15 Must-Watch Russian Mafia Movies

Marton Csokas by GabboT from Wikimedia Commons

15 Must-Watch Russian Mafia Movies


 

Moviegoers have adored gangster films for as long as anybody can remember. It is simple to comprehend why. Yes, in truth, leading a career in crime seems like a bad job. You’re constantly on the lookout for danger, you can never trust your closest allies, and that’s not even mentioning all the immoral actions. But experiencing those lives through those we see on film is one of cinema’s greatest delights, mostly because it’s a way of life that the bulk of us would never even consider adopting or living close to.

However, the gangster movie isn’t a single entity. Street-level bosses running a city block or cigar-smoking mobsters running enormous criminal empires could be involved. It can be yakuza enforcers engaged in dramatic gun battles or tough mafia groups spraying competition with bullets without regard for the target.

On our comprehensive list of must-watch Russian mafia films, you’ll find movie gangsters who are loud and gregarious, cold and calculating. You’ll definitely find your perfect fit on this list.

1. Brother

Aleksey Balabanov’s criminal thriller Brother (or Brat) was shot on location in Russia. A young man named Danila, who has just returned home from the First Chechen War, is the main character of the movie. He is dispatched (by his mother) to St. Petersburg in search of his older sibling, who can aid him in locating employment. If there weren’t any Russian gangsters in this film about organised crime, it wouldn’t be one.

Danila’s brother is revealed to be a hitman for a Russian mafia family, which is fortunate for the main protagonist. Sergey Bodrov, who is incredibly skilled, gave a superb performance as the main protagonist Danila. This is one of the best mafia films because it expertly balances action and drama at the same time.

2. Blind Man’s Bluff 

The incredibly gifted director Aleksey Balabanov produced another film. This is a crime film that chronicles the various traditions that Russian gangsters used to follow in the 1990s. The action of the story occurs after the demise of the Soviet Union. Up until the end credits, you’ll be utterly absorbed by the violent and entertaining content of the film. The mafia movie parodies in this movie are done with dark humour. This film is a must-see if you want to laugh and learn more about the Russian mob at the same time.

3. Eastern Promises

The Russian mafia in London employs Nikolay as a “cleaner” who clears crime scenes of bodies and evidence. Additionally, he transports his employer. He is intelligent and ambitious and is likely to overtake his mafia friends to become a boss, despite their fears. They are wrong about Nikolay.

Taking the part extremely seriously was Viggo Mortensen. He went to Russia, got in touch with ex-offenders, and spent days learning about the customs, tattoos, and speech patterns of the mafia. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance, proving that his efforts were not in vain.

4. The Equalizer

The most skilled Russian hitman is Nikolay Itchenko, sometimes known as “Teddy.” Psychopathic tendencies are also present in him. Remember Yorgi from XXX? That was another Russian character played by Marton Csokas, a New Zealander with Hungarian ancestry. Teddy is undoubtedly not someone you want to meet in a shady alley.

5. Sisters 

This movie is intriguing because, in addition to being a traditional mafia thriller, it also doubles as a family drama. Actresses Oksana Akinshina and Katya Gorina, both of extraordinary skill, starred in the movie. When their father, a Russian gangster, is released from prison, the two sisters who are the subject of the story run away from the criminals.

In addition to exploring growing up in a wild society and the sisters’ connection, the movie also explores the criminal underground. It is both a life drama and a suspenseful crime story. This film is one of the greatest Russian films ever made, so if you have the time, you should absolutely see it.

6. The Soviet Army

Following the Soviet Union’s invasion of America, a bunch of Colorado teenagers go guerrilla in this Oscar-nominated classic written and directed by “Apocalypse Now” screenwriter John Milius. Against Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Grey, and Lea Thompson, can the second-strongest military in the world hold its own? I doubt it.

The Russian-led Army believes that the invasion would be simple because Americans are spineless and weak, but a unit of self-trained high school athletes disproves their theory. The inspiration has been forever appreciated by two generations of survivalist militias.

7. Thieves By Law

Compared to other movies, this one is a little bit unique. Why? It’s a documentary, so. We are given a more comprehensive view of the Russian criminal underworld by the film, which succeeds in its attempt. You should see this film if you want to understand what it’s actually like to be a mobster in Russia.

It provides insight into what it’s like to be a member of the Russian mob and includes interviews with individuals who are wanted by Interpol (it doesn’t get any deeper inside than that). This Alexander Gentelev-directed movie will have you debating whether the gangsters themselves or the “System” is the real criminal. 

8. Ivan Drago

In preparation for an exhibition match against Soviet boxer Ivan Drago, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) agrees to coach Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) (Dolph Lundgren). Drago kills the American boxer by beating him to death and doesn’t show any remorse. Rocky arrives in Moscow for a contest on Christmas Day versus the Russian and demands a match with Drago.

Drago meets his equal, and his Soviet coaches yell at him in a manner similar to how a Russian coach yelled at the teenage skater Kamila Valieva after she bungled her routine at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

9. Xenia Onatopp 

How will the James Bond series endure in a post-Cold War environment once the Soviet Union has fallen? Russian mobsters saved the day and provided MI6 with a brand-new foe. Alec Trevelyan, a former British spy, employs Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), a military-trained operator, to carry out his dirty deed (Sean Bean). Bond (Pierce Brosnan) must first defeat Onatopp in order to prevent the use of an EMP space weapon.

10. John Wick

Family responsibilities can be so demanding. Iosef (Alfie Allen), the idiotic son of Russian mobster Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), begins a battle with former hitman and potential Marine veteran John Wick (Keanu Reeves).

Since Wick used to work for Tarasov before making a pact to leave life, he is familiar with Wick’s abilities. When Wick seeks retribution from Iosef for the death of his dog, Tarasov chooses his family over the right thing and swears war on the shooter. Iosef may not be such a fool, of course, if Viggo had been a better parent. Although Tarasov is a very evil character and puts up a fight, there is a reason why there have already been two John Wick films and why a third is on the way.

11. Nobody

They used the plot twice since it was so good. All three “John Wick” films have been written by Derek Kolstad, and “Wick” #1 was reused for a narrative of Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk), an older ex-hitman with a wife, two kids, and a dull day job.

Teddy is the not-so-bright brother of Yulian Kuznetsov, a Russian mobster played by Aleksei Serebryakov (Aleksandr Pal). Teddy and his gangster buddies think they’re fighting a lonely old man on a bus, but Hutch basically destroys them and takes Teddy to the hospital.

When Yulian grudgingly defends his brother and seeks retaliation against Hutch, things quickly turn sour for the Russian gang. Nobody doesn’t feel like a carbon copy of “John Wick,” which is a testament to both the skill of the Russian antagonist and the respective directors of each movie (Ilya Naishuller and Chad Stahelski).

12. Rosa Klebb

Former Soviet SMERSH agent Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya) has joined the SPECTRE global crime organisation in the second James Bond film. She will be in charge of a team entrusted with exacting retribution upon Bond (Sean Connery) for the murder of SPECTRE agents.

It’s up to Klebb to eliminate Red Grant (Robert Shaw) with one of the best weapons in the series when he fails to complete the task. She is no match for 007’s charm, and Bond survives after he uses his romantic abilities to become a SPECTRE agent.

13. Rambo: First Blood Part II,” 1985

It’s the ideal Reagan-era fantasy. Even though the Vietnam War is over, Soviet troops are still quietly advising the Vietnamese military while they continue to detain American service members as POWs. In order to rescue those POWs, John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is released from the jail cell he ended up in after the previous movie.

The mission is a joke. Nobody anticipated him to actually find prisoners, so the American military releases him. When Rambo is taken prisoner by the enemy, Soviet Lt. Col. Sergei Podovsky (Steven Berkoff), who is ecstatic to have the opportunity to torture an American, interrogates him. Podovsky, like the majority of Russian movie villains, grossly underestimates the intelligence, resourcefulness, and bravery of the American soldier.

14. Assa

One of those mafia films that will stick with you for a very long time, this one was made a few years before the fall of the Soviet Union.

Despite being a mafia-themed film, this one made it onto the list of Russian “Rockumentary” films because of its musical components. The 1980s are the setting of Sergey Solovyev’s film Assa. The mistress of a crime leader falls in love with a singer by the name of Banana. One of the best Russian movies, it has amassed a cult following over time and received a lot of media attention.

15. Bummer

Bummer, which was directed by Pyotr Buslov, was one of the highest-grossing movies of 2003 when it was first released.

The story revolves around four buddies who get into difficulty and must leave Moscow. They make their getaway in a black BMW (slang bummer or bimmer, hence the name). The Bummer is an action-packed mafia film, but it also serves as an indictment of the corrupt government policies that plagued Russia under Boris Yeltsin’s rule.

You can also read 15 Best Mafia Series to Watch on Netflix

 

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