Top 25 Martin Scorsese Movies That You Should Watch

When it comes to movies, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that there aren’t many film directors alive who are on the same level as Martin Scorsese. He is widely known as one of the most influential directors in film history, and we can’t agree more. He is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Martin Scorsese movies are considered no less than all-time classics. Ever since his first movie in 1967, Martin Scorsese has directed many movies. Most of his films are famous for their depiction of violence and the use of profanity and rock music. He mainly explores themes such as Italian-American identity, crime, and Catholic concepts of guilt and redemption.

Martin Scorsese movies have the ability to send shivers down the audience’s spine. Even though some of his movies didn’t make a huge profit at the box office, we say without a doubt that almost all of them received many critical acclaims. His most notable works are “The Departed,” for which he received his only Oscar as the director. Other famous works are “Taxi Driver”, “Shutter Island” and “Goodfellas”.

Martin’s Scorsese movies have won many awards, including Oscars, Golden Globes, and BAFTA Awards. Throughout his career, he has directed most of his movies with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. He has cast Robert De Niro for nine movies and Leonardo DiCaprio for five movies. Here, we will talk about the top 25 Martin Scorsese movies that you should watch. We ranked the movies according to IMDb ratings. So, start adding these movies to your watchlist, and if you’ve already watched it, then you can always rewatch. These movies never get old anyway.

25. Boxcar Bertha (1972):

This movie is an adaptation of Ben L. Reitman’s novel “Sister of the Road”. Boxcar Bertha is a romantic crime drama movie. This low-budget movie is a loose adaptation of the novel. Sister of the Road is a pseudo-autobiography of a fictional character Boxcar Bertha Thompson. It was the second movie that Martin Scorsese directed. Barbara Hershey stars as Boxcar Bertha and David Carradine plays the role of Big Bill Shelly. Apart from them, the movie stars Barry Primus as Rake Brown, Bernie Casey as Von Morton, John Carradine as H. Buckram Sartoris, Harry Northup as Harvey Hall, and Victor Argo as First Mclver.

The movie tells the story of Boxcar Bertha Thompson and Big Bill Shelly, who are train robbers and lovers. The movie mainly features depression during the early 1930s South America. Following her father’s death when she was young, Bertha meets various people while riding the rails. She eventually ends up traveling with three guys; a laborer Bill Shelly, a gambler Rake Brown, and a harmonica playing black man, Von Morton.

The group of four become loyal friends, despite having different goals in life, and Bertha and Bill eventually fall in love with each other. Due to Rake’s habit of earning a living by cheating, the other three walk down the criminal path as well. The four end up living a criminal life, and Bertha gets in trouble when someone implicates her for the murder of a wealthy gambler, and the couple becomes fugitives.

24. Who’s That Knocking at My Door (1967):

This is the first movie that Martin Scorsese directed. Martin Scorsese also wrote the screenplay for this independent romantic drama movie. Who’s That Knocking at My Door is a black and white movie where Martin Scorsese was inspired by the French New Wave cinema. The movie was a nominee at the Chicago Film Festival in 1967. Who’s That Knocking at My Door was also the first movie of Harvey Keitel as an actor. He played the main role in the movie, along with Zina Bianca Bethune. This movie explores the themes of Catholic guilt, much like the other movies of Martin Scorsese that came after it.

The movie follows the story of J.R., a typical young Catholic Italian-American on the streets of New York City. He stays close to home with a group of friends with whom he drinks around. He falls in love with a girl and decides to marry her and settle down. The two eventually deepens their relationship, but he rejects her offer to sleep with him and says he wants to wait till their marriage. However, one day when the girl tells him that she was once raped, J.R. breaks up with her. He returns to his old life of drinking but realizes he still loves her.

He returns to her apartment one early morning, and awkwardly tells her that he forgives her and will marry her anyway. The girl says that even if they marry each other, their relationship will never work because of how much her past weighs on him. J.R. gets angry at her and abuses her but quickly apologizes for it. She tells him to go home, and he goes back to the Catholic church to deal with his dilemma.

23. New York, New York (1977):

This is a musical drama movie written by Earl Mac Rauch and Mardik Martin. New York, New York was typically a musical tribute, featuring songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb. Robert De Niro and Liza Minnelli star as the main leads for the movie. American actor, comedian, singer, dancer, and radio host Jack Haley first made his first screen appearance through this movie as a cameo by playing the role of Master of Ceremonies. This movie received much praise from the audience and critics alike and was even nominated for four Golden Globes.

The movie shows the story of when World War II ended. New York, New York shows the day when America gained victory over Japan on 15 August 1945. The day is known as V-J Day, and the movie starts with the massive celebration that took place in a New York City nightclub on that night. The movie tells the story of Jimmy Doyle, who is an aspiring saxophone player. He meets an established USO band singer Francine Evans during the V-J Day celebration. They get drawn to each other due to their common love for music and eventually fall in love.

They marry each other shortly after they start dating. However, Jimmy’s short-temper becomes a strain on their relationship, and their marriage slowly crumbles. Jimmy abandons his wife soon after she haves a baby and leaves without even seeing their child. The two eventually meet each other several years later when they both have successful careers.

22. Bringing Out the Dead (1999):

This movie is an adaptation of Joe Connelly’s novel of the same name. Paul Schrader wrote the screenplay for this horror-thriller drama. Three-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Richardson did the cinematography for the movie. The movie stars Nicholas Cage and Patricia Arquette as the lead actors. Apart from them, the movie also stars John Goodman, Ving Rhames, and Tom Sizemore for supporting roles. The movie was a box office failure, though it did receive positive reviews from the critics.

The movie tells the story of Frank Pierce, who is a hospital paramedic during the early 1990s in Manhattan, New York. He works at the graveyard in a two-person ambulance team with various partners. He is sick of witnessing deaths, especially a young woman whom he failed to save six months ago. Since then, he is not able to save anyone and starts seeing ghosts.

The movie follows him for three nights, each night with a different co-worker. The first one who Larry, then Marcus, and the third partner was Tom. Frank also befriends Mary Burke, who is the daughter of a heart patient. Mary is an ex-junkie who doesn’t have a good relationship with her father. However, when he becomes ill, she hopes that her father will survive through his heart problems. The movie shows as Frank struggles with his conflicts, and just as he was at his breaking point, the arrival of Mary saves him from his predicaments.

21. Kundun (1997):

This movie is a biography of the 14th Dalai Lama. Melissa Mathison wrote the script for the movie where she writes about his life and writings of Tenzin Gyatso, who was an exiled political and spiritual leader of Tibet. The movie stars Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong, the grandnephew of the Dalai Lama as the adult Tenzin Gyatso. The Dalai Lama’s niece Tencho Gyalpo plays the role of his mother in the movie. Kundun shows the life of Tenzin Gyatso from his childhood to adulthood. The movie was nominated for Oscars in four categories for cinematography, art direction, costume design, and original music.

Kundun means “presence” in Tibetan, a title by which people addressed the Dalai Lama. The movie shows the events spanning from 1937 to 1959 in a linear chronology. The movie is set in Tibet, though it had brief sequences in China and India. Kundun shows the life of Tenzin Gyatso, starting from when he became the 14th Dalai Lama till the time when communist China’s invasion forced him to escape his native home.

When he was a two-and-a-half-year-old boy, the people of Tibet recognized him as the 14th reincarnation of Buddha. They believe that it was the boy’s destiny to become the spiritual and political leader of Tibet. The oppressive regime of China upon the peaceful nation of Tibet forced the Dalai Lama to escape to India in 1959. The Dalai Lama has been living in exile in a Dharamshala in India ever since then.

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20. The Color of Money (1986):

The Color of Money is an adaptation of Walter Tevis’ novel of the same name. Richard Price wrote the screenplay for this sports drama movie. The movie is the continuation of the story of pool hustler and state horse Edward “Fast Eddie” Felson from Walter Tevis’ first novel, The Hustler, with Paul Newman reprising his role from the 1961 movie adaptation of the novel. Paul Newman won an Oscar for the Best Actor in a Leading Role. Apart from that, the movie received nominations for three other categories in the Oscars and two categories in Golden Globes.

The movie tells the story of Eddie Felson after he retires and becomes a successful liquor salesman in Chicago. Eddie plans to return to the game by coaching a student. When he finds a young promising pool player Vincent Lauria in a local bar, Eddie sees a younger version of himself in Vincent and decides to teach him. Vincent agrees after some hesitation and goes on a trip with Eddie.

Vincent also takes his girlfriend, Carmen, on tour. The tour was a six-week-long trip of hustling on the road, ultimately leading to a nine-ball tournament in Atlantic City.  During their tour, Eddie teaches him the tricks of scamming. Eddie eventually gets frustrated with Vincent’s habit of showing off, which results in the loss of money. This results in an argument between the two and their separate ways. However, they soon cross paths as opponents when Eddie starts playing the game again.

19. Mean Streets (1973):

This is a crime thriller drama written and directed by Martin Scorsese. The movie stars Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro for the lead role and supporting role, respectively. Robert De Niro won the National Society of Film Critics award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as John Ciello. The movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant in 1997.

The movie tells the story of Charlie Chappa, a young Italian-American man who lives in New York’s Little Italy, a neighborhood in lower Manhattan that has a large Italian population. Charlie’s life gets hampered by his feeling of responsibility towards John Cieollo, a.k.a Johnny Boy, a good-for-nothing reckless youngster and small-time gambler. Johnny Boy refuses to do any work and owes a lot of money to loan sharks. Charlie is in love with Teresa, John’s cousin. However, her condition of epilepsy causes Charlie’s uncle to disapprove of their relationship. The movie shows Charlie’s struggles as he tries to find a way to be with Teresa and also help Johnny Boy set down the right path.

18. The Age of Innocence (1993):

This movie is an adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel of the same name. Martin Scorsese and Jay Cocks wrote the screenplay of The Age of Innocence. The movie stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Newland Archer, Michelle Pfeiffer as Ellen Olenska, and Winona Ryder as May Welland. Although out of five Oscar nominations, the movie won one Academy Awards, one Golden Globes, and One BAFTA, The Age of Innocence was still a box office failure. However, the movie did receive a lot of critical acclaim. The movie is a historical romance drama telling the story of 1870s New York.

The Age of Innocence tells the story of a wealthy New York society attorney Newland Archer. He is engaged to socialite May Welland. However, when May’s cousin Countess Ellen Olenska arrives in town, after a disastrous marriage to a Polish Count, Newland starts falling in love with her. At first, she gets ostracized because of her crumbled marriage, but with the support of May’s family, the rumors slowly begin to fade. Newland becomes her lawyer for Ellen’s divorce case. As Newland slowly falls in love with his cousin’s fiancee, he is stuck in a dilemma of whether he should continue his engagement or court the person he fell in love with.

17. Silence (2016):

Based on Shusaku Endo’s novel of the same name, Silence is an international epic historical movie. The movie stars Andrew Garfield as Sebastian Rodrigues, Adam Driver as Francisco Garupe, Liam Neeson as the Jesuit Cristovao Ferreira, and Ciaran Hinds as the Jesuit Alessandro Valignano. The story follows the time period of the 17th century, where two Jesuit priests travel from Portugal to Edo-era Japan to locate their missing mentor and also to spread Catholic Christianity.

The story is about a time when it was common for Christianity’s Japanese adherents had to hide from the persecution that was the result of the suppression of Christianity in Japan during the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637 and 1638. The movie begins with a prologue where Cristovao Ferreira, a veteran Portuguese Jesuit priest, witnesses the torture of Japanese converts that he was trying to bring to the Christian faith. The priest was helpless against the Japanese authorities and could do nothing to stop the torture.

The movie then follows the story of a few years later when Sebastian Rodrigues and Francisco Garpue embark on a journey to Japan to find Cristovao Ferreira, their missing mentor. As the two go continue on their journey, their trouble only increases when the feudal lords, a.k.a the ruling samurai, imprison them. The two are left with only two choices; one is to renounce their faith in Christianity to suffer an agonizing death.

16. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974):

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is a comedy-drama written by Robert Getchell. The movie premiered at the 27th Cannes Film Festival and was released theatrically on 9 December 1974 by Warner Bros. This is one of the oldest Martin Scorsese movies that received both critical and commercial success. Ellen Burstyn plays the role of Alice Hyatt, for which she won an Oscar as the Best Actress in a Leading Role. Robert Getchell was also nominated for Best Writing, Original Screenplay. Apart from these, the movie had one other nomination in Oscars, two Golden Globes nominee, and out of seven BAFTA nominations, the movie won four awards.

The movie follows the story of a 35-year-old widow who leaves her small New Mexico town after her husband’s death in an auto accident. She travels with her preteen son Tommy across the Southwestern United States in search of a better life. Alice travels to California in hopes of becoming a singer. As the mother and son suffer financial problems, they temporarily settle in Arizona, where Alice takes a job as a waitress in a small diner. She intends to work there just long enough to make money they need to head back out on their journey. However, her plans begin to change when she falls in love with a rancher, David.

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15. Cape Fear (1991):

Cape Fear is a psychological thriller movie and an adaptation of John D. MacDonald’s novel “The Executioners”. This movie is a remake of  James R. Webb’s 1962 movie of the same name. Cape Fear is the seventh collaboration of Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro. The movie also stars Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, and Juliette Lewis. Robert De Niro and Juliette Lewis were nominated for Oscars and Golden Globes for the leading role and supporting role respectively. Cape Fear also stars Gregory Peck, making it his last role in a movie.

The film follows the story of a convicted rapist Max Cady, who was imprisoned for 14 years under false charges. After his release from prison, Max makes it his life’s goal to take revenge against his attorney Sam Bowden. Sam buried evidence of the victim’s promiscuity, which could have lightened Max’s sentence or even secured his acquittal. Sam leads his life, believing that the illiterate Max is unaware of his purposeful botchery in the case.

However, his life turns for the worse when it turns out that Max is a naturally intelligent and single-minded psychopath. Max learns how to read and learned law in prison. He even successfully appealed his own conviction several times. As Max begins to terrorize the Bowden family, Sam struggles to keep his wife and daughter safe from him.

14. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988):

The Last Temptation of Christ is an adaptation of Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis’ novel of the same name. The novel was controversial because of its depiction of Jesus Christ’s life and his struggles with various forms of temptations like fear, doubt, depression, reluctance, and lust. The movie also depicts these things, the same as the novel. This is one of those Martin Scorsese movies that generated a lot of controversies. However, that didn’t stop the movie from being a box office success. The movie received praise not only from critics but also from some religious leaders. Martin Scorsese received a nomination as the Best Director for Oscars for this movie.

The Last Temptation of Christ tells the story of a humble Judean carpenter, Jesus. As he begins to see that he is the son of God, he gets drawn into revolutionary action against the Roman occupiers by Judas Iscariot. However, Jesus firmly believes that instead of violence, love is the path to salvation. As the burden of being the savior of humanity burdens him, Jesus begins to doubt himself. He is eventually put to death on the cross, where he is tempted by visions of ordinary married life with Mary Magdalene.

13. The Aviator (2004):

The Aviator is a biographical drama movie written by John Logan. The movie tells the story of Howard Hughes, an aviation pioneer and film director. The Aviator is an adaptation of Charles Higham’s novel “Howard Hughes: The Secret Life”. The movie was a huge box office success and received nominations in Oscars for seven categories. The Aviator won Oscars for a female supporting role by Cate Blanchett, cinematography by Robert Richardson, film editing by Thelma Schoonmaker, costume design by Sandy Powell, and art direction by Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo.

This biopic drama follows the life of Howard Hughes from his childhood to adulthood. The Aviator shows the story of early 20th century America as the movie starts with an eight-year-old Howard Hughes when his mother warns him to be careful about the recent cholera outbreak in Houston. The movie then follows his life 14 years later when he begins to direct the movie “Hell’s Angels” and hires Noah Dietrich to manage the operations of his business empire. As the business tycoon starts gaining a foothold in the entertainment industry, he comes across an actress Katharine Hepburn. The movie follows his life as his successful life grows unstable due to his increasing obsessive-compulsive disorder.

12. Hugo (2011):

This movie is the adaptation of Brian Selznick’s historical fiction book “The Invention of Hugo Cabret”. John Logan wrote the script for the movie. The movie was distributed by Paramount Pictures after it was officially released on 23 November 2011. Though the movie didn’t do fairly at the box office, it received acclaim from critics. Out of eleven nominations in Oscars, the movie won five awards for cinematography by Robert Richardson, sound mixing, sound editing, visual effects, and art direction. Martin Scorsese won a Golden Globe for Best Director- Motion Picture, for Hugo.

The movie follows the story of orphaned Hugo Cabret, who lives in the walls of a train station during the early 1930s Paris. He fixes clocks and other gadgets to maintain the station clocks for a living. However, his more important task is to protect a broken automaton and notebook that his late father left him. Hugo embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of the automaton with the help of Isabelle, a goddaughter of a toy merchant. In his quest to unravel the mysteries his father left him with, Hugo also hopes to find a place that he can call home finally.

11. Gangs of New York (2002):

This movie is an adaptation of Herbert Asbury’s novel of the same name. Gangs of New York is a historical crime drama about the early 1860s New York. The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Amsterdam Vallon, Daniel Day-Lewis as William Cutting, and Cameron Diaz as Jenny Everdeance for the main roles. The movie received nominations for ten categories in the Oscars. Martin Scorsese won the Golden Globes for best director. Jay Cocks gave the story and screenplay for the movie, and it was a huge box office success.

Gangs of New York tells the story of Amsterdam Vallon, a young Irish immigrant who was released from prison. He returns to the slums of New York, known as the Five Points, to seek revenge against his father’s murderer William Cutting. William is a powerful anti-immigrant gang leader. Amsterdam infiltrates William’s inner circle so the former can get close to him to take his revenge. However, as Amsterdam works his way up to the hierarchy of Five Points, his fight for personal survival changes when he tries to find a place for the Irish people in 1860s New York.

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10. After Hours (1985):

Joseph Minion gave the screenplay for this black comedy movie. Martin Scorsese won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director and Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director for this movie. After Hours is one of the underrated Martin Scorsese movies. However, its black humor did receive some praise and positive reviews. The movie stars Griffin Dunne and Rosanna Arquette as lead actors.

The movie tells the story of Paul Hackett, a computer data entry worker, who meets Marcy Franklin in a Manhattan cafe at night. Later that night, when Paul takes a cab to Marcy’s apartment downtown, his $20 note flies out the window during the ride. Paul is now unable to pay the cab fare. This marks the beginning of a series of awkward, surreal, and life-threatening situations Paul faced during that night as he tries to find ways to return uptown.

9. The King of Comedy (1982):

This is another one of the underrated movies of Martin Scorsese. Despite the positive reviews from the critics, the movie was a failure at the box office. Paul D. Zimmerman wrote the screenplay for the movie. He won a BAFTA Awards for Best Original Screenplay. The King of Comedy stars Robert De Niro as Ruper Pupkin, Jerry Lewis as Jerry Langford, and Sandra Bernhard, as the main cast. Martin Scorsese received a nomination for Palme d’Or as the director of this movie at the Cannes Film Festival.

The movie tells the story of Rupert Pupkin, who is a failure in life but a celebrity only in his own mind. Rupert desperately wants to a comedian, and he even imagines himself hosting a talk show in his mother’s basement. However, when he meets his idol Jerry Langford, a talk show host, Rupert requests him to let him perform on his show. But Jerry doesn’t pay any mind to a wannabe comedian and rejects him. However, Rupert still doesn’t give up and starts stalking Jerry to convince him. Rupert eventually teams up with psychotic friend Masha, who is an obsessive fan of Jerry Langford. Rupert makes a plan with Masha to kidnap Jerry in hopes of finally achieving his dream.

8. The Irishman (2019):

The Irishman is an adaptation of Charles Brandt’s non-fiction novel “I Heard You Paint Houses”.  The movie premiered at the 57th New York Film Festival from 27 September 2019 to 13 October 2019. The Irishman had a limited theatrical release on 1 November 2019, followed by digital streaming on Netflix starting on 27 November 2019. Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran, Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa, and Joe Pesci as Russell Bufalino played the main roles of the movie. The Irishman received nominations for ten Oscars, five Golden Globes, and ten BAFTA Awards. However, even after so many positive reviews from the critics, the movie didn’t earn well at the box office.

The Irishman follows the story of Frank Sheeran, a truck driver who becomes a hitman as he gets involved with a mobster Russell Bufalino, and his crime family, also with a powerful Teamster Jimmy Hoffa. The movie starts with an elderly Irish American World War II veteran Frank Sheeran who is sitting in a nursing home. He recounts his time as a hitman for the mafia. The movie tells the story from the 1950s to the 1980s. As Frank reminisces his time as a mafia, he narrates his life as a mafia, including the influence of Russell and Jimmy in his life.

7. Raging Bull (1980):

Raging Bull is a biographical sports drama movie portraying the life of American boxer Jake LaMotta. This movie is an adaptation of Jake LaMotta’s memoir “Raging Bull: My Story”. Raging Bull stars Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta, Joe Pesci as Joey LaMotta, and Cathy Moriarty as Vickie LaMotta, as the main cast. Robert De Niro won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his role in the movie. Apart from this, Raging Bull won an Oscar for Best Film Editing by Thelma Schoonmaker. Raging Bull had six other Oscar nominations, including Martin Scorsese receiving a nomination for Best Director. Raging Bull also received six other nominations for the Golden Globes Awards.

The movie shows Jake LaMotta’s life as he rises through the ranks to earn his first shot at the middleweight crown during the mid-1900s. He meets a young girl Vickie, at an open-air swimming pool in his Bronx neighborhood. Jake eventually falls in love with her and marries her in 1945. Raging Bull shows Jake’s struggles as he pursues to be on the top while he tries to control the quick temper that always messes things up for him.

6. Casino (1995):

Casino is an adaptation of Nicholas Pileggi’s non-fiction novel “Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas”. Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi gave the screenplay for this movie. The movie stars Robert De Niro as Sam Rothstein, Sharon Stone as Ginger McKenna, and Joe Pesci as Nicky Santoro, as the main cast. Casino follows the story of Sam Rothstein, a.k.a. Ace, a Jewish American gambling expert handicapper. Sharon Stone received nominations for Oscar and won a Golden Globe for her lead role in the movie.

The movie tells the story of a low-level mobster Sam Rothstein during the early 1970s in Las Vegas. He was tapped by his bosses to head the Tangiers Casino, and he gains great success in the beginning. However, over the years, the Casino faces troubles when a mob enforcer and Sam’s childhood friend Nicky Santoro, his ex-hustler wife Ginger, and a handful of corrupt politicians start making things difficult for him.

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5. Shutter Island (2010):

Shutter Island is an adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s novel of the same name. Laeta Kalogridis wrote the script for this psychological mystery thriller movie. The movie received positive reviews from critics, and the National Board of Review selected it as one of the top 10 films of 2010. The film was a huge box office success. Shutter Island is also noteworthy for its soundtrack using classical and mainly modern classical music throughout the movie. This movie tells the story of mid-1950s America. Shutter Island stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Edward Daniels, Mark Ruffalo as Chuck Aule, and Ben Kingsley as Dr. John Cawley, as the main cast.

The movie follows the story of U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his new partner Chuck Aule. They begin to investigate the disappearance of a brilliant female murder. She was imprisoned at Ashecliffe Hospital, a fortress-like insane asylum located on a remote island. The island is called Shutter Island that contains mentally insane and dangerous criminals. The female criminal mysteriously disappears from a locked room, leaving no leads of her whereabouts.

Teddy is a veteran soldier from the Second World War who suffered trauma because his wife died in a criminal fire. When the duo arrives at the island, they begin to realize that there’s more to the island than meets the eye. They face a lot of difficulties when the federal facility starts obstructing their investigation. However, as Teddy gets close to the truth of the investigation, a shocking truth reveals that forces Teddy to confront his past.

4. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013):

This biographical black comedy-drama movie is an adaptation of Jordon Belfort’s memoir of the same name. The movie tells the story of a former stockbroker Jordon Belfort during the late 1980s and 1990s. The Wolf of Wall Street stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie as the lead actors. This movie is the fifth collaboration of Martin Scorsese with Leonardo DiCaprio. The movie mainly focuses on Jordon Belfort’s career as a stockbroker in New York City and how his firm’s rampant corruption led to his downfall.

The movie starts with Jordon Belfort taking an entry-level job at a Wall Street brokerage firm in 1987. While he was still in his twenties during the early 1990s, Jordon founds his own firm, Stratton Oakmont. He runs his firm with the help of his partner and friend Donnie Azoff and makes a huge fortune by defrauding millions out of wealthy investors. However, while Jordon and his companions engage in drugs, sex, and thrills, the FBI starts keeping track of his firm.

3. Taxi Driver (1976):

Paul Schrader wrote the script for this psychological thriller movie. Taxi Driver is a critical and commercial success as it not only earned profit at the box office but was nominated for Oscar in four categories. The movie tells the story of a morally bankrupt New York City after the Vietnam War. Taxi Driver generated controversy during its release for its depiction of a 112-year-old as a prostitute. The movie follows the life of a lonely taxi driver Travis Bickle who descends into insanity and plots to assassinate both the presidential candidate and a man who controls underage prostitutes and arranges clients for them.

Travis, a 26-year-old Vietnam War veteran who lives in isolation in New York City. He has chronic insomnia, and he takes a job as a night shift taxi driver to cope up with his illness. As the decaying city haunts him, Travis decides to clean up this filthy city. When he meets Betsy, a campaign worker, he becomes obsessed with his dream of saving the world. However, he goes down the wrong path when he decides to assassinate two people, which further worsens his insanity.

2. The Departed (2006):

This is one of the most appreciated Martin Scorsese movies. This crime thriller drama is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong movie “Internal Affairs”. Martin Scorsese won an Oscar for Best Achievement in Directing for this movie. Apart from this, the movie also won Oscars in three other categories. Martin Scorsese also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Director for this movie. The movie was a huge box office success, and it also received critical acclaim worldwide. The Departed stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Billy Costigan Jr., Jack Nicholson as Frank Costello, and Matt Damon as Colin Sullivan as the main cast.

The movie follows the story of Billy Costigan, a young South Boston cop, as he goes undercover to infiltrate the organization of Frank Costello, a gangland chief. However, as Billy is working to gain the trust of the mobsters, Colin Sullivan, a criminal, infiltrates the police department. Now Colin is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit. Slowly, the organization and the police department begin to realize that there is a mole among them. As the two men continue with their double lives, they must figure out a way to save their own lives before their real identities come to light.

1. Goodfellas (1990):

Goodfellas is an adaptation of Nicholas Pileggi’s non-fiction novel “Wiseguy: Life in a Mafiaa Family”. Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese wrote the screenplay for the movie. The movie stars Robert De Niro as Jimmy Conway, Ray Liotta as Henry Hill, Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito, and Lorraine Bracco as Karen Hill, as the main cast. Joe Pesci received an Oscar for his supporting role in the movie. The movie was nominated for five categories in Oscar, including the Best Director category. Martin Scorsese was awarded the Silver Lion for Best Director when the movie premiered at the 47th Venice International Film Festival.

Goodfellas shows the rise and fall of mob associate Henry Hill, his friends, a family from the years 1955 to 1980. The movie initially starts with a young Henry Hill in 1955 when he was living in an Italian-American neighborhood in Brooklyn. He gets involved in the criminal life and Mafia presence in his neighborhood. Henry begins working as a small-time mafia and gradually works his way up to more serious crimes.

He joins up with Paul Cicero and James Conway, as the three starts living a luxurious life. Henry falls in love with Karen Friedman and marries her during the 1960s. Although her parents opposed their marriage, Karen still married him to lead a glamorous lifestyle. As Henry was living a criminal life, his drug addiction, and a few mistakes eventually lead to his downfall.

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