It is fair to say that Martin Scorsese is among the most celebrated filmmakers of all time. From Gangs Of New York to Goodfellas to The Wolf Of Wall Street, Scorsese rarely misses. With 25 full length films to his name spanning genres like mafia films, historical dramas, and dark comedy, Scorsese has made something for almost everyone.
Looking at the size of Scorsese's filmography, there were bound to be some excellent releases that did not garner the attention, or praise, that they deserved. Given how Scorsese's latest film, Killers of The Flower Moon, is just around the corner, here are some of the greatest Martin Scorsese movies that went underappreciated.
8 Silence
Scorsese's 2016 historical drama Silence released to underwhelming reviews and low performance at the box office. Despite that, Silence is an exceptional film that delivers in every aspect. With exceptional performances by Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson, and Adam Driver, alongside Rodrigo Prieto's stunning cinematography and Scorsese's unparalleled direction, Silence is a movie every Scorsese fan should check out.
Based on Shusaku Endo's novel of the same name, Silence tackles themes like death, oppression, and betrayal. Despite not being in line with Scorsese's more famous works such as The Irishman and Goodfellas, Silence is arguably among the greatest Scorsese films of the 21st century.
7 The Last Temptation Of Christ
The Last Temptation Of Christ released to a lot of controversy back in 1988. While the passage of time of was good to it, and it is now accepted as a good film, it still remains greatly underappreciated and a film more people need to watch. Based on Nikos Kazantzakis book of the same name, The Last Temptation Of Christ features Willem Dafoe as Jesus Christ.
The Last Temptation Of Christ, despite its low budget, is a masterfully directed film that strays from the norm and tackles Jesus's duality as both a human being and the son of God. The film has a very human take on Jesus Christ, showing him resisting worldly temptations due to his divine mission. Willem Dafoe's excellent acting alongside Scorsese's direction brings the novel to life in the best way possible.
6 After Hours
Martin Scorsese's dark comedy, After Hours, is another film not many people talk about. Being as much a thriller as it is a comedy, After Hours portrays Scorsese's genius as a writer of multiple genres and themes. Garnering a box office of just $10.6 million, After Hours is easily one of Scorsese's most underappreciated movies.
After Hours features Griffin Dunne as Paul Hackett, a computer worker who, due to a series of trivial and non-trivial events, ends up having a very troublesome night. After Hours can be best described as an anxiety attack in film format, for the stakes keep increasing. The film starts with Paul Hackett going to an apartment for a date, but events such as a $20 bill spilling out of his cab window and him not having money for the ride keep progressively happening, making his night worse to the point where he just wants to go home.
5 Bringing Out The Dead
Bringing Out The Dead is another Scorsese movie that is rarely, if ever, mentioned when discussing his best works. Bringing Out The Dead is similar to Taxi Driver for it is about a man's descent into madness. The film has a stellar cast, featuring Nicolas Cage, Patricia Arquette, and John Goodman. Why it grossed only $16.8 million remains a mystery.
Bringing Out The Dead features Frank Pierce (Nicolas Cage), a paramedic. In the film, Pierce starts gets extremely depressed over the lives he is unable to save in his field of duty. He starts descending into his dark thoughts and often hallucinates and sees the people he was unable to save. Bringing Out The Dead is an excellent assessment of depression, and death. All this is made even better by Scorsese's excellent direction.
4 The Age Of Innocence
The Age Of Innocence is a historical romance drama that only the truest of Scorsese fans know of today. Featuring Daniel Day Lewis, this film is yet another example of Scorsese's dynamic writing, and is based on Edith Wharton's novel of the same name.
The Age Of Innocence brings the book to life through Scorsese's brilliant direction and the cast's exceptional acting. The movie follows Archer Newland, a wealthy 19th century lawyer. Newland marries May Welland but later falls in love with her cousin, the widow Countess Olenska. The Age Of Innocence tackles themes like societal pressure and failed marriage head-on, and is made even better due to how well it reconstructs the late 19th century.
3 The Color Of Money
The Color Of Money is a Scorsese drama featuring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise. This movie serves as a sequel to Eddie Felson's story in The Hustler. Not only is The Color Of Money a worthy sequel, but it serves as an excellent standalone movie due to excellent direction by Scorsese, beautiful cinematography and exceptional acting.
The Color Of Money tackles themes like friendship, arrogance and betrayal among others. Considering the way it handles these issues, it deserves way more than the $52.3 million it made at the box office.
2 Cape Fear
Despite doing well at launch, Cape Fear has been forgotten with the passage of time and deserves better ratings from critics. Featuring Robert De Niro, the film was bound to be a success.
Cape Fear is a revenge story. Sam Bowden, a lawyer, wrongfully convicts Max Cady for sexual assault despite having evidence that proved his innocence. Upon his release from prison 14 years later, Max Cady makes it his goal to seek revenge on Sam Bowden. Due to the impeccable acting, direction, score, and cinematography, Cape Fear is an excellent movie.
1 The King Of Comedy
The King Of Comedy is arguably one of the greatest Scorsese films of all time. Serving as inspiration for 2019's Joker, it's a masterpiece in every way. Featuring Robert De Niro as Rupert Pupkin and a story that is equal parts funny and depressing, The King Of Comedy is an exceptional film through and through.
Rupert Pupkin is a failed comedian looking to make it big. In his own mind, he is a big comedian and does a talk show focused towards an imaginary audience at his mother's place every day. The movie shows Pupkin's life as he tries to make something out of himself but failing every time he does so. It explores themes such as failure, delusion, and regret. While not much can be said about the plot of The King Of Comedy without spoilers, it is a Scorsese masterpiece and one everyone should watch at least once.