Robert De Niro is one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Born in 1943, in New York City, the actor has played major roles in several absolute classics. He’s also appeared in a lot of good movies and some that are better off forgotten.
One of the most remarkable aspects of his career is just how many films he’s appeared in and how long he’s been pumping out the hits. He got his first big roles in the 1960s and rapidly catapulted to stardom.
De Niro is known for playing mobsters in classics like “Casino,” “Once Upon a Time in America” and “The Godfather: Part II,” but he’s also starred in movies from several other genres, including comedies, romances, psychological thrillers and historical dramas.
The man and his infamous mole are prolific on the screen. Some of these movies are bad, some are classics, and some were released to little acclaim but have grown into celebrated films over the years. He makes it onto the list of the best revenge movies of all time.
With the release of “The Irishman” in 2019. De Niro showed he was still capable of delivering a terrific starring performance. He teamed up with Martin Scorsese for their ninth feature film together. They have a further film titled “Killers of the Flower Moon” on the way. (Al Pacino is another big name that De Niro has teamed up with several times for classic movies. These are Al Pacino’s 18 best starring roles.)
Click here for the ranking of Robert De Niro’s biggest movies
Methodology
To determine the best and worst Robert De Niro movies, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of October 2021. All ratings were weighted equally. Only motion pictures in which Robert De Niro received billing among the top four actors on IMDb were considered.
74. Sam’s Song (1969)
> IMDb user rating: 3.5/10 (880 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 10% (1,024 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: N/A
> Directed by: Jordan Leondopoulos
“Sam’s Song” is De Niro’s worst rated movie but was one of the star’s first leading roles. The film follows a political filmmaker that ends up spending a weekend in Long Island with extremely wealthy socialites. The lifestyles of the rich fascinate him at first but he quickly becomes disillusioned with their vanity. Interestingly, footage from the film was re-edited and used in an entirely different film called “The Swap.”
[in-text-ad]
73. Godsend (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 4.8/10 (25,357 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 20% (40,391 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 4% (139 reviews)
> Directed by: Nick Hamm
The Canadian-American horror film stars De Niro, Greg Kinnear, and Rebecca Romijn. Kinnear and Romijn play a happy young couple with an 8-year-old son named Adam. Their world is turned upside down when Adam is killed in a tragic accident. However, they are then approached by a doctor (De Niro) who offers to clone their deceased child. The couple agree and all is well until Adam’s clone reaches the same age as the original Adam when he died. The clone boy begins to have visions of violence and destruction.
72. The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 5.0/10 (3,497 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 35% (1,937 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 4% (24 reviews)
> Directed by: Mary McGuckian
Originally, “The Bridge of San Luis Rey” was a critically acclaimed novel published in 1927 by author Thornton Wilder. The 2004 movie adaptation was the fourth time the book was made into a movie and it was panned by critics. The film received some praise for costume design. The plot revolves around a bridge collapse in Peru that kills five people. A priest who witnesses the tragedy sets out to understand if it was all part of a divine plan.
71. Killing Season (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 5.4/10 (36,825 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 29% (6,841 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 10% (20 reviews)
> Directed by: Mark Steven Johnson
“Killing Season” is another miss in a very illustrious career. During the war in Bosnia, American troops witness atrocities committed by Serb soldiers and kill them to hold them accountable. Years later, a Serb war veteran, played by John Travolta, embarks on a quest for revenge against one of the Americans. Colonel Benjamin Ford (De Niro) lives as a recluse in the Appalachian Mountains, trying to forget the horrors of war. However, Travolta’s character has other plans.
70. Little Fockers (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 5.5/10 (109,823 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 34% (133,115 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 9% (151 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Weitz
“Little Fockers” is the third film in the Meet the Parents series. The movie returns with its all-star cast of De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner and more. The film received terrible reviews from critics but was a massive success commercially, potentially riding the success of the first two movies.
69. The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 4.2/10 (20,027 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 20% (51,970 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 43% (101 reviews)
> Directed by: Des McAnuff
Rocky and Bullwinkle were brought back for a modern audience in 2000. The movie is live-action but also has several animated characters. Robert De Niro plays The Fearless Leader, who tries to brainwash people by using a TV and mysterious technology into voting for him for US president. De Niro also produced the movie.
68. The Big Wedding (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 5.6/10 (48,593 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 40% (30,167 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 7% (112 reviews)
> Directed by: Justin Zackham
“The Big Wedding” is a 2013 comedy, which is a remake of a 2006 Swiss/French film. The cast was filled with stars like De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, and Robin Williams. However, none of this was enough to help the movie with audiences. The film follows a dysfunctional family as they go through a wedding. De Niro played the patriarch.
[in-text-ad-2]
67. Showtime (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 5.5/10 (61,940 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 25% (49,169 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 25% (123 reviews)
> Directed by: Tom Dey
“Showtime” is a buddy cop comedy that stars Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy and De Niro’s adopted daughter Drena De Niro. The film aims to satirize the buddy cop genre but critics seem to agree that it does a pretty poor job. It was even nominated for the Golden Raspberry Awards, an awards ceremony for the worst films of the year.
66. Dirty Grandpa (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 5.9/10 (118,668 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 44% (30,359 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 11% (138 reviews)
> Directed by: Dan Mazer
The film stars De Niro along with Zac Efron and Aubrey Plaza. The raunchy comedy follows a man (Efron) and his grandfather (De Niro) as they travel down the East Coast. They constantly get into awkward and comical situations along the way. Critics were not big fans of the movie and neither were audiences for the most part.
65. Righteous Kill (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (86,715 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 37% (90,462 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 18% (147 reviews)
> Directed by: Jon Avnet
De Niro and Al Pacino team up but with far less success than some of their previous ventures. The film received negative reviews and didn’t do great financially for having two big stars. The crime thriller begins with recordings of a man (De Niro) claiming to be a serial killer known as the “Poetry Killer.” The infamous criminal got his name from murdering criminals and leaving poems on their corpses.
64. Hide and Seek (2005)
> IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (83,681 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 50% (278,283 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 13% (158 reviews)
> Directed by: John Polson
“Hide and Seek” is a psychological horror film that stars De Niro and Dakota Fanning. Critics praised the actor but found considerable fault with the plot. Dr. David Callaway (De Niro) finds his wife dead in a bathtub and decides to move with his 9-year-old daughter Emily (Fanning) to upstate New York to escape the trauma. In the new house, Emily begins to talk about her imaginary friend “Charlie.” Things escalate from there.
[in-text-ad]
63. Stone (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 5.4/10 (41,165 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 21% (16,680 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 50% (102 reviews)
> Directed by: John Curran
“Stone” is a crime thriller that stars De Niro along with Edward Norton and Milla Jovovich. Jack Mabry (De Niro) works at a local prison. He is getting close to retiring but begins to work with a new inmate who goes by the name Stone. Stone asks Jack for help getting released early. Things escalate when Jack meets Stone’s wife.
62. Analyze That (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 5.9/10 (84,150 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 39% (190,264 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 27% (151 reviews)
> Directed by: Harold Ramis
“Analyze That” is the sequel of “Analyze This” and was largely a box office and critical flop. The goofy antics and magic of the first film couldn’t be replicated for a second time. The movie follows a mobster (De Niro) and psychiatrist (Billy Crystal) as they work through their problems.
61. What Just Happened (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 5.6/10 (27,108 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 22% (12,711 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 50% (142 reviews)
> Directed by: Barry Levinson
“What Just Happened” is based on the book “What Just Happened? Bitter Hollywood Tales from the Front Line” by Art Linson. It follows the experience and problems of a Hollywood producer. Ben, the main character, is having problems with his latest film, especially with the ending. He’s forced to bargain to change the ending to what he thinks will be suitable. Meanwhile, he learns his wife has not been loyal and he’s trying to leave her.
60. Red Lights (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (60,188 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 36% (11,366 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 30% (94 reviews)
> Directed by: Rodrigo Cortes
“Red Lights” is a supernatural thriller that sees Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, and others star alongside De Niro. However, the star-studded cast was not enough to carry the film. The plot follows a physicist (Murphy) and psychology professor (Weaver) as they try to debunk a famous psychic (De Niro) whose biggest critic died years earlier. As they dive deeper, trying to expose the psychic turns much more serious.
59. The Fan (1996)
> IMDb user rating: 5.9/10 (47,525 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 34% (39,957 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 37% (30 reviews)
> Directed by: Tony Scott
“The Fan” takes a look into our strange obsessions with super star athletes and the dark places this can lead. De Niro plays Gil Renard, a troubled man who loves baseball and the San Francisco Giants. As his life falls apart, he begins to obsess over star player Bobby Rayburn. Renard takes any criticism of Rayburn personally and begins to take matters into his own hands to stop anything and anyone he believes is negatively affecting Rayburn’s performance on the field.
58. 15 Minutes (2001)
> IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (49,608 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 37% (50,663 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 32% (125 reviews)
> Directed by: John Herzfeld
A police detective (De Niro) and a fire marshal (Edward Burns) team up to track down two murderers who are recording their crimes to become famous.
[in-text-ad-2]
57. Heist (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (29,402 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 41% (2,043 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 29% (28 reviews)
> Directed by: Scott Mann
A casino employee plots an inside job to get money to pay for his daughter’s medical treatment. De Niro plays the ruthless casino owner.
56. The Family (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (114,013 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 41% (51,305 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 28% (139 reviews)
> Directed by: Luc Besson
“The Family” is based on the French novel “Malavita.” A mafia boss (De Niro) survives a hit from a rival boss and then turns into an informer to send his rival to prison. He enters the witness protection program along with his family and they are relocated several times, eventually ending up in a village in Normandy, France. The black comedy thriller follows the family as they get into all sorts of antics in their new and foreign home. Meanwhile, their old rivals never stop looking for them.
55. Killer Elite (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (127,127 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 42% (32,448 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 28% (127 reviews)
> Directed by: Gary McKendry
“Killer Elite,” starring De Niro, Jason Statham, and Clive Owen, is based on a modernized version of the novel “The Feather Men” by Ranulph Fiennes. It follows three mercenaries who dive into the world of contract killings and espionage.
54. Shark Tale (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (174,529 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 45% (655,552 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 36% (183 reviews)
> Directed by: Bibo Bergeron, Vicky Jenson, Rob Letterman
“Shark Tale” is a DreamWorks animated movie that follows the lives of several sharks in their anthropomorphic world. The characters are voiced by several Hollywood A-listers, including De Niro. Even in the world of aquatic creatures, De Niro plays a character that’s involved in organized crime, but this time it’s shark organized crime. The main character, Oscar, voiced by Will Smith, is falsely accused of killing the son of the shark mob boss (De Niro) and must clear his name before justice is improperly meted out on him.
[in-text-ad]
53. Grudge Match (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (59,365 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 46% (36,078 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 31% (144 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Segal
Two boxers, “The Kid” (De Niro) and “Razor” (Sylvester Stallone) were once two of the brightest young boxing stars in Pittsburg. Both of their only losses came at the hands of one another. However, Razor announces his retirement before they can fight one more time to settle the score for good. Years later, a boxing promoter contacts both to set up a fight. At first, Razor is hesitant but eventually is convinced to go through with it.
52. The Last Tycoon (1976)
> IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (8,458 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 40% (3,002 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 41% (22 reviews)
> Directed by: Elia Kazan
Author F. Scott Fitzgerald died before he could finish his novel “The Last Tycoon.” However, he got enough done for Hollywood to turn it into a screenplay and write the ending. In the movie, production chief Monroe Stahr (De Niro) works for a massive movie studio during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He has to navigate the many intricate parts of the business while trying to balance love and work.
51. Stanley & Iris (1990)
> IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (7,658 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 48% (3,803 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 33% (15 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Ritt
“Stanley & Iris” is a romantic movie starring Jane Fonda and De Niro. It is loosely based on the novel “Union Street” by Pat Barker. Iris works in a baking factory in Connecticut where she begins to develop a friendship with Stanley. As the relationship progresses, she notices that Stanley has trouble reading. This eventually brings their relationship even closer as both struggle with life’s challenges.
50. We’re No Angels (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (22,641 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 41% (8,690 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 47% (19 reviews)
> Directed by: Neil Jordan
“We’re No Angels” is a comedy that stars De Niro, Sean Penn, and Demi Moore. It is a remake of a 1955 film of the same name. Ned and Jim are two convicts who are forced to escape along with a man fleeing the electric chair. They end up in a small town near the US-Canada border and are mistaken for two priests. The crooks go with it and impersonate the priests until they hear the church they’re working with has plans to send some priests across the border into Canada.
49. City by the Sea (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (24,830 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 40% (16,070 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 48% (145 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones
Vincent LaMarca (De Niro) is a New York City cop who tries his best to be a force for good in the world to outrun the sins of his father. His family life is complicated and he is estranged from most of his relatives. Vince’s son, who is now homeless and addicted to drugs, is accused of murder in a drug-related killing. Vincent is on a mission to prove his son’s innocence.
48. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (53,509 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 49% (53,626 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 38% (45 reviews)
> Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
The science fiction horror classic was brought to the big screen in 1994, one of numerous times. De Niro plays Dr. Frankenstein’s infamous creation, relating its tragic life story to adventurers in the Arctic Circle. The movie is one of the most faithful retellings of the novel. Robert De Niro was praised for his acting job but overall the film didn’t get great reviews by either critics or audiences.
[in-text-ad-2]
47. Flawless (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (18,466 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 53% (7,718 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 40% (55 reviews)
> Directed by: Joel Schumacher
“Flawless” is a crime comedy-drama that sees De Niro starring as a NYPD detective alongside Philip Seymour Hoffman who plays a trans drag queen. The two are originally at odds due to their dramatically different lifestyles but things change when De Niro’s character is left partially paralyzed from a stroke. The odd pair strike up a friendship as the fallout from the event that left De Niro disabled comes back to haunt them.
46. Meet the Fockers (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (261,783 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 58% (33,181,885 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 38% (164 reviews)
> Directed by: Jay Roach
De Niro produced and starred in “Meet the Fockers.” The film is the sequel to “Meet the Parents” which overall was a big hit. “Meet the Fockers” didn’t quite have the same level of success. Following the events of the first film, Greg Focker and his fiancé Pam Byrnes decide to introduce their parents to each other. Antics ensue as very different personalities meet and try to coexist.
45. Last Vegas (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (130,717 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59% (54,043 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 46% (147 reviews)
> Directed by: Jon Turteltaub
“Last Vegas” is a comedy about four childhood friends traveling to Las Vegas for a bachelor party and one last good time. The men are now much older and have drifted off to different parts of the country where they live very different lives.
44. Everybody’s Fine (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (60,232 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 53% (91,949 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 48% (143 reviews)
> Directed by: Kirk Jones
“Everybody’s Fine” is a remake of a 1990 Italian movie “Stanno Tutti Bene.” The drama follows a recently widowed retiree (De Niro) who sets out on a road trip to see his children after they all cancel a visit to see him. His children live in different places across the country and as he visits them one by one he realizes that they are in trouble.
[in-text-ad]
43. The Good Shepherd (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (100,984 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 51% (182,268 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 55% (172 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert De Niro
“The Good Shepherd” is a spy thriller that De Niro produced, directed, and starred in alongside Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, and Alec Baldwin. The film claims to tell the untold story of the origins of the CIA and its transformations from the OSS to what it is today. Overall, it received generally positive reviews from critics and did decently at the box office.
42. Joy (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (132,626 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 57% (46,547 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 60% (273 reviews)
> Directed by: David O. Russell
“Joy” is a biographical comedy-drama that tells the story of Joy Mangano. Mangano is a real-life inventor and entrepreneur that appeared regularly on the HSN shopping channel until 2018. She is known for several household inventions including the self-wringing Miracle Mop. De Niro plays Mangano’s father, Rudy, who is dating a wealthy Italian widow that invests in Joy’s inventions.
41. Mad Dog and Glory (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (21,256 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 45% (9,827 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (30 reviews)
> Directed by: John McNaughton
The crime comedy-drama stars De Niro, Uma Thurman, and Bill Murray. De Niro plays Wayne Dobie, a passive Chicago police department crime scene photographer. His colleagues call him “Mad Dog” as a joke. One day Dobie saves a local mob boss who then offers him the services of a woman who works in his bar, as repayment. Dobie ends up falling in love with the woman (Thurman), named Glory, and they must navigate the criminal world to escape and live happily ever after.
40. Guilty by Suspicion (1991)
> IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (8,294 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 55% (3,512 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 65% (17 reviews)
> Directed by: Irwin Winkler
“Guilty by Suspicion” is a movie about the Hollywood blacklist in the time of McCarthyism and the House Un-American Activities Committee. Robert De Niro stars as director David Merrill in 1950s Hollywood. He has just returned from abroad only to find out that he has been labeled a Communist and is no longer allowed to work in the film industry. The powers that be will only let him start making movies again if he identifies other colleagues as communists. The movie is based on the real-life experiences of director John Berry.
39. Falling in Love (1984)
> IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (13,640 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (6,747 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 58% (12 reviews)
> Directed by: Ulu Grosbard
The 1984 romantic film stars De Niro and Meryl Streep. Critically, it did alright but bombed at the box office. Frank (De Niro) and Molly (Streep) are shopping in a bookstore around Christmas. In the chaos the books they buy as presents get mixed up and they end up giving the presents to other people. A few months later they run into each other on the train and agree to meet again. However, both of them are seeing other people and things get complicated.
38. New York, New York (1977)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (19,335 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 58% (9,841 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 63% (41 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
“New York, New York” is a musical that stars De Niro as a jazz saxophonist and Liza Minnelli as a pop singer. The two fall in love and eventually have a child but De Niro’s character is volatile and erratic, creating problems for the once happy couple. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film is set in New York right after the end of World War II. The period piece dives deep into the city’s past jazz scene and its many intricacies.
[in-text-ad-2]
37. Hi, Mom! (1970)
> IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (4,662 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 56% (3,071 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (11 reviews)
> Directed by: Brian De Palma
“Hi, Mom!” was one of De Niro’s earliest films and his second time working with director Brian De Palma. In the black comedy, Jon Rubin (De Niro) is a fledgling adult filmmaker who decides to start filming his neighbors.
36. Men of Honor (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (112,640 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (77,333 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 42% (106 reviews)
> Directed by: George Tillman Jr.
“Men of Honor” stars Cuba Gooding Jr. and De Niro and is inspired by the true story of Master Chief Petty Officer Carl Brashear. Brashear was the first black master diver in the US Navy. Brashear, played by Gooding Jr., joins the Navy in 1948 and is inspired after witnessing a master diver in action. He is selected to attend Diving and Salvage School where his instructor (De Niro) is under orders to make him fail.
35. Analyze This (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (149,737 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 62% (224,645 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (107 reviews)
> Directed by: Harold Ramis
“Analyze This” is about a mob boss who has anxiety issues and ends up at a psychiatrist. Paul Vitti (De Niro) is a high-ranking mob member who believes his life is in danger. After a couple strange happenings, he gets the card of psychiatrist Ben Sobel (Billy Crystal). Sobel has plenty of problems of his own but reluctantly agrees to take on the client. Things escalate as the FBI tries to use Sobel’s access to gather evidence on Vitti.
34. Machete (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (194,220 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (109,649 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (195 reviews)
> Directed by: Ethan Maniquis, Robert Rodriguez
“Machete” is an over-the-top action movie that stars a character known as Machete, who first appeared on film in “Spy Kids.” Danny Trejo plays the lead role of a man just too tough to kill, though plenty of people are willing to give it a try. Machete was once a Mexican federal agent but tough times and betrayal led to him accepting a contract to kill a Texas State Senator (De Niro).
[in-text-ad]
33. The Intern (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (237,471 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (45,286 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 59% (200 reviews)
> Directed by: Nancy Meyers
A 70-year-old widower (De Niro) decides to take on a role as senior intern at a startup fashion website. He forms an unlikely friendship with the company’s CEO (Anne Hathaway). Hathaway’s character strives to find some sort of work-life balance while De Niro tries to figure out what he’s actually looking for in life. The movie was a success at the box office.
32. The Score (2001)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (125,166 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (60,148 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (128 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Oz
Master safe-cracker Nick Wells (De Niro) decides that it’s about time to get out of his life of crime before it all catches up with him. However, an associate convinces him to take part in one last job to set him up for the rest of his life. The score is an artifact scepter being stored in Montreal’s Customs House. Wells finds a team of expert but occasionally volatile criminals to help him carry out the job.
31. Cop Land (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (90,328 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (51,343 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: James Mangold
De Niro stars along with Sylvester Stallone and Ray Liotta in this film about police corruption. Set in Garrison, New Jersey, “Cop Land” follows a group of corrupt police officers, an Internal Affairs officer who is trying to bring them down, and a local sheriff caught between the two.
30. Marvin’s Room (1996)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (27,258 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (21,715 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (50 reviews)
> Directed by: Jerry Zaks
Based on a play of the same name by Scott McPherson, “Marvin’s Room” has an all-star cast of names like Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, and De Niro. Marvin is an old man, bedridden from a stroke 20 years before. One of his daughters takes care of him while the other has neglected the family entirely. However, Bessie, his caretaking daughter, finds out she has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant.
29. Backdraft (1991)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (76,390 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (204,120 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (57 reviews)
> Directed by: Ron Howard
“Backdraft is a thriller set in Chicago about firefighters tracking down a serial arsonist. De Niro plays Inspector Donald Rimgal who is called in for his expertise on arsonists. The plot thickens when it is revealed that a local alderman is cutting the budgets of fire departments and shutting down fire stations. The film certainly goes in a new direction, creating a plot that involves several twists and turns in the firefighting world.
28. Limitless (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (546,331 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (108,463 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (202 reviews)
> Directed by: Neil Burger
Based on the novel “The Dark Fields” by Alan Glynn, “Limitless” explores a world where a drug gives users significantly more brain power and cognitive abilities. The film was a big box office hit and even led to a TV series of the same name that only lasted one season. Bradley Cooper plays the lead role of Eddie Morra, a struggling New York City author. He’s given a powerful pill by an associate that rapidly unlocks unlimited possibilities. A powerful finance tycoon (De Niro) soon takes interest.
[in-text-ad-2]
27. Ronin (1998)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (178,098 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (120,970 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (69 reviews)
> Directed by: John Frankenheimer
“Ronin” is an action thriller that stars De Niro as a former special forces operative, who along with his team, has been tasked to retrieve a mysterious briefcase. The mission seems dangerous but straightforward enough. However, lines quickly begin to blur as De Niro and his partners must navigate a world of greed and shifting alliances. The film is considered to have some of the best and most realistic car chases in cinema.
26. Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (5,702 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 62% (3,805 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (38 reviews)
> Directed by: John D. Hancock
The 1973 film is based on a novel of the same name by Mark Harris. It follows a baseball player named Bruce Pearson (De Niro) with mental impairments who is also suffering from a terminal illness. “Bang the Drum Slowly” was one of De Niro’s first big roles and helped propel him to stardom. The film focuses on the friendship between Pearson and Henry Wiggen, the team’s star pitcher.
25. Cape Fear (1991)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (183,875 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (68,903 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (52 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
“Cape Fear” was the seventh film where Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro worked together. It follows a convicted rapist (De Niro) who is released from jail and immediately sets out to seek vengeance against the lawyer he believes landed him there. The film is set in the Cape Fear region of North Carolina and focuses on themes of vengeance, morality, and life in the American South.
24. The Mission (1986)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (59,316 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (38,925 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 65% (26 reviews)
> Directed by: Roland Joffe
“The Mission” follows the experience of Spanish Jesuit priest Father Gabriel in 1750s South America. Father Gabriel travels into the jungles of modern-day Paraguay in an attempt to convert native people to Christianity. At first, they are not very receptive but eventually they allow him to live with them. Meanwhile, mercenary Rodrigo Mendoza (De Niro) runs into trouble and goes to Father Gabriel for help. The two form an unlikely duo as colonial politics in the region put everyone in danger.
[in-text-ad]
23. This Boy’s Life (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (51,098 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (23,013 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (37 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones
“This Boy’s Life” is based on the autobiographical memoir of the same name by Tobias Wolff. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Wolff and De Niro plays his stepfather Dwight Hansen. It was the first time the two ever acted in a movie together. Tobias’s mother, Caroline, has lived a fairly nomadic life and eventually decides to settle down in Seattle. She meets Hansen and he seems to be a good fit, at first. However, Hansen turns out to be physically and emotionally abusive and Tobias tries to navigate his way out of his darkening circumstances.
22. Meet the Parents (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (321,420 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (1,056,641 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (148 reviews)
> Directed by: Jay Roach
“Meet the Parents” is a comedy about Greg Focker, a man (Ben Stiller) who falls into one unfortunate turn after another while meeting his girlfriend’s parents for the first time. The 2000 film is a remake of a 1992 movie by the same name. Greg Glienna starred in the 1992 film and directed the one from 2000. De Niro plays the serious and hard to impress father of Focker’s girlfriend.
21. Wag the Dog (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (81,531 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (44,627 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (76 reviews)
> Directed by: Barry Levinson
“Wag the Dog” is a dark political comedy about a spin doctor and Hollywood producer that invent a fake war in Albania to distract voters from a presidential sex scandal. “Wag the Dog” did well with critics and at the box office.
20. Angel Heart (1987)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (84,498 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (30,142 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (29 reviews)
> Directed by: Alan Parker
“Angel Heart” is a film adaptation of William Hjortsberg’s novel “Falling Angel.” The psychological thriller stars Mickey Rourke as New York City detective Harry Angel in the 1950s. Angel is contacted by a man named Louis Cyphre to track down a friend with severe neurological trauma who has gone missing. The movie didn’t do great with critics or at the box office when it was released but has since grown in popularity.
19. Sleepers (1996)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (208,509 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (93,072 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (56 reviews)
> Directed by: Barry Levinson
“Sleepers” is a legal thriller that has an all-star cast including Kevin Bacon, Brad Pitt, Dustin Hoffman, and De Niro. Four friends are growing up in Hell’s Kitchen, New York with little guidance except from Father Bobby Carillo (De Niro). However, the group soon falls in with a local gangster and a life of crime. A botched robbery lands them in jail where they suffer continued abuse at the hands of the guards. After being released their lives take different paths but their time locked up eventually brings them back together.
18. Joker (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (1,079,410 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (66,339 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (587 reviews)
> Directed by: Todd Phillips
“Joker” tells the story behind one of Batman’s greatest enemies, explaining how stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck spiraled into a life a violence and villainy. Part of this descent involves Fleck’s idol, late-night talk show host Murray Franklin (De Niro). Fleck eventually is a guest on Murray’s show after becoming a viral laughingstock.
[in-text-ad-2]
17. Mean Streets (1973)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (105,003 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (54,874 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
“Mean Streets” is a crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese and starring De Niro and Harvey Keitel. Keitel plays Charlie, a young Italian-American man navigating life in New York City in the 1970s. Charlie is torn between his mafia-connected family and his desire to be a good Catholic. Further, his best friend Johnny (De Niro) is self-destructive and owes money to all the wrong people.
16. The Untouchables (1987)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (295,637 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (217,762 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (63 reviews)
> Directed by: Brian De Palma
“The Untouchables” follows a special team of law enforcement agents, led by Elliott Ness (Kevin Costner) as they try to take down the infamous Al Capone (De Niro) in Prohibition-era Chicago. Capone controls the town, its cops, and just about everything else. All other attempts to bring him to justice have been stonewalled by the mobster. Ness sets out to build a team that hasn’t been corrupted by Capone and is willing to pursue him to the end.
15. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (682,313 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (260,715 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (260 reviews)
> Directed by: David O. Russell
A wacky rom com based on a book of the same title, “Silver Linings Playbook” stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Patrick Solitano Jr. (Cooper) is released from a psychiatric hospital where he’s been treated for bipolar disorder. He moves back in with his parents (De Niro and Jacki Weaver) and starts to cook up a plan to get his estranged wife back. Tiffany Maxwell (Lawrence) agrees to help if he’ll enter a dance contest with her.
14. Casino (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (489,876 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (285,398 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (68 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
“Casino” is a American mob epic that is based on real-life organized crime members in Las Vegas. It was directed by Martin Scorsese and stars De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone. Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro) is a gambling expert who is asked to take over operations of a mob-controlled casino in Vegas in the early 1970s. Shortly after his arrival, Rothstein’s childhood friend and mobster Nicky Santoro (Pesci) is sent by higher ups to help with security and operations. Everything begins well enough, but Santoro starts getting into all sorts of trouble.
[in-text-ad]
13. Awakenings (1990)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (133,386 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (55,236 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (34 reviews)
> Directed by: Penny Marshall
“Awakenings” is based on Oliver Sacks’s 1973 memoir and tells a story that touches on medical miracles mixed with the new challenges they create. Dr. Malcom Sayer (Robin Williams) is a neurologist who invents a treatment for patients who have been catatonic for over 40 years. De Niro plays one of the patients, who’s last memories were formed in the 1920s. As they awake and begin their lives in the late 1960s everything is different, and they must adapt to the new world around them.
12. Midnight Run (1988)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (82,354 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (25,096 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (54 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Brest
“Midnight Run” is an action comedy that stars De Niro and Charles Grodin. Jack Walsh (De Niro) is a bounty hunter who is hired to bring a rogue accountant back to Los Angeles. The accountant has embezzled $15 million from a Chicago mob boss and skipped bail posted for him by another associate. As Walsh dives deeper he realizes that there are several groups of people looking for the accountant and he is suddenly caught up in all of it.
11. The King of Comedy (1982)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (96,707 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (27,126 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (62 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
“The Kind of Comedy” is another Scorsese and De Niro collaboration. The black comedy film follows an aspiring stand-up comedian who is willing to go to just about any lengths to make it big. Rupert Pupkin (De Niro) meets successful talk-show host Jerry Langford and quickly becomes completely obsessed with him. He starts to imagine that they two are best friends despite being rejected time and time again to appear as a guest on Langford’s show. Pupkin then decides to take matters into his own hands.
10. The Irishman (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (353,571 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (1,057 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (453 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
De Niro and Scorsese recently teamed up to make “The Irishman.” The mob epic is based on the nonfiction book “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt. It follows the story of Frank Sheeran (De Niro), a real-life mob hitman. By chance, Sheeran begins working for some local crime figures around Philadelphia and quickly begins to climb the ranks. His experience fighting in World War II left him with considerable skills that are useful in the criminal world. One thing leads to another and he becomes involved with famous Teamster union boss Jimmy Hoffa.
9. Heat (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (610,001 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (222,169 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (84 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Mann
“Heat” is a crime drama that stars De Niro as thief Neil McCauley. McCauley and his crew rob an armored truck with unexpected consequences. The fallout from the robbery leads police officer Lieutenant Vincent Hanna to pursue McCauley. As McCauley and his crew try to profit off their score, they are drawn deeper into the criminal underworld, all while the police are hot on their trail.
8. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (330,925 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (75,039 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (54 reviews)
> Directed by: Sergio Leone
“Once Upon a Time in America” is another crime epic that stars De Niro as David “Noodles” Aaronson. This plot is strung together over several decades in New York City. Noodles grows up in a Jewish community in the late 1910s where he quickly falls into petty crime with his gang of friends. The story is told out of chronological order and shows Noodles rise as a small-time crook and then years later when he must return to the city for some unfinished business.
[in-text-ad-2]
7. The Deer Hunter (1978)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (325,501 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (103,588 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (78 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Cimino, Michael Cimino
“The Deer Hunter” is a dark drama about three men whose lives are forever changed after they go off to fight in the Vietnam War. Their rough but generally happy existence in a small Pennsylvania steel town is completely transformed by events that unfold overseas. “The Deer Hunter” was one of the first big Hollywood movies that portrayed the Vietnam war and did so in a very unflattering light. Its release caused several controversies and debates.
6. Brazil (1985)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (195,217 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (103,103 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (49 reviews)
> Directed by: Terry Gilliam
“Brazil” is a wild dystopian sci-fi movie that portrays a world gone mad with pollution, consumerism, and bureaucracy. Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is a low-level government employee who experiences strange dreams of saving a beautiful woman. A mechanical error leads government security agents to arrest and murder a man who they believe is a terrorist. However, it turns out to be the wrong man and the right man (played by De Niro) becomes connected to Lowry.
5. A Bronx Tale (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (134,535 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (66,875 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (30 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro’s directorial debut was a big success. “A Bronx Tale” tells the story of an Italian-American boy in 1960s New York who is torn between the world of organized crime and his honest, hardworking father. Nine-year-old Calogero witnesses local crime boss Sonny killing a man but stays quiet when police come around to question him. Sonny takes a liking to the kid and starts to offer him work. Meanwhile, Sonny also offers his father Lorenzo (De Niro) a better job, but Lorenzo declines, preferring to make an honest living. As Calogero grows older he has to make some tough decisions.
4. Raging Bull (1980)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (336,766 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (131,523 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (76 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Based on Jake LaMotta’s 1970 memoir “Raging Bull: My Life Story,” the film follows a volatile boxer as he goes down a path of self-destruction and anger. Jake LaMotta (De Niro) is a talented boxer in 1940s New York. He suffers his first professional loss but continues to train hard. Meanwhile, he starts a relationship with a teenage girl despite being married. They eventually marry but the relationship leads to jealousy and anger as LaMotta continues to pursue his career of being a championship boxer.
[in-text-ad]
3. Taxi Driver (1976)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (764,810 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (260,919 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (94 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
“Taxi Driver” is an epic psychological thriller about a taxi driver’s descent into madness. Travis Brickle (De Niro) is a young Vietnam War veteran suffering from PTSD and living in New York City. He begins to drive a night taxi to deal with insomnia and spends a lot of his time in pornography theaters. When his attempts to end his isolation fail, he begins to train in self-defense and buys guns on the black market. The movie is like a fevered dream as Brickle scrambles around the city trying to deal with his demons.
2. Goodfellas (1990)
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10 (1,074,658 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (430,048 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (103 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
“Goodfellas” is based on the true story of mobster Henry Hill. It follows Hill (Ray Liotta) as he grows up in Brooklyn and becomes involved with local crime figures James Conway (De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). As Hill grows older he is drawn deeper in the mob world and becomes a full time criminal. The fast life involves considerable violence, backstabbing, and risk in this mob classic.
1. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10 (1,188,016 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (411,793 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (114 reviews)
> Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
In the second part in the most famous mafia series ever made, De Niro plays a young Vito Corleone who has escaped death in Sicily and arrived in New York. Some years later Vito tries to live a decent life, working in a grocery store to support his young son and wife. However, he loses his job when a local mobster interferes and decides to turn to crime to survive. From there Don Corleone begins to take shape, with Marlon Brandon playing the mobster in his later years.
Want to Retire Early? Start Here (Sponsor)
Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Or are you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?
Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.
Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.