Coronavirus viewing: Gritty and glorified gangster movies
"Are you gonna bark all day little doggie? Or are you gonna bite?" Photo: imdb / Live Entertainment
Bored during isolation? Fuggetaboutit!
Few anti-heroes seem to mesmerise audiences like a good gangster.
Whether its Scarface’s Tony Montana or The Godfather’s Don Vito Corleone – we just can’t help rooting for the looters.
You’ve already seen Goodfellas and The Departed – so what’s next?
Grab your cannoli, cuddle your closest decapitated horse head and say hello to our little list.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Guy Ritchie’s recent mobster masterpiece, The Gentlemen, pays salute to his first directing and screenplay gig.
Following a botched card game and a series of unexpected events, a group of British crooks, some drug dealers, hard gangsters and loan sharks all collide.
This film solidified Ritchie’s career as a director and introduced the world to newcomer Jason Statham.
Where to watch: Netflix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6hZkvrFIj0
Reservoir Dogs (1991)
Six criminals, whose real identities remain unknown, team up for a classic jewellery heist. But when the police arrive, it becomes apparent that one of the men is an informant.
Quentin Tarantino’s directorial debut for a feature film earned him recognition as an early Hollywood heavyweight.
It also established the Tarantino trademarks of cinema: stylised violence, pop culture references and some familiar faces in Tim Roth and Michael Madsen.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Public Enemies (2009)
Long after he played the titular character in Donnie Brasco, Johnny Depp returns to the mobster scene – this time on the wrong side of the law.
This outlaw origin biopic follows 1930s bank robbers John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd.
Depp, Marion Cotillard and Christian Bale join forces to take you back to the gangster glory days.
Where to watch: Netflix