10 Shows & Movies Like Boardwalk Empire (2010)

Description: The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire both delve deeply into the psychology of organized crime figures, blending family drama with criminal enterprises. While set in different eras (modern New Jersey vs. 1920s Atlantic City), both shows examine the American Dream through the lens of immigrant communities and their descendants. The storytelling style in both series balances brutal violence with dark humor and philosophical musings.

Fact: The Sopranos was originally conceived as a movie about a mobster in therapy. James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) would sometimes deliberately flub lines to make scenes feel more authentic. The famous opening sequence was shot by driving from New York to New Jersey at 5:30am to capture the right light.

Description: The Wire and Boardwalk Empire both offer sprawling, novelistic portraits of cities (Baltimore vs. Atlantic City) and their institutions. While The Wire focuses on modern urban decay, both shows examine how systems (political, criminal, economic) shape individual lives. The storytelling approach in both is similarly ambitious, with multiple interconnected storylines and a focus on institutional corruption.

Fact: Many actors were local Baltimore residents with no prior acting experience. Creator David Simon was a former Baltimore Sun reporter and police reporter. Each season focuses on a different aspect of the city: drug trade, docks, politics, schools, and media.

Description: Deadwood, like Boardwalk Empire, portrays the lawless frontier of American capitalism (1870s gold rush town vs. 1920s bootlegging). Both shows feature communities where civilization and corruption grow side by side, with complex power structures emerging. The dialogue in both series is notably stylized - Deadwood's Shakespearean cadences mirror Boardwalk Empire's period-appropriate speech patterns.

Fact: Creator David Milch wrote much of the dialogue in iambic pentameter. The set was built on the same ranch where M*A*S*H was filmed. Many characters are based on real historical figures from Deadwood, South Dakota.

Description: Rome shares with Boardwalk Empire a grand historical narrative about power and empire-building (ancient Rome vs. Prohibition-era America). Both shows blend real historical events with fictional personal dramas, featuring ambitious characters navigating treacherous political landscapes. The production values in both series are exceptionally high, with detailed recreations of their respective eras.

Fact: The series was originally planned to run for five seasons but was cut short due to budget. The sets were among the largest ever built for television at the time. Many of the show's fictional characters are composites of real historical figures.

Description: Mad Men shares Boardwalk Empire's meticulous attention to historical detail and exploration of societal changes in America (1960s advertising world vs. 1920s Prohibition). Both shows feature morally ambiguous protagonists (Don Draper and Nucky Thompson) reinventing themselves while hiding dark pasts. The visual style in both series uses color and composition to reflect their respective eras' aesthetics.

Fact: Jon Hamm auditioned for the role of Don Draper twice before being cast. The show's costume department created over 1,000 original pieces for the first season. Many of the minor characters are based on real advertising executives from the era.

Description: Hell on Wheels, like Boardwalk Empire, explores America's industrial expansion (transcontinental railroad vs. Prohibition-era capitalism). Both shows feature protagonists with complicated pasts seeking redemption in morally ambiguous environments. The Western frontier setting of Hell on Wheels parallels Boardwalk Empire's portrayal of Atlantic City as a 'frontier' of sorts for organized crime.

Fact: The title refers to the mobile encampments that followed railroad construction crews. The show was filmed in Alberta, Canada, standing in for the American West. Common (the rapper) joined the cast in season 2 as a freed slave working on the railroad.

Description: Peaky Blinders shares similarities with Boardwalk Empire in its focus on organized crime during a historical period (post-WWI Birmingham vs. Prohibition-era Atlantic City). Both shows explore themes of power, family loyalty, and the rise of criminal empires. The visual aesthetics are also similar, with a strong emphasis on period-accurate costumes and settings. Additionally, both series feature complex antiheroes navigating the moral ambiguities of their worlds.

Fact: Peaky Blinders is named after a real-life gang in Birmingham who sewed razor blades into the peaks of their caps. Cillian Murphy initially turned down the role of Tommy Shelby, but changed his mind after reading the script. The show's distinctive soundtrack features modern rock music despite its historical setting.

Description: Babylon Berlin shares with Boardwalk Empire a fascination with a decadent pre-crisis period (1920s Berlin vs. 1920s Atlantic City). Both shows depict societies on the brink of dramatic change, with lavish parties masking underlying tensions. The noirish storytelling and jazz-age aesthetics create similar atmospheres, though Babylon Berlin adds German expressionist influences.

Fact: It's the most expensive German TV series ever made. The show's set reconstructed 1920s Berlin on a massive scale. Many plot elements are drawn from real historical events in Weimar Germany.

Description: The Alienist shares Boardwalk Empire's grittily realistic portrayal of turn-of-the-century America (1890s New York vs. 1920s Atlantic City). Both shows feature dark investigations into society's underbelly, with lavish production designs that recreate their historical periods in vivid detail. The themes of corruption, social inequality, and the birth of modern forensics connect the two series.

Fact: An 'alienist' was the period term for what we now call a psychiatrist. The show is based on Caleb Carr's bestselling novel. Dakota Fanning's character was one of the first female police department employees in NYC history.

Description: Warrior, like Boardwalk Empire, explores ethnic tensions and organized crime in American history (1870s San Francisco Chinatown vs. 1920s Atlantic City). Both shows feature violent power struggles between different factions, with protagonists caught between cultures. The action sequences in Warrior complement Boardwalk Empire's more political maneuvering, but both depict brutal struggles for control.

Fact: The show is based on writings by Bruce Lee that were never produced during his lifetime. Creator Jonathan Tropper also worked on Banshee, another crime drama. The fight choreography blends traditional kung fu with street fighting styles.