HBO’s 5-Season Crime Drama With a Near-Perfect RT Score Is TV’s Closest GoodFellas Copycat

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Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas is a landmark gangster film, and few movies or shows have matched its intensity. Boardwalk Empire is one of the only series that came close and truly made a mark on the genre.

With a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Boardwalk Empire is a richly detailed crime drama set during Prohibition, charting one man’s climb to power. While it doesn’t quite have the same style as Goodfellas, it’s widely considered the best show to watch for fans of Scorsese’s classic film.

Boardwalk Empire Is a Powerful Look at the History of Crime in the Northeast

Boardwalk Empire centers around Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, portrayed by Steve Buscemi, and his double life as a powerful criminal and politician in Atlantic City during the 1920s, the era of Prohibition and its aftermath. The show depicts how Nucky skillfully controlled various parts of society to achieve his goals. While it shares similarities with The Sopranos and the character arc of Tony Soprano, Boardwalk Empire distinguishes itself through its unique approach.

Beyond its strong cast, Boardwalk Empire stands out for how it blends fiction with real history, much like Peaky Blinders. While the character Nucky Thompson wasn’t a historical figure, he was largely inspired by Enoch L. Johnson, and the show took some creative license with the crimes committed, building upon Johnson’s actual activities.

One of the things that made Boardwalk Empire so compelling was its look at the beginnings of famous gangsters like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano. Surprisingly, the show didn’t take too many liberties with history; in fact, its accurate portrayal of events and characters was a major strength, particularly in the performance of the actor who played this role.

Boardwalk Empire blends fictional storytelling with real historical events to create a captivating drama. While featuring famous figures like Capone and Luciano, the show also highlights compelling original characters such as Richard Harrow and Chalky White. Harrow’s story reflects the struggles of veterans returning from World War I, and Chalky’s explores the racial segregation of the era. This approach resulted in a nuanced historical fiction that honored the events and people that inspired it.

Boardwalk Empire Feels Like a More Methodical Goodfellas

Martin Scorsese’s film revolutionized gangster movies. It follows Henry Hill’s life in the mafia, revealing how the shift to drug trafficking fueled existing distrust and anxiety within the organization. The film also powerfully illustrates how the greed and instability of these criminals ultimately led to betrayals and killings that destroyed many powerful crime families.

The story unfolded quickly, mirroring the increasing frenzy of Hill’s drug use and criminal activity. This fast pace perfectly captured the chaotic lives of the characters and kept viewers engaged. However, Boardwalk Empire, with its five seasons, had the luxury of exploring the paranoia of the criminal underworld at a more deliberate speed.

Boardwalk Empire realistically depicted the gradual increase of criminal activity in Atlantic City during the 1920s, thoroughly exploring Nucky’s climb to power. The show excelled at shocking viewers when key characters faced consequences – whether through death or a loss of influence from rivals or allies. This unpredictability likely mirrored the experience of the time, as danger wasn’t always obvious or immediate.

Martin Scorsese directed the first episode of Boardwalk Empire, immediately establishing the dark path the characters would take. The end of Prohibition signaled the downfall of Nucky’s power, demonstrating that no amount of control lasts forever. The show portrays a world of betrayal, ruthless business dealings, and violence, ultimately suggesting that such a lifestyle doesn’t lead to triumph, but to a tragic end.

Few Crime Shows Accomplish What Boardwalk Empire Has

Truly exceptional crime and gangster shows are rare. While shows like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad are fantastic, Boardwalk Empire stood out as something special. It set a high standard for modern crime dramas, and its impact is rarely matched.

What set Boardwalk Empire apart was its grounding in a little-known period of real history. Combined with excellent performances and compelling stories, this historical connection kept viewers hooked from beginning to end. No other crime drama has quite managed to capture that same magic.

The film Goodfellas brilliantly showed the messy, internal world of organized crime and how quickly it could crumble. While very different, it pairs perfectly with the show Boardwalk Empire. Though Nucky Thompson isn’t Henry Hill, both men found themselves in situations they couldn’t control, and those around them often met with violence.

While Boardwalk Empire shares some similarities with The Sopranos, it carves out its own unique identity, and that’s a strength. The show is a compelling drama centered around crime and flawed, but relatable, characters. These individuals aren’t heroes; they’re people who make errors in judgment, and those choices often lead to increasingly risky situations. Ultimately, it’s a story about what drives people, set against the exciting backdrop of the 1920s.

It’s rare to see a crime show as impactful as Boardwalk Empire, and unfortunately, it’s proving difficult to get audiences to recognize it as one of HBO’s strongest series.

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2026-06-02 13:13