Martin Scorsese’s 10 Highest Grossing Movies To Watch Before Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese 's films have never been box office hits, even though he is a living classic of cinema. You will not find among his films those that have earned not only more than a billion dollars, but even more than 500 million.

In order to go to Killers of the Flower Moon fully prepared, let’s recall the ten most successful and recognized movies of the great director.

10. Goodfellas – $47M

Martin Scorsese knows a thing or two about a good gangster movie. Irrefutable proof of this is the brilliant crime thriller Goodfellas, which shows the harsh gangster reality of the 70s.

The movie established the canon of the genre for many years, the main component of which was the detailed, almost documentary direction. Many critics believe that no one has been able to portray the everyday life of the Mafia more realistically.

9. The Color of Money – $52M

The Color of Money is a sequel to the popular 1961 gambling noir The Hustler with Paul Newman in the title role.

The movie is one of Scorsese's most brutal, but not in the sense of bloodthirstiness. The subtext of two men fighting for dominance runs throughout the whole movie, making The Color of Money perhaps Scorsese's second best project about confrontation.

8. Casino – $110M

Casino reunited Scorsese with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, but the movie doesn't try to replicate the success of Goodfellas and goes its own way.

A fairly detailed and thoughtful depiction of crime, it contains some of the best artistic touches of Scorsese's career, from the panning camera that follows the movement of money from the casino floor to the cash register to the final scene that clearly shows how one form of villainy replaces another.

7. Hugo – $180M

For decades, Scorsese has explored the world of gangsters, but in the early 2010s he brought a completely new hero to the screen. This is Hugo Cabret, a 12-year-old watchmaker who goes on an adventure after the death of his father.

It is a true fairy tale, set in breathtaking landscapes, telling the story of adventure through the stunning performances of the main characters. And, be the way, one of them is played by Asa Butterfield, our favorite Otis from Sex Education.

6. Cape Fear – $182M

After the triumph of Goodfellas Scorsese made a Hitchcockian thriller about sin and redemption.

Cape Fear is not a traditional tale of good versus evil. A convicted madman leaves prison to get revenge on the lawyer who defended him but also ruined him by hiding the truth in the name of justice. This is a movie about a battle of wits and dirty secrets that you will inevitably have to answer for.

5. Gangs of New York – $183M

You may have forgotten the plot and details of this mid-19th century crime epic, but you're unlikely to have forgotten any of Daniel Day-Lewis' scenes. His monologue on fear, delivered while draped in an American flag, or his speech on killing while slaughtering a pig.

Gangs of New York marks the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays one of the main roles.

4. The Aviator – $208M

Always drawn to stories about real people, Scorsese took on the biography of billionaire Howard Hughes (played, of course, by Leonardo DiCaprio), one of the most interesting and enigmatic figures in American history.

The Aviator is an analysis of how a successful and strong man degenerates into an eccentric recluse due to mental disorders. The movie was nominated for 11 Oscars, won five and deservedly appears on all lists of the best biopics in the history of cinema.

3. The Departed – $289M

You know that grinning, annoying rat from the final scene of The Departed, right? The one that loyal fans even cut out of the "perfect" (according to them) cut of the movie. For now, let's pretend the rat doesn't exist, because otherwise The Departed is a masterful crime thriller.

Scorsese is at the top of his game: two and a half hours of suspense, amazing performances from everyone without exception: Jack Nicholson is at his most brilliant as a villain, perhaps since The Shining, and Leo is trapped and tortured, and we are not even close to ever seeing him like this again.

2. Shutter Island – $299M

Scorsese didn't make horrors, but when he did, it turned out to be a masterpiece in the spirit of The Shining. Leonardo DiCaprio played one of the most dramatic roles of his career – a detective investigating strange cases in a creepy psychiatric hospital.

Some call Shutter Island a new noir classic, others call it a stupid movie that only talented people could make. Scorsese portrayed the most poetic death in the history of cinema, telling the story of a madman who admits that it is better to die as a man than to live as a monster.

1.The Wolf of Wall Street – $389M

Scorsese and DiCaprio's fifth movie together, telling the story of New York broker Jordan Belfort, shocked audiences with an energy and downright youthful recklessness that no one expected from the 70-year-old living classic.

The Wolf of Wall Street also became the most commercially successful project of Scorsese's entire career, grossing nearly $400 million worldwide, despite the fact that the word "f*ck" was uttered 569 times on screen, which led to the film being banned in five countries.