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The Irishman

The Irishman

His story changed history.

2019209 minRMidcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Director
Martin Scorsese
Starring
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel

Pennsylvania, 1956. Frank Sheeran, a war veteran of Irish origin who works as a truck driver, accidentally meets mobster Russell Bufalino. Once Frank becomes his trusted man, Bufalino sends him to Chicago with the task of helping Jimmy Hoffa, a powerful union leader related to organized crime, with whom Frank will maintain a close friendship for nearly twenty years.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Irishman?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Irishman streaming on Netflix.

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Highlights

What stands out about The Irishman?

The Irishman earns 12 badges, led by Top 5% of films and Universally Loved.

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

Reception

Is The Irishman worth watching?

The Irishman's Midcredits score is the 97th percentile of all films, from 1.5M ratings across 6 sources. 84% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

97th percentile

Better received than 97% of films

95th percentile among Biography97th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)96th
Approval (how many liked it)94th

79 /100

96th percentile of all films

96th percentile among Biography96th percentile among 2010s

Critics 94 · Audience 78

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

84% liked it

94th percentile of all films

91st percentile among Biography95th percentile among 2010s
84% rated it 7–1016% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 24 wins / 73 noms overall

  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Director - Motion Picture
  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Motion Picture - Drama

99th percentile

1.5M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Biography99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$159M
Worldwide gross$969K

Returned 0.0× its budget — 34th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree it's a slow, contemplative gangster epic that prioritizes character reflection over action and flash.

Fans praised

  • Spectacular lead performances from De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci — career-best returns
  • Deeply reflective, melancholy tone — a somber meditation on aging, regret, and wasted life
  • Masterful long-form pacing with powerful, resonant final act

Detractors panned

  • Unconvincing de-aging — faces don't match stiff, elderly body movements
  • Overlong and self-indulgent — at least an hour of padding with no narrative purpose
  • Plodding, tensionless script with no memorable scenes or suspense

What stands out

ActingDivisive89

De Niro, Pacino, Pesci deliver some of their best work; detractors call De Niro sluggish, Pacino hammy

CharactersDivisive70

Deeply drawn, introspective; fans love complexity, detractors find them wooden and uninteresting

Emotional impactDivisive70

Devastating final hour leaves fans moved; detractors feel no emotional connection

EndingDivisive65

Resigned, poignant conclusion; detractors find it anticlimactic and overlong

Plot and storyDivisive60

Slow procedural of mob life and Hoffa disappearance; detractors say rehashed and aimless

PacingDivisive48

Deliberate and immersive for fans; unbearably slow and padded for detractors

OriginalityDivisive45

Familiar Scorsese mob formula, but with a fresh elegiac tone; detractors call it a rehash of Goodfellas/Casino

Effects and spectacleDivisive40

De-aging technology is divisive — fans find it adequate, detractors call it laughable and distracting

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 22 points higher than women.

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

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 8 points apart
  • Critics vs users 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Irishman 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 to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

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

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicElegiacCold
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.
ToneThe film treats its subject with gravity and a mournful, reflective tone, never undercutting its drama.
The rideThe film sustains a tense, cold mood throughout, with increasing melancholy and an elegiac weight in the final act as Frank faces his solitude.
StructureThe story is told through Frank Sheeran's recollections from a nursing home, which frames the narrative, and events are shown out of chronological order.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

The answer rests on this: Haunting · 14% of filmsDevastating · 3% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film lingers as a grim meditation on loyalty, violence, and the inescapable weight of one's choices, especially in its final act.
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).Tragedy
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%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · 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% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% (this title) · 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%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Corruption arc: Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).

9% of films fit this archetype

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

Why this archetypeFrank Sheeran's life as a mob hitman and his involvement with Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa follows a trajectory of moral corruption and loss, fitting the tragedy archetype with a corruption arc.

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 filmsSelfMemorySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · 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% (this title) · 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

Memory · 3% of filmsBetrayal · 5% of filmsIsolation · 5% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film is a meditation on memory and regret, as an old hitman reflects on a life of violence, loyalty, and the betrayals that left him utterly alone.
StanceThe film mourns the cost of a life of loyalty and violence, ultimately presenting memory and connection as irretrievably lost.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernJazzSupportive music · original score · Robbie Robertson
Setting1950s-1970s American organized crime and Teamsters union world, bookended by a nursing home in the early 2000s
MusicThe score blends mournful strings and period-appropriate jazz, underscoring the film's elegiac tone without overwhelming the scenes.

Content guide

Is The Irishman okay for kids?

R

The Irishman is rated R: “Rated R for pervasive language and strong violence” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (87/100), sexual content at minimal (8/100), language at severe (91/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (57/100) and frightening material at intense (66/100). Overall it is heavier than 80% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 20 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland16
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyT
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/16
  • RO18
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeM18
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 88% of all filmsHeavier than 80% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 77%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 3%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 92%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 72%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 57%

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

The reason to think twice is language, violence, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

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 The Irishman have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Irishman?

Cast

6 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Robert De Niro
as Frank Sheeran
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Motion Picture of the YearTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Al Pacino
as Jimmy Hoffa
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Joe Pesci
as Russell Bufalino
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Harvey Keitel
as Angelo Bruno
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ray Romano
as Bill Bufalino
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Bobby Cannavale
as Skinny Razor
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Anna Paquin
as Older Peggy Sheeran
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Stephen Graham
as Anthony 'Tony Pro' Provenzano
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Stephanie Kurtzuba
as Irene Sheeran
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Jack Huston
as Robert Kennedy

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Irishman?

Movies like The Irishman include The Godfather Part II (1974), Hoffa (1992) and The Godfather (1972). Of the 12 closest matches, most are stories about gangsters, and half are films with Robert De Niro.

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

Martin Scorsese directed 4 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Irishman?

445 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: hitman. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.