Robert De Niro is often considered one of the greatest actors of all time. He quickly became a household name and arguably America's favorite gangster. De Niro is most recognizably known for his frequent collaborations with Martin Scorsese but has also made a name for himself in family-style comedies. He gained notice for his role in a baseball film called Bang the Drum Slowly, but it wasn’t until he teamed up with Scorsese, who focused on showing De Niro’s versatile acting abilities, that his career really took off.

His acting range knows no bounds, as he can go from lovable grandpa to jaw-breaking mafia member effortlessly. Astonishingly, De Niro has only two Academy Awards to his name, but his legacy surpasses any award he could ever have. He recently wowed audiences with his role in Killers of the Flower Moon, another collaboration between him and Martin Scorsese, which is already generating Oscar buzz. These are Robert De Niro’s best films, ranked.

Update November 15, 2023: In honor of the release of Killers of the Flower Moon, this article has been updated with even more great performances by Robert DeNiro.

20 The Mission (1986)

Regarded by the Vatican as one of the most significant religious films of all time, The Mission is a story written by Robert Bolt and directed by Roland Joffé. It's the story of a Jesuit priest entering the Guarani Lands in South America to convert the natives to Christianity. The Father succeeds where the previous priest failed after being assisted by a former slave trader seeking redemption. Robert De Niro takes on the role of Rodrigo Mendoza, the man who turns his life around after making a living as a slave trader.

What Makes It Great

The Mission was considered a box-office disappointment upon release. Still, it was critically praised and received multiple accolades in the film festival circle, winning the Palme d'Or at the 39th Cannes Film Festival and receiving seven nominations at the Academy Awards. De Niro stands out, playing a role where he gets to be brash and abrasive, but slowly warms to the locals and helps Father Gabriel build his mission and defend it when the Portuguese government comes to seize the locals for slave labor.

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19 Midnight Run (1988)

While Robert De Niro had already tested his comedic timing with The King of Comedy in 1983, not many people knew exactly what he could do in a more standard setting. Midnight Run gave him a chance to move out of his comfort zone. The story, written by George Gallo and directed by Martin Brest, pairs De Niro with Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, Joe Pantoliano, and Denis Fariña. In the film, we follow Jack Walsh, a no-nonsense bounty hunter tasked by his handler to locate a mob accountant, Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas, and bring him to Los Angeles.

What Makes It Great

No one was expecting De Niro to do well in a buddy cop setting. However, the actor nails every line flawlessly. The hardened Walsh thinks this task will be easy, only to realize that getting to his destination with his prisoner is going to be more challenging than he thought. He has the FBI and other mobsters on his tail, eager to get their hands on The Duke, and they won't stop at anything to get their prey. The film proved to be incredibly popular, spanning three more sequels, but De Niro and Grodin knew better and left the original as it is.

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18 Angel Heart (1987)

Angel Heart is a movie written and directed by Alan Parker, based on the novel Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg — the movie teams up De Niro with a hunk of the era, Mickey Rourke. When the mysterious and seemingly wealthy Louis Cypher hires private eye Harry Angel to hunt and find missing singer Johnny Favorite in New Orleans, he soon finds himself entangled in a web of conspiracy and murder that leads to the revealing of Angel's true origins.

What Makes It Great

Playing the devil is sort of a rite of passage for every character actor in Hollywood. De Niro was already 43 when he played the mysterious Louis Cypher in this psychological thriller. While his performance is classier and less flashy than the one made by his pal Al Pacino in The Devil's Advocate, it ramps the creepiness factor up to eleven.

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17 The Fan (1996)

The Fan is a movie based on a novel of the same name written by Peter Abrahams. The late Tony Scott masterfully directed the screenplay by Phoef Sutton. In this film, we follow the life of Gil Renard, a troubled knife salesman with a chip on his shoulder the size of Montana and a lot of love for the San Francisco Giants. The casting rounds up an all-star lineup with folks like Wesley Snipes, John Leguizamo, and Benicio del Toro starring alongside De Niro.

What Makes It Great

Sports fans can be some of the most intense groups out there. Renard's uncaring disposition toward anything besides his team has driven away his wife and alienated his child. When the team signs a new prospect named Bobby Rayburn, Gil develops an unhealthy obsession with the player and resorts to murder each time the player faces an obstacle. When his performance is affected by Renard's actions, he has to pull a miracle in a game if he wants to keep his family safe.

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16 A Bronx Tale (1993)

A splendid addition to Robert De Niro's illustrious list of works, A Bronx Tale marks the actor's initial foray into direction. This movie, set in the 1960s, introduces us to the adolescent struggles of Calogero, an Italian-American boy wrestling with the glamour of the mob and the principles of his diligent, ethical father, Lorenzo, depicted by De Niro himself. In A Bronx Tale, De Niro's double duty as director and actor showcases his adaptability. His interpretation of Lorenzo is subtly layered and sincerely expressed, exposing the inner turmoil of a father striving to safeguard his child from the neighborhood's brutal truths, all while navigating his own ethical dilemmas.

What Makes It Great

Upon hitting the screens, A Bronx Tale received critical acclaim for its touching narrative and top-tier performances. De Niro's directorial inauguration was celebrated as a triumph, effectively portraying the era's societal intricacies. Pivotal to the film is its candid presentation of racial discord, organized crime, and the daily challenges of 1960s working-class families. A Bronx Tale has become a '90s cult classic, garnering respect for its engaging story, solid acting, and the deep messages it conveys. De Niro's disciplined yet impactful performance as Lorenzo, coupled with his commendable directorial prowess, underscores his standing as a legend of American cinema.

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15 Cape Fear (1991)

Chillingly brought to life in Cape Fear is Robert De Niro's portrayal of Max Cady, a seasoned criminal set on taking revenge on his former lawyer, Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte). This psychological drama, crafted by Martin Scorsese, reimagines the 1962 film bearing the same name and maintains a sustained aura of dread and unease. De Niro's enactment of Max Cady stands out as one of his most unforgettable performances as he fully immerses himself in the character, embodying a psychopath with disturbing authenticity.

What Makes It Great

Before Christian Bale, we had De Niro undergoing extreme physical transformation for each film. De Niro's menacing presence is augmented by his deliberate mannerisms, fashion, and a fearsome adversary, underlining his ability to probe and showcase the darkest aspects of human nature. Cape Fear proved to be a box office hit, amassing over $182 million globally. This film occupies a unique spot in De Niro's career, demonstrating his exceptional talent for tackling diverse roles and genres. The movie has left a lasting impression on the thriller genre and remains a source of inspiration for contemporary filmmakers with its exploration of suspense, vengeance, and moral intricacies.

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14 Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Once Upon a Time in America emerges as an epic crime saga orchestrated by director Sergio Leone. Four decades encapsulate the film's span, illustrating the trajectory of Jewish gangsters in New York City, their ascendance to dominance, and the intricate ties binding them. Predominantly focused on the personas of Noodles (Robert De Niro) and Max (James Woods), the plot extends an exuberant depiction of aspiration, treachery, and forgiveness, all woven into the social fabric of 19th-century America.

What Makes It Great

De Niro's restrained and delicate performance lends genuine seriousness to the film, facilitating a deeply engrossing evolution of his character over the years. Despite the moral ambivalence in his actions, audiences develop an empathetic understanding of his character due to De Niro's fine performance. With its elaborate narrative and resonating themes of camaraderie and fidelity, Once Upon a Time in America has an enduring allure and is a cinematic masterpiece. However, it's De Niro's performance that continues to etch itself in the audience's collective memory, serving as a testament to his exceptional adaptability and versatility as an actor.

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13 The Untouchables (1987)

Brian De Palma couldn’t ask for a better Al Capone in The Untouchables; Robert De Niro plays the legendary mobster as someone who feels like he’s the smarter man in every room he enters and has disdain for everyone else. He’s pure evil, someone for whom the end justifies the means every time. He’s ruthless, corrupt, dangerous, and frightening.

What Makes It Great

While De Niro is famous for playing characters with ambivalent morality, here, he's the perfect villain for Elliot Ness and his men to fight in one of the best mobster movies ever made. De Palma uses De Niro similarly to the shark in Jaws; he doesn’t appear much in the movie, but every time he does, he’s memorable — like when he beats one of his own men with a bat and a whole ballroom in attendance.

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12 The King of Comedy (1983)

“Better to be a king for a night than a schmuck for a lifetime.” That’s the mantra of De Niro’s character, Rupert Pupkin, in The King of Comedy. A movie where De Niro plays a pathetic, fringe lunatic who thinks he deserves to be a star for a day. That’s why he kidnaps his idol, late night’s best Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis), and will not let him go until he gets his time in the spotlight.

What Makes It Great

Although he’s full of insecurities, a creepy, delusional character with dreams of grandeur, De Niro still makes you feel for him, creating an anti-hero before those were a thing. The King of Comedy shows the darker side of the American dream and celebrity, something that has increased since, making this movie still relevant four decades later. If the plot of this film seems eerie familiar, it's because it's one of the many Martin Scorsese movies that inspired Todd Phillip's 2019's Joker.

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11 The Deer Hunter (1978)

The Deer Hunter is the best film of Michael Cimino’s career, with an incredible script and heartbreaking performances. The cast is stacked: De Niro, Meryl Streep, John Cazale, and Christopher Walken. But it’s De Niro’s character, Mike, who holds the movie with his portrayal of grief and how the horrors of war have changed him forever. The story chronicles the lives of a group of friends who are drafted to Vietnam, the things they do before going to war, and how life took each of them on different paths.

What Makes It Great

Although Mike is an internal character, De Niro gives an overwhelmingly emotional and rich performance. In every look, every silence, and every half word, you see the actor conveying how broken and hurt the character still is for everything he's seen, lived, and felt during the war. He still struggles to hold on to his own humanity after seeing firsthand what men do to other men in times of war. It's this desperation that leads him to try to save the life of his friend Nick, who never really went back home and has been chasing death after escaping it.

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10 Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

​​​David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook served up a big cast list in the film adaptation of Matthew Quick's best-selling novel. Robert De Niro takes on the role of Pat Sr., and although it may be one of his most toned-down roles to date, his delivery is impeccable. In the novel, Pat Sr. is the plot device used to justify Pat's mental illness and lack of control over his life.

What Makes It Great

In the film adaptation, De Niro transforms the character into a family man struggling with the loss of his pension while trying to welcome his son home after a stint in a psychiatric hospital. Russell mobilizes De Niro's ability to be tough but lovable through his quick comedic delivery. At the heart of Silver Linings Playbook is a story about family and adapting to life as it never was. De Niro encompasses this theme by making Pat Sr. a distant father but also the heart of the movie at the same time — someone who is relatable to so many but also cares deeply for his son.

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9 Mean Streets (1973)

Mean Streets, one of Scorsese's lighter mafia films, features De Niro in a different light. His character, Johnny Boy, is a schmuck driven by his vices. He owes money to everyone and can't keep out of trouble, constantly relying on his pal Charlie to keep him on his toes. De Niro plays Johnny Boy as a weasel with charm who loves to talk his way in and out of any situation, but he's more than happy to resort to violence when necessary.

What Makes It Great

De Niro delivers Johnny Boy in a nuanced way throughout the story. Unlike his other gangster-like roles, De Niro's Johnny Boy is a loser who can't read the room, and he's not exactly aware of the many enemies he makes for behaving the way he does. As with most villains De Niro plays, Johnny Boy gets his due even though he barely manages to escape death within an inch of his life.

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8 Casino (1995)

Based on a true story, Martin Scorsese's Casino doesn't ask much of its viewers in terms of character breakdown. Everyone is exactly as they claim to be. Except for Ginger, played by Sharon Stone. Stone and De Niro create the believable dynamic of a married couple, which is purely for show. Ace longs to keep his wife and keep her happy. Ginger, on the other hand, appreciates him for his money, and that alone.

What Makes It Great

Casino packs a big punch on the violence. De Niro plays Ace Rothstein, a man hired by the mafia to run a casino on the Vegas strip. Ace and his lifelong friend Nicky build the casino into a success until pressures run high and the trouble begins. Although the violent moments in the film are incredible, the marriage between Ace and Ginger is a sight to behold and one of the most interesting parts of the film because the audience gets to see De Niro interact in a relationship setting.

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7 The Irishman (2019)

In 2019, three of the greatest actors met on screen for yet another Scorsese masterpiece. Robert De Niro plays the role of Frank Sheeran, a mob hitman and retired truck driver. The Irishman has been regarded by the actor as "unfinished business" with his longtime friend Martin Scorsese. Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and De Niro played real historical figures in a fictional setup based on the biography of Frank Sheeran. The film recounts the events that transpired from 1950 through 1975, as the Mob got hold of the finances of many unions.

What Makes It Great

This is likely the last mafia film we'll ever get from Scorsese and De Niro. The actor pushed to get this story made for about twelve years, even bringing his old friend Joe Pesci out of retirement for one final round. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he stated, "It's a terrific book […] I read it, and I said, 'Marty, you should read this book because I think maybe this is what we should try. We started this whole process in 2007, so it's been a long time coming."

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6 Heat (1995)

In 1995, Robert De Niro took a break from organized mafia crime and played the leader of a team of professional thieves in Heat. Similar to other roles, De Niro plays a hardened criminal playing a game of cat and mouse against Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), one of the smartest detectives in the organized crime division of LAPD. The film was billed as the event of the year since these two giants had never played opposite roles until this film was released.

What Makes It Great

Although he still plays a criminal, De Niro is able to elevate the role by giving his character some nuances. He's very much capable of love, but he lives by a strong code to keep his freedom. The line "Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner" is a classic and something he makes good on when he leaves Eady behind.

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5 Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Evidently, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese have no intentions of slowing down. Here, the director finally managed to get his two more frequent collaborators in a single story. Starring alongside Leonardo Di Caprio, Killers of the Flower Moon is based on the book of the same name written by David Grann, with a screenplay written by Scorsese himself with the help of Eric Roth.

What Makes It Great

De Niro takes on the role of William King Hale, an antagonist disguised as a benevolent benefactor to the Osage tribe. In 1918, this Native American group had become incredibly wealthy thanks to large oil deposits in their lands. King learned to speak their dialect to deal with the tribe as they required a "white guarding" to manage their dealings. De Niro offers an outstanding performance as the unrelenting Hale, who'll stop at nothing to get all Osage's wealth.

4 The Godfather: Part II (1974)

Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather series easily will go down as one of the greatest cinematic masterpieces of all time. De Niro tested for the role of Sonny in the first film but turned it down, choosing to make The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight instead. Francis Ford Coppola didn't forget, though, as he called back De Niro to replace Marlon Brandon two years later in one of the best sequels of all time, The Godfather: Part II, as the young Vito Corleone.

What Makes It Great

Filling the shoes of Marlon Brando is no easy task, but De Niro does it so effortlessly. His mannerisms, his dialect, and even his facial expressions all paint a vivid picture and present a prequel to whom the audience meets in the first film. His role as Vito Corleone was not only a huge success for The Godfather franchise but also put De Niro on the map for true Hollywood success.

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3 Goodfellas (1990)

Jimmy Conway is hands down one of the most heartless characters ever written, and there is nobody better than De Niro to bring this kind of man to life. Another Scorsese film based on a true story, Goodfellas is tied with The Godfather when it comes to most notable mafia movies. Although the plot mainly revolves around Henry Hill, portrayed by Ray Liotta, De Niro is one of the most memorable parts of this movie.

What Makes It Great

Jimmy Conway doesn't like loose ends, and he doesn't like to be double-crossed. He keeps his friends close and his inner circle even closer. De Niro delivers believable vanity, anger, and a manipulative attitude, easily making Jimmy Conway one of his best performances to date. The guy who is as loyal as they come will also kill you without a second thought if he feels you crossed a line he warned you about.

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2 Taxi Driver (1976)

1976's Taxi Driver is more than just a crime drama. It's a commentary on Vietnam War veterans and their mental health upon return. De Niro plays Travis Bickle, a recently returned veteran whose urge to commit violence increases as the film goes on. Seemingly sweet at first, Travis struggles to make a life for himself in New York City as a taxi driver, while his disposition becomes increasingly worse. Constantly exposed to the sleazy vampires that ride the cabs at night, Travis develops a savior complex and feels that he needs to clean the streets that he deems filthy.

What Makes It Great

There are a lot of actors who practice method acting to get into a role, but De Niro took it to a new level. He obtained a license as a taxi driver to prepare for the role of Travis. He even coined one of the most quotable lines of all time in the famously improvised, "You talkin' to me?" scene. In an interview with TODAY, Martin Scorsese commented on the scene. "He kept saying, ‘You talkin’ to me?’ He just kept repeating it, kept repeating it … and the [assistant director] was banging on the door saying, ‘Come on, we got to get out of here.’ And I said, ‘No, this is good, this is good. Give me another minute.’ It was like a jazz riff. Just like a solo.”

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1 Raging Bull (1980)

Raging Bull came out in 1980, but was shot entirely in black and white. Scorsese made this choice because he thought that the film would have a better chance at the awards, and he was completely right. De Niro earned an Oscar for his role as Jake LaMotta, a middleweight boxer whose anger and inability to express his emotions eventually cost him everything that he ever worked for.

What Makes It the Best

De Niro transforms both mentally and physically to portray LaMotta. Physical beatdowns, domestic violence, and self-loathing are only a few of the themes that Raging Bull serves its viewers. Only a legend like Robert De Niro could channel an energy this strong to carry such a phenomenal performance. The film took an emotional toll on everyone involved as De Niro asked for a three-month break to gain weight for the older, fatter version of LaMota, something Joe Pesci remembers being a gruesome, excruciating process since his friend looked miserable when shooting restarted.

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