Ranking Martin Scorsese’s Top 5 Films

In the world of cinema, Martin Scorsese has made countless iconic movies that keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Here are the top five films the director has made so far!

*For this article all IMDb ratings have been multiplied by ten for all cumulative scores*

5. The Departed (2006)

The Departed stars several well known actors, including Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, and Leonardo DiCaprio. The premise of the film is there is an undercover cop who infiltrates an Irish gang, while a cop who pretends to be loyal to the police force is secretly with the same gang. The film is thrilling, and the talented cast, clever writing, and brilliant directing from Martin Scorsese come together to deliver a phenomenal end product. The Departed received a cumulative critic score of 261. 

Rotten Tomatoes 91%/ IMDb 8.5/ Metacritic 85%

4. Raging Bull (1980)

Next up on the list is Raging Bull, which was released over 40 years ago, and starred Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta, a boxer whose aggression and temper leads to an extremely successful career in the ring, but slowly destroys his life on the outside. Robert De Niro delivers a spectacular performance that is sure to keep you entertained for the film’s entire duration. Martin Scorsese’s directing and Robert De Niro’s acting always lead to a great cinematic experience, and Raging Bull is a great example, scoring a 263 cumulative rating.

Rotten Tomatoes 92%/ IMDb 8.1/ Metacritic 90%

3. Taxi Driver (1976)

In third place is another film directed by Martin Scorsese, and which starred Robert De Niro, and that is Taxi Driver. Released nearly 50 years ago, Taxi Driver follows the story of a disturbed individual, Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), on his downward slope of drifting further from reality night after night as a New York City cab driver. The film is dark, dives deep into the human mind, and the moral rights and wrongs that people may have, and how some act on them. Taxi Driver is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, and questioning what will happen next. It received a 265 cumulative score.

Rotten Tomatoes 89%/ IMDb 8.2/ Metacritic 94%

2. The Irishman (2019)

In second place is one of Martin Scorsese’s newer films, The Irishman, once again starring Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran. Alongside Robert De Niro is Joe Pesci as Russell Bufalino, and Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa. The Irishman is based on true events, and runs nearly three and a half hours, making it one of Martin Scorsese’s longer films. The events of Frank Sheeran’s life are told throughout this film, and his ties to different crime families and certain individuals in that life. It received a cumulative score of 267 from critics. 

Rotten Tomatoes 95%/ IMDb 7.8/ Metacritic 94%

1.Goodfellas (1990)

Taking the number one spot as Martin Scorsese’s highest rated films, is of course Goodfellas, a film that is a staple when it comes to mafia and crime movies alike. Starring Ray Liotta as Henry Hill, Goodfellas depicts real life events of his involvement within the mafia, as well as his relationships with others and how his decisions affect them. Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci also help deliver an entertaining and serious cinematic experience, and when all of it comes together backed by Martin Scorsese’s directing, it leaves us with a film regarded as one of the all time greats. Goodfellas takes the top spot with a cumulative 274 critic score.

Rotten Tomatoes 95%/ IMDb 8.7/ Metacritic 92%