Overview
A haunting reflection on loyalty and betrayal in the world of organized crime.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- Graphic
- melancholic
- brooding
- reflective
- serious film night
- long weekend viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a richly acted, formally assured, thematically complex epic of organized crime, loyalty, aging, and regret, despite its demanding length.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Frank Sheeran's retrospective account connects labor racketeering, mob violence, and the Hoffa story across much of his life.
Frank's allegiance to Russell Bufalino and Jimmy Hoffa turns friendship and obedience into lifelong moral weight.
The elderly Frank recounts a criminal past shaped by physical decline, institutional memory, and social abandonment.
The plot links organized crime to the Teamsters, Jimmy Hoffa, and major episodes in twentieth-century American power.
Films like The Irishman, and why
Goodfellas
shared epic gangster scope, moral erosion, period crime history, and aging criminal protagonists
Casino
shared Martin Scorsese authorship, organized crime, male loyalty, and morally compromised ambition
Once Upon a Time in America
shared historical gangster drama, political power, male friendship, and tragic consequences
The Godfather Part II
shared crime-family dynamics, betrayal, and the intimate costs of criminal allegiance
Movie Details
- Director
- Martin Scorsese
- Release Date
- 2019-11-01
- Runtime
- 209 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (7746)
Cast
- Robert De Niro
- Al Pacino
- Joe Pesci
- Harvey Keitel
- Ray Romano
- Bobby Cannavale
- Anna Paquin
- Stephen Graham
- Stephanie Kurtzuba
- Jack Huston
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Irishman about?
- An aging hitman revisits the friendships, loyalties, and killings that bound his life to organized crime and Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance.
- What is The Irishman like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Irishman as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is The Irishman violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Irishman as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Irishman?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a richly acted, formally assured, thematically complex epic of organized crime, loyalty, aging, and regret, despite its demanding length.
- Which films are like The Irishman?
- Films with a similar feel include Goodfellas, Casino, Once Upon a Time in America, and The Godfather Part II.
- How long is The Irishman?
- The Irishman runs 209 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Irishman?
- In United States, The Irishman streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
