Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and — if he has his way — every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop… except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and — if he has his way — every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop… except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.
The film's core conflict of law enforcement versus organized crime is broadly neutral, but its championing of individual heroism and extralegal action by a virtuous few to restore order when the established system is compromised aligns with right-leaning themes of self-reliance and skepticism of government efficacy.
The movie incorporates visible diversity within its ensemble cast, particularly among the members of the 'gangster squad'. However, its narrative largely adheres to traditional storytelling, presenting its primary characters and themes without critical portrayals of traditional identities or explicit engagement with DEI themes.
The film portrays its primary antagonist, Mickey Cohen, as explicitly Jewish. While his villainy is tied to his gangster activities rather than his faith, the film offers no counterbalancing positive or nuanced depiction of Judaism, presenting its most prominent Jewish character as a ruthless and violent figure.
Gangster Squad does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or themes. The narrative focuses exclusively on the conflict between the police and the mob in 1940s Los Angeles, with no representation of queer identity or related storylines.
The film does not feature any female characters engaging in or winning close-quarters physical combat against one or more male opponents. Female characters are primarily in supportive or romantic roles and do not participate in direct physical altercations.
Gangster Squad is based on real historical figures and events. All major characters, whether historical or fictionalized, maintain their established or original gender, with no instances of a character being portrayed as a different gender than their source material or historical record.
Gangster Squad features fictionalized characters and some based on historical figures. For the historical figures, their race aligns with documented history. For the fictional characters, there is no prior canonical race established in source material or previous adaptations to constitute a race swap.
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources