The inherent drama of a life of crime is one of the most consistently entertaining concepts to build a story around in fictional history. Crime evolves, but the fundamental interest in people who do terrible things for money and the unique industry that grows around them will never go away.

Check any self-professed film lover's top ten list and Godfather and Goodfellas will almost certainly fill a couple of slots. Many of the best-received films and series of all time concern the life of career felons involved in organized crime. From Don Corleone to Tony Soprano, there are plenty of interesting entries in this venerable subgenre that may not have gotten the attention they deserved.

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Carlito's Way

Carlito's Way (1993)

When fans of this genre think of Al Pacino and Brian De Palma, they are almost always picturing their first collaboration, the 1983 classic Scarface. A decade later, however, they worked together again to create another crime drama that, in some ways, eclipses its better-known predecessor. Pacino stars as the eponymous Carlito Brigante, a career criminal attempting to go straight. The film is adapted from a pair of novels written by former New York State Supreme Court Judge Edwin Torres, who says he based the character on several figures from his past. With one of the best original scores in the genre and several fantastic action setpieces, Carlito's Way deserves much more than being overshadowed by its older brother.

Public Enemies

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Another film vastly overshadowed by a director's earlier work, Public Enemies is the second film by Michael Mann about bank robbers and the law enforcement arm trying to stop them. After the seminal crime drama Heat in the 90s, Mann took a long break from the subgenre, but he returned with a bang. Public Enemies tells the tale of John Dillinger and his merry band of slick armed thugs who wind across the country stealing from the rich to give to themselves. Meanwhile, the nascent FBI comes together with the singular goal of bringing them to justice. Fans of 30s history will see their favorite cops and criminals represented with excellent attention to detail and a very sympathetic portrayal. Mann's characters feel deeply human, never turning the film's criminals into cartoon villains or its cops into superheroes. When it comes to adapting historical events, there's a lot to be learned from the impact of Public Enemies.

Layer Cake

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America isn't the only setting for an organized crime story, England has its own industrialized illegality, and no one seems to have more fun with English culture than Matthew Vaughn. Better known today for the Kingsman and Kick-Ass franchises, his 2004 debut is a gripping intelligent action film. Daniel Craig stars as an unnamed London Cocaine distributor who is desperate to leave the business. This film dropped two years before Craig took his iconic role as James Bond, but he brings the style, charm, and wit of that performance to this unique character. Part of the power of the film is its intellect. Craig's character is smart in a way that feels real, rather than the all-too-often embraced writer clairvoyance. Watching his myriad plans unfold as he has to work his way through impossible scenarios is a treat, and Vaughn's direction is stellar for his first outing. Vaughn previously produced Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Layer Cake feels like an easier and smarter take on the concept.

Black Mass

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Scott Cooper, who recently put out the horror film Antlers, crafted this 2015 biopic about the life of Irish mobster and FBI informant James "Whitey" Bulger. Though the tale isn't 100% accurate, and Bulger himself considers it an insult, Cooper does an excellent job of making it interesting. Bulger is portrayed by Johnny Depp, who, between this and Public Enemies, has a real gift for embodying horrific criminals. The all-star cast includes Joel Edgerton as a clever FBI agent, Benedict Cumberbatch as Bulger's politically connected brother, and Dakota Johnson as his long-suffering wife. This film is more understated than its peers, focusing more on the internal life of its operatives, rather than their violent actions. Cooper presents one of the most powerful crime biopics of the modern era.

The Iceman

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This true-crime biopic tells the grim tale of Richard Kuklinski, an extremely prolific hitman for the mob, as he struggles to keep his career and his family life separate. Michael Shannon stars as the assassin, embodying at once the man's cold professionalism, bouts of tempestuous rage, and genuine concern for his loved ones. Kuklinski is under the command of powerful New York gangster Roy DeMeo, portrayed by the great Ray Liotta. Chris Evans turns up in an unrecognizable performance as Kuklinski's mentor. It's an intense film and a tough watch, but the stellar cast elevates the material. Director Ariel Vromen finds the emotional extremes in a deeply unpleasant story.

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