This article is Part 2 of our Top Films About Gangs You Haven’t Seen and covers Gang Films from 2000 – 2022. You can read Part 1 of our Top Films About Gangs You Haven’t Seen here.
In the 2000’s, there was a decrease in Films About Gangs, but additional themes emerged in the subgenre. Gang films focused on English Gangs and Hooligans included Green Street Hooligans (2005), Kidulthood (2006), This Is England (2006) and The Firm (2009). Historical Biopics about Gangs set in past eras rose in popularity with Gangs of New York (2002), Ned Kelly (2003) and Public Enemies (2009). And remakes of previous subgenre classics included Walking Tall (2004) based on the cult classic film Walking Tall (1973), Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) based on the subgenre classic Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) and Death Sentence (2007) which was based on the 1975 novel of the same name. This decade also produced a few classic films of the subgenre including Training Day (2001), City of God (2002), Havoc (2005), Felon (2008), Eden Lake (2008), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Gran Torino (2008) and Sin Nombre (2009).
The 2010’s again saw the Gang Films subgenre diversify into additional themes. World Cinema Gang Films and Law Enforcement against Gangs were the two prominent themes of the decade. World Cinema Films About Gangs included Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), In Order of Disappearance (2014), Tokyo Tribe (2014) and The Crew (2016). And Gang films that prominently featured law enforcement included Safe (2012), End of Watch (2012) and Homefront (2013). Classic and notable subgenre films of the decade included Legend (2015), Bomb City (2017), Shot Caller (2017) and Skin (2019).
The 2020’s have only had a few notable Films About Gangs to date including Rogue City (2020), Under the Open Sky (2021) and West Side Story (2021).
Our list of Films About Gangs includes over 130+ films from 1973 – 2021. As mentioned earlier, our list of Films About Gangs You Haven’t Seen Part 2 includes films from 2000 – 2022. Our list of Films About Gangs from 1970 – 2000 can be found here. For our list of The Top Films About Gangs You Haven’t Seen (Part 2), we had to leave the following films off the list: Havoc (2005), Felon (2008), Lawless (2008), Tokyo Tribe (2014) and Skin (2019).
Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Here is our list of the Top Films About Gangs You Haven’t Seen (Part 2):
#10
Kidulthood
Plot: A day in the life of a group of troubled 15-year-olds growing up in West London.
KBZ’s Take: If you thought Larry Clarke’s Kids (1995) was a depressing coming-of-age film, then you haven’t seen Kidulthood yet. While not as controversial or graphic as Kids, Kidulthood has many shock moments as we follow the group of 15-year-olds as they experience drugs, alcohol, sex and run-ins with drug dealers and gangs. It’s not easy to watch as the film builds towards an obvious tragic ending, but it is a recommended film for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3DuunZ4
#9
The Firm
Plot: A teenager gets indoctrinated into the world of Hooliganism by the gang’s charismatic leader, Bex.
KBZ’s Take: It’s not often (if ever) we will include two films based on the same story on our lists, but both versions of The Firm – The Firm (1989) and The Firm (2009) – warrant their inclusion. While the 1989 version predominately focused on Gary Oldman as Bex, the 2009 film tells the same story but from the vantage point of the teenager Dom (Calum McNab) who quickly becomes obsessed with Bex (Paul Anderson) and his gang. Both films have many of the same plot points and scenes, but the 2009 film gives a broader view into how the gangs operate and are a general threat to society. Just as Gary Oldman stole the show as Bex in the 1989 film, Paul Anderson plays Bex as a modern version of his character, Arthur Shelby Jr., from Peaky Blinders. Highly recommended film for fans of the subgenre (or fans of Peaky Blinders).
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3wLMu97
#8
Ned Kelly
Plot: Kelly and his gang head into the woods after getting unfairly blamed by a Constable for a crime they didn’t commit.
KBZ’s Take: Starring Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom, this is also one of the more popular Australian Westerns (found in our Meat Pie Westerns Films List). The Ned Kelly story has been told through various films, but we feel this one is the best. The film also features the best re-enactment of the famous ‘body armor’ shootout (and is worth seeing for that shootout sequence alone). It’s a great film and shouldn’t be missed by any fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3wIVX0J
#7
Bomb City
Plot: Punk rockers and jocks clash in a conservative Texas town.
KBZ’s Take: Shot in Docudrama style, Bomb City takes a facts-based look at the death of Brian Deneke. Deneke was part of the Punk Rock subculture that was looked down upon by the conservative town, and eventually led to routine clashes with the local high school football team. It’s a film that shows how a gang mentality can quickly take root in a group of individuals that leads to tragedy.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3WShAqj
#6
Eden Lake
Plot: A couple on a romantic getaway are confronted by unruly youths.
KBZ’s Take: Featuring the great Michael Fassbender and Kelly Reilly, this British film holds nothing back in the human vs. human theme of Survival Horror. Though it tends to get included in the “Torture Porn” microgenre of Survival Horror films, Eden Lake’s foundation is built more on the psyche of a gang of youths turned bad by their ‘leader’. The ending will make you question ‘family values’.
Additional Lists: Top Survival Horror Films You Haven’t Seen #6
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3jbwtGs
Plot: American vising his sister’s home in England, gets introduced to the underworld of British football hooliganism.
KBZ’s Take: The film that made Charlie Hunnam an international star before his roles in Sons of Anarchy (as Jax) and Pacific Rim (2013). His turn as Pete Dunham rivals the portrayal of Bex in The Firm movies as a charismatic, yet dangerous, leader of Hooligans. This film has quite a few more fight scenes between different football gangs and is much more violent. However, the violence is needed to show how Hooliganism has taken root in communities and fan bases. This was a more popular subgenre film of its time, but if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a highly recommended film of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/40fA2fe
#4
Shot Caller
Plot: Stockbroker kills a friend while driving drunk and is sentenced to prison – where he quickly rises in the ranks of a white supremacist gang.
KBZ’s Take: A very depressing film to watch and show’s how one decision and moment, can change an individual’s entire life. While showing the gang activity both inside and outside of the prison, the film’s strength is in Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s performance as the newly incarcerated man who quickly realizes what he will need to do to survive. It’s also a redemption story of sorts as the man who is now a criminal (and murderer) must come to terms with his wife and son from his pre-prison life. It’s a great film and shouldn’t be missed by any fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3DtqcwA
#3
Sin Nombre
Plot: A Honduran teen is traveling through Mexico to enter the USA when she comes into contact with Mexican gang members.
KBZ’s Take: A very brutal look at both the plight of Hondurans trying to escape poverty and the Mexican gang culture (that often targets them as they escape through Mexico). The realism of how the Mexican gangs operate and ‘welcome’ new members is difficult to watch and full of despair. At the film’s core though is an adventure film as the Honduras teen forges a bond with a Mexican gang member who is also trying to escape the gang. It’s one of the best films you will see – not just in this subgenre. Highly recommended film.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://youtu.be/3qVIiqP9gw4
#2
City of God
Plot: Two kids in the slums of Rio grow up on different paths – one as a photographer and the other as a drug kingpin.
KBZ’s Take: We know the first thing people are going to say is, “How is City of God an unseen film? It’s one of the best films of all time!” And we agree 100%. However, there are a surprising number of people who have not seen this film due to the film’s native Portuguese language requiring English subtitles to watch or that it is now 20 years old and lost among the growing number of Drugs & Narcos Films released since 2002. Either way, it’s a film that must be seen as it’s a classic film of the Drugs & Narcos and Films About Gangs subgenres and one of the top films of all time.
Additional Lists: Top Drugs & Narcos Films You Haven’t Seen #1
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XSanHN
#1
The Tribe
Plot: New student Sergey enters a boarding school for deaf and mute kids. He soon gets involved with the school’s gang who run crime and prostitution rings.
KBZ’s Take: We wanted to put City of God (2002) in this top slot but decided to “Go Big or Go Home” with our top pick – The Tribe. This film is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before and has an equal amount of people that praise or despise the film. The film itself is a bit hard to describe. There is no dialogue (as everybody uses Ukranian sign language in the film), there are no subtitles (so you have to figure out what is happening) and the few moments of background noise in the film are that much more impactful when they arrive. As for the story, it has many graphic sexual and violent moments that are disturbing to watch. However, these scenes add to the general sense of despair you are watching unfold in front of you and won’t leave you for days. For film buffs, we can assure you that you will never see anything like this film and it’s a must-see for a completely different visual and audio experience. For fans of the subgenre, we definitely recommend this film but again give fair warning that it is a very difficult film to watch.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/40kpOKO
