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Scarface

Scarface

He loved the American Dream. With a vengeance.

1983170 minRMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
Brian De Palma
Starring
Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Scarface?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Scarface streaming on Netflix and to rent or buy on Apple TV.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Scarface?

Scarface earns 12 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Stood the test of time.

Show 4 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Scarface worth watching?

Scarface's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 2.9M ratings across 6 sources. 92% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

99th percentile among Crime99th percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)98th
Approval (how many liked it)99th

83 /100

98th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Crime99th percentile among 1980s

Critics 65 · Audience 83

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

92% liked it

99th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Crime99th percentile among 1980s
92% rated it 7–108% rated it 1–6

Critics 77% · Audience 93%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 9 noms overall

  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Original Score - Motion Picture
  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

99th percentile

2.9M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Crime99th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 17% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$50M
Opening weekend$4.6M
Domestic gross$46M
Worldwide gross$66M

Returned 1.3× its budget — 94th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Scarface is an intentionally excessive, operatic, and vulgar gangster epic about greed and the dark side of the American Dream.

Fans praised

  • Al Pacino's iconic, larger-than-life performance as Tony Montana
  • Oliver Stone's quotable, vulgar, and thematically sharp screenplay
  • Visceral, over-the-top violence and the memorable finale

Detractors panned

  • Pacino's cartoonish, one-note shouting and ridiculous fake Cuban accent
  • Excessive runtime, bloated pacing, and lack of narrative discipline
  • Shallow, predictable plot and cardboard supporting characters

What stands out

ActingDivisive85

Pacino's iconic but divisive over-the-top performance

DialogueDivisive80

Highly quotable, crude, and memorable lines

Effects and spectacleDivisive80

Brutal, iconic set-pieces like the chainsaw scene and mansion shootout

EndingDivisive75

Over-the-top, operatic, and unforgettable finale

AtmosphereDivisive75

Immersive, garish Miami of the 80s cocaine boom

Plot and storyDivisive60

Classic rags-to-riches rise and fall, seen as predictable by detractors

PacingDivisive50

Nearly three-hour runtime feels bloated to many, gripping to fans

CharactersDivisive40

Tony Montana as a compelling anti-hero vs. a two-dimensional cartoon

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 6 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Scarface like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, swings between moods and leaves you devastated. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrillingDread
Heaviest: late
Dark humor
Register
Campy · 4% of filmsBrutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its material with operatic excess, treating the brutal rise and fall of Tony Montana with a knowing, almost satirical distance.
The rideSustained tension and dread build through the rise, peaking in the brutal final act with the escalating violence and Tony's self-destruction.
StructureThe story is told chronologically, following Tony's rise and fall in a conventional three-act structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Devastated.

The answer rests on this: Devastating · 3% of filmsThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's brutal ending and the hollow cost of Tony's ambition leave a devastating impact, prompting reflection on the destructive nature of unchecked greed.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rags
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3% (this title): Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% (this title) · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rags to riches: A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition. · Rise and fall: Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).

3% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeTony Montana's journey from Cuban refugee to drug kingpin follows a classic rise-and-fall trajectory, where his own ambition and greed precipitate his destruction.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfAmbitionSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% (this title) · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% (this title) · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Ambition · 7% of filmsGreed · 3% of filmsFamily bonds
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film tracks Tony Montana's consuming drive for power, wealth, and respect, and how that ambition corrodes every relationship and ultimately destroys him.
StanceThe film warns against the destructive cost of unchecked ambition and greed, tracking the ruin it brings to one man and everyone around him.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticStylized realism
ElectronicOrchestral modernForeground music · original score · Giorgio Moroder
SettingMiami's drug underworld during the 1980s cocaine boom, from nightclubs to fortified estates
MusicThe electronic score by Giorgio Moroder, especially the iconic 'Push It to the Limit' montage, became emblematic of the 80s excess the film portrays.

Content guide

Is Scarface okay for kids?

R

Scarface is rated R. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (93/100), sexual content at intense (61/100), language at severe (95/100), drug and alcohol content at severe (95/100) and frightening material at severe (87/100). Overall it is heavier than 99% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 23 other countries
  • UK18
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaR 18+
  • Germany18
  • France12
  • Ireland18
  • JapanR15+
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil18
  • Argentina18
  • Czechia18+
  • FinlandK-18
  • GreeceK-17
  • Hungary18
  • ItalyVM14
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • Poland18
  • PortugalM/18
  • Russia18+
  • Spain18
  • Sweden15
Overall
Severe · all five categories
Heavier than 99% of all filmsHeavier than 99% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 91%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 76%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 98%
Alcohol & Drugs
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 99%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 90%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: drug and alcohol content, language, violence, frightening material, and sexual content.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Scarface have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Scarface?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Al Pacino
as Tony Montana
Globe nominee: Golden Globe nomination — Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - DramaTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Steven Bauer
as Manny Ray
Globe nominee: Golden Globe nomination — Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion PictureTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Michelle Pfeiffer
as Elvira
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
as Gina
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Robert Loggia
as Frank Lopez
Miriam Colon
as Mama Montana
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
F. Murray Abraham
as Omar
newcomer then · star now
Paul Shenar
as Alejandro Sosa
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Harris Yulin
as Bernstein
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ángel Salazar
as Chi Chi
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Scarface?

Movies like Scarface include Little Caesar (1931), GoodFellas (1990) and Wise Guys (1986). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films by Brian De Palma, and most are films about ambition.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

10 of these 12 share its character type: gangster. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Scarface?

1K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: gangster. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.