19 Years Later, Ridley Scott and Denzel Washington's Epic Crime Thriller Is Already a Classic

Published Jul 25, 2026, 4:11 PM EDT In 2007, two iconic actors teamed up with a legendary director to make a crime classic that became a box office hit — and almost 20 years later, it's still drawing viewers in as it climbs the Netflix charts. American Gangster is a star-studded affair, with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe playing men on different sides of the law in a tale based on the real-life story of organized crime figure Frank Lucas. Behind the camera was Ridley Scott, the celebrated director who was continuing a 2000s hot streak that included award-winning hits like Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, and Kingdom Of Heaven. With this film, however, he crafted a crime saga unlike most of his previous films — or most crime tales. A stylish and intricate study of ruthlessness, ambition, and power, it is that particular type of magic that happens when great talent is given a fascinating story to tell. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe Brought a Modern Crime Classic to Life Image via Universal/courtesy Everett Collection American Gangster is based on the true story of Frank Lucas (Washington), the right-hand man of a 1960s Harlem mob boss who dies suddenly — leaving Lucas an opportunity to take over the local drug business. Seeing an opportunity in the escalating Vietnam War, he smuggles heroin in on military aircraft, enabling him to sell a purer product that escalates his business, and his power. Keeping a low profile and treating his endeavors as a legitimate business, he soon becomes powerful across the crime world, mixing calculation with menace. He largely evades the notice of the authorities until Newark detective and aspiring lawyer Richie Roberts (Crowe) begins to question how this one man seems to move in such illustrious circles. For both men, survival means navigating flawed systems on both sides of the law — Frank evades suspicious police and rival criminals, while Richie struggles to find honest lawmen to help his case. With period-accurate detail, thrilling confrontations, and two-and-a-half hours' worth of classic '70s needle drops, it avoids many of the pitfalls of the modern crime film by telling a story that spans years without dragging at any moment. 'American Gangster' Sees Two Hollywood Giants Face Off Image via Universal Pictures Incredibly, Washington and Crowe had already worked together twelve years earlier, in the poorly received sci-fi Virtuosity in 1995, prior to the Australian actor's breakthrough. American Gangster finds both stars in their prime, however, with Crowe as a bona fide A-lister having won an Oscar for Gladiator, and Washington having reinvented himself somewhat, showing a darker side of his range playing a corrupt cop in 2001'a Training Day (for which he also won an Academy Award). Here, both bring nuance to their roles that makes this much more than a Good vs Evil story. Frank Lucas carries himself like a CEO, hiring his family and holding them to strict codes. "The most important thing in business is honesty, integrity, hard work," he tells his assembled relatives in a diner. "Family... never forgetting where we came from." His speech is halted, however, when he spots a man who owes him money (Idris Elba) and shoots him dead in the middle of the street to prove to everyone the power he has. It is that duality that is truly fascinating — Frank's words are that of a businessman, but his actions are those of a criminal. Both sides of him, however, crave power. Similarly, Richie does not seem like the white knight needed to take Lucas down. Disheveled and going through a divorce due to his frequent infidelity, his virtuous approach to police work is at odds with his personal life. In one bitter condemnation, Richie's wife Laurie (Carla Gugino) says: "You don't take [illegal] money for one reason: to buy being dishonest about everything else." It creates a fascinating contrast, with Frank breaking the law for honest reasons, and Richie upholding it for dishonest reasons. It makes the film much more than a police procedural, getting inside the minds of the men at the center of this saga. Director Ridley Scott Completes the Picture With two great actors and a compelling story, all that's needed is someone with vision behind the camera to bring it all together. Ridley Scott understood not just the story he wanted to tell, but how to tell it. There was a risk of losing the audience with the many different tones of the film — Frank Lucas' sweeping, Shakespearean rise to power, Richie Roberts' mundane lifestyle, and the historical backdrop involving real events and people. By keeping the focus on the characters, Scott was able to narrow and widen his canvas as he saw fit without leaving the viewer feeling like they were moving between different films. The director is used to creating entire worlds, from the sprawling future cities of Blade Runner to the blood-strewn battlegrounds of his recent Napoleon biopic. Here he is at his most dynamic, moving between myriad locations and making sure the audience is always with him, right to the bitter end. Almost 20 years on, American Gangster is a terrific film that represents a highlight in all three principals' storied filmographies. Influenced by many of the great rise-to-power gangster movies of the past, it sits among its inspirations as an equal. Release Date November 2, 2007 Runtime 157 minutes Director Ridley Scott