Top List of Ultimate Unknown Underground Gangster Movies

Original Title: "Blood In Blood Out". Probably my personal favourite gangster movie of all time.

The film is about life of three Latino men throughout the 1970's and 1980's and their trials and tribulations in the streets of gang infested East Los Angeles.

May contain spoilers: Two Mexican Latino brothers and a white Latino step-cousin become members of their local street gang "Vatos Locos". Gang rivalry causes life changing events that separate the three and make them walk completely different paths in life.

One of the two brothers becomes a painting artist struggling with physical ailments and addiction. After the events, the other had no choice but to join the US Marines. He later becomes a narcotics agent. The white step-cousin is convicted and must serve hard time in the infamous San Quentin state prison. Even though he is white, his Vatos Locos gang affiliation and Latino background introduce him into whole new levels of organised crime and the harsh reality of prison-gang life.

But the three will always remain Vatos Locos. Through their gang-tattoo they are Bound by Honour and more importantly, as family, they are bound by blood.

One a heroin junkie, one a narcotics detective, and the other a major player in the Mexican cartel drug trade from his prison cell, Their lives are bound to cross paths again.

I have never seen such incredible character development as displayed in this very film. When I first watched the beginning of the movie, I even thought it could become somewhat of a B-film, possibly glorifying gang culture. Little did I know the story and characters develop in such a way that "Blood In Blood Out" is now by far my all time favourite gangster movie and definitely ranked high in my personal top 10 of best movies of all time.

Outstanding acting. Incredible story. The characters, locations and even the music are done in such a way, that the viewer actually gets a real taste and feel of the Latino or Mexican culture significant to East Los Angeles.

A very underrated film, maybe even unknown to some, but nonetheless a real gem in the Gangster category.

The criminal Carlito (Al Pacino) is fresh out of prison. He wants out so that he can start to live a normal life. But sometimes, in some god-forsaken places, crime and gangsterism is unavoidable and the criminal life chooses you.

Excellent classic gangster movie, remarkably unknown to some people. A must-watch Al Pacino crime film.

Christopher Walken is Frank White. A convicted high-level mobster just released from jail.

He's back, he has paid his debts. This time he's taking over by force. Wherever or whenever money is made in the Big Apple, he wants a piece.

With the help of some good old friends from the African American community and his personal cunning and ruthlessness, will he rise to the top again and become "The King of New York"?.

Un Prophète (A prophet) is an high quality, very brutal French/Italian produced and French/Sicilian spoken film about a seemingly insignificant young Algerian man convicted for committing petty crimes and sent to France's most rough prison.

He looks up to other major criminals in jail and through them he learns about the Arab and Muslim culture. Although it are part of his roots, it is something he had never learned on the streets. He gets intrigued by another inmate, a feared and respected mobster from Sicily.

He soon realizes that in order to get his respect, he has to earn it. This is the story of how a harmless young, innocent and rather weak Algerian young man rises through prison hierarchy and becomes France's most feared and infamous convicted criminal of his time.

US Title: Mesrine : Part 1 - Killer Instinct. An outstanding French crime movie about the famous gangster Jacques Mesrine from France.

US Title: Mesrine : Part 2 - Public Enemy #1. The second part of a great French crime movie about the famous gangster Jacques Mesrine from France.

US Title: "City of God".

Probably the best Brazilian gangster movie ever made. The story takes place in the poverty-stricken slums of Rio de Janeiro. Cidade De Deus might even be in my personal top 5 greatest movies of all time.

This masterpiece vividly depicts some of the horrific conditions of children growing up in the densely populated ghettos and gravity defying slums throughout the hills of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the 1960's and 1970's.

Don't get me wrong, this is not just some gangster movie. "City of God" is a film about love, friendship, happiness, compassion, family, ambition and deals with real life, real struggles, pain and hardships.

It's a film that masterfully takes you on a breathtaking, shocking and touching journey right into the life of youngsters in Rio. The story is one of a kind. The acting is incredible. Just as the music and in many ways unique way of filming and montage. The entire atmosphere of this film makes the viewer feel as if they are taking part in the epic tale in the City of God. It shows great skill in acting, filming, editing, production, casting, as well as character development.

But foremost, all that cinematic stupendousness is mixed with some of the most ruthless and hardcore thugged and loc'd the f*#k-out murderous drug-trafficking straight up killer G sh*t, of all time.

So, you've never seen 5-year old toddler street villains wielding .357 magnums? Sit back and enjoy "City of God".

The original spoken language is Portuguese.

Shame on you if you haven't seen this classic gangster movie yet.

One Tarantino's best, starring Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Tim Roth, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken, Harvey Keitel, Amanda Plummer, Quentin Tarantino himself and even a short cameo of Steve Buscemi.

Four stories of different gangsters in different settings intertwine and in the end come together in this magnificent cinematic masterpiece. The dialogues in this film seem incredibly realistic. This movie is one of my all time personal favourites.

One of the best British Gangster movies. Huge cast: Brad Pitt, Benicio Del Toro, Vinnie Jones, Dennis Farina and Jason Statham and more.

Beautifully filmed and edited in a typical fast paced Guy Richie fashion. All the character's personal stories are completely different, yet all their stories in some way evolve around one of the worlds largest and most valuable diamonds ever found.

Hilarious, brutal, yet highly intelligent and all character stories are seamlessly knit together at the same time. One of my all time favourite movies.

Original Title: "Kill The Irishman". Relatively unknown and highly underrated gangster film classic. The story is based on real life events surrounding the life of the iconic Irish mobster Danny Greene, living in Cleveland Ohio USA.

Miller's Crossing is a very good and relatively underground gangster flick made by the Coen Brothers.

Great Dutch gangster film. A gangster film about young men and adolescents getting caught up in the criminal life and drug related underworld around Venlo in the south of the European country the Netherlands.

The story is a dramatization of real events surrounding the "Gang of Venlo" in the early 90's and the rivalry between the gang, the Turkish Mafia gangsters and the police. Great acting, great story, great movie.

The original spoken language is Dutch

US Title: Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within.

Brutal Rio de Janeiro movie from Brazil. Elite Squad 2 really is a sequel, so if you have not seen part 1 yet, do watch that one first. This movie revolves around the highly trained heavily armed and well-equipped elite anti-gang military style police unit B.O.P.E. in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The logo of this unit is a human skull pierced with a knife. Signifying death. BOPE works to fight crime (read: kills people) in the slums of Rio de Janeiro.

Better than part 1? One could say that in some respects this film is even better than the already utmost excellent part 1 of "Elite Squad" or "Tropa de Elite".

This is the only sequel film I am aware of that most people consider to be better than the original. Like part 2, the original is also incredibly hardcore and truly gangster.

I recommend watching the original Tropa de Elite or Elite Squad (2008) first. I always recommend watching films in the original spoken language which is in this case Portuguese.

Great Italian made and spoken gangster movie surrounding narcotics trade and rivalry of different Mafia families or organised crime syndicates around Italy.

A Dutch Gangster film based on the true story surrounding the Dutch hash-kingpin "Klaas Bruinsma" and the rise and fall of his enormous Dutch marijuana empire.

Revolutionary German movie about the Baader Meinhof Group and the R.A.F. (Red Army Faction), who commit heists, assassinations, bombings and attacks against the increasingly fascist regime that forms around them in Germany of the 60's and 70's. Outstanding movie, cast, acting, soundtrack, cinematography and script. Based on a true story.

The original spoken language of this film is German.

US Title: "Elite Squad".

Brutal Rio de Janeiro movie from Brazil. This movie revolves around the highly trained heavily armed and well-equipped elite anti-gang military style police unit B.O.P.E. in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The logo of this unit is a human skull pierced with a knife. Signifying death. BOPE works to fight crime (read: kills people) in the slums of Rio de Janeiro.

The original spoken language in this film is Portuguese.

US Title: "District B13"

Dystopia, gang crime, government corruption, and adrenaline packed free running.

This French gangster film is set in Banlieue 13 or District B13 - a huge crime infested and gang-controlled ghetto somewhere on the outskirts of Paris, France.

The French government constructed a huge wall around the entire district in order to 'contain' the situation. There are military checkpoints all around and the government employs a team of highly skilled elite crime fighting policemen to go after the criminal B13 population by any means necessary.

Then one of those very policemen uncovers a secret plot that could endanger all the people living in the district. Who can this policeman ever trust to help him save the people of B13?

The cop has to turn to a unlikely person for help - a lonesome criminal inside the walls of B13, with a good heart and great set of skills in "Free Running" or French Parkour. Will the cop convince the criminal to help him? Will they together be able to prevent the evil plot? Will they find and expose the real culprits?

This is an excellent movie. It's got good music, great acting, adrenaline packed action and well choreographed chase scenes and on top of that a great story with unexpected plot twists.

The original spoken language of this film is French.

Relatively unknown gangster flick with Forest Whitaker as a lone hitman assassin working for the Mafia in Jersey city, New Jersey.

Ghost Dog lives as a modern day samurai. He trains in swordfighting daily and even wields his guns as if they were samurai swords. He keeps pigeons on his rooftop and gets his tasks to assassinate through specially trained homing pigeons.

When he receives a new mission to assassinate his actual employer, Ghost Dog tries to find out the truth and kills his way through mobsters and criminals that surround him.

Very original script and cinematography. Great hip hop on the soundtrack, which was produced by RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan.

A beautiful film about the true story of the rise and fall of the cocaine drug empire of George Jung, connected to the Colombian Medellin drug cartel. Jung (played by Johnny Depp) became the market leader of cocaine imports in the US, eventually controlling around 90% of all cocaine trade to the US.

This movie really captures the feel of the cocaine explosion in the 60's, 70's and 80's in and around Los Angeles. At the same time it shows the viewers the dangers and cons of the illegal narcotics trafficking.

Great movie, definitely one to watch. Especially if you like Los Angeles street gang criminal and hood mentality. Great cast, acting, script and an outstanding soundtrack. If you like hood gangsters, then you'll love this one.

Wesley Snipes is Nino Brown, a black New York drug lord who controls almost the entire trade of crack cocaine in the city. He runs all his business from a large project housing complex called the Carter.

Ice-T plays a cop with street mentality and is part of a police unit that tries to stop Nino Brown.

City of Men is a great movie about criminal gangsters living in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Maybe not as good as City of God (Cidade De Deus), but a descent classic gangster flick nonetheless.

Deniro, Pacino, Val Kilmer, guns, robberies and a 10 minute shootout scene. Any questions?