Every Martin Scorsese Movie With Robert De Niro Ranked

About This Gallery:

For this gallery, we’re zeroing in on every project directed by Martin Scorsese that features Robert De Niro. That means we’re only counting films and short films helmed by the legendary director himself—so don’t expect Shark Tale to swim its way onto this list (yes, they were both in it… no, it doesn’t count).

What’s your favorite film from this iconic duo? Do you agree with our ranking or think we totally whiffed it? Drop your hot takes in the comments! | © Michael Kappeler / Getty Images

11. The Audition (2015)

You might be scratching your head and saying, “Wait, this was a movie?” Well… sort of. The Audition is a 16-minute meta short film made to promote luxury casinos in Macau and Manila, and yes, it stars both Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, acting as fictionalized versions of themselves vying for a Scorsese role. Brad Pitt even shows up just to twist the knife. It’s more of a slick commercial fever dream than a traditional narrative, but hey—when else are you going to see Marty, Bobby, and Leo roast each other in the same room? Call it a footnote, but it's a fascinating, high-budget one. | © Melco Resorts & Entertainment

10. New York, New York (1977)

Imagine La La Land, but with fewer musical numbers and more simmering resentment. In New York, New York, De Niro plays a jazz saxophonist whose passionate, volatile relationship with a rising singer (played by the incomparable Liza Minnelli) crashes and burns like a bad night at a smoky lounge. Scorsese tried to blend classic Hollywood musical glam with 1970s grit—and let’s just say the oil and vinegar didn’t quite mix. Still, De Niro is electric, even when his character is being a charming menace. Liza brings that Broadway shine, while the film gave us the iconic title song, later owned by Frank Sinatra. Ambitious? Yes. Successful? Sort of. Endlessly interesting? Absolutely. | © United Artists

9. Mean Streets (1973)

This is the movie where it all began—the Scorsese-De Niro bromance kicked off in Mean Streets, and cinema has never looked back. De Niro plays Johnny Boy, a loose cannon with a death wish and a gift for screwing things up, opposite Harvey Keitel’s guilt-ridden Charlie. Set in the grimy alleys of Little Italy, the film screams 1970s angst and Catholic guilt, with a Rolling Stones-fueled soundtrack and handheld chaos that feels like a cinematic punch to the gut. It’s messy, raw, and buzzing with untamed energy. Sure, De Niro’s not quite the refined performer we’d see later, but the star power is already undeniable. If this film were a mixtape, it would be all attitude and no apologies. | © Warner Bros.

8. The Irishman (2019)

Scorsese gathered the old gang—De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci—and gave us a three-and-a-half-hour meditation on aging, loyalty, and regret, wrapped in a mobster epic. De Niro plays Frank Sheeran, a hitman with a blank stare and an aching soul, recounting his life of quiet brutality. Yes, the de-aging tech is a bit uncanny valley at times (young De Niro still moves like he’s 75), but the emotional heft makes up for it. Pacino is explosive as Jimmy Hoffa, and Pesci delivers a chillingly calm performance that’s pure velvet menace. The film doesn’t glamorize the gangster life—it mourns it. It’s not your typical Scorsese ride, but it hits hard where it counts. | © Netflix

7. Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

This one’s a late-career mic drop. Killers of the Flower Moon is a sprawling, sobering crime saga about the Osage murders in 1920s Oklahoma, with De Niro playing the sinister William Hale—a snake in cowboy boots. Opposite him is Leonardo DiCaprio, as a man caught between love and complicity, while Lily Gladstone steals the show with quiet, searing strength. Scorsese ditches his usual flash and violence for a slower, more unsettling dissection of American evil, and De Niro leans into the vileness with chilling precision. It’s like watching your sweet old uncle turn out to be a mob boss—and he’s really good at it. Heavy, haunting, and utterly riveting. | © Apple Studios / Paramount Pictures

6. The King of Comedy (1982)

De Niro takes a sharp left turn from his tough-guy roles to play Rupert Pupkin, a delusional wannabe comedian with a talk show fantasy and zero social cues. His obsession with late-night host Jerry Langford, played by Jerry Lewis in a career-defining straight role, leads to a kidnapping plot that’s as uncomfortable as it is brilliant. The laughs are nervous, the tone is pitch-black, and the satire is way ahead of its time. You’ll cringe, you’ll wince, and you’ll laugh against your better judgment. Scorsese predicted the era of parasocial relationships, reality TV, and viral fame decades early—and De Niro sells it with eerie, oblivious charm. It’s the cult classic that aged into prophetic genius. | © 20th Century Fox

5. Raging Bull (1980)

This is the one where Robert De Niro famously transformed his body so drastically, doctors were probably filing paperwork. In Raging Bull, he plays real-life boxer Jake LaMotta—a man so consumed by jealousy, rage, and meatball-level machismo, even his punches seem emotionally unstable. It’s a black-and-white fever dream of toxic masculinity, obsession, and self-destruction, with De Niro giving a performance that redefined the term "method acting." Joe Pesci plays his brother in one of their earliest—and most combustible—pairings, and Cathy Moriarty is stunning as the long-suffering wife who deserves several Oscars of her own. If you're into watching a man sabotage every good thing in his life while covered in sweat and regret, this one's your masterpiece. | © United Artists

4. Cape Fear (1991)

De Niro with a southern drawl, covered in tattoos, doing pull-ups in prison while reading Nietzsche? Say hello to Max Cady, nightmare fuel in human form. Cape Fear is Scorsese dabbling in psychological horror, with De Niro playing the ultimate stalker ex-con with a vendetta against Nick Nolte’s morally murky lawyer. Juliette Lewis delivers a brilliantly uncomfortable performance as Nolte’s daughter, especially in that seduction scene that makes your skin crawl. This film is sweaty, tense, and over-the-top in all the best ways. De Niro is so menacing you start checking your locks at night. Also: a brief but welcome appearance by Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, nodding to the 1962 original. | © Universal Pictures

3. Taxi Driver (1976)

“You talkin’ to me?”—probably the most quoted line in movie history, and yet it still sends chills. In Taxi Driver, De Niro becomes Travis Bickle, a lonely cabbie whose spiral into vigilantism is both horrifying and, somehow, heartbreakingly human. This is Scorsese at his grimiest, painting New York as a cesspool of filth and fury, with Jodie Foster giving a shockingly mature performance at just 12 years old. Harvey Keitel shows up in a sleazy supporting role that will make your skin crawl. The film feels like a bad dream you can't wake up from—violence, neon, and jazz all blending into something unforgettable. It's not just a movie; it’s a descent. | © Columbia Pictures

2. Casino (1995)

Casino is Goodfellas in the desert, but instead of stealing trucks, everyone's stealing from the house—and each other. De Niro plays Sam “Ace” Rothstein, a control freak in fabulous suits who runs Vegas with precision and paranoia. Sharon Stone gives a full-throttle performance as Ginger, the glamorous grifter who can drink, seduce, and ruin lives in record time. Joe Pesci returns as Nicky Santoro, whose idea of conflict resolution involves a baseball bat and zero hesitation. It’s glitzy, vicious, and unapologetically excessive, just like Vegas itself. Come for the narration, stay for the mob meltdowns and mid-'90s fashion nightmares. | © Universal Pictures

1. Goodfellas (1990)

Of course it’s number one. Goodfellas isn’t just the best De Niro-Scorsese collaboration—it might be the best gangster movie, period. De Niro is Jimmy Conway, the smooth criminal with a sharp suit and sharper instincts, mentoring Ray Liotta’s wide-eyed Henry Hill through a life of organized crime and spontaneous violence. Lorraine Bracco is phenomenal as Henry’s increasingly frazzled wife, and Joe Pesci walks away with every scene (and an Oscar) as the terrifyingly unhinged Tommy DeVito. From the Copacabana tracking shot to the freeze-frame finale, every moment is iconic. It’s fast, funny, brutal, and endlessly rewatchable. As far back as we can remember, we always wanted this to be number one. | © Warner Bros.