Top 35 Ranked

The Best Robert De Niro Movies Ranked

The Definitive Filmography of a Hollywood Legend

Explore the finest performances of Robert De Niro, from Scorsese masterpieces to intense crime dramas and award winning classics.

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About Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro

In the pantheon of American cinema, few faces carry the weighted history of Robert De Niro. He is less an actor and more a seismic event in the craft, a man who redefined the metabolic rate of the leading man by injecting it with a volatile, quiet intensity. To watch him on screen is to witness a masterclass in the economy of movement. He possesses a gaze that can pivot from heartbreaking vulnerability to predatory menace without so much as a blink, a skill that turned him into the foundational architect of the modern anti-hero.

His emergence in the 1970s signaled a shift in what audiences expected from their stars. While his contemporaries often leaned into charisma, De Niro leaned into the shadows. In The Godfather Part II, he didn't just play a young Vito Corleone; he inhabited the very ghost of a myth, anchoring the epic with a performance of calculated stillness. This period saw him forge a symbiotic relationship with Martin Scorsese, a creative marriage that gave us the alienation of Taxi Driver and the bruising, self-destructive masculinity of Raging Bull. For the latter, his physical transformation became the industry gold standard for dedication, yet it was the raw, spiritual disintegration he portrayed that haunted viewers long after the credits rolled.

What separates him from his peers is an refusal to be pinned down by the genre tropes he helped invent. He can navigate the sprawling operatic tragedy of Once Upon a Time in America or the gritty, blue-collar sorrow of The Deer Hunter with the same dexterity he brings to the high-stakes friction of Heat. In the nineties, he perfected the archetype of the professional criminal—men of few words and strict codes—defining the sharp-suited gravity of GoodFellas and Casino. Yet, he remained unpredictable, sliding into the quirky, understated world of Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown or making his directorial debut with A Bronx Tale, proving his eye for narrative was as sharp as his instinct for character.

Audiences connect with him because there is an inherent truth in his silence. He represents the undercurrents of the American psyche: the pride, the rage, and the often-unspoken search for dignity. Even as he aged into elder statesman roles, he refused to coast. His presence in Joker served as a meta-textual nod to his work in The King of Comedy, while The Irishman offered a meditative, mournful bookend to his legacy in the mob genre. Most recently, in Killers of the Flower Moon, he reminded the world that his capacity for playing banality masked as evil remains unmatched. He does not simply perform; he leaves a psychological imprint on the medium, remaining the ultimate barometer for excellence in an industry that rarely sees such enduring, transformative power.

The Complete Rankings

Based on the top picks in drafts on SnakeDrafts

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45
Robert De Niro in Men of Honor (2000)
Men of Honor
2000

Against formidable odds -- and an old-school diving instructor embittered by the U.S. Navy's new, less prejudicial policies -- Carl Brashear sets his sights on becoming the Navy's first African-American master diver in this uplifting true story. Their relationship starts out on the rocks, but fate ultimately conspires to bring the men together into a setting of mutual respect, triumph and honor.

Drama
2h 9m
George Tillman Jr.
Robert De Niro, Cuba Gooding Jr., Charlize Theron, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
44
Robert De Niro in The Intern (2015)
The Intern
2015

70-year-old widower Ben Whittaker has discovered that retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site, founded and run by Jules Ostin.

Comedy
2h 1m
Nancy Meyers
Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo, Anders Holm
43
Robert De Niro in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
1994

Victor Frankenstein is a promising young doctor who, devastated by the death of his mother during childbirth, becomes obsessed with bringing the dead back to life. His experiments lead to the creation of a monster, which Frankenstein has put together with the remains of corpses. It's not long before Frankenstein regrets his actions.

Drama
Horror
Robert De Niro, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hulce, Helena Bonham Carter

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32

After being set-up and betrayed by the man who hired him to assassinate a Texas Senator, an ex-Federale launches a brutal rampage of revenge against his former boss.

Action
Comedy
Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro
31

Two feuding siblings carrying on a heroic family tradition as Chicago firefighters. But when a puzzling series of arson attacks is reported, they are forced to set aside their differences to solve the mystery surrounding these crimes.

Drama
Thriller
30
Robert De Niro in Limitless (2011)
Limitless
2011

The life of an unsuccessful writer is transformed by a top-secret 'smart drug' that allows him to use 100% of his brain and become a perfect version of himself. His enhanced abilities soon attract shadowy forces that threaten his new life.

Thriller
Mystery
1h 46m
Neil Burger
Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish, Andrew Howard
29
Robert De Niro in Meet the Fockers (2004)
Meet the Fockers
2004

Hard-to-crack ex-CIA man Jack Byrnes and his wife Dina head for the warmer climes of Florida to meet the parents of their son-in-law-to-be, Greg Focker. Unlike their happily matched offspring, the future in-laws find themselves in a situation of opposites that definitely do not attract.

Comedy
Romance
1h 55m
Jay Roach
28

An aging thief hopes to retire and live off his ill-gotten wealth when a young kid convinces him into doing one last heist.

Action
Crime
2h 4m
Frank Oz
27
Robert De Niro in Little Fockers (2010)
Little Fockers
2010

It has taken 10 years, two little Fockers with wife Pam and countless hurdles for Greg to finally get in with his tightly wound father-in-law, Jack. After the cash-strapped dad takes a job moonlighting for a drug company, Jack's suspicions about his favorite male nurse come roaring back. When Greg and Pam's entire clan descends for the twins' birthday party, Greg must prove to the skeptical Jack that he's fully capable as the man of the house.

Comedy
Romance
1h 38m
Paul Weitz
26

Freddy Heflin is the sheriff of a place everyone calls “Cop Land” — a small and seemingly peaceful town populated by the big city police officers he’s long admired. Yet something ugly is taking place behind the town’s peaceful facade. And when Freddy uncovers a massive, deadly conspiracy among these local residents, he is forced to take action and make a dangerous choice between protecting his idols and upholding the law.

Crime
Drama
1h 44m
James Mangold
25

Countless wiseguy films are spoofed in this film that centers on the neuroses and angst of a powerful Mafia racketeer who suffers from panic attacks. When Paul Vitti needs help dealing with his role in the "family," unlucky shrink Dr. Ben Sobel is given just days to resolve Vitti's emotional crisis and turn him into a happy, well-adjusted gangster.

Comedy
Crime
Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, Lisa Kudrow, Chazz Palminteri
24

Two gangsters seek revenge on the state jail worker who during their stay at a youth prison sexually abused them. A sensational court hearing takes place to charge him for the crimes.

Crime
Drama
Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Bruno Kirby
23
Robert De Niro in Ronin (1998)
1998

A briefcase with undisclosed contents – sought by Irish terrorists and the Russian mob – makes its way into criminals' hands. An Irish liaison assembles a squad of mercenaries, or 'ronin', and gives them the thorny task of recovering the case.

Action
Thriller
Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård
22

Sam Bowden is a small-town corporate attorney. Max Cady is a tattooed, cigar-smoking, Bible-quoting, psychotic rapist. What do they have in common? 14 years ago, Sam was a public defender assigned to Max Cady's rape trial, and he made a serious error: he hid a document from his illiterate client that could have gotten him acquitted. Now, the cagey Cady has been released, and he intends to teach Sam Bowden and his family a thing or two about loss.

Drama
Crime
21

Greg Focker is ready to marry his girlfriend, Pam, but before he pops the question, he must win over her formidable father, humorless former CIA agent Jack Byrnes, at the wedding of Pam's sister. As Greg bends over backward to make a good impression, his visit to the Byrnes home turns into a hilarious series of disasters, and everything that can go wrong does, all under Jack's critical, hawklike gaze.

Comedy
Romance
1h 48m
Jay Roach
Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner
20

A bounty hunter pursues a former Mafia accountant who is also being chased by a rival bounty hunter, the F.B.I., and his old mob boss after jumping bail.

Comedy
Crime
2h 6m
Martin Brest
Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton
19

When a Spanish Jesuit goes into the South American wilderness to build a mission in the hope of converting the Indians of the region, a slave hunter is converted and joins his mission. When Spain sells the colony to Portugal, they are forced to defend all they have built against the Portuguese aggressors.

Adventure
Drama
2h 5m
Roland Joffé
Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Ray McAnally, Aidan Quinn
18
Robert De Niro in Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Silver Linings Playbook
2012

After losing his job and wife, and spending time in an institution, a former teacher winds up living with his parents. He wants to rebuild his life and reconcile with his wife, but his father would be happy if he shared his obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles. Things get complicated when he meets Tiffany Maxwell who offers to help him reconnect with his wife if he will do something very important for her in exchange.

Drama
Comedy
2h 2m
David O. Russell
Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver
17

A small-time hood must choose from among love, friendship and the chance to rise within the mob.

Drama
Crime
Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, David Proval, Amy Robinson
16

Dr. Malcolm Sayer, a shy research physician, uses an experimental drug to "awaken" the catatonic victims of a rare disease. Leonard is the first patient to receive the controversial treatment. His awakening, filled with awe and enthusiasm, proves a rebirth for Sayer too, as the exuberant patient reveals life's simple but unutterably sweet pleasures to the introverted doctor.

Drama
2h 0m
Penny Marshall
Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, John Heard, Julie Kavner
15

Set in the Bronx during the tumultuous 1960s, an adolescent boy is torn between his honest, working-class father and a violent yet charismatic crime boss. Complicating matters is the youngster's growing attraction - forbidden in his neighborhood - for a beautiful black girl.

Drama
Crime
2h 1m
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Chazz Palminteri, Lillo Brancato, Francis Capra
14

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.

Crime
Drama
13

Jackie Brown is a flight attendant who gets caught in the middle of smuggling cash into the country for her gunrunner boss. When the cops try to use Jackie to get to her boss, she hatches a plan — with help from a bail bondsman — to keep the money for herself.

12
Robert De Niro in Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Killers of the Flower Moon
2023

When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one—until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.

Crime
History
Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons
11

Aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin attempts to achieve success in show business by stalking his idol, a late night talk-show host who craves his own privacy.

Drama
Comedy
Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Diahnne Abbott, Sandra Bernhard
10
Robert De Niro in Joker (2019)
2019

During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.

Crime
Thriller
Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy
Why it ranks

De Niro delivers a calculated, smug chill as Murray Franklin, subverting his own legacy in The King of Comedy by transitioning from the desperate stalker to the gatekeeping titan. It is a masterful piece of meta-casting that allows him to weaponize his elder-statesman stature into a portrait of talk-show vanity. He anchors the film’s chaotic climax with a grounded, cynical stillness that makes his eventual confrontation with Arthur Fleck feel genuinely dangerous.

9
Robert De Niro in Casino (1995)
1995

In Las Vegas, two best friends--a casino executive and a Mafia enforcer--compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite.

Crime
Drama
Why it ranks

De Niro trades his usual street-level grit for a brittle, tailored perfectionism as Sam Rothstein, anchoring the film’s chaos with a controlled stillness that eventually curdles into frantic paranoia. It marks a pivotal evolution in his partnership with Scorsese, moving away from the hot-headed volatility of his youth toward a more calculating, technical mastery of the screen. His performance is a masterclass in suppressed rage, captured best in the narrowing of his eyes behind oversized glasses as his kingdom of neon begin to crumble.

8

A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan over thirty years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.

Drama
Crime
Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams
Why it ranks

De Niro anchors Leone's sprawling odyssey with a haunting, internal stillness, trading his usual explosive volatility for a weary sense of accumulation and regret. His transition from a hunger-driven hoodlum to an old man haunted by ghosts remains the definitive study of his ability to age a soul on camera. It is the sophisticated bridge between his era of Method intensity and the lived-in gravitas that would define his later career.

7

Elliot Ness, an ambitious prohibition agent, is determined to take down Al Capone. In order to achieve this goal, he forms a group given the nickname “The Untouchables”.

Crime
History
Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro, Charles Martin Smith
Why it ranks

De Niro transforms Al Capone into a terrifyingly theatrical peacock, wielding a baseball bat with the same calculated precision as his menacing, operatic charm. By pushing his Method intensity into the realm of high-gloss caricature, he redefined the cinematic mobster as a media-savvy monster, proving he could dominate a blockbuster through pure, scenery-chewing magnetism. It is a masterclass in controlled excess that remains the definitive portrait of the gangster as an untouchable celebrity.

6
Robert De Niro in The Deer Hunter (1978)
The Deer Hunter
1978

Three steelworkers enlist in the army and are sent to Vietnam, one leaving behind a rushed marriage, the others a shared love. What they encounter during the war changes their lives forever.

Drama
War
3h 3m
Michael Cimino
Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Cazale, John Savage
Why it ranks

De Niro anchors the film’s agonizing shift from blue-collar camaraderie to psychological ruin with a stillness that is more haunting than any outburst. By trading his trademark volatility for a weathered, internalised stoicism, he delivered the definitive transition from his gritty seventies persona to a more mature, soul-weary screen presence. His depiction of Mike Vronsky remains the ultimate study in how trauma reshapes a man’s silence.

5

The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.

Drama
Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent
Why it ranks

De Niro disappears into Jake LaMotta with a terrifying, animalistic commitment that redefined the limits of physical transformation in cinema. He oscillates between a coiled, explosive ferocity in the ring and a bloated, pathetic insecurity outside of it, stripping away any shred of vanity to expose the character’s raw self-destruction. It remains his definitive masterpiece of method intensity, capturing a tragic descent that feels less like acting and more like a visceral exorcism.

4
Robert De Niro in Heat (1995)
1995

Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.

Crime
Drama
Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight
Why it ranks

De Niro delivers a masterclass in calculated stillness, stripping away his signature tics to embody Neil McCauley’s monastic discipline and icy professionalism. It is the definitive peak of his late-career minimalism, proving he could command a frame through cold precision rather than explosive bravado. This role refined the archetype of the weary outlaw, cementing De Niro’s ability to project a haunting interior life through little more than a piercing, watchful gaze.

3

Suffering from insomnia, disturbed loner Travis Bickle takes a job as a New York City cabbie, haunting the streets nightly, growing increasingly detached from reality as he dreams of cleaning up the filthy city.

Why it ranks

De Niro weaponizes silence, transforming Travis Bickle into a ticking clock of suburban alienation through a volatile mix of nervous kinetic energy and dead-eyed detachment. It is the defining specimen of his Method intensity, establishing the haunting, anti-heroic template that would cement him as the premier cinematic chameleon of his generation. He doesn't just inhabit the role—he disappears into a hollowed-out vessel of urban rot.

2

The true story of Henry Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian Brooklyn kid who is adopted by neighbourhood gangsters at an early age and climbs the ranks of a Mafia family under the guidance of Jimmy Conway.

Drama
Crime
Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Why it ranks

De Niro masterfully recalibrates his screen intensity into a chilling, watchful stillness, portraying Jimmy Conway as a predatory elder statesman who commands the room through sheer paranoia. It is a pivotal role that transitioned him from the explosive leads of his youth into a new era of calculated, menacing authority. He turns the simple act of smoking a cigarette into a lethal character study, proving that a silent stare can be more terrifying than a shouted threat.

1

In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba.

Drama
Crime
Why it ranks

De Niro delivers a masterclass in stillness, meticulously reconstructing Marlon Brando’s raspy cadence and feline movements to bridge the gap between street-level desperation and cold, dynastic authority. By weaponizing a quiet, calculated intensity, he transformed the daunting task of playing a legendary predecessor into the definitive breakout that cemented his status as the premier chameleon of his generation. It is a hauntingly internalized portrayal where every watchful glance maps the chilling evolution of a man trading his soul for a legacy.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about this list and SnakeDrafts

Robert De Niro's collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola is most notably showcased in The Godfather Part II (1974), where he delivers a powerhouse performance as young Vito Corleone, earning him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Martin Scorsese has been instrumental in shaping De Niro's career, directing several iconic films on the list such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Casino. These collaborations highlight De Niro's versatility and intense character portrayals, often in gritty crime and drama narratives.

Themes of crime, complex human psychology, and moral ambiguity are prevalent throughout De Niro's best movies, including titles like GoodFellas and Heat. His roles frequently explore the duality of vulnerability and menace, underscoring his skill at portraying multifaceted characters.

Yes, Robert De Niro directed A Bronx Tale (1993), which is included in the list. The film is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of organized crime, reflecting De Niro's deep connection to narratives involving nuanced character studies in dramatic settings.

The Deer Hunter and Killers of the Flower Moon are key films from the list that highlight De Niro's compelling performances in war and historical dramas. Both movies emphasize his ability to handle intense emotional depth and portray real-life struggles within significant historical contexts.

The list showcases De Niro's impressive range, covering crime dramas like The Untouchables, dark comedies such as The King of Comedy, and psychological thrillers including Joker. This diversity illustrates his adaptability and mastery over a variety of cinematic styles and themes.

De Niro's role in Raging Bull is distinguished by his transformative physical and emotional performance as boxer Jake LaMotta. This film is often cited as a pinnacle of method acting, earning De Niro an Academy Award for Best Actor and highlighting his dedication to authenticity.
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