HBO‘s Boardwalk Empire transported audiences back in time to Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition and captivated audiences with its fictional take on historical figures and events. Created by The Sopranos writer, Terence Winter, the series follows the life and career of Atlantic City treasurer and amateur gangster, Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, played by Steve Buscemi, who tries to maintain a double life as a public servant and a wealthy bootlegger.

For those who were and still are avid fans of the show, there are plenty of movies such as Once Upon a Time in America, Miller’s Crossing, and The Public Enemy, that align almost perfectly with the premise, tone, and timeframe of Boardwalk Empire. If you’re looking missing the excitement of the Atlantic City boardwalk and want some mafioso nostalgia, these are ten movies to watch if you love Boardwalk Empire.

10

‘The Roaring Twenties’ (1939)

Directed by Raoul Walsh

Raoul Walsh‘s classic crime movie, The Roaring Twenties, is set at the same time as Boardwalk Empire but follows two friends and World War I veterans, played by Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney, who return home where they are unable to find substantial jobs that pay a decent wage. The friends decide to go into the profitable bootlegging business and even though they manage to find success, their friendship is tested after the stock market crashes.

The Roaring Twenties is an essential gangster movie featuring stellar performances by Cagney and Bogart, who are an unstoppable duo in this gritty melodrama. The premise of the movie also aligns with Boardwalk Empire‘s character, Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt), who, after returning from fighting in WWI, finds himself in the middle of Thompson’s bootlegging operation, making The Roaring Twenties a perfect movie for fans of the hit series.

The Roaring Twenties

Release Date

October 28, 1939

Runtime

104 minutes

Cast

• 

  James Cagney

  Eddie Bartlett

• 

  Priscilla Lane

  Jean Sherman

• 

  Humphrey Bogart

  George Hally

• 

  Gladys George

  Panama Smith

9

‘Miller’s Crossing’ (1990)

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

The Coen Brothers‘ ’90s movie, Miller’s Crossing, is perhaps one of the most underrated gangster movies that effectively captures the pinnacle time when organized crime ruled the country. When an Italian mobster (Jon Polito) tries to get permission to whack a bookie (John Turturro) who is protected by the superior Irish mobster, Leo O’Bannon (Albert Finney), he’s denied, leading to an all-out war between the two gangs that plagues the city with violence and bloodshed.

Miller’s Crossing is celebrated for its phenomenal performances and an intricate plot that the Coen Brothers are universally known for. While it mainly centers around an intense gangster civil war, the main conflict is far more complicated, ultimately turning friends into foes and a turbulent love triangle that sits at the heart of the entire mess. Similar to Boardwalk Empire, MIller’s Crossing embodies the detrimental issues that usually arise from mixing pleasure with a dangerous business, which is what ultimately earns it a spot on the list.

Miller’s Crossing

Release Date

September 21, 1990

Runtime

115 Minutes

8

‘Bonnie and Clyde’ (1967)

Directed by Arthur Penn

Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty star in Bonnie and Clyde, as notorious criminals, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Burrow, who gained nationwide notoriety for their extensive crime spree during the 1930s, leading them to become one of America’s most deadly duos. The movie starts with the couple’s initial meeting in Texas and follows their steady rise from being petty thieves to lethal criminals who led the authorities on a wild goose chase through the American South before finally being gunned down in a violent stand-off.

Bonnie and Clyde was a pivotal New Hollywood movie that changed the course of cinema and features the same notion of lawlessness that is rampant in Boardwalk Empire. Initially, some people felt that the film glorified the couple’s crime spree and almost celebrated their acts of lawlessness, but the movie does the exact opposite and, instead, gives a full-spectrum view of their rise and fall, which is prevalent in almost every crime movie and series.

Bonnie and Clyde

Release Date

July 18, 1967

Runtime

111 minutes

7

‘Public Enemies’ (2009)

Directed by Michael Mann

Johnny Depp stars in Michael Mann‘s 2009 movie, Public Enemies, as another infamous criminal and gangster, John Dillinger, whose daring heists and undeniable charm made him somewhat of a folk hero to the American people during the Great Depression. The movie follows Dillinger as he leads his gang across the country, robbing banks and police departments. Their crimes eventually attract the attention of the FBI, who become hellbent on finding the Dillinger gang and putting an end to their crime wave.

Public Enemies is a highly marginalized crime drama that features Depp in one of his best performances to date. The actor accurately captures Dillinger’s famous charisma and genuine humility that made him almost a modern-day Robin Hood for some, conveying a likable anti-hero without glamorizing the reality of Dillinger’s actions and crimes. Considering the time period and intense action wrapped up in a compelling, emotionally-driven plot, Public Enemies and Boardwalk Empire are both marvelous takes on a highlight of American history and essentially ripped from the same cloth.

6

‘Little Caesar’ (1931)

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy

Edward G. Robinson delivers his breakthrough performance in the essential mafia movie, Little Caesar, as a small-time criminal, Caesar “Rico” Bandello, who, along with his friend, Joe (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.), travels to the big city of Chicago where they hope to make it big. While Rico establishes himself in the criminal underworld, Joe decides to leave his life of crime behind him and follow his aspirations of being in show business.

Little Caesar is based on the life of the real mafia boss, Salvatore Maranzano, a Sicilian-born mobster who established one of the most powerful crime families in history, the Bonanno family. The premise of Little Caesar is similar to the notable gangsters in Boardwalk Empire, such as Charles “Lucky” Luciano (Vincent Piazza), Al Capone (Stephen Graham), and Meyer Lansky (Anatol Yusef), who worked their way up the ranks in the world of organized crime and ultimately become some of the most powerful gangster of their time.

Little Caesar

Release Date

January 9, 1931

Runtime

79

Director

Mervyn LeRoy

Cast

• 
• 

5

‘The Untouchables’ (1987)

Directed by Brian De Palma

Kevin Costner stars as famed Prohibition agent, Elliott Ness, who, after finding out that almost everyone in the local law enforcement is in the mob’s pocket, recruits a select group of men, including a veteran police officer (Sean Connery) and a rookie cop with a hell of a shot (Andy Garcia) to take down Chicago’s most powerful mobster, Al Capone (Robert De Niro). Through sheer determination and wit, the men, known as the Untouchables, put their lives and the safety of their families on the line all in the name of justice.

Brian De Palma‘s The Untouchables is based on the incredible true story of Ness and his men, who provide the evidence that led to Capone, surprisingly, being convicted of tax evasion. Like in Boardwalk Empire, Thompson and several other characters are also faced with agents of the law like Ness and his men, who eventually start investigating and searching for evidence to convict them of their crimes. Even though Boardwalk Empire and The Untouchables focus on opposite sides of the Prohibition Era, they are still two sides of the same coin, which is what ultimately makes The Untouchables a must-see movie for any Boardwalk Empire fan.

The Untouchables

Release Date

June 3, 1987

Runtime

1h 59m

4

‘Gangs of New York’ (2002)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

In the slums of New York, two rival gangs, the Confederation of American Natives, led by the ruthless William “Bill the Butcher” Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis), and the Irish Dead Rabbits, led by “Priest” Vallon (Liam Neeson), face off in a fight over who will rule over the territory of the Five Points. When Cutting slays Vallon, the Priest’s son, Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio), vows to avenge his father and, years later, returns to infiltrate Cutting’s gang and execute his plan of revenge.

Martin Scorsese‘s Oscar-nominated movie, Gangs of New York, is an intriguing look into the early days of gangs in American culture and features phenomenal performances, notably Day-Lewis, who is a sheer force as the cutthroat and intimidating Bill the Butcher. Aside from the varying time periods, Gangs of New York still follows the same human desire for power and dominance over valuable territory that Boardwalk Empire does. For those who enjoy the historical side of organized crime and want a change of pace from the roaring 1920s, Gangs of New York is one movie like Boardwalk Empire that deserves to be on their watchlist.

3

‘The Public Enemy’ (1931)

Directed by William A. Wellman

James Cagney stars in William A. Wellman‘s The Public Enemy as the ambitious Chicago hoodlum, Tom Powers, who starts out as a small-time thief and works his way through the criminal world, becoming a cold-blooded killer and a highly successful bootlegger. While Tom basks in his newfound success, he attempts to provide for his family, but his older, straight-laced brother disapproves of his lifestyle and discourages him from coming around. Despite his brother’s efforts, Tom tries to stay connected to his family, which, unfortunately, leads to his inevitable fall from grace.

The Public Enemy is a staple in classic gangster cinema and features an anti-hero protagonist who has a striking resemblance to Nucky Thompson in Boardwalk Empire. Much like Thompson, Tom Powers strives to lead a contradicting life as both a devoted, loving son and a merciless criminal, which, as many know, never works out in the end. The Public Enemy is one of several movies that set the standard for the gangster genre and Cagney’s portrayal of the heart-of-gold gangster provided the essential formula for characters like Thompson who, despite their best efforts, are predestined to meet a tragic fate.

2

‘Once Upon a Time in America’ (1984)

Directed by Sergio Leone

Sergio Leone‘s epic gangster drama, Once Upon a Time in America, follows the life of David “Noodles” Aaronson (Robert De Niro), who, along with his childhood friends, became lifelong criminals who eventually made it big during Prohibition. Years later, Noodles returns to his old neighborhood in New York and, through a series of flashbacks, recalls his early days of success and the series of events that led to him losing everything and everyone he ever cared about in his life.

Once Upon a Time in America is a gripping gangster drama that many consider to be one of the greatest movies of all time. The movie follows a traditional gangster story but also features a cryptic mystery which Noodles slowly begins to piece together while revisiting his old stomping grounds. While some may be put off by the movie’s extensive runtime, Once Upon a Time in America tells a riveting tale about those who found success and despair during the days of Prohibition, and, with an underlying mystery that leaves audiences in unwavering anticipation, it is a fantastic movie that any Boardwalk Empire fan will find to be worthwhile.

Once Upon a Time in America

Release Date

June 1, 1984

Runtime

229 Minutes

1

‘The Godfather’ (1972)

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Marlon Brando stars as the beloved mob boss, Vito Corleone, who is approached by an up-and-coming narcotics man with a business proposition of giving the Godfather a cut of his profits in exchange for Vito’s powerful connections. Despite the tempting offer, Vito respectfully declines, which leads to a brutal attempt on his life. As the Corleone family find themselves in the crossfire of the other families, Vito’s youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), steps up to protect his family and eventually finds himself on the path to becoming his father’s successor and the future of the Corleone family.

Francis Ford Coppola‘s The Godfather revitalized and redefined the gangster genre and is widely regarded as one, if not, the greatest movies of all time. Michael Corleone and Nucky Thompson fall slightly into the same category, starting out as honorable men who are humble in their desires but soon fall victim to their vices and power, becoming their own worst enemies. The Godfather is another crucial gangster movie that paved the way for movies and series like Boardwalk Empire, and even though Coppola’s masterpiece takes place some time after Prohibition, The Godfather and Boardwalk Empire still essentially go hand-in-hand.

The Godfather

Release Date

March 24, 1972

Runtime

175 minutes

NEXT: 10 Shows To Watch if You Love ‘Tulsa King’