10 Gangster Movies You Must See Before You Die

10. Miller's Crossing

The Coen brothers’ 1990 masterpiece ranks among their very best. A prohibition-set visual feast influenced by the noir writings of Dashiel Hammett, it stars Gabriel Byrne as Tom Reagan, a mob advisor who becomes embroiled in, and eventually orchestrates, a turf war.

As is typical for the Coens and their noir leanings, the simple premise becomes ever more complex and grubbier as personal vendettas and double crossings work their way into the story. Albert Finney and Jon Polito are superb as the rival mob bosses, one an Irish fatherly figure, the other an explosive Italian schemer.

Marcia Gay Harden is terrific as Verna, a classic femme fatale, but best of all is Coens fave John Turturro as Verna’s brother Leo. Turturro’s performance is masterfully malleable, one moment a cocky schemer, the next a desperate, broken man pleading his way out of trouble.

Anchoring it all is Byrne in a stately, world weary role as the de facto hero, by virtue of being less explicitly villainous than anyone else. It’s patient, beautiful filmmaking, shot to perfection in autumnal New Orleans. It may well be their finest hour.