Martin Scorsese’s 10 Most Underrated Movies

Summary

• Scorsese’s underrated classics reveal a different side of the acclaimed director’s career beyond gangster films and heavy dramas.
• The Color of Money
  may not be Scorsese’s best work, but it remains a well-liked sequel to the classic film,
  The Hustler
  .
• After Hours
  is a darkly hilarious departure for Scorsese, showcasing his filmmaking prowess outside of his usual themes.

Although Martin Scorsese is one of the most celebrated living directors, his prolific output means there are a few hidden gems dotted throughout his lengthy career. Calling Martin Scorsese’s work underrated seems almost delusional given how much critical acclaim the director has enjoyed throughout his career. Even Scorsese’s worst movies are ranked above the best movies of many other directors, and the filmmaker’s impact on the movie industry is immeasurable. Despite this, Scorsese has directed a surprisingly high number of movies that were unfairly forgotten or dismissed by critics upon their initial release. Many of these are underrated classics.

Scorsese’s career began back in the mid-60s when he directed a handful of short films while a student at the Tisch School of the Arts. Scorsese’s 1967 directorial debut, Who’s That Knocking at My Door, attracted the attention of the late, great B-movie icon Roger Corman, who helped the director get a start in the industry. The rest is history, as the ensuing decades saw Scorsese become one of the world’s most celebrated directors. However, throughout these years, Scorsese’s low number of Oscar wins reinforced the reality that not all his movies were appreciated in their time.

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10 The Color of Money

Scorsese’s Sequel To The Hustler Remains Underrated

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Director Martin Scorsese Release Date October 17, 1986 Writers Walter Tevis , Richard Price Cast Paul Newman , Tom Cruise , Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio , Helen Shaver , John Turturro , Bill Cobbs

1986’s The Color of Money was a financial hit for Scorsese and the movie’s reviews were largely positive, with critics praising both Tom Cruise and Paul Newman’s performances as a pair of charismatic pool sharks. As such, the movie might not seem underrated at first glance. However, The Color of Money’s sequel status always complicated its critical reception. While The Color of Money is well-liked by critics, it is rarely considered superior to its predecessor, 1961’s The Hustler. Director Robert Rossen’s Paul Newman vehicle was an instant classic upon release and, 25 years later, Scorsese couldn’t replicate its impact.

9 Who’s That Knocking at My Door

The Director’s Debut Is Painfully Honest And Uncomfortable

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Director Martin Scorsese Release Date September 13, 1968 Writers Martin Scorsese , Betzi Manoogian Cast Harvey Keitel , Zina Bethune , Anne Collette , Lennard Kuras , Michael Scala , Harry Northup , Tsuai Yu-Lan , Saskia Holleman

In many career retrospectives, Scorsese’s debut Who’s That Knocking at My Door is lumped in with his student movies as an early-career curio. A dark drama about a Catholic boy’s inability to accept his girlfriend’s traumatic past, Who’s That Knocking at My Door was Scorsese’s first attempt to tackle the themes of toxic masculinity and Catholic guilt that went on to define his career in the eyes of many critics. While Scorsese’s 1973 hit Mean Streets was a more dynamic calling card for himself and star Harvey Keitel, Who’s That Knocking at My Door remains a poignant, raw character study.

8 Hugo

Scorsese’s Lone Family Film Is A Vibrant Delight

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Director Martin Scorsese Release Date November 23, 2011 Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Writers John Logan , Brian Selznick Cast Sacha Baron Cohen , Jude Law , Ben Kingsley , Ray Winstone , Emily Mortimer , Christopher Lee , Asa Butterfield , Chloe Grace Moretz Runtime 126 minutes Expand

2011’s Hugo doesn’t have a lot in common with Who’s That Knocking at My Door save for its underappreciated status. An adaptation of Brian Selznick’s historical fiction novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Hugo is a fun, visually inventive period piece that offered future stars Asa Butterfield and Chloë Grace Moretz early lead roles. Hugo’s story of an orphan living in Paris’s train station is a whimsical, vibrant joy and a departure for Scorsese that proves the director can excel even when making lighter fare. A stellar supporting cast including Ray Winstone and Christopher Lee elevates Hugo even further.

7 Bringing Out The Dead

Nicolas Cage Excels In Scorsese’s Later Paul Schrader Collaboration

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Director Martin Scorsese Release Date October 22, 1999 Studio(s) Paramount Pictures , Touchstone Pictures , Scott Rudin Productions Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Writers Joe Connelly , Paul Schrader Cast Nicolas Cage , Patricia Arquette , John Goodman , Ving Rhames , Tom Sizemore Expand

While Scorsese’s outsized acclaim has led some viewers to avoid his work, Nicolas Cage is a more traditionally divisive figure. The star is a classic “Love them or hate them” actor, but 1999’s unique supernatural drama Bringing Out The Dead proves that Cage has serious dramatic chops behind all the memes and infamous scenes. A gripping look at the life of a troubled paramedic, Bringing Out The Dead is arguably Nicolas Cage’s best movie and easily one of Scorsese’s most underrated efforts. Moving, chilling, and occasionally surreal, this drama is a truly stunning collaboration between the duo.

6 New York, New York

Scorsese’s Underrated Musical Is A Welcome Departure

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Director Martin Scorsese Release Date June 21, 1977 Studio(s) United Artists , Winkler Films Writers Mardik Martin , Earl Mac Rauch Cast Liza Minnelli , Robert De Niro , Lionel Stander , Barry Primus , Dick Miller

Viewers put off Scorsese by his reputation for making grisly gangster movies would do well to seek out 1977’s musical drama New York, New York. A box office underperformer upon release, New York, New York is a sprawling love story about Robert De Niro’s self-centered saxophonist and Liza Minelli’s lonely singer falling in and out of love in 1940s New York. Admittedly, New York, New York isn’t Scorsese’s best work and its ambitions exceed its grasp, as Scorsese’s attempts to revive the melodramatic musical mode of the ‘40s fall short. However, it remains a surprisingly fun diversion.

5 Silence

2016’s Silence Sees Scorsese Tackle Hefty Themes

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Director Martin Scorsese Release Date December 23, 2016 Studio(s) StudioCanal Writers Jay Cocks , Martin Scorsese , Shusaku Endo Cast Adam Driver , Yasushi Takada , Liam Neeson , Andrew Garfield , Yôsuke Kubozuka , Yoshi Oida , Tadanobu Asano , Shin’ya Tsukamoto , Issei Ogata , Ciarán Hinds

If New York, New York proves that not all of Scorsese’s movies are as dark as his critics claim, 2016’s historical drama Silence proves they also aren’t all filled with sex and drugs. After The Wolf of Wall Street’s success, Scorsese switched gears with this thoughtful drama about a pair of Jesuit priests attempting to bring Catholicism to Japan during the 1600s. Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver are superb as Silence’s protagonists, while Liam Neeson gives one of his best performances as their disillusioned mentor. Silence was a box office bomb, but remains an insightful meditation on faith.

4 Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

Scorsese’s Early Masterpiece Proves The Director’s Critics Wrong

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Director Martin Scorsese Release Date December 9, 1974 Writers Robert Getchell Cast Ellen Burstyn , Kris Kristofferson , Mia Bendixsen , Alfred Lutter III , Billy Green Bush , Lelia Goldoni , Ola Moore , Harry Northup Runtime 112 Minutes

Continuing this list’s recurring theme of proving that most complaints about Scorsese’s career don’t hold water is 1974’s warm romantic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Despite many complaints about Scorsese’s lack of female protagonists, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is a funny, charming, and perceptive story of a widowed mother looking for a better life. Ellen Burstyn delivers a stellar turn as the titular protagonist, while Jodie Foster and Harvey Keitel ensure the rest of the movie’s cast is stacked with famous faces. A gem that later influenced Wes Anderson, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore remains underrated even among Scorsese’s fandom.

3 The King of Comedy

This Influential Black Comedy Was Hated Upon Release

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Director Martin Scorsese Release Date December 18, 1982 Studio(s) Embassy International Pictures , 20th Century Fox Writers Paul D. Zimmerman Cast Robert De Niro , Jerry Lewis , Sandra Bernhard , Diahnne Déa , Shelley Hack Runtime 109 Minutes Expand

Ever since The King of Comedy shaped Joker’s entire story, it has become increasingly difficult to claim that black comedy is underrated. However, while it might have inspired an acclaimed billion-dollar hit decades later, it is important to note just how reviled The King of Comedy was upon release. A deadpan thriller about Robert De Niro’s troubled, delusional wannabe comedian Robert Pupkin, The King of Comedy was initially a massive box office flop. Some critics were kind, but others were left cold, with Pauline Kael calling Pupkin “A nothing.” Most reviewers highlighted its similarities to Taxi Driver.

The King of Comedy
was a cold character study that centered on a uniquely odious character’s hunger for fame.

However, these comparisons were rarely kind. Where Taxi Driver honed in on the alienation of disenfranchised working-class men post-Vietnam, The King of Comedy was a colder character study that centered on a uniquely odious character’s hunger for fame. Joker’s Taxi Driver similarities might explain why the movie managed to make a better impression than Scorsese’s 1982 comedy, since Joaquin Phoenix’s antihero is rendered surprisingly human, much like De Niro’s Travis Bickle. In contrast, The King of Comedy’s Robert Pupkin might be Scorsese’s most purely unlikable and annoying protagonist, and even critics had a hard time stomaching his antics for an entire movie.

2 The Last Temptation Of Christ

Scorsese’s Sincere Religious Epic Is Moving And Challenging

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Director Martin Scorsese Release Date August 12, 1988 Writers Martin Scorsese , Paul Schrader Cast Willem Dafoe , Harvey Keitel , Barbara Hershey , Paul Greco , Steve Shill , Verna Bloom , Roberts Blossom , Barry Miller

Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ is arguably the director’s most personal movie, but its touching exploration of faith, sacrifice, purpose, and forgiveness was lost amid the hysteria surrounding its release. The Last Temptation of Christ’s release was marred by protests, death threats, censorship, and a terrorist attack from far-right Catholic extremists who objected to its content. Ironically, The Last Temptation of Christ might be the best mainstream movie about Christ in Hollywood history precisely because of the same elements that upset extremists. Controversially, Scorsese’s movie sees Willem Dafoe’s Christ tempted by the joys of human life during his suffering.

The Last Temptation of Christ
suffered violent pushback for exploring Christ’s personal sacrifices.

While Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ became a huge financial success by gaudily leaning into the goriest excesses of Christ’s physical torture, The Last Temptation of Christ suffered violent pushback for exploring Christ’s personal sacrifices. The closing act, which envisions Jesus descending from the cross to live a happy, full life at the expense of humanity, is a transcendental effort to encapsulate the unimaginable weight of sacrificing one’s life for a larger cause. It’s arguably the most moving moment in Scorsese’s diverse filmography and one that makes the otherwise imperfect The Last Temptation of Christ essential viewing.

1 After Hours

Scorsese’s Most Underrated Movie Is A Comedic Nightmare

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Director Martin Scorsese Release Date October 11, 1985 Writers Joseph Minion Cast Griffin Dunne , Rosanna Arquette , Verna Bloom , Tommy Chong , Linda Fiorentino , Teri Garr , John Heard , Cheech Martin

After The Last Temptation of Christ’s explorations of heavy themes, it might be a surprise to see 1985’s dark comedy After Hours gain this list’s top spot. However, After Hours is an astounding reminder of Scorsese’s pure filmmaking prowess that eschews many of the director’s most familiar themes in its wild story. There are no gangsters in After Hours, nor are there any ruminations on faith and morality. Unlike every movie Scorsese has made afterward, After Hours is neither a biopic nor an adaptation. Instead, After Hours is the ostensibly simple story of an average guy’s very bad night.

After Hours
is a darkly hilarious trip into Hell.

Griffin Dunne’s nervy Paul takes a rare risk when he attempts to romance Roseanne Arquette’s Marcy, and things soon go from bad to worse for the beleaguered office worker. A supporting cast including Catherine O’Hara, Terri Garr, John Heard, Cheech and Chong, Dick Miller, and Linda Fiorentino ensure that After Hours is a darkly hilarious trip into Hell, but Scorsese’s largely forgotten After Hours is not merely funny. Paul’s ordeal also becomes oddly existential, tapping into levels of paranoia, unease, and dread that few later imitators could replicate. This makes After Hours the most underrated movie in Martin Scorsese’s career.

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