Robert De Niro is widely regarded as one of the best actors of all time and this accolade is certainly well-deserved. The Italian-American actor is willing to go to extreme lengths just for the purpose of his craft. De Niro has worked as a cab driver, gained several pounds, learned how to play the saxophone and lived in Sicily for a week, all for the purpose of bringing his characters to life. All these have resulted in masterful performances which have fetched him numerous awards. Want to binge-watch some of Robert De Niro’s movies? Then, we have got the top 10 of his films ranked in from the best to worst.
10 Robert De Niro Movies Rated From Best To Worst
1. Taxi Driver
Production budget – $1.9 million
Box office – $28.3 million
Taxi Driver is one Robert De Niro movie which shows the extent to which the actor can go for his craft. In this 1976 psychological thriller, De Niro portrays the lead role of Travis Bickle, an insomniac ex-marine who works as a cabbie on the decaying streets of New York at night. Travis later plots to assassinate a presidential candidate as well as the pimp of a teenage prostitute he has befriended. Taxi Driver was a commercial and critical success and is regarded as one of the greatest films of all times. De Niro also gave an excellent leading performance which fetched him an Oscar nomination for best actor. The film has a score of 98% on rotten tomatoes and 94% on Metacritic.
2. Brazil
Production budget – $15 million
Box office – $9.9 million
Brazil is a 1985 drama/fantasy about a low-level government official, Sam, who escapes the monotony of his life by fantasizing that he is a hero who saves damsels in distress. Sam later gets caught up in a web of mistaken identities, lies and mindless bureaucracy whilst trying to assist a woman from his dream. Brazil featured Jonathan Pryce as Sam while De Niro played the role of a wanted terrorist named Harry. The film was a commercial success in Europe but performed poorly in America. It has since however achieved cult status. Brazil has a rating of 98% on rotten tomatoes and 88% on Metacritic.
3. The Godfather II
Production budget – $13 million
Box office – $57.3 million
The Godfather II is one Robert De Niro movie that should be on your bucket list. The film is a sequel to the highly successful 1972 movie, The Godfather. The sequel focuses on Michael Corleone as he tries to move on after the attempt on his life. The film also chronicles how Michael’s father, Vito, moved from Sicily to New York and established the family’s enterprise. The Godfather II featured Al Pacino as Michael while De Niro played the role of Vito. The film received several awards including the Oscar for best picture. De Niro also received the Oscar for best-supporting actor for his performance. The Godfather II has a rating of 97% on rotten tomatoes and 90% on Metacritic.
4. Raging Bull
Production budget – $18 million
Box office – $23.4 million
Raging Bull is a 1980 sports biopic about a middleweight boxing champion, Jake, whose career success is offset by a domestic life full of rage and jealousy. Both vices eventually cost Jake a lot as he becomes destitute and alone in the end. Raging Bull featured Robert De Niro in the lead role of Jake. The film is regarded as one of his finest performances ever and fetched him the Oscar for best actor. Raging Bull has a score of 96% on rotten tomatoes and 89% on Metacritic
5. Goodfellas
Production budget – $25 million
Box office – $46.8 million
Goodfellas is a 1990 crime drama about an Irish/Italian youth, Hill, who advances through the ranks of the mob. Hill later becomes an informant for the FBI and is targeted by both the feds and the mobsters. Goodfellas was directed by famed filmmaker, Martin Scorsese. It featured Ray Liotta as Hill while De Niro played the role of a mobster boss. The film received several Oscar nominations and has been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Additionally, it has a score of 96% on rotten tomatoes and 89% on Metacritic
6. The King of Comedy
Production budget – $19 million
Box office – $2.5 million
The King of Comedy is the Robert De Niro movie which proves that the actor is not just good at playing violent roles but also comic ones. In this 1983 mystery/crime thriller, De Niro played the lead role of Rupert, a mediocre aspiring comedian who believes that one appearance on the Jerry Langford Show will propel him to fame. Rupert ends up stalking and kidnapping Langford all in a bid to achieve his aim. The King of Comedy was a critical success but performed poorly at the box office. The film, however, has a high rating of 91% on rotten tomatoes and 73% on Metacritic
7. Once Upon a time in America
Production budget – $30 million
Box office – $5.3 million
Once Upon a time in America is a 1984 crime drama which chronicles the story of David Noodles and his Jewish pals, their gangster careers and their later years. The film was directed by Italian filmmaker, Sergio Leone and featured Robert De Niro as Noodles. The movie is widely regarded as one of the best gangster movies ever made and has a score of 86% on rotten tomatoes.
8. Bloody Mama
Production budget – N/A
Box office – $1.5 million
Bloody Mama is a 1970 crime drama about, Kate Baker, a woman who is sexually abused as a child and later grows into a violently powerful woman. Kate lovingly dominates her adult sons and grooms them into a pack of Depression-era bandits. Bloody Mama marked one of Robert De Niro’s earliest movie appearances. The movie was panned by the critics who saw it as a poor imitation of Bonnie and Clyde. It also has a poor rating of 17% on rotten tomatoes.
9. Hide and Seek
Production budget – $25 million
Box office – $122.7 million
Hide and Seek is a 2005 mystery/thriller about a psychologist, David Callaway, who relocates with his daughter, Emily, to the countryside after his wife commits suicide. Things later get out of control as Emily embarks on a nightmarish game of hide and seek with an imaginary friend. Hide and Seek was a box office success but received generally poor reviews. The film holds a score of 13% on rotten tomatoes and 35% on Metacritic.
10. Godsend
Production budget – $25 million
Box office – $30 million
Godsend is a 2003 drama/horror about a couple, Paul and Jessie, who lose their eight-year-old son, Adam, in a tragic accident. The grieving couple later meet a doctor, Richard Wells, who offers to clone their son and bring him back to life. They jump at the offer only to uncover a horrific truth several years later. Godsend featured Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn while De Niro played the role of Dr. Richard Wells. The film was generally panned by the critics and didn’t do much better at the box office. It holds a score of 4% on rotten tomatoes and 24% on Metacritic.
