Overview
A haunting journey through the shadows of a man's past as he seeks redemption.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- Graphic
- melancholic
- brooding
- operatic
- serious movie night
- long-form cinema marathon
What critics said
The restored uncut version is broadly regarded as a visually stunning, stylistically bold, emotionally haunting crime epic, though the shortened American release was heavily criticized.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Noodles’ return to Manhattan triggers nonlinear recollections whose connections remain deliberately opaque.
The film contrasts Prohibition-era New York’s criminal ascent with Noodles’ diminished later life and haunted cityscape.
Noodles’ self-exile and reunion with Fat Moe are driven by culpability and the search for closure.
The Lower East Side gang’s ascent turns Prohibition-era New York into an elegiac mythology of organized crime.
Films like Once Upon a Time in America, and why
The Godfather Part II
epic organized crime drama with moral corruption, period ambition, and an expansive rise-and-fall structure
Goodfellas
stylized gangster saga combining violence, loyalty, betrayal, and a reflective treatment of criminal power
The Untouchables
period crime epic centered on Prohibition-era gangsters, institutional corruption, and tragic personal consequence
The Irishman
nonlinear, psychologically haunted crime narrative shaped by memory, regret, and an aging protagonist
Movie Details
- Director
- Sergio Leone
- Release Date
- 1984-05-23
- Runtime
- 139 min
- Rating
- 8.4 / 10 (6235)
Cast
- Robert De Niro
- James Woods
- Elizabeth McGovern
- Joe Pesci
- Burt Young
- Tuesday Weld
- Treat Williams
- Danny Aiello
- Richard Bright
- James Hayden
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Once Upon a Time in America about?
- Sergio Leone’s sprawling gangster elegy follows an aging exile through fractured memories of loyalty, ambition, betrayal, and irreversible guilt.
- What is Once Upon a Time in America like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Once Upon a Time in America as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is Once Upon a Time in America violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Once Upon a Time in America as graphic.
- What did critics think of Once Upon a Time in America?
- The restored uncut version is broadly regarded as a visually stunning, stylistically bold, emotionally haunting crime epic, though the shortened American release was heavily criticized.
- Which films are like Once Upon a Time in America?
- Films with a similar feel include The Godfather Part II, Goodfellas, The Untouchables, and The Irishman.
- How long is Once Upon a Time in America?
- Once Upon a Time in America runs 139 minutes.
- Where can I watch Once Upon a Time in America?
- In United States, Once Upon a Time in America is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
