Overview
A gripping tale of ambition and betrayal in the criminal underworld.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- propulsive
- darkly comic
- seductive
- crime movie marathon
- scorsese retrospective
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as a hard-hitting, stylish gangster classic distinguished by Scorsese's direction, kinetic craft, and exceptional ensemble performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Henry Hill's voice-over and perspective make mob life feel immediate, seductive, and personally interpreted.
The film repeatedly uses fast cutting, freeze frames, long tracking shots, and an energetic soundtrack to render gangster life as exhilarating and unstable.
Restaurants, weddings, neighborhood friendships, family relationships, and hierarchical rituals receive as much attention as robberies and murders.
Henry's movement from neighborhood runner to connected gangster exposes the personal and relational costs of climbing through the mob.
Films like GoodFellas, and why
Casino
Shared organized crime milieu, morally corrosive ambition, volatile criminal relationships, and kinetic period filmmaking.
The Departed
Shared gangster rise-and-fall structure, charismatic criminal protagonists, stylized violence, and immersive underworld detail.
The Godfather
Shared mob culture, family-like criminal hierarchy, betrayal, and richly detailed crime drama.
Mean Streets
Shared hard-edged crime realism, criminal brotherhood, sudden violence, and morally compromised ambition.
Movie Details
- Director
- Martin Scorsese
- Release Date
- 1990-09-12
- Runtime
- 145 min
- Rating
- 8.5 / 10 (14806)
Cast
- Robert De Niro
- Ray Liotta
- Joe Pesci
- Lorraine Bracco
- Paul Sorvino
- Frank Sivero
- Tony Darrow
- Mike Starr
- Frank Vincent
- Chuck Low
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is GoodFellas about?
- A seductive, volatile portrait of Henry Hill’s ascent through the New York mob and the violent cost of belonging.
- What is GoodFellas like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of GoodFellas as breakneck, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is GoodFellas violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in GoodFellas as graphic.
- What did critics think of GoodFellas?
- Critics broadly regard it as a hard-hitting, stylish gangster classic distinguished by Scorsese's direction, kinetic craft, and exceptional ensemble performances.
- Which films are like GoodFellas?
- Films with a similar feel include Casino, The Departed, The Godfather, and Mean Streets.
- How long is GoodFellas?
- GoodFellas runs 145 minutes.
- Where can I watch GoodFellas?
- In United States, GoodFellas is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand.
