20 Best Russian Mafia Movies Of All Time
The Russian mafia, also known as the Bratva, has a long and storied history that has inspired many movies over the years. These films showcase the grit, power, and brutality of the Russian mafia, and they offer a glimpse into the shadowy world of organized crime. From intense thrillers to dramatic character studies, these movies have it all. So sit back, relax, and get ready to dive into the world of the Russian mafia. Here are our picks for the best Russian mafia movies of all time.
Eastern Promises (2007)
Anna, a nurse of Russian descent, is shocked when she discovers a diary among the belongings of Tatiana, a pregnant teenager who has recently passed away in the hospital. Determined to find Tatiana’s family and give them her child, Anna turns to her uncle for help translating the diary. When he refuses, Anna seeks out the Russian restaurant mentioned in the diary, only to find that the owner is behaving strangely when he hears about her mission.
It soon becomes clear that Tatiana’s story is intertwined with prostitution and criminal activity, and Anna finds herself in danger as she tries to unravel the truth. With an all-star cast featuring Naomi Watts, Vigo Mortensen, and Vincent Cassel, this intense thriller has received numerous awards and accolades at film festivals around the world.
Brother (1997)
After being demobilized, Danilo, a small-time thief and swindler, goes to St. Petersburg to ask his brother Viktor for help finding a job. Viktor helps him by working together to “earn” money through robbery and theft. After several successful years, the brothers meet again, this time in America.
Brat 2 (2000)
In this continuation of the Russian crime comedy, Danila, a soldier who has become a gangster, meets his military buddies on a TV show shoot. Among them is Konstantin Gromov, who desperately needs Danila’s help.
Brigada (2002)
Sasa Bjelov returns to Moscow from the military and reunites with his friends Kosmos, Pcela, and Fil. He finds out that his ex-girlfriend is now with the gang leader Muh and demands a fight with him, which he wins. Fil is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and advised to stop boxing, but they go to an underground boxing ring in Moscow where they meet Muh again and a fight breaks out, resulting in Muh’s death. A detective arrives at Sasa’s apartment trying to pin the murder on him, forcing him to go into hiding with the help of his friends.
Sasa meets Olja and starts a relationship, but she leaves him when she learns of the manhunt for him. The police raid the hideout and Sasa is injured. Kosmos’s father helps him escape prison, but he is forced to leave Moscow for a year and a half. The team then begins a criminal career, starting with small scams and eventually moving on to drug trafficking and selling weapons to the Chechens. The detective, who has been one step ahead of them, finally dies in the third season.
Dead Man’s Bluff (2005)
Sergei and Simon must deliver a suitcase full of heroin to the powerful mafia boss Sergei Mihailovich or they will be killed. They work for Mihailovich, and the heroin was stolen from them by small-time criminals on the orders of the corrupt police officer Stepan, who thought the suitcase was full of money. Sergei and Simon leave a bloody trail as they search for the stolen heroin…
Sisters (2001)
Sveta and Dina are two half-sisters with very different lifestyles. Dina is spoiled and lives with her wealthy parents, Natalia and Alik, who is a mid-level gangster. Sveta, on the other hand, lives with her grandmother in a more modest environment and dreams of becoming a sniper in the Russian Army.
When Alik is released from prison after serving time for robbery, some of his old associates demand that he pay them back the money he supposedly owes them. When he refuses, they try to kidnap Sveta and Dina in order to pressure him into giving them the money. However, the girls manage to escape and go on the run from the mob as they try to evade danger and evade the other gangsters while their father works to resolve the situation.
Generation P (2011)
“Generation P” follows the strange journey of Babylen Tatarsky as he transforms from a disillusioned young man in post-communist Moscow to the head “creative” behind the virtual world of Russian politics. In the 1990s, Tatarsky, a struggling poet, becomes a successful advertising copywriter and becomes involved in the surreal world of spin doctors, gangsters, and drug use. He is invited to join a powerful PR firm run by a ruthless advertising executive, and helps create and get elected a “virtual” president through rigged elections and false political advertising.
However, as Tatarsky descends into a virtual world of his own creation, he becomes trapped and loses his sense of self. In an attempt to regain his humanity, he turns to Buddhism and hallucinogenic mushrooms and becomes the earthly husband of the goddess Ishtar, gaining control over the mechanism that produces “simple human happiness.”
The Tracker (2001)
Private detective Connor Spears, who has a tarnished reputation, is hired by Rick to rescue his sister Kim Chang from Russian and Chinese mobs after she is taken during a violent attack.
Blind Man’s Bluff (2005)
Sergei and Simon must deliver a suitcase of heroin to the powerful mafia boss Mikhalych or face death. They only know how to solve problems with violence, using a shot to the head. The film features over 20 Russian movie stars in disguise, so they may be difficult to recognize.
Bummer (2003)
Four car thieves known as Ramah, Cat, Dimon, and Killa get into trouble and have to flee Moscow. They encounter more and more problems on the road. Eventually, with no money and being unable to contact their friends, they try to rob a small town but Ramah and Killa die, Cat is caught by the police, and Dimon hides and leaves his BMW in the forest.
McMafia (2018)
Alex Godman has worked to distance himself from his family’s criminal history. However, a murder reveals their past, and Alex is pulled into the criminal world where he must evaluate his morals in order to protect those he cares about.
Our Kind of Traitor (2016)
A young professor from Oxford and his girlfriend go on vacation to the Caribbean island of Antigua. There, they meet an influential Russian billionaire who invites them to a tennis party, but – as is often the case with Russians – the tennis party is never just what it seems.
Lord of War (2005)
Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) was born in Ukraine before the collapse of the Soviet Union. His family emigrated to America, falsely claiming to be of Jewish descent. Disappointed with his life and work in the family restaurant, Yuri becomes a witness to a shooting between rival Russian gangsters. Glad to have escaped with his life, he realizes that his fate lies in fulfilling another basic human need – for weapons. Yuri convinces his younger brother Vitaly (Jared Leto) to join him in the resale of weapons.
They find their niche in the illegal trade of weapons with countries whose regimes are under sanctions, and their clients are all armies, except for the Peacekeeping Force. The only thing that can be measured with Yuri’s appetite for weapons is his appetite for sex. But Yuri always has to be one step ahead of the constant threat that looms over him in the form of a rival weapons dealer and determined Interpol agent Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke).
Reshala (2012)
“The Brothers” is a film about two siblings. The older brother is a successful lawyer who is frequently called upon to solve various legal issues. However, he is faced with the challenge of rescuing his younger brother from a criminal predicament he has become involved in.
Reshala 2 (2015)
The film follows the story of two brothers, with the older brother being an attorney who is frequently called upon to solve various problems. However, he soon faces the biggest challenge of his life when he must save his younger brother from a criminal situation he has become involved in. Four years have passed since the events of the first film, and the city is in a state of tension as two criminal groups, led by Vitya Cherny and Dobry, fight for control.
When Vitya’s ally, Zavgar, is released from prison, Vitya hopes for his support. However, Zavgar is seeking revenge on Kasha, the reason he was imprisoned in the first place. Kasha has since moved to another city and is happily married with a son, but his past catches up with him and he must decide how to move forward.
Nobody (2021)
Hutch Mansell’s mundane life is disrupted when burglars break into his house, leading him to confront his past as a retired assassin. After he is captured by a Russian crime lord, he enlists the help of his brother and father to take down the gang and protect his family. In the end, he is released without charges and his services as an assassin are requested again.
Say It in Russian (2007)
Andrew falls for Daria, a young Russian girl, while vacationing in Europe. He travels to Moscow to be with her and meets her father, a wealthy Russian mafia oligarch. However, getting involved with him brings Andrew into dangerous circumstances that threaten their lives.
The Stoker (2010)
Ivan Skryabin is a Yakut stoker and Afghan war veteran who helps the local mafia dispose of bodies. He has a daughter, Sasha, who is dating Vassily, a high-ranking member of the mafia and a sniper. Unknowingly to Sasha, Vassily is also having an affair with Masha, the daughter of the mafia boss, Mikhail.
When Vassily kills a target and collects payment from the client, he wins an additional 30,000 rubles in a card game, which enrages the client and leads to a failed attempt on Mikhail’s life. Mikhail then orders Vassily to kill Sasha, which he does without hesitation. Skryabin recognizes his daughter’s body when it is brought to be disposed of, but remains silent. Later, he puts on his old military uniform and goes to Mikhail’s apartment, where he stabs both Mikhail and Vassily to death, leaving Masha alive.
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Skryabin then returns to his boiler room and takes his own life by slitting his wrists. The film ends with a short video showing the story Skryabin was writing in his spare time, about a Russian outlaw named Kostya who is sent to Yakutia as punishment and abuses the Yakut family taking care of him, raping the wife and beating the husband.
Little Odessa (1994)
After calmly and cold-bloodedly carrying out another murder in the middle of the street, hired hitman Joshua Shapiro (T. Roth) learns from his boss that his new assignment takes him to the Little Odessa neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Joshua grew up there and his family still lives there. He has not seen his father Arkady (M. Schell), mother Irina (V. Redgrave), and younger brother Reuben (E. Furlong) in years.
Irina is suffering from a brain tumor, Arkady tries to maintain his personal dignity despite life’s blows, finding comfort in the arms of the much younger Natasha (N. Andrejchenko). When he arrives in the old neighborhood, Josh is noticed by an old acquaintance, Sasha (D. Vadim), who promptly informs Reuben and Alli Sustervich (Moira Kelly), Joshua’s former girlfriend…
Hard-Hearted (2007)
Anton, a young man from the provinces, travels to Moscow in search of the girl he loves. Upon arriving in the city, he is struck by its modern, glamorous appearance, but also by its harsh, unforgiving nature, where the only law is the law of survival.
