'90s gangster movies represent a specific moment in Hollywood when creators and audiences alike were fascinated with the more sinister, uncomfortable, and tragically human parts of the criminal underworld and, as a result, the best of these '90s gangster movies are also considered some of the greatest movies of all time. Gangster movies have been wildly popular since the '30s and '40s and every decade brings a new take on the genre. It's inherently compelling, with its family drama, violence, and escapist fantasies of wealth and power.

As the years have gone by, different decades have come to represent different things about gangster movies. The '90s is in an interesting period, not least because The Sopranos came out in 1999 to close the book on the decades. In the 1990s, the term "gangster" expanded to mean different elements of organized crime, leading to Black, Asian, and English directors taking their shots at the world of the Mafia through their unique lens. Of course, the classic Italian-American gangster films still fill out the ranks of the genre, but the '90s is a very mixed bag of movies.

15 King Of New York (1990)

An Overlooked Christopher Walken Performance

An overlooked '90s gangster movie that has been reappraised in recent years, King of New York stars Christopher Walken as Frank White, a drug lord in a war to control New York City's criminal underground. After his release from prison, Frank sets about reclaiming his crown and rebuilding his empire into something legitimate. It's a much more violent and grim film than the standard gangster movies that came before it. Thanks to Walken's performance and the film's visual style, King of New York is a gripping watch and a '90s crime movie that could use a sequel.

14 New Jack City (1991)

A Drug Lord Comes Up Against An NYPD Detective

In New Jack City, Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes) leads the Cash Money Brothers gang, who run the crack cocaine rings in their Harlem neighborhood when the drugs reach their streets. Undercover police officer, Scotty Appleton (Ice-T), eventually infiltrates Nino's gang and works to take revenge on him for something Nino did to Appleton years ago. New Jack City is an alarming and engrossing crime filled with one of Snipes' best performances. Its depiction of the crack epidemic is a frighteningly real illustration of the late-20th-century outrage.

13 Get Shorty (1995)

Comedy And Gangsters Meet In A Hollywood Mash-Up

Get Shorty follows a Miami mobster and loan shark, Chili Palmer (John Travolta), who travels to Hollywood after a series of bad deals and decisions lead him to pulling a job for Brooklyn mob boss, Ray "Bones" Barnoni (Dennis Farina). While in Hollywood, Chili gets the bright idea to pitch his life as a movie idea, leading to more headaches and gunfire. Featuring an impressive ensemble that includes Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, and James Gandolfini, Get Shorty holds a mirror up to some of the absurdities of mob life, creating a franchise in the process.

12 Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Guy Ritchie Explores The London Underground

Guy Ritchie movies often deal with criminal elements and his feature film debut, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, is no different. The film follows small-time London criminals, Eddie (Nick Moran), Tom (Jason Flemyng), Soap (Dexter Fletcher), and Bacon (Jason Statham), who are trying to gather enough money to pay for Eddie's buy-in to a high-stakes card game. Faced with a vengeful crime boss, the gang has to rob another gang. Delightfully twisted and fun, this film has all the Ritchie hallmarks that have made him one of the most popular working directors.

11 Donnie Brasco (1997)

A True Story About The Bonanno Crime Family

Donnie Brasco stars Johnny Depp as Joseph D. Piston, an undercover FBI agent who poses as a thief named Donnie Brasco. Donnie infiltrates the Bonanno crime family after befriending the aging mobster, Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino). Lefty shows Donnie the ins and outs of life in the Mafia and the pair grow a father-son-like friendship. Donnie Brasco forgoes most gangster movie clichés for an honest and heartbreaking look at loneliness in a criminal organization. With two fantastic performances at the center, Donnie Brasco is a grounded and clever thriller.

10 Sonatine (1993)

An Aging Yakuza Enforcer Looks Back On His Life

Takeshi Kitano, known for hosting the beloved Takeshi's Castle, wrote, edited, directed, and stars in Sonatine, a gangster film set in Tokyo. The film follows Murakawa (Kitano), an aging enforcer for the yakuza who has grown bored and tired of his life of crime. A mission gone awry introduces him to a young woman, Miyuki (Aya Kokumai), who he becomes determined to protect. Sonatine is a contemplative work that is frequently punctuated with moments of intense violence. Humor, bloodshed, and romance combine to form a singular version of the gangster movie.

9 Carlito's Way (1993)

A Career Criminal Tries To Go The Straight And Narrow

In Carlito's Way, Al Pacino plays Carlito Brigante, a former criminal who is released from prison on a technicality. Considering this a chance at redemption, Carlito swears off crime, but slowly, he is dragged back into the same criminal elements that sent him to jail in the first place. One of Brian De Palma's greatest works, Carlito's Way is an epic and tragic tale of how crime finds a way of bringing down those who attempt to escape it. The film may retread familiar ground storywise, but Pacino's fierce acting and De Palma's eye make it something special.

8 Boyz N The Hood (1991)

South Central LA Is The Site Of Major Gang Feuds

Boyz n the Hood combines gangster movie elements, coming-of-age drama, and a rarely seen at the time Black-specific viewpoint for something completely unique. Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Ice Cube star as Tre Styles III and Doughboy Baker, respectively, two childhood best friends who grew apart when Tre moved to another town with his mother. Taking place over several years, Boyz n the Hood examines the pipeline that transforms kids into hardened gangsters. It's a damning portrait but one that is comionate and incredibly well-handled in its storytelling.

7 Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai (1999)

A Mafia Enforcer Lives By An Ancient Warrior Code

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a completely unique gangster film that combines gangster, hood, and samurai movie storytelling styles. Starring Forest Whitaker as the eponymous Ghost Dog, The Way of the Samurai follows the Mafia hitman who lives by the ancient code of the samurai. Director Jim Jarmusch seamlessly blends two very different styles of film and reveals just how closely samurai and gangster movies are at their core. It's a profoundly sad performance from Whitaker, whose character never seems sure why he continues to follow his violent codes.

6 Bugsy (1991)

Warren Beatty Stars As The American Mobster

Based on the life of real American mobster Bugsy Seigel, Bugsy stars Warren Beatty as the eponymous gangster, closely following his affair with Hollywood starlet, Virginia Hill (Annette Bening). Half crime film and half romance, Bugsy is a true American epic with some incredible performances at the center. The violence at setpieces is shocking and riveting, but it's the chemistry between Bening and Beatty that makes the movie. While Bugsy may not be the most historically accurate gangster movie ever, its setting and the feelings it elicits are as real as anything.