12 Movies Like Peaky Blinders
Why These Picks
If you've binged all six seasons of Peaky Blindersand are craving the same blend of sharp-suited gangsters, moral ambiguity, and period atmosphere, these twelve films should be at the top of your watchlist. We've focused on movies that share the show's DNA: stylish crime narratives, complex antiheroes, and settings that feel like characters themselves.
The List
1. The Godfather (1972)
The gold standard for family crime sagas. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino deliver iconic performances in Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece about the Corleone dynasty. If Tommy Shelby had an American counterpart, it would be Michael Corleone.
2. Gangs of New York (2002)
Martin Scorsese's brutal period epic set in 1860s Manhattan. Daniel Day-Lewis is terrifying as Bill the Butcher. The depiction of gang warfare in a rapidly changing city shares thematic ground with the Shelbys' Birmingham.
3. Legend (2015)
Tom Hardy plays both Kray twins in this stylish account of London's most infamous gangsters. Hardy's dual performance alone makes this worth watching, and the 1960s London setting drips with atmosphere.
4. A Prophet (2009)
Jacques Audiard's French crime masterpiece follows a young Arab man who rises through the ranks of a Corsican crime syndicate while in prison. Gritty, intelligent, and utterly compelling.
5. Road to Perdition (2002)
Tom Hanks as a conflicted mob enforcer on the run with his son during the Great Depression. Sam Mendes directs with painterly precision, and the father-son dynamic echoes Tommy's complicated family bonds.
6. Layer Cake (2004)
The film that put Daniel Craig on the radar for the Bond franchise. A London drug dealer tries to retire but gets pulled into one last job. Slick, twisty, and endlessly quotable.
7. Public Enemies (2009)
Michael Mann's stylish retelling of John Dillinger's crime spree during the Great Depression. Johnny Depp brings charm and danger to the role, and the period detail is impeccable.
8. Miller's Crossing (1990)
The Coen Brothers' Prohibition-era gangster film is a masterclass in dialogue and atmosphere. Gabriel Byrne plays a conflicted lieutenant caught between rival mob bosses.
9. Eastern Promises (2007)
David Cronenberg directs Viggo Mortensen as a driver for the Russian mafia in London. Features one of the most intense fight scenes ever filmed. Dark, gripping, and superbly acted.
10. Brighton Rock (2010)
An adaptation of Graham Greene's novel about a young gangster in 1960s Brighton. Sam Riley is chillingly effective as Pinkie Brown, a sociopathic crime boss in the making.
11. The Departed (2006)
Scorsese's Oscar-winning crime thriller about moles on both sides of Boston's Irish mob. DiCaprio, Damon, and Nicholson at their best. The tension never lets up.
12. Lawless (2012)
Tom Hardy (again!) leads this Prohibition-era drama about bootlegging brothers in Virginia. Based on a true story, it shares Peaky Blinders' fascination with family loyalty and outlaw enterprise.