Entertainment

8 Great Movies Like The Gentlemen (That Aren't By Guy Ritchie)

Nairavoice · Nov 3, 2026 · 7 min read

Guy Ritchie has made a career out of impeccably dressed criminals and dialogue that makes even the most dangerous gangsters sound entertaining. His Netflix series The Gentlemen takes that formula into the world of Britain’s aristocracy, where inherited estates conceal drug empires and family responsibilities occasionally involve disposing of bodies.

Starring Theo James as Eddie Horniman and Kaya Scodelario as Susie Glass, The Gentlemen proved popular enough to earn a second season, which premiered in September 2026. Although the show’s second season took its criminal ambitions even further, a third is already in production, suggesting audiences are far from finished with its peculiar combination of upper-class privilege, organized crime, and dark comedy.

Of course, fans of Ritchie’s 2019 film will recognize plenty of familiar ingredients in the series, even though the characters and storylines are different. Both productions belong to a distinctive tradition of stylish crime entertainment, where elaborate schemes unravel through a mixture of greed, stupidity, and spectacularly bad decisions.

Fortunately, Ritchie isn’t the only filmmaker who knows how to make criminals entertaining. From British gangster classics to American crime comedies, several movies deliver similarly sharp dialogue, outrageous characters, and unpredictable plots. These eight films capture different aspects of The Gentlemen‘s appeal without featuring Ritchie behind the camera.

Layer Cake (2004)

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Before becoming James Bond, Daniel Craig played another impeccably dressed criminal in Matthew Vaughn’s Layer Cake. His unnamed protagonist is a successful London cocaine dealer planning an early retirement, only to find himself caught between increasingly dangerous assignments and rival gangsters. Naturally, leaving the criminal underworld proves considerably more complicated than anticipated.

Layer Cake is probably the closest movie to The Gentlemen in both style and subject matter. Its sophisticated criminal hierarchy, dry British humor, and elaborate betrayals feel especially familiar to fans of Eddie Horniman’s adventures. Vaughn, who previously produced Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, brings a similarly stylish sensibility to his directorial debut.

In Bruges (2008)

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Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two Irish hitmen sent to Belgium following a disastrous assignment. While the older Ken appreciates the medieval city’s beauty, his younger companion Ray spends most of his time complaining about practically everything. Unfortunately, their employer has considerably more sinister plans for their stay.

Few crime movies balance outrageous humor with genuine emotional consequences as effectively as In Bruges. Farrell and Gleeson’s brilliant chemistry makes their increasingly dangerous predicament enormously entertaining, while Ralph Fiennes delivers a memorable performance as their volatile boss. Fans of The Gentlemen‘s unpredictable criminals and viciously funny dialogue should find plenty to enjoy, although McDonagh’s film ultimately becomes something much darker.

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Sexy Beast (2000)

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Ray Winstone, who plays Bobby Glass in The Gentlemen, delivered another unforgettable gangster performance in Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast. This time, he portrays Gal Dove, a retired criminal enjoying a peaceful existence in Spain with his wife. His retirement is interrupted by Don Logan (Ben Kingsley), a terrifying former associate determined to recruit him for one final robbery.

Kingsley’s extraordinary performance makes Don one of cinema’s most frightening gangsters, despite the character’s frequently ridiculous behavior. The film’s combination of dark humor, psychological intimidation, and sudden violence will appeal to anyone who enjoys The Gentlemen‘s more menacing characters. Among movies that can be more frightening than conventional horror, Sexy Beast makes a convincing case through the sheer unpredictability of its central villain.

Bullet Train (2022)

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Brad Pitt leads an eccentric ensemble in David Leitch’s Bullet Train, an action comedy about a reluctant assassin tasked with retrieving a briefcase aboard a Japanese high-speed train. Unfortunately, several other professional killers have boarded the same train, each pursuing objectives that gradually collide. What begins as a straightforward assignment becomes an increasingly elaborate series of violent misunderstandings.

Although Bullet Train substitutes international assassins for British gangsters, its overlapping criminal schemes and absurd humor make it a natural recommendation for The Gentlemen fans. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry are especially entertaining as the bickering assassins Tangerine and Lemon. The film’s colorful characters, fast-paced dialogue, and escalating betrayals capture much of Ritchie’s appeal, with considerably more elaborate action sequences.

The Long Good Friday (1980)

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John Mackenzie’s The Long Good Friday is one of the defining British gangster movies, with Bob Hoskins delivering an extraordinary performance as London crime boss Harold Shand. Hoping to establish himself as a legitimate businessman, Harold plans to transform London’s Docklands with financial backing from American investors. However, a series of mysterious attacks threatens to destroy his criminal empire.

The parallels with The Gentlemen are particularly interesting, especially the uneasy relationship between organized crime, property, and social ambition. Helen Mirren is excellent as Harold’s formidable partner Victoria, while Hoskins makes his increasingly desperate attempts to maintain control gripping. The film is more serious than Ritchie’s series, but its examination of wealthy criminals attempting to enter respectable society makes it an essential predecessor.

Seven Psychopaths (2012)

Martin McDonagh returned to dark crime comedy with Seven Psychopaths, starring Colin Farrell as Marty, a struggling screenwriter searching for inspiration. His eccentric friends Billy (Sam Rockwell) and Hans (Christopher Walken) operate a dog-kidnapping scheme that goes spectacularly wrong when they steal the beloved pet of a violent gangster played by Woody Harrelson.

What follows is an increasingly ridiculous series of criminal confrontations, fueled by spectacularly questionable decisions and some wonderfully sharp dialogue. Rockwell nearly steals the movie as the unpredictable Billy, while Harrelson makes an amusingly unhinged antagonist. Like The Gentlemen, Seven Psychopaths thrives on distinctive supporting characters whose individual schemes collide in unexpected ways. Its self-aware humor makes it particularly appealing to viewers who enjoy crime stories that refuse to take themselves too seriously.

Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

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Josh Hartnett stars in Lucky Number Slevin, a stylish crime thriller about an unfortunate young man who finds himself caught between two rival New York gangsters. Mistaken for someone who owes both men money, Slevin must navigate increasingly dangerous demands from powerful criminals. Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Bruce Willis, and Lucy Liu round out an impressive ensemble.

Director Paul McGuigan constructs an entertaining puzzle filled with sharp dialogue, eccentric villains, and elaborate deception. The film shares The Gentlemen‘s fascination with criminal hierarchies, particularly the elaborate games powerful men play to maintain their influence. Its increasingly complicated narrative also earns it a place alongside crime movies with unforgettable plot twists, rewarding viewers who appreciate a clever story that keeps its secrets until the right moment.

Get Shorty (1995)

Barry Sonnenfeld’s Get Shorty brings a decidedly Hollywood twist to the gangster comedy. John Travolta stars as Chili Palmer, a Miami loan shark who travels to Los Angeles to collect a debt from a struggling movie producer (Gene Hackman). After becoming fascinated by the film industry, Chili discovers that making movies and running criminal enterprises have more in common than anyone might expect.

Adapted from Elmore Leonard’s novel, Get Shorty delivers wonderfully sharp dialogue and an ensemble that includes Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, and Dennis Farina. Travolta is effortlessly charming as a gangster whose professional instincts prove surprisingly useful in Hollywood. The film’s playful examination of business, ambition, and criminal behavior makes it especially appealing to fans of The Gentlemen, where legitimate commerce and organized crime frequently become indistinguishable.