(Photo by Paramount. Thumbnail image: Universal/courtesy Everett Collection; Netflix / courtesy Everett Collection.)
All Al Pacino Movies Ranked By Tomatomer
The golden age of Hollywood was put to rest in 1969 with the destruction of the Hays Code, which for three decades had been the final authority on morality and goodness within American cinema. The impact was immediate: New York City in the 1970s became the place to make your movie, which had taken on the shape of gritty stories borne from the streets of people on the edge. New York was the new Tinseltown, and Al Pacino was its king.
Pacino made his ’70s debut (and his second overall film appearance) with The Panic in Needle Park, a harrowing romantic drama of addicts in love in the Upper West Side. His third movie gig was just about the biggest step-up you can get: Michael Corleone in The Godfather, on an anti-hero’s journey from benevolent prince to syndicate villain, which got Pacino an Oscar acting nomination. He would repeat noms three more years in a row for Serpico, The Godfather Part II, and Dog Day Afternoon.
As with Martin Scorsese, Roger Deakins, and Leonardo DiCaprio for a while there, it was a running joke how often Pacino got nominated but never won, commensurate to his talent. He would finally win in 1993 (his eighth nomination overall) for Scent of a Woman, which finalized his gradual evolution as a soft, subtle actor in the ’70s to the big, grand performer he’s been known as ever since. This shift in Pacino’s style became first notable in 1983’s Scarface, as the gruff and maniacal Tony Montana.
Post-Scent, ’90s Pacino was still on top of the game with Michael Mann’s epic action classic Heat and investigative thriller The Insider, Certified Fresh gangster dramas Carlito’s Way and Donnie Brasco, The Devil’s Advocate with Keanu Reeves, and football fan-favorite Any Given Sunday.
2002’s Insomnia, directed by Christopher Nolan, would be his last live-action Certified Fresh movie until 2013’s Danny Collins. In-between were a few efforts recalling his heyday, but most were questionable choices like turkey bomb Gigli, the squandered Robert De Niro team-up Righteous Kill, and the bottom-barrel Adam Sandler comedy Jack and Jill. Though we suppose there is a depraved thrill in seeing Pacino sing and dance badly about espresso and foam milk.
And hey, he just had his best year with critics since 1992, when Scent of a Woman and Glengarry Glen Ross both released. 2019 was the year of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Irishman, the latter putting him back in Oscar acting nomination business. And now we look back on a culture-defining career with all Al Pacino movies ranked by Tomatometer! —Alex Vo
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