If you’re sitting on your couch wondering why the face of Jack McGurn looks so familiar, you aren’t alone. Most people dive into the cast of Gangster Land expecting a standard, run-of-the-mill mob flick, but they end up playing a game of "Where have I seen that guy before?" It happens. This 2017 film, also known as In the Absence of Good Men, tackled the overstuffed history of the Chicago Outfit during the Prohibition era. Specifically, it centers on the rise of Al Capone through the eyes of his "Machine Gun" wielding right-hand man, Jack McGurn.
It's a gritty, low-budget indie that somehow managed to pull together a lineup of TV veterans and recognizable character actors. Honestly, the casting is what keeps this movie afloat when the historical accuracy starts to get a little bit... creative.
Sean Faris as Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn
Sean Faris leads the cast of Gangster Land as the protagonist. You probably remember him from Never Back Down back in the mid-2000s, where he was basically the "next Tom Cruise" for a hot second. In this movie, he plays Jack McGurn, born Vincenzo Gibaldi.
McGurn wasn't just some random thug. He was a professional boxer turned mob assassin. Faris brings that athletic, high-strung energy to the role. What’s interesting here is how the film portrays his motivation. It frames his descent into the mob as a quest for vengeance after his father is murdered by the rival gangs. While the movie leans heavily into this "vengeance" trope, the reality of the real McGurn was likely a bit more cold-blooded. He was a key figure in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, though he famously escaped conviction with a "blonde alibi." Faris plays him with a sort of desperate intensity that makes you forget, for a moment, that you're watching a guy who becomes a mass murderer.
Milo Gibson as Al Capone
Then there’s the big man himself. Al Capone. Playing "Scarface" is a daunting task for any actor because you’re constantly being compared to De Niro or Rod Steiger.
Milo Gibson—yes, Mel Gibson’s son—takes on the mantle here. He has that same piercing, slightly chaotic look his father had in the 80s. Gibson doesn't play Capone as the bloated, cigar-chomping caricature we often see. Instead, he’s younger, hungrier, and significantly more dangerous. It’s a performance that focuses on the transition of Capone from a New York transplant to the King of Chicago.
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Critics were split on this. Some felt he was too lean to be Capone, but if you look at photos of Al in the early 1920s, he wasn't the massive figure he became later in life. Gibson captures that "quiet before the storm" vibe perfectly. He’s arguably the standout in the cast of Gangster Land, mostly because he manages to be intimidating without shouting every line.
Jason Patric as Chicago’s Top Cop
Jason Patric plays Detective Reed. If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, Patric was a massive star (The Lost Boys, Sleepers). Seeing him in the cast of Gangster Land as the weary, slightly cynical lawman provides a much-needed grounded element to the story.
Reed represents the "In the Absence of Good Men" part of the title. He’s trying to hold back a tide of blood in a city where the police were often just as corrupt as the guys they were arresting. Patric’s performance is subtle. He doesn't get the flashy Tommy Gun scenes, but he carries the weight of the city's morality on his shoulders. It’s a bit of a thankless role in a mob movie, but Patric’s presence gives the film a level of "prestige" it might have lacked otherwise.
The Supporting Players: Familiar Faces Everywhere
The rest of the cast of Gangster Land is a "who's who" of TV favorites.
- Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Lulu Rolfe): Most people know her as Meadow Soprano. It’s almost poetic to see her back in a mob-adjacent world. She plays McGurn’s love interest, Lulu. Her role is largely to provide the emotional stakes—the classic "don't go out tonight, Jack" trope.
- Peter Facinelli (Bugs Moran): Best known as Carlisle Cullen from Twilight or Mike Dexter in Can't Hardly Wait. Seeing him as George "Bugs" Moran—Capone's arch-rival and the leader of the North Side Gang—is a trip. He ditches the vampire glitter for a fedora and a sneer.
- Mark Rolston (Devane): You’ve seen this guy in everything from Aliens to The Shawshank Redemption. He specializes in playing tough guys, and he doesn't disappoint here.
Comparing the Real Figures to the Actors
While the film is entertainment first, the cast of Gangster Land represents real historical figures. It’s worth looking at how they stack up against the real people who bled on the streets of Chicago.
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- Jack McGurn: The movie depicts him as a sensitive soul driven to crime. In reality, McGurn was a cold professional who reportedly carried a nickel for every man he killed. Sean Faris is much more "Hollywood" than the real Jack ever was.
- Bugs Moran: Facinelli plays him as a bit of a hothead. The real Moran was indeed impulsive, which is ultimately why Capone was able to outmaneuver him so thoroughly.
- The Violence: The film highlights the escalation of the gang wars. This is historically accurate. The 1920s in Chicago were essentially an arms race between the Italian South Side (Capone) and the Irish North Side (Moran).
Why This Cast Matters for the Genre
Low-budget mob movies come and go. Most of them are forgettable. However, the cast of Gangster Land elevates the material. Director Timothy Woodward Jr. clearly focused his resources on getting actors who knew how to command a frame.
When you have someone like Jason Patric or Jamie-Lynn Sigler, you don't need a hundred-million-dollar budget for CGI explosions. You just need a tense scene in a dimly lit room with two people talking about loyalty. That's where this movie lives. It’s a character study masquerading as an action flick.
Common Misconceptions About the Movie
A lot of people confuse this film with the TV series The Making of the Mob: Chicago. It’s understandable. They both came out around the same time and feature many of the same historical figures.
Another confusion stems from the title change. If you’re looking for the cast of Gangster Land on certain streaming services, you might find it listed as In the Absence of Good Men. It’s the same movie. Same actors. Same Tommy Guns.
Honestly, the "Gangster Land" title feels a bit like a generic mobile game, which is a shame because the performances are better than that name implies.
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The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Connection
You can't talk about this cast without talking about the climax. The film builds toward the infamous February 14, 1929, hit. This is the moment where the cast of Gangster Land has to deliver the historical "big one."
The movie takes a specific stance on McGurn's involvement. It positions him as the architect. While history debated his exact presence at the garage on Clark Street, his role in the planning is widely accepted by historians like Jonathan Eig. The film uses the actors' chemistry to build the tension leading up to that bloody morning, making the betrayal feel personal rather than just political.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re planning a rewatch or seeing it for the first time, pay attention to the smaller roles. The cast of Gangster Land includes several veteran character actors who fill out the ranks of the rival gangs.
The movie is currently available on various VOD platforms like Amazon Prime, Vudu, and Apple TV. It’s a solid Friday night watch if you’re a fan of Boardwalk Empire or Peaky Blinders but want something that moves a little faster.
Actionable Insights for Fans of the Genre
To get the most out of your experience with the cast of Gangster Land, consider these steps:
- Check out Sean Faris in "Never Back Down": If you want to see the physical training he brought to the McGurn role, his earlier work shows his range as an action lead.
- Research the "Blonde Alibi": After watching the film, look up the real story of Louise Rolfe (played by Sigler). The "Blonde Alibi" is one of the most famous legal loopholes in mob history.
- Compare Milo Gibson to Mel Gibson: Watch Payback or Mad Max and then watch Milo’s Capone. The vocal inflections and "the stare" are remarkably similar.
- Look for the Historical Discrepancies: Note how the film compresses time. The events shown over what looks like a few months actually took place over nearly a decade.
The cast of Gangster Land might not have had the massive marketing budget of a Scorsese epic, but they brought a level of grit and professional polish that makes the film a sleeper hit for mob enthusiasts. Whether you’re there for the history or just to see Meadow Soprano in 1920s period dress, it’s a ride worth taking.
If you're diving deeper into the history, grab a copy of Get Capone by Jonathan Eig. It's widely considered the definitive biography and will show you exactly where the movie stayed true to the facts and where it took a detour for the sake of drama. Watching the film with the real history in mind makes the performances of the cast of Gangster Land even more interesting to pick apart.