Best Movies like The Godfather Part II (1974)

The Godfather introduces the Corleone family’s world of organized crime, power struggles, and shifting loyalties—elements expanded on in The Godfather Part II. Viewing both deepens understanding of the Corleone saga, tracing the family's criminal enterprise across generations and highlighting the personal and business transformations at its core.

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. The Godfather is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 55m runtime, released in 1972 with an average rating of 8.7 by 23,253 people. The movie made an estimated total of $245,066,411 in the box office.

Once Upon a Time in America, like The Godfather Part II, weaves a story about crime, family dynamics, and the pursuit of power across historical periods, including the early 20th century in New York. Both films examine how personal ambitions intersect with organized crime over several decades.

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. Once Upon a Time in America is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 3h 49m runtime, released in 1984 with an average rating of 8.4 by 6,129 people. The movie made an estimated total of $5,500,000 in the box office.

GoodFellas explores the rise and fall of gangsters within American organized crime, echoing the criminal underworld, internal betrayal, and shifting alliances present in The Godfather Part II’s examination of the Corleone family’s survival and transformation within broader historical contexts.

The true story of Henry Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian Brooklyn kid who is adopted by neighbourhood gangsters at an early age and climbs the ranks of a Mafia family under the guidance of Jimmy Conway. GoodFellas is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 25m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 8.5 by 14,562 people. The movie made an estimated total of $47,072,327 in the box office.

The Irishman navigates decades of organized crime, depicting the expansion and decline of a criminal enterprise while delving into themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the passage of time. Its narrative structure across different time periods parallels the generational and geographic arcs seen in The Godfather Part II.

Pennsylvania, 1956. Frank Sheeran, a war veteran of Irish origin who works as a truck driver, accidentally meets mobster Russell Bufalino. Once Frank becomes his trusted man, Bufalino sends him to Chicago with the task of helping Jimmy Hoffa, a powerful union leader related to organized crime, with whom Frank will maintain a close friendship for nearly twenty years. The Irishman is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 3h 29m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 7.6 by 7,608 people. The movie made an estimated total of $968,853 in the box office.

Scarface follows the trajectory of an ambitious criminal seeking to expand his underworld empire, mirroring Michael Corleone’s efforts to consolidate and grow his power outside traditional boundaries in The Godfather Part II, while exploring the consequences of personal ambition and violence.

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. Scarface is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 50m runtime, released in 1983 with an average rating of 8.2 by 13,236 people. The movie made an estimated total of $66,023,329 in the box office.

A Prophet presents the integration of a young outsider into the complex power structures of organized crime. This character-driven focus on adaptation and ambition aligns with the rise of Vito Corleone and the internal struggles for dominance depicted within The Godfather Part II.

Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. On his arrival at the prison, he seems younger and more brittle than the others detained there. At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group. A Prophet is a movie from France in French, with a total 2h 35m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 7.6 by 1,753 people. The movie made an estimated total of $17,874,044 in the box office.

Miller's Crossing examines power, loyalty, and betrayal amid shifting criminal alliances—core themes also found in The Godfather Part II. Both films portray intricate internal conflicts and the burden of leadership within criminal networks, set against historical backdrops.

Set in 1929, a political boss and his advisor have a parting of the ways when they both fall for the same woman. Miller's Crossing is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 55m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 7.4 by 1,878 people. The movie made an estimated total of $5,080,409 in the box office.

Casino explores the extension of organized crime into Las Vegas, reflecting Michael Corleone’s attempt to expand the family business into new territories during the 1950s. Both films investigate how criminal empires adapt to changing opportunities and confront internal and external threats.

In Las Vegas, two best friends--a casino executive and a Mafia enforcer--compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite. Casino is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 59m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 8.0 by 6,638 people. The movie made an estimated total of $116,112,375 in the box office.

Road to Perdition, set in a historical era of American organized crime, delves into familial relationships, betrayal, and a quest for legacy, similar to the generational themes and balance between family loyalty and criminal ambition evident throughout The Godfather Part II.

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. Road to Perdition is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 57m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 7.4 by 4,057 people. The movie made an estimated total of $181,001,478 in the box office.

The Yakuza depicts organized crime within a specific cultural context and time period, paralleling The Godfather Part II’s exploration of criminal tradition, honor, and family in both Sicily and New York. Both films examine how individuals navigate loyalties within criminal hierarchies.

When George Tanner does business with high-ranking Yakuza Tono, Tono kidnaps his daughter, and George summons his old friend, private eye Harry Kilmer, to Japan to investigate. The Yakuza is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 52m runtime, released in 1974 with an average rating of 7.1 by 214 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,500,000 in the box office.

Gomorrah investigates the operations of a powerful crime syndicate and its effect on family and community. The focus on organized crime’s impact at the personal and societal levels links it thematically to The Godfather Part II’s depiction of the Corleone family’s influence and struggle.

An inside look at Italy's modern-day crime families, the Camorra in Naples and Caserta. Based on a book by Roberto Saviano. Power, money and blood: these are the "values" that the residents of the Province of Naples and Caserta have to face every day. They hardly ever have a choice and are forced to obey the rules of the Camorra. Only a lucky few can even think of leading a normal life. Gomorrah is a movie from Belgium in Italian, with a total 2h 17m runtime, released in 2008 with an average rating of 6.9 by 1,309 people. The movie made an estimated total of $34,861,529 in the box office.

The Long Good Friday portrays criminal business ambitions and the challenges of maintaining power within changing environments—elements central to The Godfather Part II’s narrative as the Corleone family seeks expansion while facing new threats and complicated alliances.

In the late 1970s, Cockney crime boss Harold Shand, a gangster trying to become a legitimate property mogul, has big plans to get the American Mafia to bankroll his transformation of a derelict area of London into the possible venue for a future Olympic Games. However, a series of bombings targets his empire on the very weekend the Americans are in town. Shand is convinced there is a traitor in his organization, and sets out to eliminate the rat in typically ruthless fashion. The Long Good Friday is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 1980 with an average rating of 7.2 by 437 people. The movie made an estimated total of $500,000 in the box office.

Eastern Promises deals with the complexities and rituals of the criminal underworld and the struggles of individuals caught between loyalty and survival. This echoes the themes of personal transformation and secretive power structures present in The Godfather Part II.

A Russian teenager living in London dies during childbirth but leaves clues in her diary that could tie her child to a rape involving a violent Russian mob family. Eastern Promises is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 7.3 by 3,774 people. The movie made an estimated total of $56,106,607 in the box office.

Donnie Brasco examines undercover infiltration within the Mafia, focusing on trust, betrayal, and the personal cost of navigating criminal bonds—subjects that resonate with The Godfather Part II’s depiction of shifting loyalties and the challenges of maintaining integrity in the underworld.

An FBI undercover agent infiltrates the mob and identifies more with the mafia life at the expense of his regular one. Donnie Brasco is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 7m runtime, released in 1997 with an average rating of 7.5 by 4,926 people. The movie made an estimated total of $124,909,762 in the box office.

City of God offers a multigenerational look at organized crime’s reach, exploring how individuals rise through violent, changing environments. The film’s structure and examination of criminal empires over time are reminiscent of The Godfather Part II’s themes of legacy and ambition.

In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood, while José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer diving into a dangerous life of crime. City of God is a movie from Brazil in Portuguese, with a total 2h 9m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 8.4 by 8,317 people. The movie made an estimated total of $30,641,770 in the box office.

Carlito's Way focuses on a gangster grappling with his criminal past and attempting to redefine his future, mirroring the tension between familial obligation and personal ambition while navigating the dangerous realities faced by crime figures in The Godfather Part II.

Free after years in prison, Carlito Brigante intends to give up his criminal ways, but it's not long before the ex-con is sucked back into the New York City underworld. Carlito's Way is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 24m runtime, released in 1993 with an average rating of 7.8 by 3,521 people. The movie made an estimated total of $63,848,322 in the box office.

Angels with Dirty Faces centers on childhood roots within a criminal environment and the consequences of rising through illegal enterprises, paralleling the early life of Vito Corleone in Sicily and New York, as depicted in The Godfather Part II.

Childhood chums Rocky Sullivan and Jerry Connelly grow up on opposite sides of the fence: Rocky matures into a prominent gangster, while Jerry becomes a priest, tending to the needs of his old tenement neighborhood. Angels with Dirty Faces is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 37m runtime, released in 1938 with an average rating of 7.5 by 357 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,700,000 in the box office.

El padrino: The Latin Godfather, by its title, hints at a possible exploration of organized crime, power, and family leadership—fundamental aspects in The Godfather Part II—as these themes are inherent to stories built around criminal empires and the legacy of their leaders.

In the streets of East Los Angeles, Manny is a formidable drug dealer. Impressed by his extravagant lifestyle and prowess, his young son, Kilo, yearns to follow in his footsteps. Kilo resolves to learn how to prosper in the drug world, and his new life as a dealer begins. In a world where a man wants everything, he may end up with nothing. El padrino: The Latin Godfather is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 8m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 7.1 by 72 people.

Le Samouraï features a meticulous and isolated criminal protagonist. While focused on a different milieu, its introspective approach to the underworld and exploration of codes and honor resonate with the internal struggles and code-based leadership seen in The Godfather Part II.

After carrying out a flawlessly planned hit, Jef Costello, a contract killer with samurai instincts, finds himself caught between a persistent police investigator and a ruthless employer, and not even his armor of fedora and trench coat can protect him. Le Samouraï is a movie from France in French, with a total 1h 45m runtime, released in 1967 with an average rating of 7.8 by 1,278 people. The movie made an estimated total of $215,245 in the box office.

American Gangster explores the construction and management of a criminal business empire and the personal cost of power, echoing The Godfather Part II’s focus on ambition, expansion, and the dilemmas faced by those leading illicit organizations.

Loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina, who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, before being detained by a task force led by Newark Detective Richie Roberts. American Gangster is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 37m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 7.6 by 6,134 people. The movie made an estimated total of $269,755,430 in the box office.

The Sicilian traces criminal activity and family legacies in Sicily, directly connecting to the Sicilian roots and generational transitions of the Corleone family narrative central to The Godfather Part II.

Egocentric bandit Salvatore Giuliano fights the Church, the Mafia, and the landed gentry while leading a populist movement for Sicilian independence. The Sicilian is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 56m runtime, released in 1987 with an average rating of 5.2 by 150 people. The movie made an estimated total of $5,406,879 in the box office.

The Consequences of Love contemplates the solitary existence and psychological effects of connections within criminal circles, drawing parallels to the internal and emotional toll of leadership and isolation portrayed in The Godfather Part II.

Lugano, Switzerland. Titta Di Girolamo is a discreet and sullen man who has been living for almost a decade in a modest hotel room, a prisoner of an atrocious routine, apparently without purpose. His past is a mystery, nobody knows what he does for a living, he answers indiscreet questions evasively. What secrets does this enigmatic man hide? The Consequences of Love is a movie from Italy in Italian, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 7.5 by 913 people.

Mean Streets depicts young men enmeshed in New York’s criminal underworld, focusing on loyalty, tradition, and the challenges of upward mobility—elements present in The Godfather Part II’s narrative about personal ambition and family obligations in similar environments.

A small-time hood must choose from among love, friendship and the chance to rise within the mob. Mean Streets is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 52m runtime, released in 1973 with an average rating of 7.0 by 2,324 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,000,000 in the box office.

The Funeral portrays a crime family coping with loss and internal conflict, delving into brotherhood, betrayal, and the fallout of violence. These familiar themes link closely with The Godfather Part II’s ongoing exploration of family, legacy, and the high costs of criminal life.

After the funeral of one of their own, a criminal family decides to embark on an emotionally unnerving journey in an attempt to exact bloody revenge. The Funeral is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 39m runtime, released in 1996 with an average rating of 6.7 by 203 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,227,324 in the box office.

Lawless centers on family-run criminal enterprise facing shifting business prospects and external threats similar to the Corleone family’s attempts at expansion and survival in The Godfather Part II, with both stories set against periods of significant historical change.

In 1931, the Bondurant brothers of Franklin County, Virginia, run a multipurpose backwoods establishment that hides their true business — bootlegging. Middle brother Forrest is the brain of the operation; older Howard is the brawn, and younger Jack, the lookout. Though the local police have taken bribes and left the brothers alone, a violent war erupts when a sadistic lawman from Chicago arrives and tries to shut down the Bondurants operation. Lawless is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 55m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 7.1 by 3,380 people. The movie made an estimated total of $55,404,207 in the box office.

The Valachi Papers details the world of organized crime, likely focusing on internal codes, loyalty, and shifting allegiances, themes evident in The Godfather Part II’s depiction of power dynamics, betrayal, and the transfer of criminal traditions.

When Joe Valachi has a price put on his head by Don Vito Genovese, he must take desperate steps to protect himself while in prison. An unsuccessful attempt to slit his throat puts him over the edge to break the sacred code of silence. The Valachi Papers is a movie from Italy in English, with a total 2h 5m runtime, released in 1972 with an average rating of 6.5 by 117 people.

The Public Enemy offers an early look at the rise of a gangster within American organized crime, spotlighting ambition, violence, and the consequences of criminal choices—core components also driving the narrative in The Godfather Part II.

Two young Chicago hoodlums, Tom Powers and Matt Doyle, rise up from their poverty-stricken slum life to become petty thieves, bootleggers and cold-blooded killers. But with street notoriety and newfound wealth, the duo feels the heat from the cops and rival gangsters both. Despite his ruthless criminal reputation, Tom tries to remain connected to his family, however, gang warfare and the need for revenge eventually pull him away. The Public Enemy is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 23m runtime, released in 1931 with an average rating of 7.2 by 394 people. The movie made an estimated total of $557,000 in the box office.

Bugsy centers on a notorious gangster’s vision to expand criminal operations, echoing The Godfather Part II’s storyline where Michael Corleone seeks to extend the family business and legacy, depicting ambition and the transformative impact of organized crime.

New York gangster Ben 'Bugsy' Siegel takes a brief business trip to Los Angeles. A sharp-dressing womanizer with a foul temper, Siegel doesn't hesitate to kill or maim anyone crossing him. In L.A. the life, the movies, and most of all strong-willed Virginia Hill detain him while his family wait back home. Then a trip to a run-down gambling joint at a spot in the desert known as Las Vegas gives him his big idea. Bugsy is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 16m runtime, released in 1991 with an average rating of 6.3 by 455 people. The movie made an estimated total of $49,114,016 in the box office.

The Cotton Club explores the intersections of entertainment and organized crime, set in a historical context, resembling the setting and era shifts of The Godfather Part II’s portrayal of the Corleone family’s entanglements with American cultural and criminal history.

Harlem's legendary Cotton Club becomes a hotbed of passion and violence as the lives and loves of entertainers and gangsters collide. The Cotton Club is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 10m runtime, released in 1984 with an average rating of 6.5 by 449 people. The movie made an estimated total of $25,928,721 in the box office.

Little Odessa investigates a family’s involvement in organized crime within a tight-knit immigrant community. Its focus on loyalty, betrayal, and family ties reflects the core narrative threads running through The Godfather Part II.

Long separated from his family, hitman Joshua returns to Brighton Beach for a contract killing for the Russian Mafia. His abusive father, Arkady, banned him from returning after Joshua committed his first murder. He takes up residence in a hotel, and soon everyone knows he has returned. He goes home to visit his dying mother, Irina, and prepares for the assassination, getting drawn back into the criminal community he left behind. Little Odessa is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 1994 with an average rating of 6.5 by 243 people.

Infernal Affairs explores deception, dual identities, and the infiltration of criminal organizations, reflecting the internal conflicts and precarious loyalties inherent within the Corleone family’s world in The Godfather Part II.

Chan Wing Yan, a young police officer, has been sent undercover as a mole in the local mafia. Lau Kin Ming, a young mafia member, infiltrates the police force. Years later, their older counterparts, Chen Wing Yan and Inspector Lau Kin Ming, respectively, race against time to expose the mole within their midst. Infernal Affairs is a movie from Hong Kong in Cantonese, with a total 1h 41m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 7.8 by 1,893 people. The movie made an estimated total of $8,836,958 in the box office.

Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 follows the rise and infamy of a charismatic criminal, tracing his trajectory through shifting alliances and betrayals, paralleling the examinations of personal ambition and transformation found in The Godfather Part II.

After nearly two decades of legendary criminal feats, making him France's most notorious criminal while simultaneously feeding his desire for media attention and public adoration, Mesrine becomes increasingly paranoid and isolated, leading to a dramatic confrontation with the law that ultimately seals his fate as the nation's most infamous public enemy. Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 is a movie from Canada in French, with a total 2h 13m runtime, released in 2008 with an average rating of 7.3 by 956 people. The movie made an estimated total of $15,000,000 in the box office.

Don examines the operations and hierarchical structures of organized crime, focusing on power struggles and the protagonist's navigation of danger, akin to the criminal machinations and shifting authority figures in The Godfather Part II.

DCP DeSilva sees a way to bring to justice the feared head of a criminal empire by recruiting a man named Vijay, who looks exactly like the crime boss. The ruse works too well, and soon Vijay finds his life in danger when DeSilva, the only one who knows his true identity, dies. Don is a movie from India in Hindi, with a total 2h 58m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 6.9 by 312 people. The movie made an estimated total of $15,000,000 in the box office.

Animal Kingdom tracks the survival strategies of a young man within a violent crime family, echoing The Godfather Part II’s exploration of familial ties, inheritance of criminal legacies, and the price of loyalty under threat.

Joshua “J” is taken in by his extended family after his mother dies of an overdose. The clan, ruled by J’s scheming grandmother, is heavily involved in criminal activities, and J is soon indoctrinated into their way of life. But J is given a chance to take another path when a cop seeks to help him. Animal Kingdom is a movie from Australia in English, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 6.8 by 926 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,000,000 in the box office.

Summer of Sam delves into New York communities undergoing crisis and moral upheaval in the 1970s. While differing in focus, both films situate personal and communal dramas against the backdrop of New York’s shifting criminal landscape and period detail.

Spike Lee's take on the "Son of Sam" murders in New York City during the summer of 1977 centering on the residents of an Italian-American Northeast Bronx neighborhood who live in fear and distrust of one another. Summer of Sam is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 22m runtime, released in 1999 with an average rating of 6.5 by 541 people. The movie made an estimated total of $19,288,130 in the box office.

Chinatown is set in 1970s Los Angeles and revolves around the uncovering of corruption and a family's dark secrets. Like The Godfather Part II, it weaves together historical context and complex family dynamics shaped by power, ambition, and deception.

Private eye Jake Gittes lives off of the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-World War II Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together. Chinatown is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 10m runtime, released in 1974 with an average rating of 7.9 by 4,323 people. The movie made an estimated total of $30,000,000 in the box office.

Sicilian Ghost Story connects to The Godfather Part II through its Sicilian setting and exploration of how criminal violence permeates family and community life, depicting longstanding effects of organized crime rooted in Sicilian tradition.

In a little Sicilian village at the edge of a forest, Giuseppe, a boy of 13, vanishes. Luna, his classmate who loves him, refuses to accept his mysterious disappearance. She rebels against the silence and complicity that surround her, and to find him she descends into the dark world which has swallowed him up and which has a lake as its mysterious entrance. Sicilian Ghost Story is a movie from Italy in Italian, with a total 2h 2m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.5 by 150 people.