"Gangster No.1" is one of the most psychologically disturbing films I've ever watched, and I can't stop thinking about it.
The plot is deceptively straightforward. In 1990s London, our aging protagonist gangster, learns that Freddie Mays - a crime boss, that he helped destroy thirty years earlier, is getting out of prison. This news sends him into a panic, triggering flashbacks to the 1960s when he was young, hungry, and completely unhinged. Back then, our nameless protagonist was just another thug working for Freddie Mays - a charismatic crime boss with style, respect, and a beautiful girlfriend named Karen. Our young protagonist becomes obsessed with Freddie, not just wanting what he has, but wanting to be him entirely.
When rival gangster Lennie Taylor plans to kill Freddie, our protagonist has a choice: warn his boss or let it happen. He chooses betrayal, doesn't warn Freddie, but here's the thing - Taylor's plan fails and Freddie doesn't actually die in the assassination attempt, then brutally murders Taylor himself, in a scene that's genuinely hard to watch. With Freddie framed and imprisoned, our nameless protagonist takes over his empire, his lifestyle, even pursuing his woman. Thirty years later, when Freddie finally gets released, these two men face each other in a confrontation that's both inevitable and tragic.
Watching this film felt like witnessing a slow motion psychological breakdown stretched across three decades. This isn't The Godfather's family saga or Goodfellas' rise and fall story. It's a character study of pure destructive obsession. Paul Bettany's performance as the young gangster is absolutely terrifying. I'm used to seeing him as the refined Vision in Marvel films, but here he's a psycho in an expensive suit. His eyes have this dead, predatory quality that is unsettling. There's a torture scene, shot from his perspective where you're literally seeing through the eyes of a monster, and it's deeply uncomfortable.
The film's style amplifies this unease. Everything is in sickly yellows and harsh shadows. Even the sharp suits and classic cars can't hide the rot at the story's core. The violence isn't stylized or cool, it's raw, ugly, and deeply unsettling. It shows us exactly what kind of monster we're dealing with.
When Malcolm McDowell takes over as the older version of the protagonist in the present day scenes, he brings decades of guilt and madness to the role. This older gangster isn't enjoying his golden years, he's a broken man haunted by what he's become. The physical disconnect between McDowell and Bettany look really different from each other, which is weird but emotionally, you completely buy that this is what that violent young man became. The final confrontation reveals the ultimate emptiness of a life, built on destroying others.
After 30 years of guilt and paranoia, our old protagonist is completely broken. When he finally meets Freddie again, you can see that getting everything he wanted didn't make him happy at all. He's rich, powerful but he's also alone, crazy, and miserable.
On the other hand, Freddie, even after spending 30 years in prison for something he didn't do, seems more at peace than the guy who "won". Our old protagonist completely loses his mind and kills himself by jumping off a building, saying "I'm number one" as his last words.
Most gangster films have some element of wish fulfillment. We might condemn Tony Montana, but we understand the appeal of his rise. Gangster No. 1 offers no such comfort. There's nothing appealing about this protagonist's journey, it's just destruction, obsession, and the slow death of a soul. The film asks a disturbing question: What happens when someone gets everything they thought they wanted through the worst possible means? The answer is a thirty year nightmare that ends in madness and despair.
If you're looking for entertainment, this probably isn't it. But if you want to see one of the most psychologically intense crime films ever made, absolutely watch it. Gangster No. 1 is genuinely disturbing in the best possible way. This isn't a story about crime, it's a story about what happens when obsession completely consumes a human being. And trust me, you won't look at Paul Bettany the same way again.
Watch on Apple TV