It’s a difficult task to rank the best movies by Martin Scorsese. But after many hours in front of the screens, we have come to our conclusion.
Martin Scorsese has been directing films since the 1960s, born in New York in 1942, Scorsese has had a long career within the film industry being involved in screenwriting, producing and acting.
He’s probably best known for his movies Taxi Driver and Goodfellas.
When Did Martin Scorsese Start Directing?
1959 was when Martin Scorsese started directing, his first film was a 10 minute, black and white, silent film called Vesuvius VI.
What Martin Scorsese Movie Won An Oscar?
Although Martin Scorsese has had many nominations, the only movie that he has won an Oscar for was; The Departed, where Scorsese won the Best Director category in 2007.
How Many Martin Scorsese Films Are There?
Martin Scorsese has directed 25 Films so far but, including TV series, shorts, music videos and documentaries, Scorsese has a total of 68 credits to his name.
How Many Awards Has Martin Scorsese Won?
Scorsese has won over 50 various awards from 1975 until now.
Best Movies By Martin Scorsese Ranked
#8. Taxi Driver
Director: Martin Scorsese
Year of release: 1976
Certification: R
Genre: Drama, Crime
Duration: 1h 54m
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd
Travis Bickle (Played by Robert De Niro) is a returned Vietnam vet working as a taxi driver in New York City. Bickle faces insomnia as well as PTSD and the slow decent into madness as his hatred for society slowly builds.
Bickle eventually stumbles upon Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) who is working in a campaign office for presidential candidate Charles Palantine (Leonard Harris). What seems at first as Bickle having ‘love at first sight’ turns more into an obsession for Betsy, after a date between the two doesn’t go to plan. This all fuels Bickle’s rage and a plot to kill Palantine is hatched.
Once Bickle starts noticing Iris Steensma (Jodie Foster) around the streets of NYC, his obsession then turns to rescuing this child prostitute from her line of work.
Robert De Niro is definitely is the stand out actor and plays the role of the unhinged Travis Bickle perfectly. The story evolves slowly, but this ultimately leads to a satisfying finale once Bickle reaches boiling point.
Taxi Driver is often described as one of the best movies by Martin Scorsese. But with such a long build up, it falls a little short for us. Still a great movie and worth the watch but this is
#7. The Aviator
Director: Martin Scorsese
Year of release: 2004
Certification: PG-13 (US)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Duration: 2h 50m
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett
An interesting look in on the life of billionaire Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) following his illustrious career from ground breaking film maker to designing and building aircraft.
Hughes’ germaphobic behaviours and troubles with mental illness are evident throughout the film and seems to cast somewhat of a shadow on his so called genius. Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of Hughes really captures the behaviours and downward spiral that it’s almost difficult to watch at times.
Cate Blanchett plays the role of Katharine Hepburn, who was Howards Hughes love interest at the time, recreating Hepburn’s persona almost effortlessly.
The way Martin Scorsese recreates the era really allows the audience to get a feeling for what times were like back then and what Howard Hughes was trying to achieve.
Overall this might not be one of Scorsese’s best works; nevertheless, it’s worth watching just for the trip back in time. Keep in mind the general feel of the movie is somewhat sombre.
#6. Silence
Director: Martin Scorsese
Year of release: 2016
Certification: R (US)
Genre: Historical, Drama
Duration: 2h 41m
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson
Based on the 1966 Novel Silence by Shūsaku Endō, it details the plight of Portuguese Jesuit priests Sebastião Rodrigues and Francisco Garupe, played by Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver respectively.
Both priests set out on a journey to Japan to investigate the rumour that their mentor Cristovão Ferreira (Liam Neeson) has abandoned his faith after communications with him abruptly end.
When both priests arrive in Japan they begin to experience what life is like for those risking it all to keep practicing their faith.
Some will recoil at the sight of a faith based film, but watching gives an insight into the experiences of those facing persecution.
At times it can be painfully slow and long winded but, the cinematography is excellent and for some a masterclass on how to keep ‘the faith’.
Because of the topic, it doesn’t appeal to everyone as a result it maxed out at #6 in our best movies by Martin Scorsese list.
#5. The Irishman
Director: Martin Scorsese
Year of release: 2019
Certification: R (US)
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Duration: 3h 29m
Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci
Reminiscing on his life as a hitman in the Bufalino crime family. Frank Sheeran (Robert Di Niro) finds himself in need of a lawyer after pushing his luck as a meat delivery driver with a side hustle of stealing meat.
Whilst on a previous delivery Sheeran meets Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) when his delivery truck breaks down and Russell helps him get on the road again, both leaving an indelible impression on one another.
By chance the union provided lawyer, Bill Bufalino (Ray Romano) who is looking after Frank’s case just so happens to be Russel’s cousin. Impressed by Frank’s unwillingness to divulge any information of any of his accomplices, Bill introduces Frank to Russel whom Frank had already met back at the gas station.
Frank begins to do some odd jobs for Russell and for Angelo Bruno (Harvey Keitel) who is the Philadelphia crime gang boss. Frank begins to build his reputation and eventually finds himself as the Bodyguard for Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). Hoffa is the leader of the Teamsters Union with financial ties to crime. Ultimately the story revolves around corruption and under the table deals between Teamster leaders and mobsters. Eventually a rift between the Don’s and Hoffa become too much after Hoffa puts it out there that ‘he knows things’, that along with his unwillingness to cooperate with fellow teamster Anthony ‘Tony Pro’ Provenzano (Stephen Graham).
Things occasionally get confusing throughout the movie because of the time jumps, the problem is with an already ageing cast, it’s difficult for the cgi or make up to hide this fact during the younger year scenes. The ageing of the cast was obviously very easy and really emphasised the sorry state these men ended up in.
Sheerans unwavering loyalty is tested throughout the movie and is tested all the way to the very end.
You need to keep up with this movie and at times have a think about what just happened however, it’s well worth the extra effort. Unfortunately for us it doesn’t quite make it to the top three of our best movies by Martin Scorsese list.
#4. The Wolf of Wall Street
Director: Martin Scorsese
Year of release: 2013
Certification: R (US)
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Crime, Drama
Duration: 3h
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie
Take a look into the life of high flying, high energy stock-broker, Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) along with business partner Donny Azoff (Jonah Hill).
After Jordan experiences his first ever stock market crash as a trainee at L.F Rothschild, he finds himself looking for any old job. Until he finds a job as a broker at Investor’s Center in a strip mall where he uses his razor sharp sales skills to sell penny stocks.
Jordan meets Donny Azoff and the pair hit it off and decide to partner up and go it alone. They secure a makeshift office/boiler room in an old auto-body shop and assemble a crew. Once the crew is set it’s time for them to sell questionable penny stocks. Things progress slowly until Jordan rebrands the group as Stratton Oakmont and retarget a different audience. That’s when things really begin to take off and grow quicker than they can spend the money.
With the influx of cash, this gives the Stratton Oakmont partners money to fund their hedonistic lifestyles. When the inevitable end begins to near, things begin unraveling for Jordan, quickly.
In conclusion this is a fun look at a life of excess, at times it’s hard to believe it’s a biography and not just a comedy, then you remember this story also had its victims.
#3. Casino
Director: Martin Scorsese
Year of release: 1995
Certification: R (US)
Genre: Drama, Crime
Duration: 2h 58m
Starring: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci
Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein (Robert De Niro) and Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) are best friends on the rise to money and power. Ace is the business savvy and gambling expert, casino exec and Santoro is the muscle, a mafia enforcer.
Ace is asked by Chicago based crime family to look after a casino in Las Vegas, Ace agrees but eventually things start turning south once his friend Santoro decides to join him.
Eventually for Ace it becomes a juggling act of trying to keep his wife and keeping his friend from ruining everything he has created.
Sharon Stone plays the part of Ginger McKenna who becomes Ace’s wife. Stone often plays her part of Ginger so well, throwing a remote control at the tv almost feels inevitable. De Niro and Pesci seem to have been born to play roles in Scorsese movies and as always are excellent.
At almost 3 hours long and a mammoth amount of dialogue, it feels like each word is essential to telling the story.
#2. The Departed
Director: Martin Scorsese
Year of release: 2006
Certification: R (US)
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Drama
Duration: 2h 31m
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg
The Departed is the movie that Scorsese won Best director for, along with multiple other Academy Awards including: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing.
Sounding more like the title of a horror film than a gangster/thriller movie. The Departed follows Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), an undercover cop who’s been tasked with infiltrating a South Boston crime gang.
On the flip side Staff Sergeant Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is a spy from the same crime gang who Costigan is infiltrating. Sullivan however is rising through the ranks of the State Police and later, the Special Investigations Unit.
Things are tense throughout the entire movie and there’s enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.
With so many high profile actors and Scorsese as the director, it seems that it was almost impossible for this movie to be unsuccessful. Everyone plays their part perfectly, It’s just a little strange to see Matt Damon as a bad guy, yet he fits the role perfectly here.
#1. Goodfellas
Director: Martin Scorsese
Year of release: 1990
Certification: R (US)
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Duration: 2h 25m
Starring: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci
Goodfellas is a biography about American gangster Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) who is a member of the Lucchese crime family. Starts with Henry Hill as a boy making his way into the crime family through humble beginnings, eventually becoming a trusted member, albeit an outsider due to him not being of full Italian heritage.
The brotherhood and camaraderie between those in the family is evident when times are good and the money is flowing but as the tide turns the ruthlessness and violence begins to show itself.
Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci and in-fact the whole cast play the roles of mobsters without fault, so well in fact it’s hard not to associate them with this genre.
With all its money, violence, swearing, drugs and sex, it shows why the criminal life can be so seductive to those who join. At over 30 years old, Goodfellas really holds up well and in our opinion is one of the best movies by Martin Scorsese.
Now that we have swayed your decision on what to watch this weekend. Let’s take your movie night snack game to the next level with our delicious cookie recipes!
