From 1920 to 1933 in the USA, alcohol was banned under Prohibition. The acts of selling or consuming alcohol were criminalized, but few American adults seemed willing to part with the alcoholic beverages they'd grown used to. As such, gangsters and criminal organizations stepped in to provide illegal alcohol to the American public. The industry was deregulated and illegal, with frequent clashes between criminals and the law throughout the 1920s and into the 1930s, until Prohibition was repealed.
Numerous movies deal with this unique period of American history, including many in the crime genre. The following movies all depict gangster stories that took place during Prohibition, at a time when criminal gangs often thrived and the law struggled to keep up with all the illegal production and distribution. Some are more based on fact than others, yet all provide valuable insights into the time.
1 'Road to Perdition' (2002)
A revenge movie that also stands as a rare comic book adaptation that's not a superhero movie, Road to Perdition is an impressive movie for many reasons. It has a unique visual style that still looks striking 20 years later, it contains Paul Newman's final performance in a live-action role, it has one of Daniel Craig's earliest roles, and features Tom Hanks playing against type in the lead role as a ruthless mob enforcer avenging his murdered family.
It plays out in 1931, as the Prohibition era is nearing its end. It's a dark film that captures the end of this time in history well, partly because it also features a good deal of fictional lives coming to an end (it has quite the bodycount). It's a moodier American crime movie than most, but certainly succeeds in what it sets out to do.
2 'Scarface' (1932)
While it might not be as explosive or violent as its more well-known remake/update from 1983, the original Scarface is a very good gangster movie, considering its age. It follows the same basic narrative of a low-level criminal rising in the ranks before his luck runs out and things crumble around him, but instead of being set in Miami during the 1980s, it takes place in Chicago during the 1920s.
The 1980s had the war on drugs, which means it made sense for the 1983 version to focus on the drug trade. But in the USA, the 1920s was effectively a time when there was a war waged on alcohol, and as such, the protagonist of the original Scarface makes a good deal of his money through bootlegging.
3 'Once Upon a Time in America' (1984)
Seeing as Once Upon a Time in America is a nearly four-hour-long crime epic, it has more than enough time for its narrative to span multiple decades. While events do play out in non-chronological order, the narrative starts in the 1910s and ends in the late 1960s, though a sizable portion of the plot takes place during the early 1930s, when the main characters' gang was able to make a great deal of money out of distributing illegal alcohol.
It doesn't last long though, and the 1933 repeal of Prohibition is where things start to take a darker turn for the characters, with money drying up and loyalties between lifelong friends tested. It may not be a crime movie that intensely focuses on Prohibition, but it marks an essential part of the plot, and is valuable for exploring what may well have happened to criminal gangs who relied on it to make money once alcohol became legal again.
4 'Last Man Standing' (1996)
One of Bruce Willis' more underrated movies from the 1990s, Last Man Standing is a solid blend of crime, action, and thriller. It serves as a remake of Yojimbo (which was of course most famously remade as Fistful of Dollars) and follows a man who finds himself caught in the middle of a brutal gang war in a small town.
While Yojimbo was a samurai film that took place in the 1800s, the setting in Last Man Standing is changed to a Texas town under prohibition, likely in the 1920s or 1930s. Prohibition is shown to be a significant reason why the two gangs are at war, though at a point, Last Man Standing does become more concerned with cool shootouts than unpacking the consequences of Prohibition (action fans shouldn't have too much of a problem with this though).
5 'The Untouchables' (1987)
Despite playing fast and loose with numerous historical facts, The Untouchables is still perhaps the definitive American movie about Prohibition. It presents a fictionalized take on the story of the squad tasked with taking down Al Capone, who was arguably the most famous gangster associated with the Prohibition era, due to making a fortune from his bootlegging operations.
But as long as viewers can get past the fictional embellishments (and the fact Sean Connery isn't trying to do an accent) there's a lot to love about The Untouchables. It's an exciting and enjoyable movie, and even if it paints the whole conflict between police and criminals in an obviously good versus evil way, at least it does so whilst also being fun.
6 'The St. Valentine's Day Massacre' (1967)
Retelling the events that led up to arguably the single most infamous event of Prohibition, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre works as a solid historical drama. Its approach to depicting the titular event is a little dry, but it works as a film that aims to be objective, more or less stripping things of embellishment or cinematic flair and being surprisingly bare bones in the process.
It might not be the most entertaining movie about Prohibition, but it might well be one of the most informative. It also stands out within the filmography of director Roger Corman, given most of his movies were well-known for being low budget, while The St. Valentine's Day Massacre boasted a comparatively high budget, as well as for the fact that it takes an almost documentary approach at certain points, thanks to its extensive narration.
7 'The Moonshine War' (1970)
The Moonshine War's title makes it obvious right from the get-go that this film will take place during Prohibition. After all, moonshine is a term ubiquitous with the Prohibition era, seeing as it's the name given to homemade and/or deregulated (and potentially illegal) liquor.
It depicts criminals warring over valuable moonshine whiskey during Prohibition in Kentucky, and does so with an oddly humorous tone for much of its runtime. It's not a great movie, but has some redeeming qualities, and is worth watching for fans of author and screenwriter Elmore Leonard.
8 'Bugsy Malone' (1976)
Bugsy Malone isn't the only movie to cover the story of Bugs Moran (a rival of Al Capone) during prohibition, but it might be the most interesting. This is for two main reasons: the first is that Bugsy Malone is a musical, and the second is that it makes the bold choice of having child actors play all the characters (who are supposed to be adults).
These two elements might turn some viewers off, but for fans of unusual takes on crime movies, there's a good deal to appreciate in Bugsy Malone. It's also interesting to see well-known actors like Jodie Foster and Scott Baio in some of their earliest roles, and if all else fails, at least it stands as one of the only crime/comedy/musicals out there to feature an all-child cast (if not being literally the only one).
9 'Lawless' (2012)
Lawless follows three brothers who are in the bootlegging business during the 1930s in Virginia, and a determined lawman who wants to put a stop to their exploits. It's notable for being written by musician Nick Cave, who also wrote the film's music with his frequent collaborator, Warren Ellis.
It might not be an amazing film, but it's a solid one. Of the cast, Tom Hardy probably shines the brightest - playing one of the three brothers - being one of many performances from him in the early 2010s that helped solidify him as one of the most interesting actors of his generation.
10 'Miller's Crossing' (1990)
There were several great crime movies that came out in 1990, with Miller's Crossing being one of the more underrated ones. It's also somewhat underrated within the Coen Brothers' filmography, as even though they made several strong movies in the 1980s, Miller's Crossing is debatably their first great one,
It follows a protagonist who's stuck between two criminal gangs who are warring during Prohibition, and features a complex plot full of betrayal and moral ambiguity. There are several iconic sequences contained within Miller's Crossing, and it's beautifully shot and scored, making it one of the best crime movies set during this era of American history.