Ridley Scott’s 2007 crime drama American Gangster is attracting renewed attention as it rises in Netflix’s charts nearly two decades after its release. The article argues that the film has become a modern classic because it combines an expansive true-crime story, Scott’s assured direction and strong performances from Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

Washington plays Frank Lucas, a Harlem criminal who exploits the Vietnam War to smuggle high-purity heroin into the United States and build a powerful drug operation, while Crowe portrays Newark detective Richie Roberts, who investigates him. The story presents both men navigating compromised institutions: Lucas faces rival criminals and suspicious police, while Roberts struggles to find trustworthy colleagues; its period detail, lengthy running time and 1970s soundtrack are highlighted as strengths.