Martin Scorsese’s latest masterpiece Killers of the Flower Moon has impressed critics and audiences around the world. However, as many would know, it’s definitely not the first time that the legendary director has successfully collaborated with Leonardo DiCaprio. The Apple TV film marks the sixth time that Scorsese and DiCaprio have joined forces and their track record remains unblemished.
Essential Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese movies, ranked
If you’re wondering where to get started with Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio’s best movies, look no further than this list. Let’s rank all of their five previous collaborations (excluding Killers of the Flower Moon) and understand why this legendary combination remains unparalleled in world cinema.
5) Gangs of New York (2002)
Genre: Period drama
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Liam Neeson, John C Reilly
Duration: 168 minutes
In Gangs of New York, Leonardo DiCaprio excels as Amsterdam Vallon, a young Irish immigrant who has just come out of prison in 1860s New York. He seeks vengeance against his father’s killer – the terrifying Bill the Butcher. The film turned out to be a massive critical and commercial success even with its $100 million budget, which was unusual for a Scorsese film at the time.
The first ever collaboration between Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese comes at the end of this list simply because Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance overshadows all aspects of the film, including DiCaprio’s role. The film’s excessive and intricate production design and its sprawling narrative works just as well as it did twenty years ago when it was released.
4) The Aviator (2004)
Genre: Biopic, history
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C Reilly, Alec Baldwin
Duration: 166 minutes
Leonardo DiCaprio’s groundbreaking performance as Howard Hughes in this biopic still remains as one of his career-best roles. The actor stunningly captures how the eccentric billionaire’s obsessive nature led to his downfall and turned him into an isolated madman. The tale of the aviation pioneer and filmmaker is still one of Hollywood’s biggest rise-and-fall stories.
The film earned 11 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Director for Martin Scorsese and a first ever Best Actor nomination for Leonardo DiCaprio. The superstar does an excellent job at portraying Howard Hughes’ behavioral traits including his obsessive compulsive disorder which led to his isolation.
3) Shutter Island (2010)
Genre: Psychological thriller
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow
Duration: 138 minutes
This is one of those films from Martin Scorsese’s filmography that has become almost uncharacteristic of his style. Over the years, the director has been synonymous with mob movies that Shutter Island almost feels like it’s a Christopher Nolan movie. In fact, the film does carry that Nolan essence of mind-bending from his works like Memento, The Prestige or even Inception, which shares the same lead actor, Leonardo DiCaprio.
His role as Teddy Daniels, a US Marshal who supposedly visits an asylum on an island, is essential to the film’s lasting impact on its audiences and how it has them confused (in a good way) until the very end. Shutter Island initially received only mixed to positive reactions. However, over the years, the film has become a cult classic among Scorsese’s loyal fans.
2) The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Biopic
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler
Duration: 179 minutes
The Wolf of Wall Street is easily the most recognizable film among Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio’s collaborations. It’s heavily loaded with the auteur’s signature style of fast-paced and dizzying storytelling while also capturing the depths of human greed. The film was also the longest among other Scorsese-DiCaprio films until Killers of the Flower Moon which clocks at 196 minutes.
While The Wolf of Wall Street is supposed to be a cautionary tale of what can happen to people if they let their greed run loose, it’s still a wildly entertaining and irreverent comedy. The film is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort and how he used his firm Stratton Oakmont to defraud wealthy investors out of millions of dollars.
1) The Departed (2006)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen
Duration: 152 minutes
Despite being a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, The Departed stands tall among Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese’s collaborations. Alongside other classics like Goodfellas or The Godfather, The Departed is a modern example of how to make a gangster drama that hits you hard.
DiCaprio’s Billy Costigan and Matt Damon’s Colin Sullivan go head-to-head as they infiltrate each other’s organizations – the mob and the police department respectively. Jack Nicholson’s outstanding role as mob boss Frank Costello holds the film in place and adds a great deal of authenticity to it.
Other works of Scorsese-DiCaprio
The duo has even collaborated for a 2015 short film called The Audition as an advertisement for casinos in China and the Philippines. This was actually the first time Martin Scorsese worked together in the same project with Leonardo DiCaprio and his other longtime collaborator Robert de Niro on screen.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s four latest movies.
His possible upcoming projects include:
•The Wager, dir. Martin Scorsese
•Roosevelt, dir. Martin Scorsese
•Jim Jones
•untitled film, dir. Paul Thomas AndersonHe’s also set to produce multiple projects such as Taika Waititi’s Akira. pic.twitter.com/fkWM67P5T3
— Barry Skywalker | SHIN HATI APOLOGIST (@BarrySkywalker1) October 22, 2023
Interestingly, Scorsese and de Niro have worked in ten feature films together including the latest Killers of the Flower Moon. Following this, Scorsese and DiCaprio are reportedly joining forces once again for The Wager, a film based on a novel written by David Grann, who wrote the source material for Killers of the Flower Moon as well.
Where do you think Killers of the Flower Moon ranks in this list of movie collaborations between Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese?
