Gangster films have long captivated audiences, offering fans a glimpse of the criminal underworld, wealth and power. Whether it’s the mafia, street gangs or heist thrillers, they have remained hugely popular for decades. However, it’s often hotly debated which gangster film is truly the greatest of all time.

We’ve complied a list of gangster films based on IMDb user ratings and Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer scores. While IMDb ratings reflect the views of millions of filmgoers worldwide, Rotten Tomatoes collates reviews from critics. By weighing both scores equally, this ranking highlights the films that have stood the test of time. From classic mafia sagas to modern crime epics, these 11 titles consistently rank at the top of both platforms — earning their place as some of the greatest films ever made.

Do you agree with this list? Let us know in the comments. 

A “charming” film inspired by a true story is leaving Netflix soon. The Terminal is a 2004 American comedy-drama film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Stanley Tucci. 

The film is about an Eastern European man who is stuck in New York‘s John F. Kennedy Airport terminal after being denied entry to the United States, but unable to return to his native country due to a military coup. The story is partially inspired by the true story of Mehran Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian refugee who lived in the departure lounge of Terminal 1 at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in France from 1988 to 2006. After finishing Catch Me If You Can (2002), Spielberg decided to direct The Terminal because he wanted to make a film “that could make us laugh and cry and feel good about the world”. As no suitable airport was willing to provide its facilities, an entire working set was built inside a large hangar at the LA/Palmdale Regional Airport.

The customs hall, offices and most of the film’s exterior shots were filmed at the Montreal–Mirabel International Airport in Quebec, Canada.

Rotten Tomatoes reported that 61% of 206 sampled critics gave The Terminal positive reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website’s critical consensus reads: “The Terminal transcends its flaws through the sheer virtue of its crowd-pleasing message and a typically solid star turn from Tom Hanks.”

Michael Wilmington from the Chicago Tribune said, “[The film] takes Spielberg into realms he’s rarely travelled before.” A. O. Scott of The New York Times said Hanks’ performance brought a lot to the film.

Martin Liebman of Blu-ray.com considers the film as “quintessential cinema”, praising it for being “a down-to-earth, honest, hopeful, funny, moving, lightly romantic, and dramatically relevant film that embodies the term ‘movie magic’ in every scene.”

One reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes called The Terminal a “quite charming film”, with another saying it can “take to the verge of ridiculous”.

A “masterpiece” war film is hailed by one fan as the most “true to life” war film they’ve ever seen. Come and See (1985) is a Soviet epic historical anti-war drama movie set during the German occupation of Byelorussia (what is now Belarus) in World War 2.

The story is told from the perspective of Flyora (played by Aleksei Kravchenko) a Belarusian teenager who joins a partisan unit fighting the Nazi invaders, witnessing unspeakable attrocities carried out by Germany’s forces. It was directed by Soviet filmmaker Elem Klimov who co-wrote the film with Ales Adamovich, who was a partisan unit member. It’s based on the latter’s 1971 novel Khatyn, as well as I Am from the Fiery Village, a collection of survivor testimonies which he contributed to.

The film offers a harrowing depiction of the conflict, and incorporates real historical footage, heightening the horror. Its release repeatedly frustrated by Soviet authorities due to its defiant anti-war message.

Fans have flocked to IMDb to shower the film with praise, with one calling it: “The best true-to-life war movie I have ever seen, and possibly the best movie I have ever seen.

“My eyes were opened when I saw this for the first time a few days ago. It made me realise what I miss 99% of the time when watching movies. So few affect me like this one did.”

Another added: “This is a towering masterpiece of war films looming over all other war films, as it is a true story and almost more documentary than any realism could be for its unfathomable psychology in depicting a child’s experience and reactions to all this.”

A third, who gave the film a 10/10 said: “Every other war movie feels like a staged soap opera now, which is part of why I sometimes regret watching this movie. IF you want to know what total war feels like, this is for you.”

Fans and movie buffs warn Come and See is a tough watch. Renowed film critic Roger Ebert said of the movie: “It’s said that you can’t make an effective anti-war film because war by its nature is exciting, and the end of the film belongs to the survivors,” but no one “would ever make the mistake of saying that about Elem Klimov’s ‘Come and See’.”

He called it “one of the most devastating films ever about anything, and in it, the survivors must envy the dead”.

The film has a 15 certificate and contains strong violence and Holocaust footage, so viewer discretion is advised.

Come and See is available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.