Everyone loves watching mafia movies which are often known as mobster or gangster movies. Such films draw from real-life events and some could even be straight-up historically accurate. People don't only watch Peaky Blinders for Cillian Murphy, they watch because there's a certain morbid fascination with the subject matter. Or, perhaps, a repressed desire to live a similar lifestyle.
There's no denying the attraction to stories like The Godfather, Scarface, Pulp Fiction, and the best mafia movie of all time, Goodfellas. Not only were they popular when they were released, but these films, among others, have lived at the forefront of pop culture ever since. And that's a good thing for the movie studios that made them as they cost an absolute fortune...
9 The Budget For Donnie Brasco Was $35 Million
Directed by Mike Newell, Donnie Brasco is an adaptation of a book by Joseph D. Pistone. The movie is about an FBI agent who goes undercover and joins a family of criminals in New York. Eventually, he climbs the ladder and becomes its leader.
Donnie Brasco scores an IMDB rate of 7.7/10. The film stars Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, and Michael Madsen. Grossing around $125 million, which is $90 million higher than its initial budget, the movie was a success. The film was nominated for one Academy Award but didn't win.
8 The Budget For Training Day Was $45 Million
This film put Ethan Hawke in a new light as an actor as he worked alongside Denzel Washington and Scott Glenn. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the movie is about a narcotics officer who undergoes his training day with a partner who turns out to be a dangerous gangster in a Russian mob.
The budget of this film was $45 million, and it made over $104 million at the Box Office. It ranks at 7.7/10 on IMDB and was nominated for two Academy Awards. Hawke was nominated as the best actor in a supporting role, and Washington won an Oscar for best actor in a leading role.
7 The Budget For Casino Was $52 Million
This film is another collaboration between the director, Martin Scorsese, and the author, Nicholas Pileggi. Casino is yet another movie adaptation. It's about a mafia member who struggles on his road to success and power.
Scorsese worked again with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, and had Sharon Stone starring alongside them. This time, it was Stone who was nominated for an Academy Award as best actress in a leading role, but didn't win.
The film rates 8.2/10 on IMDB and had a high budget of $52 million. It made more than double in profits as it grossed over $110 million worldwide.
6 The Budget For Public Enemies Was $80 Million
Directed by Michael Mann, the movie stars Depp alongside Christian Bale and Christian Stolte. It is about the chase of a notorious American gangster. In the movie, a gang terrorizes New York as the FBI tries to catch them.
While Public Enemies didn't get any Academy Award nominations, it did make a very high amount of money. Ranking 7/10 on IMDB, the mafia movie grossed more than $212 million worldwide, with a starting budget of $80 million.
5 The Budget For Road To Perdition Was $80 Million
Directed by Sam Mendes, the true story movie is starring Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin, and Rob Maxey. It is based on a graphic novel by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner. The movie is about an assassin who is in the mafia. After his son witnesses his mafia boss commit a major crime, he goes on the run to protect his son from the gang.
The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, and Conrad L. Hall won an Academy Award for best cinematography for the film.
Despite having an IMDB rate of just 6.4/10, the film had a high budget of $80 million and grossed more than $183 million at the box office.
4 The Budget For The Departed Was $90 Million
Here's another Martin Scorsese mafia movie that was nominated and won many Academy Awards. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson. It's about a spy and an undercover agent who try to infiltrate an Irish gang, yet they're always caught up fighting each other to stay unexposed.
The film has a very high IMDB rank of 8.5/10. With a budget of $90 million, the movie made more than $200 in profit as it grossed more than $291 million. It was nominated for four Academy Awards. However, Mark Wahlberg won an Oscar for best actor in a supporting role. He definitely would have regretted not doing the movie as he initially wanted to.
3 The Budget For Gangs Of New York Was $97 Million
Gangs of New York is a Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese reunion, except that this time, the movie kind of flunked. It's about an Irish immigrant who tries to avenge his father and pursues a gang leader.
The movie stars Cameron Diaz and Daniel Day-Lewis alongside DiCaprio. Ranked 7.5/10 on IMDB, the film cost $97 million to make and grossed just $77 million, losing money. Moreover, the movie was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won none.
2 The Budget For American Gangster Was $100 Million
Directed by Ridley Scott, the movie is about a New York City cop who tries to take down a drug lord and his empire. It is actually biographical, and it stars Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
The film has a rate of 7.8/10 on IMDB and has made over $266 million. This movie is one of the most expensive mafia movies ever made, as it had a budget of $100 million. American Gangster was nominated for two Academy Awards.
1 The Budget For The Irishman Was $159 Million
Everyone already knows by now that Martin Scorsese is a mafia film specialist! The Irishman brings Robert De Niro and Al Pacino together just like in The Godfather. Starring alongside them is the amazing actor Joe Pesci.
The movie is about a man who gets involved with a crime family and becomes a top-tier hitman. It has an IMDB rank of 7.8/10 and 10 Academy Award nominations. Produced by Netflix, the movie was a disappointment as it didn't win any Oscars and it reportedly lost $280 million. It comes as number one on this list for the most expensive mafia movie at $159 million. However, it only grossed $8 million dollar while streaming online.
