Boardwalk Empire (2010)

Boardwalk Empire is a stylish, character-driven crime drama set in 1920s Atlantic City during Prohibition. You follow Enoch “Nucky” Thompson — a powerful county treasurer who straddles the line between politician and racketeer — as he uses political influence, alliances with mobsters, and ruthless pragmatism to control bootlegging, gambling and the city’s underworld. The show blends real historical figures and events with fictional drama, creating a high-stakes world of deals, betrayals and shifting loyalties. Watching the series you’ll be immersed in lavish period detail: ornate boardwalks and speakeasies, sharp period costumes, moody cinematography and a jazz-tinged soundtrack that bring the 1920s vividly to life. The storytelling is tense and deliberate — expect slow-burn power plays, complex moral choices, and sudden outbursts of violence. Strong ensemble performances (led by Steve Buscemi as Nucky) anchor the drama and give weight to the show’s themes of ambition, corruption, family and survival. If you watch Boardwalk Empire, you’ll get a gripping blend of political intrigue and gangster spectacle, rich historical atmosphere, and morally ambiguous characters whose alliances constantly shift. Note that the series contains mature content: violence, strong language and sexual situations.

Actors: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon

Genres: Crime, Drama, History

8.6 /10 8.6 /10