Best Movies like The Godfather (1972)

The Godfather Part II continues the multigenerational saga of the Corleone family, exploring familial loyalty and the moral costs of organized crime—mirroring the time-spanning, character-driven narrative and crime family focus established in The Godfather.

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. The Godfather Part II is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 3h 22m runtime, released in 1974 with an average rating of 8.6 by 14,112 people. The movie made an estimated total of $102,600,000 in the box office.

Once Upon a Time in America follows the rise and evolution of close-knit friends enmeshed in organized crime, set across decades, sharing The Godfather’s sprawling chronicle of underworld loyalty and the passage of time within a crime syndicate.

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 revolves around the inner workings and personal stakes of an American criminal organization, paralleling The Godfather’s exploration of loyalty, ambition, and betrayal in the shadowy machinations of a crime family.

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 examines decades of allegiance, betrayal, and power in organized crime, structured around a personal journey similar to Michael Corleone’s, with major life events driving a story about choices within a criminal brotherhood.

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.

Miller's Crossing delves into rivalries, shifting alliances, and moral ambiguity among gangsters, echoing the Corleone family’s negotiation of loyalty and power amid the dangerous politics of organized crime.

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.

Eastern Promises explores the inner dynamics and rituals of a criminal family, focusing on themes of loyalty and power struggles, elements central to the story arc found in The Godfather’s depiction of the Corleone clan.

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.

Scarface delves into the transformation of an ambitious outsider rising through the criminal underworld, echoing themes of violence, succession, and the pursuit of power integral to The Godfather’s depiction of crime family evolution.

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.

Donnie Brasco presents the morally complex world of the mafia through deep character relationships and the costs of double lives, paralleling the trust and betrayal dynamics that underpin The Godfather’s crime family narrative.

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.

A Prophet tracks the journey of a young man climbing the ranks within a criminal organization, examining the corrosive effects of power, loyalty, and violence much like the generational arc and ethical tradeoffs explored in The Godfather.

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.

The Long Good Friday centers on the shifting fortunes and internal threats facing a powerful crime syndicate, presenting power struggles and family-like bonds reminiscent of the intricate conflicts and loyalty themes seen in The Godfather.

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.

Casino highlights the rise and conflicts within organized crime, focusing on power, betrayal, and the inner workings of a criminal empire—closely aligning with the world-building and family dynamics central to The Godfather.

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.

The Sicilian is set within the Italian organized crime milieu and centers on ambition, honor, and the family code—elements also central to The Godfather’s narrative of familial loyalty and the legacy of violence.

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.

Road to Perdition examines a father-son relationship set against a backdrop of organized crime and vengeance, offering a similar blend of familial loyalty, retribution, and shifting moral landscapes as The Godfather.

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.

Gomorrah studies the everyday realities and generational effects of organized crime within a specific community, drawing on themes of loyalty, peril, and the pervasiveness of criminal enterprise much like The Godfather.

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.

Carlito's Way explores the personal cost of escaping the life of organized crime, touching on loyalty, betrayal, and the challenge of leaving behind an identity shaped by violence, all key themes in The Godfather.

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.

American Gangster follows the ascent and moral code of a crime figure within a detailed criminal underworld, paralleling The Godfather’s depiction of family-based power structures and the ramifications of choices made inside organized crime.

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.

Legend explores the rise and rivalry of siblings within a British crime family, mirroring The Godfather’s focus on familial bonds, internal conflict, and the struggle for dominance within an underworld empire.

Suave, charming and volatile, Reggie Kray and his unstable twin brother Ronnie start to leave their mark on the London underworld in the 1960s. Using violence to get what they want, the siblings orchestrate robberies and murders while running nightclubs and protection rackets. With police Detective Leonard "Nipper" Read hot on their heels, the brothers continue their rapid rise to power and achieve tabloid notoriety. Legend is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 2h 12m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 7.1 by 4,339 people. The movie made an estimated total of $42,972,994 in the box office.

The Yakuza investigates traditions, obligations, and the sense of familial loyalty within a crime syndicate, evoking the complex codes and emotional ties found in The Godfather’s portrayal of its own organized crime family.

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.

A Bronx Tale chronicles the intersection between organized crime and family influence in a coming-of-age context, exploring how young men are shaped by criminal codes and parental expectations, as seen in The Godfather.

Set in the Bronx during the tumultuous 1960s, an adolescent boy is torn between his honest, working-class father and a violent yet charismatic crime boss. Complicating matters is the youngster's growing attraction - forbidden in his neighborhood - for a beautiful black girl. A Bronx Tale is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 1m runtime, released in 1993 with an average rating of 7.9 by 2,942 people. The movie made an estimated total of $17,287,898 in the box office.

Mean Streets focuses on the interplay between personal loyalty and ambition within a small criminal network, much like The Godfather’s examination of trust, moral compromise, and the pressures of family expectations within organized crime.

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.

Infernal Affairs explores trust, deception, and double lives within a crime syndicate, using deep-rooted criminal and familial connections to examine blurred lines between right and wrong, similar to themes present throughout The Godfather.

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 1,891 people. The movie made an estimated total of $8,836,958 in the box office.

Mesrine: Killer Instinct details the transformation of an individual navigating the underworld, capturing the choices, rise in criminality, and struggle for control akin to the personal journeys experienced by characters in The Godfather.

Jacques Mesrine, a loyal son and dedicated soldier, is back home and living with his parents after serving in the Algerian War. Soon he is seduced by the neon glamour of sixties Paris and the easy money it presents. Mentored by Guido, Mesrine turns his back on middle class law-abiding and soon moves swiftly up the criminal ladder. Mesrine: Killer Instinct is a movie from France in French, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 2008 with an average rating of 7.3 by 1,012 people. The movie made an estimated total of $15,000,000 in the box office.

The Public Enemy traces the rise and personal conflicts of a gangster, focusing on shifting loyalties and the seduction of criminal life, reminiscent of the classic crime family arc found in The Godfather.

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.

City of God examines the structure and violence of organized crime through the lens of personal ambition and survival, paralleling The Godfather’s exploration of how power dynamics and family-like bonds shape destinies.

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 8,307 people. The movie made an estimated total of $30,641,770 in the box office.

The Valachi Papers revolves around the internal workings and dangerous allegiances of the American Mafia, spotlighting loyalty and betrayal in a real-life crime family, akin to The Godfather’s fictional depiction of organized crime’s codes.

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.

Bugsy covers the ascent of a notorious gangster within the American underworld, depicting personal ambition, moral compromise, and the aggressive pursuit of power, reflecting The Godfather’s central motifs of crime and legacy.

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.

Gangs of New York follows the rise of power within rival street factions and examines issues of leadership, succession, and violence, much like The Godfather’s focus on criminal hierarchies and the consequences of ambition.

In early 1860s New York, Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon is released from prison and returns to the Five Points, seeking revenge against his father's killer, William Cutting, a powerful anti-immigrant gang leader. He knows that revenge can only be attained by infiltrating Cutting's inner circle. Vallon's journey becomes a fight for personal survival and to find a place for the Irish people. Gangs of New York is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 48m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 7.3 by 7,331 people. The movie made an estimated total of $193,772,504 in the box office.

Le Doulos delves into the murky loyalties, betrayals, and ethical quandaries of underworld figures, thematically mirroring The Godfather’s approach to trust and the cost of a life intertwined with crime.

Enigmatic gangster Silien may or may not be responsible for informing on Faugel, who was just released from prison and is already involved in what should be a simple heist. By the end of this brutal, twisting, and multilayered policier, who will be left to trust? Le Doulos is a movie from France in French, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 1962 with an average rating of 7.4 by 311 people.

The Funeral investigates how tragedy and violence ripple through a criminal clan, scrutinizing the dynamics of grief, revenge, and brotherhood that similarly drive The Godfather’s family-centric narrative.

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.

The Cotton Club portrays intersecting lives shaped by crime, show business, and social upheaval, set against a period backdrop, reflecting thematic intersections of power, ambition, and loyalty also seen in The Godfather.

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.

The Family presents the complications and adjustments of a crime family removed from its familiar turf, echoing the relational dynamics and criminal context persistent throughout The Godfather’s focus on the Corleone household.

After ratting out his Mafia cohorts, Giovanni Manzoni and his family enter the Witness Protection Program and relocate to a sleepy town in France. Despite the best efforts of their handler to keep them in line, Giovanni (now called Fred Blake), his wife and children can't help but resort to doing things the "family" way. However, their dependence on such old habits places everyone in danger from vengeful mobsters. The Family is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 51m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 6.4 by 3,144 people. The movie made an estimated total of $36,894,225 in the box office.

Animal Kingdom centers on the precarious ties and shifting loyalty within a close-knit group of criminals, paralleling The Godfather’s nuanced exploration of trust, family allegiance, and the cost of a life inside organized crime.

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 925 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,000,000 in the box office.

Brother examines a protagonist’s personal journey within the criminal underworld, emphasizing loyalty and the search for belonging in a violent context—resonating with The Godfather’s character-driven, family-oriented crime saga.

A Japanese Yakuza gangster's deadly existence in his homeland gets him exiled to Los Angeles, where he is taken in by his little brother and his brother's gang. Brother is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 2000 with an average rating of 7.1 by 536 people. The movie made an estimated total of $15,250,000 in the box office.

Outrage spotlights the rivalries and codes of honor among organized crime factions, dissecting power dynamics, shifting alliances, and brutal consequences, all reflective of the complexities faced by the Corleone family in The Godfather.

When a tough yakuza gangster is betrayed by his bosses, it means all out war. Bodies pile up as he takes out everyone in his way to the top in a brutal quest for revenge. Outrage is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 6.9 by 462 people. The movie made an estimated total of $8,428,636 in the box office.

King of New York explores the power struggles and moral ambiguity enmeshed with running a crime empire, mirroring The Godfather’s dissection of influence, betrayal, and ambition within the upper echelons of organized crime.

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. King of New York is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 43m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 6.8 by 801 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,554,712 in the box office.

Infernal Affairs II traces the roots and rise of criminal organizations, placing special emphasis on betrayal, family links, and shifting alliances, major thematic pillars in The Godfather’s depiction of its own crime dynasty.

In this prequel to the original, a bloody power struggle among the Triads coincides with the 1997 handover of Hong Kong, setting up the events of the first film. Infernal Affairs II is a movie from Hong Kong in Cantonese, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 2003 with an average rating of 7.3 by 481 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,208,262 in the box office.

Prophet examines the consequences and inner workings of entrenched crime clans, revealing themes around succession, loyalty, and the transformation of key players—core elements mirrored in The Godfather’s family-centric narrative.

Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski's story sets the stage for the dramatic rise of Pope John Paul II and the fall of communism in Europe. Who is this prophetic man who battled evil and saw a son of Poland rising? Prophet is a movie from Poland in Polish, with a total 2h 5m runtime, released in 2022 with an average rating of 5.9 by 5 people. The movie made an estimated total of $97,507 in the box office.

Black Mass follows the real-life expansion and violent rise of a crime leader, exploring betrayal, loyalty, and the cultivation of power, all central to The Godfather’s analysis of the organized crime world.

The true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf. Black Mass is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 3m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 6.5 by 3,633 people. The movie made an estimated total of $99,975,678 in the box office.

The Departed looks at criminal infiltration, split loyalties, and trust issues between criminals and law enforcement, aligned with The Godfather’s focus on family ties, deception, and life-and-death stakes in organized crime.

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. The Departed is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 31m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 8.2 by 16,423 people. The movie made an estimated total of $291,465,000 in the box office.

The Untouchables showcases the struggle to dismantle a notorious crime syndicate, illuminating the power, influence, and internal code that define crime families, key elements also depicted in The Godfather.

Elliot Ness, an ambitious prohibition agent, is determined to take down Al Capone. In order to achieve this goal, he forms a group given the nickname “The Untouchables”. The Untouchables is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 1987 with an average rating of 7.8 by 6,246 people. The movie made an estimated total of $76,270,454 in the box office.

Thief explores the professional and personal dilemmas of a criminal seeking control over his life and fate, sharing The Godfather’s core concerns with agency, betrayal, and the sacrifices required within a dangerous profession.

Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score. Thief is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 3m runtime, released in 1981 with an average rating of 7.2 by 865 people. The movie made an estimated total of $11,494,812 in the box office.