Every Martin Scorsese Gangster Movie: Ranked From Worst To Best

Casino is Scorsese’s most underrated and underappreciated film. It is often (unfairly) compared to Goodfellas, thanks in part to Joe Pesci basically retreading his Oscar winning performance from the 1990 masterpiece. However, Casino employs a completely different approach with its almost docu-drama-like telling of the mafia’s hand in building Las Vegas.

It is certainly one of the director’s most ambitions films, and does at times fall victim to it's own grandiose aspirations, but Scorsese knows his source material, and once again leans on his Italian-American background for authentic details. This leads to Casino feeling bold and truthful in ways that other gangster films could only dream of.

It is three hours in length, but they are the quickest three hours you’ll ever sit through as this lavish crime epic whizzes by. As well as being a master of the genre, Scorsese is also a master at pacing. Many of his films exceed two and half hours, yet rarely feel longer than 90 minutes. Just watch The Wolf of Wall Street if you need further proof!