While watching 鈥淭he Alto Knights,鈥� Barry Levinson鈥檚 tribute to the mob movie starring not one but two Robert De Niros, it feels like a meta commentary on the gangster films that made De Niro an iconic actor and that he made an iconic part of American cinema, working with directors like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. This film is in conversation with his other work, so you may be interested in revisiting some of De Niro鈥檚 classic mob movies. Here鈥檚 a guide on where to stream them.
First up, with De Niro reuniting with frequent collaborators Levinson and screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi, it calls to mind his reunion with longtime creative partner Scorsese in 2019鈥檚 鈥淭he Irishman,鈥� which is another epic about a gangster looking back on his life and career and a meditation on violence. De Niro played real-life labor union official and Bufalino crime family enforcer Frank Sheeran, in the film based on the book 鈥淚 Heard You Paint Houses鈥� by Charles Brandt. Stream 鈥淭he Irishman鈥� on Netflix.
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鈥淭he Alto Knights鈥� isn鈥檛 the first time that De Niro has played a famous real-life mobster. In 1987, he played perhaps the most famous of all, Al Capone, in Brian De Palma鈥檚 鈥淭he Untouchables,鈥� opposite Kevin Costner as Prohibition agent Eliot Ness. The Oscar-nominated film scored Sean Connery the best supporting actor Academy Award. Stream it on Paramount+.
In his first collaboration with Scorsese, De Niro co-starred as the degenerate Mafia-connected Johnny Boy in Scorsese鈥檚 breakout film 鈥淢ean Streets鈥� (1973). Harvey Keitel plays Charlie, Johnny Boy鈥檚 close friend attempting to wrangle the feckless and reckless youth. Rent 鈥淢ean Streets鈥� on all available platforms.
Just one year later, De Niro stepped into the iconic role of Vito Corleone in 鈥淭he Godfather Part II,鈥� made famous by Marlon Brando in 鈥淭he Godfather,鈥� playing the young Vito in the prequel sections of this sequel, which also follows Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) running the family business in 1958. De Niro and Pacino share this film, but they wouldn鈥檛 share a scene until Michael Mann鈥檚 1995 crime drama 鈥淗eat鈥� (not a mob movie so it doesn鈥檛 count here). Stream 鈥淭he Godfather Part II鈥� (as well as the first film and 鈥淧art III鈥�) on Paramount+.
Spaghetti Western auteur Sergio Leone tackled organized crime with the 1984 film 鈥淥nce Upon a Time in America,鈥� with De Niro playing Jewish gangster David 鈥淣oodles鈥� Aaronson. The film chronicles his friendship with Max Bercovicz (James Woods) in Prohibition-era New York. Stream it on Prime Video.
It would be wrong not to mention here perhaps the ne plus ultra of the gangster film, 鈥淕辞辞诲蹿别濒濒补蝉,鈥� directed by Scorsese and starring De Niro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta, based on Pileggi鈥檚 book 鈥淲iseguy: Life in a Mafia Family.鈥� This rollicking, cocaine-fueled romp stars Liotta as Henry Hill, a Mafia associate turned informant. De Niro stars as James 鈥淛immy the Gent鈥� Conway, a real member of the Lucchese crime family. No matter how many times you鈥檝e seen it, 鈥淕oodfellas鈥� is always worth the rewatch. Stream it on Max.
De Niro made his directorial debut with the 1993 film 鈥淎 Bronx Tale,鈥� though he declined to play a mobster in this coming-of-age story, opting instead for the role of the bus-driving father Lorenzo. The film is based on the one-man show by Chazz Palminteri, who co-stars as mob boss Sonny, whose lifestyle intrigues Lorenzo鈥檚 son Calogero. Stream 鈥淎 Bronx Tale鈥� on Kanopy.
In 1995, Scorsese, De Niro, and Pesci explored the mob life out West with the Las Vegas-set 鈥淐补蝉颈苍辞,鈥� which also co-starred Sharon Stone. De Niro starred as Sam Rothstein (based on the real-life Frank Rosenthal), dispatched by the Chicago mob to oversee goings on at the Tangiers casino. Stream it on AMC+ or rent on other platforms.
Things got meta 鈥� and comical 鈥� in the form of a pair of comedies from Harold Ramis, 鈥淎nalyze This鈥� (1999) and 鈥淎nalyze That鈥� (2002) in which De Niro stars as a mob boss who seeks out therapy for treatment of his panic attacks. Billy Crystal co-stars as his therapist in the pair of comedies that riff on De Niro鈥檚 persona (and sound a bit like 鈥淭he Sopranos鈥�). Rent them on all platforms.
