In mainstream culture, games often get short-shrift. Frequently you’ll run into people who think gaming hasn’t evolved since the ’80s — the first titles they name are things like Mario, Zelda, and Tetris. If they can name newer games, they’re not aware of anything beyond the biggest blockbusters, such as Fortnite, Madden, Minecraft, or Call of Duty.
Grand Theft Auto is one of the few blockbusters that bridges the gap between the mainstream and diehard audiences. It helps that since the beginning, the series has worn its cinematic influences on its sleeve, making it more relatable. That link might be stronger than ever in Grand Theft Auto 6, which is launching November 19. There’s plenty of time to catch up on the movies on this list — which should give the game a little more texture.
Bonnie and Clyde
The real-world spree that became a cliche
This is the oldest movie on this list, reaching back to 1967, but don’t let that fool you. Its style was ahead of its time, and it was very controversial — both for humanizing killers and robbers, and for its then-shocking levels of violence. Just as GTA owes a lot to Hollywood, a lot of later crime movies owe a debt to Bonnie and Clyde. As if that weren’t enough, the cast is led by Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, and Gene Hackman, before most people had ever heard of them.
It’s the real Bonnie and Clyde who gave birth to the cliche of criminal lovers like GTA 6’s Lucia and Jason. PBS did an excellent documentary about them, if you want to learn more. The biopic captures the gist, but it does of course play a little loose with the facts to build an exciting story. I just wonder if Lucia and Jason meet a similar fate in GTA’s plotline.
Bonnie and Clyde
- Release Date
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July 18, 1967
- Runtime
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111 minutes
- Director
-
Arthur Penn
Heat
Honorary mention: Miami Vice
This is the one that virtually every GTA game calls back to. Mostly it’s because of the heist scenes, which are action-packed and chock-full of high-powered weapons. But you’ll also catch a lot of familiar story beats, like fighting retreats from the crime scene, as well as the actual focus of the story, which is a duel between a veteran criminal and the cop determined to put him in prison.
This might be Michael Mann’s best movie. The action is just a part of it — there’s a compelling drama with serious themes, backed up by excellent acting. It’s Mann who finally put Robert De Niro and Al Pacino onscreen at the same time, rather than just cutting between them a la The Godfather Part II.
If you like Heat, you might also want to check out Mann’s take on Miami Vice. It doesn’t hold up as well, but the original TV show was obviously a huge influence on GTA Vice City, and the movie has been re-appraised by some critics. Certainly, GTA 6 borrows a page from it visually.
Heat
- Release Date
-
December 15, 1995
- Runtime
-
170 minutes
- Director
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Michael Mann
Scarface
Shifting away from the usual suspects
Scarface might be one of the most misinterpreted crime films of all time. Some people deify the main character, but the whole point of the story is that his paranoia and greed is his downfall. It’s not a spoiler at this point to say he meets a sad, extremely violent end, and that his version of the American dream is not something you’d want to aspire to.
There are a lot of memorable aspects, from iconic quotes and setpieces to Pacino’s wonderfully over-the-top acting. We wouldn’t have Vice City or GTA 6 without its Miami setting. One thing I’d like to call attention to is that in 1983, it was unusual for any crime epic to focus on Latino gangsters, rather than the usual Italian, Irish, or Jewish mobsters. The Cuban immigrant experience is actually an important component of the plot, for a while — it’s just harder to remember after scenes with chainsaws and grenade launchers.
Scarface
- Release Date
-
December 9, 1983
- Runtime
-
170 minutes
- Director
-
Brian De Palma
The Place Beyond the Pines
The most direct influence?
I’ll confess — I haven’t actually seen this one. But the parallels with GTA 6 are too clear to ignore, and since it’s beloved by a lot of critics, it’s an easy recommendation. I’m adding it to my own watchlist.
The plot begins with Ryan Gosling’s Luke, a motorcycle stuntman who reunites with a former lover, Eva Mendes’ Romina Gutierrez. An auto mechanic lures Luke into robberies as a way of supporting Romina and her son. Things go sideways, as you’d expect — and at a critical juncture, there’s actually a 15-year jump in the story, which I won’t spoil except to say that fatherhood and family in general are major running themes.
I suspect that GTA 6’s only real connections to this movie will be the motorcycle heists, a gritty style, and a central Latina character. We’ll see, though. The writers at Rockstar don’t just pull from pop culture hits.
- Release Date
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April 18, 2013
- Runtime
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140minutes
- Director
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Derek Cianfrance
