Hot topics close

All Robert De Niro Movies Ranked

All Robert De Niro Movies Ranked
Discover the legendary actor's best films, including Taxi Driver, The Godfather Part II, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Joker, and more!

(Photo by Netflix/courtesy Everett Collection)

Robert De Niro began his seven-decade career in movies with a starring role in the Vietnam War-era comedy/drama Greetings. The 1968 film would be his opening joint effort with Brian De Palma (they followed up with The Wedding Party, dark satire Hi, Mom!, and gangland epic The Untouchables), and would be the first of many fruitful actor/director partnerships that would come to define De Niro’s image.

Martin Scorsese is the most obvious director he’s worked with in this way: Their legendary collaborative run began with 1973’s Mean Streets, continuing into Taxi Driver, New York, New York, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, Casino, and The Irishman. De Niro’s performances in Taxi Driver and Raging Bull especially changed the acting game, executing a method-style of performance wherein the actor not only mentally inhabits their character, but transforms their physical shape entirely. De Niro won the Best Actor Oscar for becoming boxer Jake ‘The Raging Bull’ LaMotta in 1981, topping his Best Supporting Actor win in 1975 for The Godfather: Part II as young Vito Corleone, and nominations in ’77 and ’79 for Taxi Driver and The Deer Hunter, respectively.

Just as he did in the ’70s, De Niro appeared in some of the best movies of the decades that subsequently followed. In the ’80s, he worked with Terry Gilliam for Brazil and Sergio Leone for Once Upon a Time in America, and delivered enduring action-comedy Midnight Run. Inside the ’90s, aside from the aforementioned Scorsese collaborations, De Niro starred in Michael Mann’s Heat and Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown. Wag the Dog might belong on someone’s best-of-’90s list if you asked around a bit, but Barry Levinson is another director De Niro has frequently worked with; outside of Dog, they also put together What Just Happened?, Sleepers, and The Wizard of Lies.

Towards the end of the ’90s, De Niro began to satirize his on-screen tough-guy persona, returning to the comedy mode of his early career with films like 1999’s Analyze This, 2000’s Meet the Parents, and 2007’s Stardust. He would be nominated again for an Oscar for his role in 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook, kicking off another director partnership with David O. Russell. They would continue with the decidedly Scorsese-like American Hustle, Joy, and an upcoming historical drama. Another recent Scorsese-esque movie, Joker, echoed the bleak media dystopia presented in The King of Comedy and grossed $1 billion worldwide. But why settle: After starring in and being nominated for Best Picture as a producer on The Irishman, he’s back with Scorsese for the upcoming Killers of the Flower Moon.

Now, we’re ranking all Robert De Niro movies by Tomatometer!

#92

Adjusted Score: 3.707%

Critics Consensus: Despite an all-star cast and some impressive visuals, The Bridge of San Luis Rey is a lifeless, slow-going adaptation of Thornton Wilder's classic novel.

Synopsis: Thornton Wilder's award-winning novel is given a lavish screen adaptation in this historical drama from writer and director Mary McGuckian.... [More]

#91

Adjusted Score: 7.685%

Critics Consensus: A murky thriller with few chills, Godsend features ludicrous dialogue, by-the-numbers plotting, and an excess of cheap shocks.

Synopsis: Paul and Jessie Duncan have lost their beloved eight year-old son Adam in a tragic accident. As they are arranging... [More]

#90

Adjusted Score: 10.842%

Critics Consensus: The Big Wedding's all-star cast is stranded in a contrived, strained plot that features broad stabs at humor but few laughs.

Synopsis: With an all-star cast led by Robert De Niro, Katherine Heigl, Diane Keaton, Amanda Seyfried, Topher Grace, with Susan Sarandon... [More]

#89

Adjusted Score: 11.087%

Critics Consensus: Shallow, sappy, and dull, New Year's Eve assembles a star-studded cast for no discernible purpose.

Synopsis: New Year's Eve celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts, in the intertwining stories told amidst the pulse... [More]

#88

Adjusted Score: 13.233%

Critics Consensus: As star-studded as it is heartbreakingly lazy, Little Fockers takes the top-grossing trilogy to embarrassing new lows.

Synopsis: A birthday party for the twins gives Greg an opportunity to redeem himself after he takes a job that raises... [More]

#87

Adjusted Score: 8.647%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Deep in the Appalachian Mountains, a reclusive American military veteran (Robert De Niro) and a European tourist (John Travolta) strike... [More]

#86

Adjusted Score: 12.023%

Critics Consensus: Busy with attitude and light on intrigue, The Bag Man is a mystery box with nothing surprising inside.

Synopsis: THE BAG MAN is a taut crime thriller that follows the story of JACK (John Cusack), a tough guy with... [More]

#85

Adjusted Score: 15.885%

Critics Consensus: Like a Werther's Original dropped down a sewer drain, Dirty Grandpa represents the careless fumbling of a classic talent that once brought pleasure to millions.

Synopsis: Jason Kelly [Zac Efron] is one week away from marrying his boss's uber-controlling daughter, putting him on the fast track... [More]

#84

Adjusted Score: 18.102%

Critics Consensus: Robert De Niro and especially Dakota Fanning have earned some praise for their work in Hide and Seek, but critics have called the rest of the film derivative, illogical and somewhat silly.

Synopsis: "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" That command is familiar to everyone who has played the children's game, Hide... [More]

#83

Adjusted Score: 13.87%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Shelley Winters, who once played the spoofish "Ma Parker" on Batman, brings the same larger-than-life approach to her portrayal of... [More]

#82

Adjusted Score: 23.282%

Critics Consensus: Al Pacino and Robert De Niro do their best to elevate this dowdy genre exercise, but even these two greats can't resuscitate the film's hackneyed script.

Synopsis: After 30 years as partners in the pressure cooker environment of the NYPD, highly decorated detectives David Fisk and Thomas... [More]

#81

Adjusted Score: 28.186%

Critics Consensus: The Comedian boasts an incredibly talented cast, but they're put to poor use in an aimless rom-com whose handful of memorable moments never add up to a compelling story.

Synopsis: An aging comic icon, Jackie (Robert De Niro) has seen better days.  Despite his efforts to reinvent himself and his... [More]

#80

Adjusted Score: 28.116%

Critics Consensus: Showtime starts out as a promising satire of the buddy cop genre. Unfortunately, it ends up becoming the type of movies it is satirizing.

Synopsis: Robert DeNiro continues to lampoon his tough-guy persona with this spoof of buddy cop movies that teams him with comic... [More]

#79

Adjusted Score: 31.053%

Critics Consensus: The one joke premise is stretched a bit thin in this messy sequel, but a few laughs can be had here and there.

Synopsis: Everyone's favorite neurotic mafia boss (with the possible exception of Tony Soprano) is out of prison and back on the... [More]

#78

Adjusted Score: 31.55%

Critics Consensus: A rote, utterly disposable Jason Statham vehicle that just happens to have Clive Owen and Robert De Niro in it.

Synopsis: A match-up made in tough-guy heaven -- Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro star in Killer Elite. Based... [More]

#77

Adjusted Score: 33.01%

Critics Consensus: Luc Besson's The Family suffers from an overly familiar setup and a number of jarring tonal shifts.

Synopsis: In the off-beat action comedy "The Family," a mafia boss and his family are relocated to a sleepy town in... [More]

#76

Adjusted Score: 29.18%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: When their attempt to rob a casino owned by the feared gangster Pope (Robert De Niro) goes awry and a... [More]

#75

Adjusted Score: 33.552%

Critics Consensus: Fitfully funny but mostly misguided, The War with Grandpa will leave audiences with a handful of chuckles -- and a lot of questions about what this talented cast was thinking.

Synopsis: Sixth-grader Peter (Oakes Fegley) is pretty much your average kid-he likes gaming, hanging with his friends and his beloved pair... [More]

#74

Adjusted Score: 32.935%

Critics Consensus: Wasting the talents of an impressive cast on a predictable mystery, Red Lights lacks the clairvoyance to know what audiences want.

Synopsis: Veteran paranormal researchers Dr. Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) debunk fraudulent claims of ghost whispering, faith... [More]

#73

Adjusted Score: 36.226%

Critics Consensus: Grudge Match is sporadically funny but meandering, and its strong cast largely mired in a plot that's overrun with clichés.

Synopsis: Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone star as old boxing rivals who come out of retirement for one final match.... [More]

#72

Adjusted Score: 35.826%

Critics Consensus: As critical as it is about sensationalism in the media, 15 Minutes itself indulges in lurid violence, and its satire is too heavy-handed to be effective.

Synopsis: An action drama centering on the media circus, 15 Minutes focuses on a New York homicide detective named Eddie Flemming... [More]

#71

Adjusted Score: 33.233%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: This bittersweet romance follows the relationship between a middle-aged couple whose meet when the recently widowed and still-grieving woman (Jane... [More]

#70

Adjusted Score: 27.482%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Two film executives discover that they owe a large sum to their former financiers, the mob. Using the ailing star... [More]

#69

Adjusted Score: 41.069%

Critics Consensus: Derivative and full of pop culture in-jokes.

Synopsis: Oscar is a fast-talking little fish that dreams big. But his big dreams land him in hot water when a... [More]

#68

Adjusted Score: 38.011%

Critics Consensus: Tony Scott's visceral flash proves to be an ill fit for The Fan, a queasy tale of obsession that succeeds at making audiences uncomfortable, but strikes out when it comes to delivering the thrills.

Synopsis: Gil is an obsessed baseball fanatic whose favorite player is Bobby Rayburn. When Bobby signs a contract with the San... [More]

#67

Adjusted Score: 38.247%

Critics Consensus: Great Expectations is all surface tension: beautiful people shot in beautiful locations without any depth or emotion.

Synopsis: Alfonso Cuaron (The Little Princess) directed this Mitch Glazer screenplay, a modernization of the 1860-61 classic by Charles Dickens. Some... [More]

#66

Adjusted Score: 42.439%

Critics Consensus: Talented cast is wasted as the movie is content with recycling jokes from its predecessor, Meet the Parents.

Synopsis: Now that Greg Focker is "in" with his soon-to-be in-laws, Jack and Dina Byrnes, it looks like smooth sailing for... [More]

#65

Adjusted Score: 40.44%

Critics Consensus: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is ambitious and visually striking, but the overwrought tone and lack of scares make for a tonally inconsistent experience.

Synopsis: This version of the classic horror tale closely follows Shelley's book. The story begins in the Arctic Sea as the... [More]

#64

Adjusted Score: 45.406%

Critics Consensus: De Niro and Goodings Jr. manage to turn in performances that make this by-the-numbers inspirational movie watchable.

Synopsis: This military drama is based on the true story of Carl Brashear, who was the first African-American to serve as... [More]

#63

Adjusted Score: 44.564%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Based on an unfinished novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald adapted by the notable playwright Harold Pinter and brought to the... [More]

#62

Adjusted Score: 46.198%

Critics Consensus: Though the film stays true to the nature of the original cartoon, the script is disappointing and not funny.

Synopsis: The pride of Frostbite Falls and Whatsamatta U's most famous alumni find their way onto the big screen (and the... [More]

#61

Adjusted Score: 48.691%

Critics Consensus: Hands of Stone's strong cast and fascinating real-life story aren't enough to compensate for a crowded narrative and formulaic script.

Synopsis: HANDS OF STONE follows the life of Roberto Duran (Edgar Ramirez), the Panamanian fighter who made his professional debut in... [More]

#60

Adjusted Score: 51.356%

Critics Consensus: The cast of Last Vegas keep things amiably watchable, but the film is mostly a mellower Hangover retread for the older set.

Synopsis: The ensemble comedy follows four old friends who decide to throw a Las Vegas bachelor party for the only one... [More]

#59

Adjusted Score: 47.708%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In this comedy, escaped prisoners Ned (Robert DeNiro) and Jim (Sean Penn) take refuge in a monastery where they pose... [More]

#58

Adjusted Score: 52.273%

Critics Consensus: A calm, charismatic performance from Robert De Niro nearly saves the movie, but ultimately, Everybody's Fine has the look and feel of a stereotypical Christmas dramedy.

Synopsis: A widower who realized his only connection to his family was through his wife sets off on an impromptu road... [More]

#57

Adjusted Score: 51.852%

Critics Consensus: Even though the movie is well acted, it sinks under an abundance of melodrama and cliches.

Synopsis: A man struggling to come to terms with the sins of his father makes the terrible discovery that his own... [More]

#56

Adjusted Score: 52.535%

Critics Consensus: Stone boasts a cast that includes Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, and Milla Jovovich, and it features strong dialogue, but it's ultimately undone by its heavy-handed symbolism and overabundant plot twists.

Synopsis: As parole officer Jack Mabry counts the days toward a quiet retirement, he is asked to review the case of... [More]

#55

Adjusted Score: 55.069%

Critics Consensus: What Just Happened has some inspired comic moments, but this inside-baseball take on Hollywood lacks satirical bite.

Synopsis: Inspired by the personal memoirs of Hollywood producer Art Linson, Barry Levinson's fictional showbiz comedy stars Robert De Niro as... [More]

#54

Adjusted Score: 53.516%

Critics Consensus: Robert De Niro gives a sincere, gripping performance, but Being Flynn is an uneasy mix of drama and comedy that fails to emotionally resonate as a whole.

Synopsis: Writer-director Paul Weitz turns his hand to this moving portrait of fathers and sons. Based on a true story, Being... [More]

#53

Adjusted Score: 58.103%

Critics Consensus: Michael Caine's excellent performance makes Flawless something more than an average heist movie.

Synopsis: Michael Radford (Il Postino and The Merchant of Venice) directs screenwriter Edward Anderson's script about an aging janitor and an... [More]

#52

Adjusted Score: 60.716%

Critics Consensus: Though ambitious and confidently directed by Robert De Niro, The Good Shepherd is ultimately a tedious drama that holds few surprises and succumbs to self-seriousness.

Synopsis: Edward Wilson understands the value of secrecy--discretion and commitment to honor have been embedded in him since childhood. As an... [More]

#51

Adjusted Score: 57.205%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Night and the City is a remake of the 1950 Richard Widmark vehicle of the same name. Major changes: As... [More]

#50

Adjusted Score: 58.089%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Falling in Love can be described as an urban American Brief Encounter. Reteamed for the first time since The Deer... [More]

#49

Adjusted Score: 59.122%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Director Bernardo Bertolucci's epic detailing Italy's social and political progress. Burt Lancaster, Gerard Depardieu, Robert De Niro, Sterling Hayden, Donald... [More]

#48

Adjusted Score: 66.39%

Critics Consensus: The Intern doesn't do enough with its timely premise, but benefits from the unorthodox chemistry of its talented leads.

Synopsis: A retired successful business owner and widower lands an internship at a fashion website run by a young, career-driven woman.... [More]

#47

Adjusted Score: 70.509%

Critics Consensus: Joy is anchored by a strong performance from Jennifer Lawrence, although director David O. Russell's uncertain approach to its fascinating fact-based tale only sporadically sparks bursts of the titular emotion.

Synopsis: JOY is the wild story of a family across four generations centered on the girl who becomes the woman who... [More]

#46

Adjusted Score: 66.578%

Critics Consensus: Martin Scorsese's technical virtuosity and Liza Minelli's magnetic presence are on full display in New York, New York, although this ambitious musical's blend of swooning style and hard-bitten realism makes for a queasy mixture.

Synopsis: Set primarily in post-WWII New York City, Martin Scorsese's extravagant romantic musical is about a jazz saxophonist and a pop... [More]

#45

Adjusted Score: 64.259%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Post-traumatic stress syndrome provides the basis of this drama that centers on a young woman and her afflicted brother, a... [More]

#44

Adjusted Score: 65.444%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: The directorial debut of producer Irwin Winkler, Guilty by Suspicion is a sobering account of one movie executive's woes in... [More]

#43

Adjusted Score: 66.69%

Critics Consensus: The Mission is a well-meaning epic given delicate heft by its sumptuous visuals and a standout score by Ennio Morricone, but its staid presentation never stirs an emotional investment in its characters.

Synopsis: In director Roland Joffe's historical epic The Mission, Jeremy Irons stars as Gabriel, an 18th-century Jesuit priest sent to the... [More]

#42

Adjusted Score: 71.431%

Critics Consensus: Ronin earns comparisons to The French Connection with strong action, dynamic road chase scenes, and solid performances.

Synopsis: When an international team of former intelligence agents and Cold War warriors meet in a warehouse, their adventure of love,... [More]

#41

Adjusted Score: 93.938%

Critics Consensus: Joker gives its infamous central character a chillingly plausible origin story that serves as a brilliant showcase for its star -- and a dark evolution for comics-inspired cinema.

Synopsis: "Joker" centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone fictional story not seen before on the big... [More]

#40

Adjusted Score: 73.476%

Critics Consensus: Analyze This is a satisfying comedy with great performances by De Niro and Crystal.

Synopsis: Paul Vitti is one of New York's most powerful gangsters. He's grown up in the Mob life and has been... [More]

#39

Adjusted Score: 75.237%

Critics Consensus: Although its script is uneven, Neil Burger directs Limitless with plenty of visual panache, and Bradley Cooper makes for a charismatic star.

Synopsis: Aspiring author Eddie Morra (Cooper) is suffering from chronic writer's block, but his life changes instantly when an old friend... [More]

#38

Adjusted Score: 71.301%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Adapted by John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion from Dunne's novel, True Confessions uses the still-unsolved "Black Dahlia" murder as... [More]

#37

Adjusted Score: 72.531%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A pair of filmmakers find themselves in trouble when their three major financiers -- a film mogul, a shady businessman,... [More]

#36

Adjusted Score: 77.758%

Critics Consensus: Machete is messy, violent, shallow, and tasteless -- and that's precisely the point of one of the summer's most cartoonishly enjoyable films.

Synopsis: A blade-wielding ex-federale hides out as a day laborer when he is double-crossed by a corrupt senator. ... [More]

#35

Adjusted Score: 73.557%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Writer/director Brian DePalma's sequel to his 1968 counter-culture comedy "Greetings" is an even wilder attack on the insanity of bourgeois... [More]

#34

Adjusted Score: 74.365%

Critics Consensus: The Wizard of Lies doesn't really shed much new light on its fact-based story, but thanks to solid direction and a talented cast, it still proves consistently watchable.

Synopsis: Adaptation of journalist Diana B. Henriques' account of financier Bernie Madoff's orchestration of one of the largest frauds in U.S.... [More]

#33

Adjusted Score: 75.753%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Barry Levinson directed this crime drama based on a controversial bestseller. Jason Patrick stars as Lorenzo, a New York reporter... [More]

#32

Adjusted Score: 76.941%

Critics Consensus: Though the movie treads familiar ground in the heist/caper genre, Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton, and Marlon Brando make the movie worth watching.

Synopsis: Three generations of method acting giants unite for this crime thriller written by Kario Salem and directed by Frank Oz.... [More]

#31

Adjusted Score: 76.423%

Critics Consensus: Smart and stylish, Cape Fear is a gleefully mainstream shocker from Martin Scorsese, with a terrifying Robert De Niro peformance.

Synopsis: A remake of the 1962 version, this nail-biting and brutal thriller tells the story of a vengeful ex-con who sets... [More]

#30

Adjusted Score: 78.758%

Critics Consensus: It's not particularly deep, but Backdraft is a strong action movie with exceptional special effects.

Synopsis: The sons of a Chicago fireman who gave his life in the performance of his duties, firefighting brothers Kurt Russell... [More]

#29

Adjusted Score: 78.65%

Critics Consensus: Cop Land matches its star-studded cast with richly imagined characters while throttling the audience with carefully ratcheted suspense, although it lacks the moral complexity of classic crime thrillers.

Synopsis: The second film from writer/director James Mangold, the corruption drama Cop Land stars Sylvester Stallone as Freddy Heflin, the much-denigrated... [More]

#28

Adjusted Score: 78.326%

Critics Consensus: A harrowing, moving drama about a young boy, his single mother, and his abusive stepfather, This Boy's Life benefits from its terrific cast, and features a breakout performance from a young Leonardo DiCaprio.

Synopsis: This Boy's Life is a true-life coming-of-age story about '50s teenager Tobias Wolff (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his mother, Caroline (Ellen... [More]

#27

Adjusted Score: 82.483%

Critics Consensus: A faithful interpretation that captures the spirit of whimsy, action, and off-kilter humor of Neil Gaiman, Stardust juggles multiple genres and tones to create a fantastical experience.

Synopsis: The sleepy English village of Wall is so named for the cobblestone wall that has, for eons, kept the villagers... [More]

#26

Adjusted Score: 78.696%

Critics Consensus: Inspired casting and a prevailing sweetness make Mad Dog and Glory an oddball treat.

Synopsis: John McNaughton directed this Richard Price-scripted comedy about a cop who learns to love an unwanted gift from a gangster.... [More]

#25

Adjusted Score: 80.662%

Critics Consensu

Similar shots
News Archive
  • Eminem Snoop Dogg
    Eminem Snoop Dogg
    Snoop Dogg and Eminem's Bored Ape music video is here to try and sell us on tokens
    25 Jun 2022
    1
  • Bella Brave
    Bella Brave
    Sask. TikTok star Bella Brave dies after latest hospitalization
    15 Jul 2024
    6
  • Bella Hadid
    Bella Hadid
    Bella Hadid Just Blessed Our Feeds With Several Bikini Photos
    25 Oct 2021
    1
  • CDI College
    CDI College
    Some CDI College recruiters are misleading students, Marketplace investigation finds
    3 Dec 2022
    1
  • The Masked Singer
    The Masked Singer
    'The Masked Singer' unmasks Baby and the judges are shocked
    7 Oct 2021
    1
This week's most popular shots