Overview
A whimsical gangster tale where kids rule the streets with whipped cream and laughter.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- playful
- buoyant
- family movie night
- nostalgic viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's originality, charm, polished period staging, music, and performances, especially its child cast, while some found the artificial concept uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Children play rival gang leaders, wise guys, chorus performers, and the titular streetwise hero in a stylized gangster world.
The turf war between Fat Sam and Dandy Dan is advanced through songs, dance, and musical set pieces.
The film replaces firearms and ammunition with splurge guns that cover victims in whipped cream.
Speakeasies, rival gang territories, period costumes, and organized-crime conventions are reframed as a family adventure.
Films like Bugsy Malone, and why
Oliver!
child-centered musical comedy with playful stylization and exuberant ensemble performance
The Blues Brothers
period crime parody built around theatrical artifice, comic gangsters, and musical numbers
Dick Tracy
family-friendly gangster spoof using broad comedy, colorful production design, and heightened violence
Newsies
stylized musical comedy with an all-or-mostly youthful cast and energetic choreography
Movie Details
- Director
- Alan Parker
- Release Date
- 1976-07-22
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (328)
Cast
- Scott Baio
- Florrie Dugger
- Jodie Foster
- John Cassisi
- Martin Lev
- Paul Murphy
- Sheridan Earl Russell
- Albin 'Humpty' Jenkins
- Paul Chirelstein
- Andrew Paul
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Bugsy Malone about?
- An exuberant all-child prohibition-era gangster musical where rival mobsters settle turf wars with whipped-cream guns and jazzy bravado.
- What is Bugsy Malone like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bugsy Malone as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Bugsy Malone violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Bugsy Malone as mild.
- What did critics think of Bugsy Malone?
- Critics broadly praised the film's originality, charm, polished period staging, music, and performances, especially its child cast, while some found the artificial concept uneven.
- Which films are like Bugsy Malone?
- Films with a similar feel include Oliver!, The Blues Brothers, Dick Tracy, and Newsies.
- How long is Bugsy Malone?
- Bugsy Malone runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Bugsy Malone?
- In United States, Bugsy Malone is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
