8 Gangster Shows Better Than Peaky Blinders

No matter how critically-acclaimed, the best gangster TV shows of all time often share the same aesthetic, highlighting the grit and brutality of life in the criminal underworld, or the slick double lives led by crime families. However, the six-season Peaky Blinders immediately stood out for its approach. Combining the violence of the real-life British gang known as the Peaky Blinders with a cinematic style and soundtrack that gave the show its own distinctive aesthetic and tone, Peaky Blinders has a well-deserved 93% positive Rotten Tomatoes score.

Still, the series has not been immune from criticism, with some reviewers finding its pacing to be too deliberately dramatic and heavy-handed, while the formulas can be repetitive despite the show's reputation for significant twists. That said, even with these relatively minor flaws, the acting in the show raised the bar for the crime genre, and Peaky Blinders inspired other TV shows. This has, in turn, produced some series that do not just equal Peaky Blinders, but surpass it.

The Gentlemen

Guy Ritchie's series is a must-watch for crime drama fans, as the show runs with the theme in his previous movie of the same name, elaborating on the story, which is told from the opposite side's point of view. Sometimes compared to Breaking Bad, The Gentlemen follows an aristocrat who discovers that the estate he has inherited is being used as a weed farm. Like Peaky Blinders, The Gentlemen has its own distinctive visual style, but it surpasses the show in one key way.

Peaky Blinders takes itself somewhat seriously, while The Gentlemen brings Guy Ritchie's signature humor to the gritty story, resulting in some hilarious dark comedy. The characters are larger than life, and the explosive first season contained some truly unhinged moments, with season 2 looking set to bring viewers more of the same.

Boardwalk Empire

HBO's overlooked Boardwalk Empire is quietly one of the best American crime shows of all time, but its slow-burn format and slightly uneven pacing worked against it, with the series being overshadowed by soapier dramas with more action. Still, the show earned a 95% positive audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising Steve Buscemi's performance as Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, whose rising crime empire sat at the heart of the series.

Like Peaky Blinders, Boardwalk Empire is also based on real events, with characters being based on real-life gangsters operating in Prohibition-era Atlantic City. With the pilot episode being directed by Martin Scorsese and the period atmosphere immersing viewers from the first scene, Boardwalk Empire has a more realistic setting and sense of place than Peaky Blinders, which could sometimes work against its own set-up through its more modern soundtrack.

Better Call Saul

Few spinoff series surpass the original, but many critics have deemed Better Call Saul a better show than Breaking Bad, including Rotten Tomatoes critics, who gave Better Call Saul a 98% positive rating compared to Breaking Bad's 96%. The show, which follows Jimmy McGill's journey from small-time conman to celebrity criminal defense lawyer, is a mix of genres, but its scenes involving the Salamanca crime family are some of the best while also being the hardest to watch.

Peaky Blinders is easily Cillian Murphy's best TV show and his role as Tommy Shelby is one of the show's highlights, with Murphy outshining virtually all the supporting characters, most of whom are nowhere near as developed as Tommy. On the other hand, Better Call Saul's side characters are just as well-written as the main cast, with characters like Tuco Salamanca and Howard Hamlin having major parts to play without feeling like props for the charismatic Jimmy.

Taboo

Of the many excellent quality gangster TV series to watch, Taboo is the historical crime drama TV show that most resembles Peaky Blinders, which is not surprising considering the fact that both were created by Steven Knight and feature Tom Hardy and Stephen Graham. Hardy plays James Delaney, who has returned to England after living in Africa for 12 years, and the show explores corruption and criminal gangs just as Peaky Blinders does. However, the series has a very different tone.

Taboo is a much darker show than Peaky Blinders, with more disturbing scenes and an atmosphere that often feels Gothic, with Hardy delivering a more intense performance. Unfortunately, although Taboo was set to be a more mysterious and less predictable series, it is at a disadvantage, with only one season made. Still, it is a must-watch for Peaky Blinders fans, with a potential second season that has not yet been ruled out.

The Sopranos

The Sopranos is virtually incomparable, with a groundbreaking effect on other TV shows and elevating HBO to the home of prestige drama. Centering on the troubled mafia boss Tony Soprano, the show explored gangster life in a way that had not been explored before, with Tony in therapy and juggling his life as a father and husband with managing his criminal enterprise. The Sopranos best episodes were masterpieces in terms of writing, and this is where the show overtakes Peaky Blinders.

Peaky Blinders explores themes of loyalty and family, but The Sopranos easily outshines the series as a character study. The main characters are all deeply flawed, which makes viewers constantly shift their loyalty, sympathizing with and condemning them, often within the same scene. Both shows are loosely based on real people, but while the Peaky Blinders characters are exciting, The Sopranos characters feel real at all times.

Warrior

With impressive 93% and 95% Rotten Tomatoes ratings from critics and audiences respectively, Warrior is one of the best gangster TV shows of the past ten years. Not only does the three-season series work as a crime drama, but it has another twist, being one of the best martial arts TV series of all time. Many great gangster TV shows feature hard-hitting violence, but Warrior leans into its stunts in an entirely new way, making it stand out in a sea of bare-knuckle boxing and gun-focused stories.

Peaky Blinders has plenty of action, emotive performances centered on violent events, and exciting fights. However, Warrior's action is unparalleled, featuring imaginative and unpredictable sequences rarely seen in a gangster TV series. While Peaky Blinders excels at character development, layered storytelling, and deep themes, Warrior easily beats the series when it comes to action, as well as most other crime shows.

Sons Of Anarchy

Comparing Sons of Anarchy to Peaky Blinders can be a subjective experience, especially when it comes to the show's soundtracks. Fans of classic rock and metal will appreciate the epic biker saga's mix of well-known but reimagined rock songs, while the Peaky Blinders' soundtrack has ranked among the best TV soundtracks of all time for its darker and more folk-inspired edge. Music aside, Sons of Anarchy has another advantage over Peaky Blinders, and that is in its tone.

The fact that Peaky Blinders has a more consistent tone would usually be considered a better feature. However, Peaky Blinders' dark and brooding atmosphere is unrelenting to the point of feeling monotonous at times, while Sons of Anarchy can swing from warm family scenes to gritty violence and harrowing deaths within just one episode, keeping viewers invested even when the series grows more outrageous.

The Wire

The world of Peaky Blinders begins with the insular criminal underworld of Birmingham before expanding to a global setting as Tommy Shelby's influence grows. That said, the show largely remains focused on the central characters through their personal, political, and criminal enterprises. On the other hand, The Wire is a masterpiece for the way it explores the world of crime piece by piece, offering insight into the systemic failures that drive people to commit criminal acts in the first place.

The Wire acts as an anthology while including many of the same characters in multiple seasons, with this ambitious format treating the Baltimore location as a character in its own right. It might tell a slower story than that of Tommy Shelby and the Peaky Blinders, but The Wire's best scenes earn the series a place among the best TV shows of all time for the way they make viewers think, long after the show ends.