If you’re looking for a good crime drama to sink your teeth into this month, Peacock has you covered with a wide selection of options ,including some classic gangster movies that are worth watching again and again. If you haven’t watched them yet, now is the perfect time to check each one off your list so you can join the decades-long conversations about them.
Among three Peacock crime dramas you should watch in May, we’re looking at iconic movies starring the likes of Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci. Yes, it’s the movies you’re thinking of and they’re all available to stream right now.
Carlito’s Way (1993)
Al Pacino plays the title character, Carlito Brigante,in this underrated crime drama from master director Brian De Palma. It’s the age-old story of a former criminal who wants to go straight and get out of the business. But once you’re in, getting out is easier said than done. Pulled back into a life of crime, and risking his freedom and life once again, Brigante does what needs to be done to be set free from the chains of the criminal underworld.
Carlito’s Way is heavy on violence, highlighting Pacino’s signature gangster style that makes you both fear and root for him in the same breath. The film also features a spell-binding, transformative performance from Sean Penn as Brigante’s coked-up, crooked lawyer. The movie wasn’t initially well-received but through the decades, it has since developed a cult following. Carlito’s Way is one of those must-see gangster movies that takes you on a wild ride the whole way through.
Stream Carlito’s Way on Peaocock.
Casino (1995)
Casino is an epic crime film from Martin Scorsese, and one of many to feature a collaboration between the legendary director and Robert DeNiro. Casino is adapted from Nicholas Pileggi’s non-fiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas. In the film, Sam “Ace” Rothstein (DeNiro) is tasked with overseeing hotel operations at the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. But the involvement of the Mafia in the establishment’s business presents unforeseen challenges.
Characters are based on real people, including Rothstein, who is based on Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, a mob associate who once ran the Stardust, Fremont, Marina, and Hacienda casinos. Joe Pesci’s Nicky is based on mob enforcer Anthony Spilotro. The standout in the film, however, is Ginger (Sharon Stone), based on dancer and socialite Geri McGee. Stone earned an Academy Award nomination for the portrayal. If you loved Goodfellas, Casino is worth watching, too.
Stream Casino on Peacock.
Scarface (1983)
Chances are you have seen Scarface a dozen times already. But chances are you’re also probably happy to watch it a dozen times more. Now, you can do so with a Peacock subscription. The crime drama from Brian De Palma is a remake of the 1932 movie of the same name starring Al Pacino and a young, pre-Catwoman Michelle Pfeiffer. Pacino is Cuban refugee Tony Montana, who arrives in Miami and swiftly rises to power as a drug lord. Montana is a man who you shouldn’t cross, as he proves through the excessive violence in the movie.
Scarface is widely considered to be one of the best gangster movies ever made. The movie has garnered cult status over the decades and has become part of pop culture history. From the iconic scenes and lines that are often imitated (“Say hello to my little friend!”) to Pacino’s memorable Cuban accent in the movie, Scarface is one of those movies you probably had a poster of in your room at one point in time.
Stream Scarface on Peacock.
