Every Martin Scorsese Film Ranked Worst To Best

In a lot ways, The Irishman feels like Martin Scorsese's swan song. An epic crime-drama bursting with pitch-perfect performances from Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel and newcomer Stephen Graham, it wouldn't have felt out of place if it was released back in the '90s.

The film follows Frank Sheehan (De Niro), a truck-driver-turned-hitman who befriends infamous union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino) and may have had something to do with his disappearance. Pesci turns up in his first role since 2010 as crime boss Russell Bufalino, and each member of the iconic trio give striking performances informed by their previous gangster roles.

Moving between different key times in Sheehan's life as the hitman himself sits up in a nursing home, The Irishman stands as a reminder that Scorsese is at his best when telling violent and troubling tales of crime and morality.

There are some issues, including the occasionally distracting de-aging effects and the intimidating three-and-a-half hour runtime, but no complaint can take away from how impressive and profound the gangster epic is as a whole.