000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing, dramatic, hood, anamorphic, powerful, surprise ending, neo noir
Similar in 90%
New Jack City (1991)
Plot Summary:
A gangster, Nino, is in the Cash Money Brothers, making a million dollars every week selling crack. A cop, Scotty, discovers that the only way to infiltrate the gang is to become a dealer himself.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: hood, stylized, suspense, harsh, intense, serious, tense, captivating, neo noir, cult classic
Similar in 83%
Serpico (1973)
Plot Summary:
The real-life struggle of an honest New York City cop against a corrupt system.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 132000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Italy, USA
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: suspense, serious, realistic, neo noir, psychological, rough, clever, political, detective, grim
Similar in 79%
Road to Perdition (2002)
Plot Summary:
Mike Sullivan works as a hit man for crime boss John Rooney. Sullivan views Rooney as a father figure, however after his son is witness to a killing, Mike Sullivan finds himself on the run in attempt to save the life of his son and at the same time looking for revenge on those who wronged him.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 281000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, harsh, visually stunning, bleak, tense, emotional, suspense, road movie, melancholic, visual
Similar in 75%
Miller's Crossing (1990)
Plot Summary:
Set in 1929, a political boss and his advisor have a parting of the ways when they both fall for the same woman.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 140000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: neo noir, atmospheric, tense, stylized, serious, realistic, suspense, dark, cult classic, clever
Similar in 78%
The Untouchables (1987)
Plot Summary:
Young Treasury Agent Elliot Ness arrives in Chicago and is determined to take down Al Capone, but it's not going to be easy because Capone has the police in his pocket. Ness meets Jimmy Malone, a veteran patrolman and probably the most honorable one on the force. He asks Malone to help him get Capone, but Malone warns him that if he goes after Capone, he is going to war.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 326000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: suspense, suspenseful, stylized, clever, exciting, tense, serious, captivating, rough, neo noir
Similar in 77%
Carlito's Way (1993)
Plot Summary:
A Puerto-Rican ex-con, just released from prison, pledges to stay away from drugs and violence despite the pressure around him and lead on to a better life outside of NYC.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 229000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 144 min
Plot tags: neo noir, suspense, atmospheric, suspenseful, tense, melancholic, intense, rough, bleak, serious
Similar in 77%
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Plot Summary:
A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan over thirty years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 371000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA, Italy
Duration: 229 min
Plot tags: epic, ambiguous ending, atmospheric, melancholic, breathtaking, captivating, rough, visually appealing, realistic, talky
Similar in 81%
The Godfather Part III (1990)
Plot Summary:
In the midst of trying to legitimize his business dealings in 1979 New York and Italy, aging mafia don, Michael Corleone seeks forgiveness for his sins while taking a young protege under his wing.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 418000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 162 min
Plot tags: epic, saga, bad ending, suspense, visually appealing, serious, stylized, sad, cult classic, inspirational
Similar in 90%
Donnie Brasco (1997)
Plot Summary:
An FBI undercover agent infilitrates the mob and finds himself identifying more with the mafia life at the expense of his regular one.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 326000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 127 min
Plot tags: neo noir, tense, realistic, clever, suspense, serious, suspenseful, rough, talky, atmospheric
Similar in 80%
Heat (1995)
Plot Summary:
Obsessive master thief, Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective, Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 702000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 170 min
Plot tags: neo noir, tense, detective, suspense, suspenseful, intense, exciting, bleak, atmospheric, clever
Similar in 75%
The Godfather: A Novel for Television (1977)
Plot Summary:
A seven-hours-plus adaptation of Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather" and "The Godfather, Part II" - with new scenes added and some old ones lengthened. Originally broadcast on the NBC television network in November of 1977, it was restored for high definition broadcast and presented uncensored nearly forty years later on HBO.
IMDB Rating: 9.5
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 434 min
Plot tags: epic, serious, rough, captivating, exciting, bleak, realistic, saga, stylized
Similar in 76%
Scarface (1983)
Plot Summary:
After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 896000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 170 min
Plot tags: serious, exciting, rough, cult classic, suspense, brutal, harsh, psychological, suspenseful, hood
Similar in 80%
Live by Night (2016)
Plot Summary:
A story set in the Prohibition Era and centered around a group of individuals and their dealings in the world of organized crime.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 59000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min
Plot tags: neo noir, stylized, period piece, exciting, tense, captivating, suspense, art house, cult classic, teen
Similar in 76%
The Irishman (2019)
Plot Summary:
A mob hit man recalls his possible involvement with the slaying of Jimmy Hoffa.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 421000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 209 min
Plot tags: captivating, exciting, tense, inspirational, crime drama, thought provoking, retro, intellectual, suspense, sad
Similar in 80%
The Departed (2006)
Plot Summary:
To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop curries favor with the mob kingpin, a career criminal rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there's a mole among them.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 14000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Hong Kong
Duration: 151 min
Plot tags: twist ending, suspense, surprise ending, clever, tense, captivating, serious, neo noir, psychological, mind bending
Similar in 89%
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Plot Summary:
In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba.
IMDB Rating: 9.0
IMDB Votes: 13000000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 202 min
Plot tags: epic, captivating, suspense, serious, visual, neo noir, visually appealing, realistic, saga, atmospheric
Similar in 88%
The Godfather (1972)
Plot Summary:
Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.
IMDB Rating: 9.2
IMDB Votes: 20000000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 175 min
Plot tags: serious, epic, atmospheric, dramatic, captivating, rough, realistic, family saga, entertaining, breathtaking