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Movies like Death of a Gangster (2012)

The best movies like Death of a Gangster (2012) are Code of Silence (1985), Imperial Dreams (2014) and Boyz n the Hood (1991). If Death of a Gangster hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Code of Silence (1985)

    A Chicago cop is caught in the middle of a gang war while his own comrades shun him because he wants to take an irresponsible cop down.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  2. Imperial Dreams (2014)

    A 21-year-old reformed gangster's devotion to his family and his future is put to the test when he is released from prison and returns to his old stomping grounds in Watts, Los Angeles.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Boyz n the Hood (1991)

    Three friends growing up in South Central Los Angeles navigate a neighborhood plagued by violence, unemployment, and crime, each responding differently to the harsh realities of street life. As tragedy strikes close to home, their friendship, choices, and hopes for a better future are put to the ultimate test.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. 1992 (2024)

    In 1992, Mercer is desperately trying to rebuild his life and his relationship with his son amidst the turbulent Los Angeles uprising following the Rodney King verdict. Across town, another father and son put their own strained relationship to the test as they plot a dangerous heist to steal catalytic converters, which contain valuable platinum from the factory where Mercer works. As tensions rise and chaos erupts, both families reach their boiling points when their worlds collide.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. Gangster Squad (2013)

    Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and — if he has his way — every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop… except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. Menace II Society (1993)

    A young street hustler attempts to escape the rigors and temptations of the ghetto in a quest for a better life.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  7. The Corruptor (1999)

    Danny is a young cop partnered with Nick, a seasoned but ethically tainted veteran. As the two try to stop a gang war in Chinatown, Danny relies on Nick but grows increasingly uncomfortable with the way Nick gets things done.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)

    Riggs and Murtaugh pursue a former officer who uses his knowledge of police procedure and policies to steal and sell confiscated guns and ammunition to local street gangs.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. Shaft (1971)

    Cool Black private eye John Shaft is hired by a crime lord to find and retrieve his kidnapped daughter.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Cobra (1986)

    A tough-on-crime street cop must protect the only surviving witness to a strange murderous cult with far reaching plans.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. Paid in Full (2002)

    Ace is an impressionable young man working for a dry cleaning business. His friend, drug dealer Mitch, goes to prison. In an unrelated incident, he finds some cocaine in a pants pocket. Soon, Ace finds himself dealing cocaine for Lulu. Via lucky breaks and solid interpersonal skills, Ace moves to the top of the Harlem drug world. Of course, unfaithful employees and/or rivals conspire to bring about Ace's fall.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. Bound by Honor (1993)

    Based on the true life experiences of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, the film focuses on half-brothers Paco and Cruz, and their bi-racial cousin Miklo. It opens in 1972, as the three are members of an East L.A. gang known as the "Vatos Locos", and the story focuses on how a violent crime and the influence of narcotics alter their lives. Miklo is incarcerated and sent to San Quentin, where he makes a "home" for himself. Cruz becomes an exceptional artist, but a heroin addiction overcomes him with tragic results. Paco becomes a cop and an enemy to his "carnal", Miklo.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  13. The Specialist (1994)

    May Munro is a woman obsessed with getting revenge on the people who murdered her parents when she was still a girl. She hires Ray Quick, a retired explosives expert, to kill her parents' killers. When Ned Trent, embittered ex-partner of Quick's, is assigned to protect one of Quick's potential victims, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. The Stone Killer (1973)

    A Los Angeles detective is sent to New York where he must solve a case involving an old Sicilian Mafia family feud.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. The Public Enemy (1931)

    Two young Chicago hoodlums, Tom Powers and Matt Doyle, rise up from their poverty-stricken slum life to become petty thieves, bootleggers and cold-blooded killers. But with street notoriety and newfound wealth, the duo feels the heat from the cops and rival gangsters both. Despite his ruthless criminal reputation, Tom tries to remain connected to his family, however, gang warfare and the need for revenge eventually pull him away.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. Scarface (1983)

    After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  17. Death Wish II (1982)

    Paul Kersey is again a vigilante trying to find five punks who murdered his housekeeper and daughter in Los Angeles.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Wake of Death (2004)

    Ben Archer, an ex-mob enforcer, seeks revenge against a ruthless Chinese kingpin responsible for his wife's brutal murder. When Archer joins forces with his old underworld friends, an all-out war is waged against the Chinese Triad.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. Run All Night (2015)

    Brooklyn mobster and prolific hit man Jimmy Conlon has seen better days. Longtime best friend of a mob boss, Jimmy is haunted by the sins of his past—as well as a dogged police detective who’s been one step behind Jimmy for 30 years. But when Jimmy’s estranged son becomes a target, Jimmy must make a choice between the crime family he chose and the real family he abandoned long ago. Now, with nowhere safe to turn, Jimmy has just one night to figure out exactly where his loyalties lie and to see if he can finally make things right.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. Death Wish 3 (1985)

    Architect/vigilante Paul Kersey arrives back in New York City and is forcibly recruited by a crooked police chief to fight street crime caused by a large gang terrorizing the neighborhoods.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like Death of a Gangster and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Death of a Gangster?

The closest matches to Death of a Gangster are Code of Silence (1985), Imperial Dreams (2014) and Boyz n the Hood (1991). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Death of a Gangster?

Start with Code of Silence (1985), the closest match to Death of a Gangster.

What is the highest-rated movie like Death of a Gangster?

Bound by Honor (1993), rated 8.2/10 by 1,673 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Death of a Gangster?

1992 (2024) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Death of a Gangster?

Yes: Code of Silence (1985), Imperial Dreams (2014) and Boyz n the Hood (1991).

How are movies similar to Death of a Gangster chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Death of a Gangster, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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