The 10 Best Mafia Movies For Stoners

There’s a ton of mafia movies available, but what are the 10 best mafia movies for stoners? In this list, you'll find the best gangster movies to watch while high or while smoking a bong. We will update this list regularly, so expect to find even more than 10 movie recommendations!

1. Boss of Bosses (2001)

Boss of bosses is a gangster movie that portrays the life and reign of Paul Castellano, appointed Capo Di Tutti Capi or “boss of all bosses” by Carlo Gambino. This is a classic movie that should be present in all top 10 mafia movies lists, but strangely, it isn’t. For some reason, this movie never became as popular as other gangster movies such as the Godfather or Goodfellas.

2. Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a British gangster movie about the robbery of a marijuana grow operation.

3. Gotti (1996) and Gotti (2018)

John Gotti is without a doubt one of the most famous “cosa nostra” gangsters ever. He also appears in the movie “boss of bosses” that’s described above, but there are two movies named after him personally as well. Both movies are called “Gotti”, one made in 1996 and the other in 2018. If you are a fan of the American-Italian Mafia or Cosa Nostra, you should see both these movies. In the first and oldest movie, Gotti is played by Chazz Palmintieri and in the newest movie by John Travolta. Although both of these men don’t really look very much like John Gotti, the essence of the story is captured very well in both films and gives the viewer a good look into the organisation, rules and culture of the Cosa Nostra before and after the death of Carlo Gambino. The advance of law enforcement technologies and the effect thereof on the mob is also shown very well.

4. A Bronx Tale (1993)

A Bronx Tale, although not as famous as some of the other mob movies, is one of the best mafia movies ever made in our opinion. Starring Robert de Niro and Chazz Palmintieri, a Bronx Tale shows the life in New York’s Little Italy and how a local child gets involved in the mafia despite his fathers desire to keep his son away from that life. This movie is full of street wisdom and shows “the life” from different angles.

5. Sexy Beast (2000)

Sexy Beast is not your typical gangster movie, but it sure is one of the more interesting. It tells the story of a British ex-gangster who is approached by his former associates to do one last big job. Unlike most movies of this kind, it’s not so much about the job itself, but rather the drama leading up to the job. The retired gangster is not interested in the job and all he wants is to get a tan in the hot Spanish sun, but saying no to the psychotic lunatic who comes to recruit him is harder than you might think.

6. The Irishman (2019)

Surely one of the best mafia movies for stoners is The Irishman. Starring Al Pacino and Robert de Niro, this movie tells the story of union boss Jimmy Hoffa’s rise to power and his downfall.

7. Goodfellas (1990)

Goodfellas - who doesn't know this movie? Without any doubt one of the best mafia movies for stoners ever, and many people would probably put it at the top of this list. We were tempted to do the same, but some of the other mafia movies give the viewer a better idea of the "real cosa nostra", with more in-depth aspects such as A Bronx Tale or Boss of Bosses provide. Goodfellas is loved by everyone, whether it be someone who doesn't know anything about the mob, or an ex-mobster himself. With fantastic actors such as Robert de Niro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta, the energy and vibe of the era and the enviroment is captured extremely well, which makes Goodfellas a very convincing movie. If you know a lot about the mob, Scorsese's masterpiece depict a somewhat different mobster life than the ones you're used to seeing and hearing about. Henry Hill is only half Italian, and will therefore never be a "made guy" - but he completely understands the life and knows how to thrive, until treachery and law enforcement arrive to make his life difficult.

8. The Departed (2006)

The Departed is another Martin Scorsese movie, starring Jack Nicholson as Frank Costello, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. The Departed tells the story of an undercover Boston Police cop and a Irish mobster mole in the police force trying to identify each other. As it becomes clear that there is a mole in both factions, everyone is suddenly in danger and the pressure within both groups grows. But having become good friends in the process, will anyone be able to betray the people they have grown so close to?

9. Scarface (1893)

Scarface, the classic cocaine drug lord movie that takes place in '80s Miami is played by Al Pacino and directed by Brian de Palma. Although it lacks any "Cosa Nostra" influences, it is regarded as one of the best gangster movies of all time. And it is. Does Scarface even really need an introduction?

10. Mean Streets (1973)

Mean Streets is one of Martin Scorseses’ masterpieces, and actually his first gangster movie. It is about two New York City gangsters played by Harvey Keitel and Robert de Niro, and is one of the more interesting and less typical mob films. In Mean Streets, de Niro and Keitel try to survive and act tough among the big fish in the city.

11. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Reservoir Dogs is a movie that most people have already seen on television, and there's a good reason for that: Reservoir Dogs is a very exciting story about a jewelry heist gone wrong, and the robbers laying low trying to find out who betrayed them or "ratted them out" to the police. Full of action, drama and psychopatic scenes without any mercy, this is a typical Quentin Tarantino movie that focuses primarly on exciting, captivating scenes full of action, in contrast to some of the other movies on this list that focus on the mafia culture and zeitgeist. If you are someone who loves mafia movies but thinks The Godfather is boring, then this is probably exactly what you're looking for.

12. Heat (1995)

Heat is one of the more exciting movies in this list, and once again features Harvey Keitel among others. This action-packed movie shows you one of the coolest shootouts you have ever seen. Absolutely captivating from the beginning to the end, a movie that everyone should have seen.

13. Once Upon A Time In America (1983)

One upon a time in America is one of the most well-known mafia movies. Starring Robert de Niro and James Woods, this classic gangster movie appears in every "best mafia movies" list and gives a good view of how crime in New York has elvolved over the past century and how some street kids grow out to be hardened criminals in this unforgiving enviroment during the American prohibition in the 1930's. This movie could easily have been on the top of this list, but hey: this is not the only great mafia movie out there!

14. Miller's Crossing (1990)

Millers Crossing is a classic movie with Irish-American and Italian-American gangsters that is quite different from the other classic gangster movies, but it has all the right elements and an ironic sense of humor. Miller's Crossing is definitely worth watching and has plenty of shootings, murder, violence and drama. This film seems to be inspired by the old gangster movies and is full of treachery, power plays and politics. This makes it one of the movies that captures your full attention, because you really need to look between the lines to understand how one person has the other by the balls. But between all that, there is a strong component of love and friendship involved. This mix makes it one of the best mafia movies for stoners that is somewhat different than the usual gangster movie.

15. Mafia Interviews on YouTube

Okay, this may not be a mafia movie, but it sure is super interesting. Many (former) mobsters like Michael Franzese, Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, John Alite and many more are telling the REAL stories of the mafia - no directors, no bullshit, just first-hand information. It may not be as glamorous as many movies we have mentioned above, but if you're interested in the real Cosa Nostra, then it doesn't get any better than this. And these can be real substitutes for movies, whereas some are more than two hours long! We think this Sammy Gravano interview is one of the most interesting mafia interviews on YouTube.

There are many movies that we haven't included in this list, but that are definitely worth watching. Some of these are:

• Casino
• The Godfather

Be sure to have a look at the best Netflix series for stoners! (link)