Best to Worst Martin Scorsese Films
by ModishMovies | created - 16 Feb 2017 | updated - 29 Dec 2019 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Goodfellas (1990)
R | 145 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Votes: 1,256,515 | Gross: $46.84M
Scorsese’s best-directed work. There are so many layers to the screenplay, but more importantly, to the characters. 10/10
2. The Departed (2006)
R | 151 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg
Votes: 1,421,437 | Gross: $132.38M
The best plot in any Scorsese film due to the way it progresses, engages, and unravels. The characters, dialogue, and story are all perfect. 10/10
3. Taxi Driver (1976)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama
A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks
Votes: 919,855 | Gross: $28.26M
The greatest character study in film. Travis Bickle and his development is enough to carry the film to greatness, but a fantastic story and superb direction also elevate this film to perfection. 10/10
4. Raging Bull (1980)
R | 129 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent
Votes: 379,988 | Gross: $23.38M
A deep, emotional, great drama about a boxer and his success and failures in the ring and out. 10/10
5. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
R | 180 min | Biography, Comedy, Crime
Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey
Votes: 1,581,874 | Gross: $116.90M
Not the movie you’d expect Scorsese to make, but he takes the screenplay and makes it an unforgettable, deep, and enthralling experience. While certainly not subtle in its details, it’s excessiveness has a point. 10/10
6. Silence (I) (2016)
R | 161 min | Drama, History
In the 17th century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor, who is rumored to have committed apostasy, and to propagate Catholicism.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, Tadanobu Asano
Votes: 122,905 | Gross: $7.10M
Deep, personal, and human. Definitely the best religious film I have ever seen. You know a religious film succeeds when it appeals to fans of great cinema and deep, empathetic characters, not just religious people. 10/10
7. Hugo (2011)
PG | 126 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
In 1931 Paris, an orphan living in the walls of a train station gets wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Lee, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 336,739 | Gross: $73.86M
If After Hours didn’t do it for you, Hugo should convince you that Scorsese’s excellent film making style isn’t restricted to the crime/biography genres only. 10/10
8. After Hours (I) (1985)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
An ordinary word processor has the worst night of his life after he agrees to visit a girl in Soho he met that evening at a coffee shop.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Verna Bloom, Tommy Chong
Votes: 81,244 | Gross: $10.60M
The least-Scorsese Scorsese movie. Great situational comedy and an outrageous story. 10/10
9. The King of Comedy (1982)
PG | 109 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A passionate yet unsuccessful comedian stalks and kidnaps his idol to take the spotlight for himself.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Diahnne Abbott, Sandra Bernhard
Votes: 119,060 | Gross: $2.50M
I'm surprised that this is one of Scorsese's more underrated masterpieces. I can see how this film doesn't have the outward appeal of The Departed or GoodFellas, but its deeper themes, amazing character study, and societal commentary is nearly on par with Taxi Driver. Just watching the plot escalate and the characters slowly grow to create the amazing payoff was a treat. There is not a wasted moment in this film. Every shot, every line, and every character detail serves a purpose to heighten the conclusion's impact. This doesn't feel like a Scorsese film just from watching the individual scenes by themselves, but the character development and psychological aspect of the story (and Robert De Niro's brilliantly-captivating performance) share the same effect as watching Travis Bickle's descent into madness and violence to achieve something that no other filmmaker can recreate. 9/10
10. George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011)
Not Rated | 208 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Filmmaker Martin Scorsese examines the life of musician George Harrison, weaving together interviews, concert footage, home movies and photographs.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: George Harrison, Harry Harrison, Peter Harrison, Paul McCartney
Votes: 12,624
A documentary by my favorite director about my favorite member of my favorite band. Even though it lacks directorial style, I could tell it was a Scorsese film in the way it analyzes and portrays George Harrison. 10/10
11. The Aviator (2004)
PG-13 | 170 min | Biography, Drama
A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career from the late 1920s to the mid 1940s.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly
Votes: 383,929 | Gross: $102.61M
While seemingly underwhelming at first, the full impact and effect of the way Scorsese portrays Hughes’ life reaches you long after you finish the film. 9/10
12. The Irishman (2019)
R | 209 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
An illustration of Frank Sheeran's life, from W.W.II veteran to hit-man for the Bufalino crime family and his alleged assassination of his close friend Jimmy Hoffa.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel
Votes: 430,783 | Gross: $7.00M
13. Shutter Island (2010)
R | 138 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, two US marshals, are sent to an asylum on a remote island in order to investigate the disappearance of a patient, where Teddy uncovers a shocking truth about the place.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Mortimer, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 1,455,264 | Gross: $128.01M
Unpredictable narrative, unsettling setting, and a well-established suspenseful tone. 9/10
14. Mean Streets (1973)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
In New York City's Little Italy, a devoutly Catholic mobster must reconcile his desire for power, his feelings for his epileptic lover, and his devotion to his troublesome friend.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, David Proval, Amy Robinson
Votes: 119,561 | Gross: $3.13M
Although lacking the depth and character of Scorsese’s usual films, Mean Streets has an exciting story and brutal depiction of crime that he would later build upon with much better characters and depth. 9/10
15. Casino (1995)
R | 178 min | Crime, Drama
In Las Vegas, two best friends - a casino executive and a mafia enforcer - compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods
Votes: 563,574 | Gross: $42.44M
Although a little too long, it’s remembered for its overall impact, not individual scenes. 8.5/10
16. Gangs of New York (2002)
R | 167 min | Crime, Drama
In 1862, Amsterdam Vallon returns to the Five Points area of New York City seeking revenge against Bill the Butcher, his father's killer.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jim Broadbent
Votes: 472,682 | Gross: $77.81M
Grand and epic in scope, yet simple and straightforward in approach and character. 9/10
17. Rolling Thunder Revue (2019)
TV-MA | 142 min | Documentary, Biography, History
In an alchemic mix of fact and fantasy, Martin Scorsese looks back at Bob Dylan's 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue tour and a country ripe for reinvention.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg, Patti Smith, Martin von Haselberg
Votes: 7,702
18. Cape Fear (1991)
R | 128 min | Crime, Thriller
A convicted rapist, released from prison after serving a fourteen-year sentence, stalks the family of the lawyer who originally defended him.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis
Votes: 216,504 | Gross: $79.10M
What it lacks in emotion is made up for in thrills and intensity. 8.5/10
19. The Last Waltz (1978)
PG | 117 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A film account and presentation of the final concert of The Band.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robbie Robertson, Muddy Waters, Neil Young, Van Morrison
Votes: 20,129 | Gross: $0.32M
A good documentary. It’s hard to feel Scorsese’s touch, and some of the interviews feel more like interruptions, but the concert felt just like a concert — even through the screen. 8/10
20. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
R | 164 min | Drama
The life of Jesus Christ, his journey through life as he faces the struggles all humans do, and his final temptation on the cross.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, Paul Greco
Votes: 63,074 | Gross: $7.63M
While I didn’t connect with this film personally or emotionally, there’s no denying the craft and thought put into this epic journey that Scorsese holds close to his heart. 8/10
21. The Big Shave (1967)
Not Rated | 5 min | Short, Drama, Horror
In the process of shaving, a young man cuts himself. A lot.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Star: Peter Bernuth
Votes: 8,696
One of the first anti-Vietnam war films. 8/10
22. Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967)
R | 90 min | Drama
A young man can't accept the girl he likes because of her bitter past.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Harvey Keitel, Zina Bethune, Anne Collette, Lennard Kuras
Votes: 10,108
It has many of the tell-tale signs of a Scorsese film, but it lacks the complex characters and emotionally impactful story that make his films great. 7.5/10
23. The Age of Innocence (1993)
PG | 139 min | Drama, Romance
A tale of nineteenth-century New York high society in which a young lawyer falls in love with a woman separated from her husband, while he is engaged to the woman's cousin.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder, Linda Faye Farkas
Votes: 67,733 | Gross: $32.20M
While it never gripped me emotionally, I enjoyed how developed and fleshed-out the characters were. 7.5/10
24. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)
PG | 112 min | Drama, Romance
A recently widowed woman is on the road with her precocious young son, determined to make a new life for herself as a singer.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofferson, Mia Bendixsen, Alfred Lutter III
Votes: 27,453 | Gross: $18.60M
Have not seen the below films yet
25. Kundun (1997)
PG-13 | 134 min | Biography, Drama, History
From childhood to adulthood, Tibet's fourteenth Dalai Lama deals with Chinese oppression and other problems.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong, Gyurme Tethong, Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenzin, Tenzin Yeshi Paichang
Votes: 30,489 | Gross: $5.53M
26. Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
R | 121 min | Drama, Thriller
Haunted by the patients he failed to save, a monumentally burned-out Manhattan ambulance paramedic fights to maintain his sanity over three increasingly turbulent nights.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Patricia Arquette, John Goodman, Ving Rhames
Votes: 76,014 | Gross: $16.64M
27. Roosevelt
Biography, Drama, History | Pre-production
A biographical drama about President Theodore Roosevelt.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Star: Leonardo DiCaprio
28. Maestro (2023)
R | 129 min | Biography, Drama, History
This love story chronicles the lifelong relationship of conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.
Director: Bradley Cooper | Stars: Carey Mulligan, Bradley Cooper, Matt Bomer, Vincenzo Amato
Votes: 60,512
29. Untitled Ramones Project
Drama, Music | Abandoned
A history of the U.S. punk rock band, The Ramones.
30. The Devil in the White City
Drama, History, Thriller | Pre-production
An architect works to build up the 1893 World's Fair, while the serial killer H. H. Holmes uses the fair to attract and kill women.
31. Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
R | 206 min | Crime, Drama, History
When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one - until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons
Votes: 237,399
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