'THINKING MAN'S GANGSTER FILM' WITH STELLAR CAST ON FILM4 TONIGHT
A film based on a true story with a Hollywood elite cast is on Film4 tonight, and fans have called it 'one of the best gangster movies'.
Public Enemies was released in 2009 featuring a star cast including Christian Bale, Johnny Depp, Christian Stolte and Jason Clarke. The film is a biographical crime drama chronicling the final years of legendary 1930s bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp).
As the FBI, led by J. Edgar Hoover and agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), tries to gun down the "Public Enemy Number One" and his gang, Dillinger engages in a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game while attempting to maintain a relationship with Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard).
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The film grossed approximately $214.1 million worldwide against an estimated budget of $80–$100 million, and received critical acclaim for its cinematography, sound, and performances, earning nominations from the Satellite Awards (Actor, Cinematography, Art Direction) and the Art Directors Guild.
The film might be more than 15 years old but it's stood the test of time with rave reviews from fans as many call it ' a good biopic'.
On film and fan rating website Rotten Tomatoes, one review posted: "Wonderful film - great performances from all lead actors and remarkably true to what really happened."
Another said: "One of the best gangster movies about depression-era criminals and crimes. Brilliant performances from Depp, Bale, and Cotillard. Micheal Mann makes really good crime films. I loved it."
A third wrote: "This film is a pretty average gangster film at the start and it didn't especially appeal to me, although by the end I was certainly more hooked.
"The characterisations are good by Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. The action scenes are pretty decent. One downside was that I found some quiet dialogue a bit difficult to follow at times.
"I imagine this would have looked pretty good on a big screen (cinema). This is a pretty decent film, not brilliant but not awful. If your really interested in the story this film is based on, then yes, I'd recommend it."
Another said: "Solid work from everyone involved. Appears to be the most truthful of the many films made about John Dillinger. Depp is excellent."
"I enjoyed this movie. The acting was good, the portrayal of the characters excellent. A very good biopic on a violent era of our time," said a fifth.
Another review praised the film as it added: "Depp was superb in this role, and the film is not overly romanticized. The thugs and the police are both shown is unintelligent and brutal. This is probably as realistic a depiction of the times as we're ever going to see....and it's not pretty."
Public Enemies airs on Thursday 5 February on Film4 at 12.40am.
2026-02-04T07:13:37Z