HomeNewPopular Lists Sportsguide

The Best Al Pacino Movies Ranked and Where To Watch Them

Published on

Al Pacino is often considered one of the best actors of all time. He has well over 50 acting credits to his name, as well as nine Oscar nominations and a staggering 19 Golden Globe nominations. After appearing in his third film, The Godfather, he sprung to international stardom and has continued producing award-winning performances. For those wishing to dive into his film career, this guide will demonstrate where to watch his 15 must-see roles.

Of course, ranking Pacino’s movies is difficult when he boasts over 50 performances, including numerous hidden gems and critically acclaimed films. However, there’s little debate that The Godfather stands apart as his very best. He nabbed the role of Michael Corleone when he was still an unknown actor in Hollywood and dazzled audiences with one of the best performances of a hero’s fall into villainy. Pacino and Marlon Brando contributed significantly to The Godfather’s status as a masterpiece.

Meanwhile, The Godfather II is a close second to the original movie. It became the first sequel to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture and is sometimes even considered better than its predecessor due to the impeccable screenwriting and performances from Pacino and Robert De Niro.

Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, The Insider, and Scent of a Woman aren’t far behind. Serpico proved Pacino could play the good guy just as well as a mob boss, and the picture has remained strikingly relevant in recent times with its commentary on the police force. Meanwhile, Dog Day Afternoon and Scent of a Woman show Pacino’s acting range as he proves adept at two very different dramas. He earned his first and only Oscar win for starring opposite Chris O’Donnell in Scent of a Woman and perfectly portraying the retired and hopeless Lt. Col. Frank Slade.

There are also several lesser-known or underrated films that Pacino excelled in, such as …And Justice for All, Scarface, and Donnie Brasco. There is also The Devil’s Advocate, which he starred in alongside Keanu Reeves.

Discover more of Al Pacino’s movies with this list of his 15 best movies, ranked by his performance and the film’s quality.

  1. The Godfather

    The Godfather

    1972

    IMDB 9.2 (2m)

    #1

    Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.

  2. The Godfather Part II

    #2

    In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba.

  3. Serpico

    Serpico

    1973

    IMDB 7.7 (134k)

    #3

    Frank Serpico is an idealistic New York City cop who refuses to take bribes, unlike the rest of the force. His actions get Frank shunned by the other officers, and often placed in dangerous situations by his partners. When his superiors ignore Frank's accusations of corruption, he decides to go public with the allegations. Although this causes the Knapp Commission to investigate his claims, Frank has also placed a target on himself.

  4. Scent of a Woman

    Scent of a Woman

    1992

    IMDB 8.0 (328k)

    #4

    Charlie Simms is a student at a private preparatory school who comes from a poor family. To earn the money for his flight home to Gresham, Oregon for Christmas, Charlie takes a job over Thanksgiving looking after retired U.S. Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, a cantankerous middle-aged man who lives with his niece and her family.

  5. Dog Day Afternoon

    Dog Day Afternoon

    1975

    IMDB 8.0 (272k)

    #5

    Based on the true story of would-be Brooklyn bank robbers John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile. Sonny and Sal attempt a bank heist which quickly turns sour and escalates into a hostage situation and stand-off with the police. As Sonny's motives for the robbery are slowly revealed and things become more complicated, the heist turns into a media circus.

  6. The Insider

    The Insider

    1999

    IMDB 7.8 (178k)

    #6

    A research chemist comes under personal and professional attack when he decides to appear in a 60 Minutes exposé on Big Tobacco.

  7. Donnie Brasco

    Donnie Brasco

    1997

    IMDB 7.7 (332k)

    #7

    An FBI undercover agent infiltrates the mob and identifies more with the mafia life at the expense of his regular one.

  8. ...And Justice for All

    #8

    An ethical Baltimore defense lawyer disgusted with rampant legal corruption is forced to defend a judge he despises in a rape trial under the threat of being disbarred.

  9. Scarface

    Scarface

    1983

    IMDB 8.3 (915k)

    #9

    After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall.

  10. Glengarry Glen Ross

    Glengarry Glen Ross

    1992

    IMDB 7.7 (116k)

    #10

    When an office full of Chicago real estate salesmen is given the news that all but the top two will be fired at the end of the week, the atmosphere begins to heat up. Shelley Levene, who has a sick daughter, does everything in his power to get better leads from his boss, John Williamson, but to no avail. When his coworker Dave Moss comes up with a plan to steal the leads, things get complicated for the tough-talking salesmen.

  11. Insomnia

    Insomnia

    2002

    IMDB 7.2 (318k)

    #11

    Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.

  12. The Devil's Advocate

    The Devil's Advocate

    1997

    IMDB 7.5 (401k)

    #12

    Aspiring Florida defense lawyer Kevin Lomax accepts a job at a New York law firm. With the stakes getting higher every case, Kevin quickly learns that his boss has something far more evil planned.

  13. Heat

    Heat

    1995

    IMDB 8.3 (718k)

    #13

    Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.

  14. The Irishman

    The Irishman

    2019

    IMDB 7.8 (430k)

    #14

    Pennsylvania, 1956. Frank Sheeran, a war veteran of Irish origin who works as a truck driver, accidentally meets mobster Russell Bufalino. Once Frank becomes his trusted man, Bufalino sends him to Chicago with the task of helping Jimmy Hoffa, a powerful union leader related to organized crime, with whom Frank will maintain a close friendship for nearly twenty years.

  15. Carlito's Way

    Carlito's Way

    1993

    IMDB 7.9 (232k)

    #15

    A Puerto-Rican ex-con, just released from prison, pledges to stay away from drugs and violence despite the pressure around him, and lead a better life outside NYC.