With The Gentlemen, Guy Ritchie once again brought audiences a thrilling and hilarious set of events surrounding some good old gangster rivalries. With an all-star cast that included Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Colin Farrell, and more, there’s plenty to love about this action-packed movie.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. And if you’ve already rewatched The Gentlemen more times than you can count yet still crave the adrenaline of the genre, we’ve got you covered. Here are fifteen great movies to watch if you loved Ritchie’s most recent cinematographic masterpiece!
Updated by Mark Birrell on December 6th, 2020: Guy Ritchie is known for his cult hits, some of which take a little bit of time to come around and be fully appreciated by a loving audience, and the fanbase for The Gentlemen just keeps on growing and growing. With this in mind, we’ve added 5 more movies to our list to make sure that it keeps in line and keeps growing too. These similar movies should satisfy any fan of The Gentlemen and its unique style of storytelling and humor.
15 Seven Psychopaths (2012)
This bizarre crime tale from writer and director Martin McDonaugh is made up of various intersecting stories and characters revolving around Colin Farrell’s beleaguered screenwriter and his dog-kidnapping associates.
An equally enjoyable meta movie experience to The Gentlemen, Seven Psychopaths dazzles with its talented ensemble, keeps the audience hooked with turns in its story, and glues everything together with copious amounts of very dark comedy.
14 The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Leonardo DiCaprio shines in this chronicling of the rise and fall of Wall Street crook Jordan Belfort in the breathlessly fast-paced style of iconic director Martin Scorsese.
Matthew McConaughey also appears in a relatively-brief–but totally scene-stealing–role as a mentor to the still-budding Belfort on his journey down into a shameless pit of excess and greed. Though not like Scorsese’s most famous crime movies about the mafia in terms of subject matter, The Wolf of Wall Street shares their most central themes and every bit of their exuberance and insight into the lives and mentality of its extraordinary–yet relatable–subjects.
13 Gringo (2018)
A downtrodden middle management nobody at a pharmaceutical company fakes his own kidnapping in Mexico and begins a calamitous collision between several intersecting crime stories going on around him involving betrayal, cartel crime, and the pursuit of a revolutionary marijuana pill that could change the drug market forever.
David Oyelowo delivers an outstanding performance at the head of Gringo‘s star-studded cast, bouncing off of hilarious turns from Charlize Theron and Sharlto Copely in particular.
12 Goodfellas (1990)
Martin Scorsese defined his distinct crime movie style with this quick-fire masterpiece about the whirlwind gangster life of infamous mobster Henry Hill.
Goodfellas remains funny, frenzied, and fantastic filmmaking that sits comfortably above most other movies in general, let alone those in the crime genre. Hill’s neverending battle to keep his life of crime kicking results in a saga of bigger and bigger highs, setting up an almightily entertaining fall. Every mafia movie–and certainly most crime movies in general–released after has copied it in some way or another and the dynamic between the compelling cast of characters is, for all intents and purposes, flawless.
11 Smokin’ Aces (2006)
A Las Vegas entertainer/wannabe gangster finds himself at the end of his wild ride and facing a death sentence from the mafia when his supposed hit is complicated by several opportunistic parties looking to capture or kill the titular Buddy ‘Aces’ Israel.
Joe Carnahan’s highly-stylized crime comedy thriller comes heavy with the action and just about every kind of eye-grabbing trick and twist that it can fit up its sleeve as its colorful assortment of characters converges in a hotel in Lake Tahoe in pursuit of their prize.
10 RocknRolla (2008)
Even though RocknRolla came out over a decade ago and features stars like Gerard Butler, Idris Elba, and Tom Hardy, it failed to win mainstream attention. But there’s no doubt that fans of the fast-paced action film The Gentlemen will find it quite a treat.
The movie is essentially a battle of the hungriest and most powerful gangsters in London that are overpowered by an unexpected player. Full of twists, turns, and enough action to ignite a fire, RocknRolla makes for an amazing watching experience. And guess what? It’s directed by Guy Ritchie too!
9 The Snitch Cartel (2011)
This Colombian American movie isn’t exactly regarded as a fantastic piece of art, but it’s still entertaining and thrilling enough to satisfy the fans of the genre.
Especially if what you love the most are cartel wars, then The Snitch Cartel presents itself as a wild ride. The lack of well-known actors takes the experience to a whole other level - real, raw, and goosebump-inducing.
8 Savages (2012)
Savages has a very different pace from movies directed by Guy Ritchie. However, it’s the slower beginning and the softer undertones that make the increasingly tense atmosphere feel even more intense. In summary, exquisite in its own way.
Starring Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively as the girlfriend of pot growers Ben and Shon, the movie follows the two male protagonists as they face the Mexican cartel who kidnapped Blake’s O. All the crime and action are there, with just an extra dose of drama.
7 Brannigan (1975)
Brannigan takes us on our first trip down memory lane. While the recent wonders of technology have been able to elevate the genre to new heights, there’s nothing quite like the charm brought by ’70s gangster movies.
This 1975 film follows Chicago Police Lieutenant Jim Brannigan as he flies to the United Kingdom to escort an infamous crime boss back to the States. However, the stakes are high, and Brannigan finds himself in an intense life or death situation.
6 Snatch (2000)
Undeniably one of Guy Ritchie’s biggest masterpieces and achievements in filmmaking, Snatch is the kind of movie everyone needs to have in their “watch before you die” list.
Snatch has everything a fan of Ritchie could want – gangsters, mobsters, and thieves, all of them competing for the ultimate prize that will make them richer beyond their wildest dreams. Featuring Benicio Del Toro and Brad Pitt in incredible performances, it’s almost impossible to point out bad things in the movie.
5 Pineapple Express (2008)
This Golden Globe-nominated film strikes the perfect balance between comedy and action. Starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, Pineapple Express has all the makings of a Guy Ritchie film without actually being one.
When a process server and his marijuana dealer find themselves on the run from very dangerous mobsters, a wild hunt ensues, with plenty of hilarious and action-packed moments in between.
4 99 and 44/100% Dead (1974)
The name of this movie alone is enough to pique someone’s interest, but the good things don’t stop there. This relatively obscure and forgotten movie from the ’70s might not be a classic, but there’s a lot to love here!
In a typical war between gang bosses, the movie follows Big Eddie and Uncle Frank in a hilarious yet violent battle to consistently one-up each other in the most ridiculous ways.
3 Interview With A Hitman (2012)
2012’s Interview With A Hitman adopts a much more serious and somber tone than Guy Ritchie’s movies, choosing drama and crime as the main drivers of a thrilling and suspenseful plot.
The audience joins a ruthless Eastern European assassin as he navigates the dangers of his past coming back to haunt him as he tries to find peace with a new crime family.
2 The Long Good Friday (1982)
Believe it or not, crazy perms weren’t the best thing to come out of the ’80s. The movies from this particular era don’t get enough credit, but. The Long Good Friday is a good testament as to why they should.
Following a very prominent English gangster, as he tries to find out who’s on a path to destroy him and his reputation, this movie has crime, mystery, action – and a young and talented Helen Mirren thrown in the mix!
1 Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels is up there with Snatch when it comes to Guy Ritchie’s best career moments. Much like other projects we’ve come to love, this movie is a raw and authentic Russian salad of characters and side-plots.
Weed growers, gangsters, loan sharks, and general thugs find themselves tangled up in a series of weird, hilarious, and action-packed events, in true Ritchie fashion.
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