MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for Hoodlum

Hoodlum

1997 · 130 min

A grim, slow-burning gangster saga that immerses you in Harlem's underworld, with brutal violence and a pervasive sense of loss.

Directed by
Bill Duke
Genres
Crime, Drama
Starring
Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth, Vanessa Williams
Tagline
Power is measured in enemies.
Overview
In 1934, the second most lucrative business in New York City was running 'the numbers'. When Madam Queen—the powerful woman who runs the scam in Harlem—is arrested, Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson takes over the business and must resist an invasion from a merciless mobster.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Add to a list: Hoodlum

You have no lists yet. Name one, and this title goes into it.

All your lists

Stream in the UK
  • MGM Plus Amazon Channel
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
Bill Duke
Genres
Crime, Drama
Starring
Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth, Vanessa Williams
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • darkstrength 3 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • power
  • crime
  • betrayal
  • race
  • violence
Places
  • big city
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • true story
Content intensity
  • Gore strong
  • Language strong
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action6
Horror3
Humour2
Realism7
Romance4
Tension7
Darkness8
Complexity6
Emotional weight7

More like this

Titles like Hoodlum

TV series

Godfather of Harlem

2019–2025

A slow-burning, weighty crime saga that simmers with racial and political tension, anchored by a commanding, brooding lead performance.

Same creator: Chris Brancato · Dark, tense · about power and crime

Also
Same creator: Chris Brancato
Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • crime
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Seasons
4
Details
Godfather of HarlemHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Goodfellas

1990

A seductive, fast-paced rise-and-fall crime saga that immerses you in glamour and paranoia, with sharp dialogue and sudden violence.

Dark, tense · about crime and betrayal · true story

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • crime
  • betrayal
  • true story
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
145 min
Details
GoodfellasHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Godfather

1972

A slow, shadowy immersion into a family's moral corrosion, where every quiet conversation carries the weight of impending violence.

Dark, tense · about power and crime

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • crime
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
175 min
Details
The GodfatherHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Donnie Brasco

1997

A slow, tense descent into loyalty and deception, where every friendship carries the weight of inevitable betrayal.

Dark, tense · about crime and betrayal · true story

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • crime
  • betrayal
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
127 min
Details
Donnie BrascoHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Casino

1995

A dazzling, propulsive rise-and-fall epic that seduces with excess before souring into paranoia, betrayal and quiet ruin.

Dark, tense · about power and crime · true story

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • crime
  • true story
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
179 min
Details
CasinoHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Narcos

2015–2017

A tense, sprawling plunge into cartel warfare that keeps you gripped with its ruthless escalation and documentary-like sweep.

Same writer: Chris Brancato · Dark, tense · about power and crime

Also
Same writer: Chris Brancato
Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • crime
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Seasons
3
Details
NarcosHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Drive

2011

A stylish, brooding neo-noir that blends tender romance with shocking bursts of violence, demanding your full attention.

Dark, tense · about crime and betrayal

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • crime
  • betrayal
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
100 min
Details
DriveHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Scarface

1932

A brutal, fast-moving rise-and-fall crime saga that feels raw and electric, with a chillingly charismatic lead and a grimly ironic finale.

Dark, tense · about power and crime

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • crime
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
93 min
Details
ScarfaceHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Crime Novel

2005

A sprawling, brooding crime saga that immerses you in the rise and fall of a gang, with a constant sense of impending doom.

Dark, tense · about power and crime · true story

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • crime
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
152 min
Details
Crime NovelHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Once Upon a Time in America

1984

A sweeping, mournful epic that drifts through memory and time, heavy with regret and lost friendship, demanding patience but rewarding it with haunting images.

Dark, tense · about crime and betrayal

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • crime
  • betrayal
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
139 min
Details
Once Upon a Time in AmericaHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Cotton Club

1984

A lush, sprawling crime drama where dazzling jazz numbers collide with brutal mob violence, demanding patience but rewarding with atmosphere.

Dark, tense · about power and crime

Via
  • dark
  • tense
  • power
  • crime
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
130 min
Details
The Cotton ClubHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Irishman

2019

A long, quiet, mournful look at a life of violence that ends in loneliness and regret.

Dark, melancholic · about crime and betrayal · true story

Via
  • dark
  • melancholic
  • crime
  • betrayal
  • true story
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
209 min
Details
The IrishmanHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Stream
  • MGM Plus Amazon Channel
Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
  • YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
crime, drama
Directed by
Bill Duke
Written by
Chris Brancato
Starring
Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth, Vanessa Williams, Andy Garcia, Cicely Tyson, Chi McBride, Clarence Williams III, Richard Bradford
Music
Elmer Bernstein
Cinematography
Frank Tidy
Runtime
130 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata