10 Essential Movie Scenes Only Available In Extended Cuts

Loosely based on the real-life story of Joseph D. Pistone, an FBI officer who went undercover as one Donnie Brasco to infiltrate the mafia, this taut crime-thriller has always been held in high regard for its tightly-wound suspense and skillful escalation of its stakes.

Throughout the course of the film, Donnie forms a close friendship with Mafia hit-man Benjamin Ruggiero, one that sees Donnie swiftly moving down a morally grey path as he becomes conflicted between doing his job, and covering the tracks of someone he has grown so attached to.

There are many instances throughout the film where Donnie's cover is almost blown, but it's this excised scene of Donnie's wife Maggie talking to his superiors at the FBI about an unexpected audit that feels sorely missed in the film's theatrical cut. It may only feel like a minor inclusion, but this exchange between Maggie and the FBI creates further tension as Donnie's misdeeds alongside the Mafia could so easily become exposed.

Its inclusion raises the stakes to an almost unbelievable level, making the rest of the film's run-time a nail-biting experience. Which only makes us question why the hell they cut it out in the first place?