50 Martin Scorsese Movies & TV Shows, Ranked Best to Worst

Deemed ‘one of the greatest films ever made’ and winner of numerous awards, Goodfellas is a crime movie adapted from the 1985 non-fiction book Wiseguy by crime reporter Nicholas Pileggi. The film follows the rise and fall of the real life American mobster Henry Hill who eventually became an informant. 

This Academy Award-winning crime drama is a tale of two newly graduated officers from Massachusetts State Police Academy. Billy Costigan goes undercover to gain the trust of Irish-American mobster Frank Costello, while Costello's protégé Colin Sullivan joins the police as his informer. Chaos ensues as both try to expose the other in order to survive.

Depressed and insomniac ex-Marine Travis Bickle drives taxi in New York City at night. He ruins his budding romance with Betsy, beautiful presidential campaign volunteer, by taking her to the adult theaters he frequents during the day. After he witnesses an adolescent prostitute being forced by her pimp, he is determined to rid mankind of the engulfing decadence.

This biographical film focuses on the rise of Jordan Belfort from an entry-level employee at a brokerage firm to founding his own firm that engaged in massive security scams involving widespread corruption on Wall Street. However, his decadent lifestyle of sex, drugs and excess led to his downfall by attracting the attention of the FBI.

U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels, who has personal reasons to investigate Ashecliffe Hospital, an institution for the criminally insane on Shutter Island, is assigned the case of a strange disappearance of a woman from a locked room. As he digs deeper into the sinister operations of the asylum, he begins to lose his grasp of reality.

Based on Nicholas Pileggi’s book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas, the movie follows the rise of mobster Sam “Ace” Rothstein after he takes charge of Las Vegas’ Tangiers Casino. Complicated personal relationships, corrupt politicians and the ever-changing Las Vegas eventually leads to his fall. 

Based on the real story of Jake LaMotta, a middleweight boxer, the film details how his paranoia, jealousy and sexual insecurity drive his rage on the ring as he eyes the middleweight championship. However, the same rage burns his relationships with his wife and his brother cum manager, destroying his career and his personal life.

The Last Waltz is a documentary musical film which revolves around a concert by the Band, a Canadian-American rock group. It was held on 25th November 1976, on American Thanksgiving Day, in Winterland Ballroom, in San Francisco.

A documentary film with archival footage and interviews concerning the life of the singer-songwriter and lead guitarist of the famous British rock band The Beatles.

Rupert Pupkin, an aspiring comedian who has never performed for a real audience, is obsessed with the idea of being a celebrity like his idol, talk-show host Jerry Langford. After a brief exchange with Langford, Rupert assumes that now he’ll get his big chance. When he fails to reach Langford, Rupert decides to kidnap him to gain a break in his show.

The Irishman is a crime drama film which revolves around a truck driver named Frank Sheeran, who becomes part of the Bufalino crime family. Over time, he climbs the ranks to become a top hitman.

After Hours is a dark comedy film, which tells the story of a New York office worker, who is invited for a late night date with a woman he just met. He agrees, but the date turns out to be eventually a nightmare. 

Set in the New York slums in 1863, the movie Gangs of New York explores a violent Catholic-Protestant feud and an Irish immigrant protest that take place simultaneously. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards.

The movie follows the life of Howard Hughes from 1927-1947. During this time, Hughes achieved massive success in Hollywood and also devoted quality time and money in the aviation industry. He romanced beautiful women like Katharine Hepburn and made powerful enemies like Juan Trippe and Senator Ralph Owen Brewster. All this while, his OCD worsened.

Hugo, an orphan boy, sneakily maintains the clocks of the Paris train station he lives in while his uncle is mysteriously missing. He often steals toy parts from bitter store owner Georges to repair an automaton found by his late father, but it can only be activated with a special key in possession of Georges' goddaughter Isabelle.

This religious drama film depicts the life of Jesus Christ; his various struggles through life, his revolutionary actions and his final temptation on the cross. 

The documentary by Martin Scorsese focuses on the life of actor Steven Prince, who portrayed Easy Andy in Taxi Driver. Prince recounts his life as an ex-drug addict, as a road manager to Neil Diamond, his working at a gas station and being forced to shoot a man who attacked him with a knife. 

One of the earliest works of famed director Martin Scorsese, this short film is a miniature epic based on a well-known TV series named 77 Sunset Strip.

Max Cady, who served 14 years in jail for raping and brutalizing a young woman, believes that his defense attorney Sam Bowden deliberately withheld crucial evidence that would have lightened his sentence. He studied law and sculpted his body while in jail, and is now hell-bent on taking revenge by terrorizing the Bowden family.

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is a comedy drama film which tells the story of a woman who recently loses her husband. She hits the road with her young son, and is determined to make a new life for herself as a singer.

Young Italian-American, Charlie Cappa, is torn between his devout Catholicism and his illegal work for his Mafioso uncle Giovanni, in Little Italy, New York. When his young friend, Johnny Boy, ends up in trouble with loan sharks, Charlie, Johnny, and Charlie’s girlfriend, Teresa, try to leave the town but Johnny’s enemies catch up with them. 

This romantic drama film revolves around a lawyer, Newland Archer, who is happily engaged to May. His life however turns upside down when he meets and falls in love with her cousin, a woman separated from her husband. 

In 17th century, two Jesuit priests travel to Japan, trying to locate their mentor, who they have heard has committed apostasy. Once there, they find that Christians have gone underground and if caught are subjected to inhuman torture. They too are caught and while one of them embraces death, the other decides to apostate in order to save the life of his followers. 

Former pool hustler ‘Fast’ Eddie Felson takes in a new apprentice, the talented and charismatic Vincent Lauria. As he keeps teaching Vincent and his girlfriend Carmen, Eddie and Vincent have a falling out, thanks to Vincent’s showboating and jealousy. When Eddie takes up playing again, he ends up in a game against Vincent. 

A man is shaving away his hair, and eventually even his skin, leading to an increasingly bloody and graphic bathroom scene. His self-mutilation can be interpreted as the self-destructive involvement of the US in the Vietnam War.

Frank Pierce, a Manhattan paramedic working on two-man ambulance team, is exhausted and worn out after witnessing deaths and near-death patients. He starts losing his sanity, and hallucinates about the patients he couldn’t save. While working with three different eccentric colleagues, he even tries to get fired. Then, he clutches to a ray of hope as he befriends a heart-patient’s daughter, Mary.  

Street Scenes is a documentary film which revolves around the anti-war protests and demonstrations against the Vietnam War all over the US.  

An aspiring young saxophonist falls for a singer and the two start a relationship. However, it becomes difficult for them to try to excel in their careers, and maintain their relationship at the same time.

JR is a Catholic man who develops feelings for a girl. They decide to get married and settle down, but things get complicated when he learns that the girl was raped before. He changes his mind about their marriage, but he is still unable to forget her.

As he looks back at his modest beginning as a bootlegger, middle-aged mobster Murray acknowledges the support of his friend Joe in his journey towards becoming successful and influential. However, Murray's blind fondness for Joe is soon revealed to be misplaced as the latter doesn't hesitate to backstab him by sleeping with his wife.

New York Stories is an anthology drama film which tells us three different stories, all of them taking place in New York. The first one tells the story of Lionel, a middle-aged artist, who is infatuated with his assistant. The second story revolves around a 12 year old girl who lives in a luxurious hotel. The third one deals with a New York lawyer dealing with his possessive mother.     

Boxcar Bertha is a romantic crime drama film which takes us to the time of the Great Depression. The film revolves around a union leader and a young woman, who are both forced to a life of crime. They eventually join forces on a revenge mission.

The movie follows the life of Howard Hughes from 1927-1947. During this time, Hughes achieved massive success in Hollywood and also devoted quality time and money in the aviation industry. He romanced beautiful women like Katharine Hepburn and made powerful enemies like Juan Trippe and Senator Ralph Owen Brewster. All this while, his OCD worsened.

Former pool hustler ‘Fast’ Eddie Felson takes in a new apprentice, the talented and charismatic Vincent Lauria. As he keeps teaching Vincent and his girlfriend Carmen, Eddie and Vincent have a falling out, thanks to Vincent’s showboating and jealousy. When Eddie takes up playing again, he ends up in a game against Vincent. 

The Grifters is a crime drama thriller film which tells the story of Roy Dillon, a conman, whose life gets complicated when his estranged mother returns home, and doesn’t seem to like his girlfriend. Soon both women seem to battle for Roy’s attention.

Frank Pierce, a Manhattan paramedic working on two-man ambulance team, is exhausted and worn out after witnessing deaths and near-death patients. He starts losing his sanity, and hallucinates about the patients he couldn’t save. While working with three different eccentric colleagues, he even tries to get fired. Then, he clutches to a ray of hope as he befriends a heart-patient’s daughter, Mary.  

Depressed and insomniac ex-Marine Travis Bickle drives taxi in New York City at night. He ruins his budding romance with Betsy, beautiful presidential campaign volunteer, by taking her to the adult theaters he frequents during the day. After he witnesses an adolescent prostitute being forced by her pimp, he is determined to rid mankind of the engulfing decadence.

Based on the real story of Jake LaMotta, a middleweight boxer, the film details how his paranoia, jealousy and sexual insecurity drive his rage on the ring as he eyes the middleweight championship. However, the same rage burns his relationships with his wife and his brother cum manager, destroying his career and his personal life.

Rupert Pupkin, an aspiring comedian who has never performed for a real audience, is obsessed with the idea of being a celebrity like his idol, talk-show host Jerry Langford. After a brief exchange with Langford, Rupert assumes that now he’ll get his big chance. When he fails to reach Langford, Rupert decides to kidnap him to gain a break in his show.

Life Itself is a biographical documentary film which revolves around the life of Roger Ebert, a well-known film critic and social commentator.

Yume is a fantasy drama film directed by Akira Kurosawa, in which he portrays eight different dreams he had experienced.

Based on 1950s’ scandal about rigged TV quiz show ’21,’ the film follows Congressional investigator Richard Goodwin as he probes the scam. The former champion Herbert Stempel claimed that the show was fraud when the network’s new contestant, member of renowned literary family, Charles Van Doren became a national celebrity with his consistent wins on ’21.’ But Goodwin uncovered the network’s deception. 

This musical drama film tells the story of a troubled but talented musician Dale Turner, who is estranged from his family, and is also struggling with alcoholism. Eventually he flees the US hoping to escape his problems, and finds refuge in Paris.

Musician Renzo Arbore has a vision of Don Gabriel who brings a message from the Vatican that the Pope was impressed by a beer commercial in which Renzo was the spokesman. Therefore he is going to be hired as the artistic director of the newly-formed organization Vatican State Television.  

Street Scenes is a documentary film which revolves around the anti-war protests and demonstrations against the Vietnam War all over the US.  

Guilty by Suspicion is a drama film which tells the story of film director David Merrill, a film director, who faces various struggles in his life, after he is forbidden from Hollywood, due to his alleged involvement with communists.

The Muse

A coy Buckman participates in the Trans-American Grand Prix, an underground road racing spanning the continent with his Pontiac. The rules are clear, that there are no rules, no heed for law and no speed limits. The participants will do anything to win this race which includes dirty tricks and low-down.

Violent shark Frankie is accidentally killed while trying to convince his vegetarian brother Lenny to become a killer like the rest of the family by eating the small fish Oscar. Oscar exploits the situation by claiming to have killed the shark himself, only to find out that he was the son of fearsome crime lord Don Edward Lino.

This documentary short film presents a short but detailed account on the making of the crime film Goodfellas. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film is know for redefining the Mafia on the big screen.

After Hours is a dark comedy film, which tells the story of a New York office worker, who is invited for a late night date with a woman he just met. He agrees, but the date turns out to be eventually a nightmare. 

Set in the New York slums in 1863, the movie Gangs of New York explores a violent Catholic-Protestant feud and an Irish immigrant protest that take place simultaneously. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards.

Hugo, an orphan boy, sneakily maintains the clocks of the Paris train station he lives in while his uncle is mysteriously missing. He often steals toy parts from bitter store owner Georges to repair an automaton found by his late father, but it can only be activated with a special key in possession of Georges' goddaughter Isabelle.

The documentary by Martin Scorsese focuses on the life of actor Steven Prince, who portrayed Easy Andy in Taxi Driver. Prince recounts his life as an ex-drug addict, as a road manager to Neil Diamond, his working at a gas station and being forced to shoot a man who attacked him with a knife. 

Young Italian-American, Charlie Cappa, is torn between his devout Catholicism and his illegal work for his Mafioso uncle Giovanni, in Little Italy, New York. When his young friend, Johnny Boy, ends up in trouble with loan sharks, Charlie, Johnny, and Charlie’s girlfriend, Teresa, try to leave the town but Johnny’s enemies catch up with them. 

This romantic drama film revolves around a lawyer, Newland Archer, who is happily engaged to May. His life however turns upside down when he meets and falls in love with her cousin, a woman separated from her husband. 

JR is a Catholic man who develops feelings for a girl. They decide to get married and settle down, but things get complicated when he learns that the girl was raped before. He changes his mind about their marriage, but he is still unable to forget her.

New York Stories is an anthology drama film which tells us three different stories, all of them taking place in New York. The first one tells the story of Lionel, a middle-aged artist, who is infatuated with his assistant. The second story revolves around a 12 year old girl who lives in a luxurious hotel. The third one deals with a New York lawyer dealing with his possessive mother.     

Boxcar Bertha is a romantic crime drama film which takes us to the time of the Great Depression. The film revolves around a union leader and a young woman, who are both forced to a life of crime. They eventually join forces on a revenge mission.