10 Best British Gangster Movies Ever

4. Mona Lisa (1986)

Trust writer-director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) to bring an unconventional flavour to the genre with Mona Lisa, which is more a film about a gangster than a gangster film per se, but every bit as thrilling as any other movie on this list.

Bob Hoskins gives the performance of his career - which scored him an Oscar nomination - as low-level criminal grunt George, who finds himself becoming increasingly close to the high-class prostitute (Cathy Tyson) he's charged with protecting.

Sharply eschewing cliches with a number of devilish third-act reveals, Mona Lisa dares to make far more of its protagonist than just another gangster anti-hero, with Hoskins' perfectly-pitched performance bringing uncommon depth to an over-familiar archetype.

Tyson and Michael Caine are also excellent, bolstering the core of one of the 80s' best character-driven crime thrillers.