Martin Scorsesehas been prominent within the filmmaking world for decades now. Even more impressively, he’s made movies quite steadily since rising to prominence more than 50 years ago, and the majority of those films have been of a high quality (everyone’s allowed a misfire or two here and there). His most popular decadesmight be the 1980sordebatably the 1990s, and the 2000s was a notable one, too, given a movie of his finally won Best Picture at the Oscars that decade (The Departed). But then came the 2010s, which could well be the most varied and bold single decade Scorsese’s been active in.
Between 2010 and 2019, Martin Scorsese directed five films: one psychological thriller, one family (!) movie, a darkly comedic crime film, a historical drama, and a downbeat and self-reflective gangster epic. Each film felt distinctly like a Scorsese picture, while continually defying expectations by changing up genres. Notcounting any of his documentary features,what follows is a ranking of the five quality films Scorsese directed in the 2010s. None are anywhere close to bad, and the best rank as some of his all-time greatest, with those five movies covered below, starting with the good and ending with the great.
5’Shutter Island' (2010)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley
Even if it’s not quite thebest thriller Scorsese has ever directed,Shutter Islandmight feel like the “most” thriller movie he’s ever directed, especially whenThe Departed, for example, also functions as a crime/drama film, and something likeAfter Hourscombines thrills with dark comedy.Shutter Island, by contrast,feels most focused on being a slow-burn thriller of a psychological nature, with the mystery genre also being at play rather prominently here (mysteries and thrillers do tend to cross over fairly often, so it makes sense).
Shutter Islandis about a U.S. Marshal investigating the disappearance of a patient from a high-security psychiatric facility, with various aspects of his past coming to the attention of the audience as the film progresses. It’s a film that drags a little in parts, and doesn’t entirely come together as something quite as amazing as some of Scorsese’s best efforts, but there is still a lot to like when it comes toShutter Island. The narrative and where it ends up going is memorable, the film looks good, and theacting is pretty strong across the board. It’s only ranked last because it’s up against several other great movies;Shutter Islandis still more than solid, anda good – albeit not quite great – Scorsese film, at the end of the day.
Shutter Island
4’Hugo' (2011)
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Chloë Grace Moretz
Hugois perhaps the biggest anomaly ofScorsese’s 21st-century filmography so far… or maybe even the most unlikely title in his entire body of work, honestly. It’s first and foremost a family movie, representing something especially new for a filmmaker who’s often most closely associated with the crime genre. It’s not the first time he made something non-crime-related, by any means (not even close), but a Scorsese kid’s movie is extra unexpected, feeling a little likeRobert Rodriguezventuring out of the realmof violent action/crime movies by directingSpy Kidsin 2001. Martin Scorsese, to his credit, does a pretty good job in this somewhat unfamiliar territory.
That being said,Hugois most striking and impactful when it focuses on things kids might likely find boring; namely, the history of film and silent cinema, with pioneeringFrench filmmakerGeorges Mélièsbeing a prominent character here. Some of the attempts to appeal to more child-friendly sensibilities inHugofeel a little awkward in comparison, but the film does still have heart and truly bold visuals. It’s also wild that Martin Scorsese went from one of his darkest films in 2010, withShutter Island, right into one of his gentlest with 2011’sHugo, butthat’s just a good demonstration of the filmmaker’s range, really.
3’Silence' (2016)
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson
Martin Scorsese has explored religion numerous times throughout his career, with 1988’sThe Last Temptation of Christand 2016’sSilencebeing arguably his two films that tackle such a topic most head-on. Bothfilms took a while to come to fruition, but the waits in both instances proved worth it. WithSilence, Scorsese slows things down perhaps the most he’d ever done, with the entire film being long, contemplative, and mostly focused on a small number of key characters. It’s a historical drama with a runtime that’s not too far off three hours, but it’s also not really an epic in the traditional sense.
And that ends up being okay, becauseSilenceworks wonders as an intimate drama that delves into the psychological andemotional obstacles two Jesuit priests facewhile trying to find their mentor in Japan. It’s truly beautiful-looking, and yeah, that can be said about most Scorsese movies, butSilencedoes really shine in this department. It’s also generally successful at being patiently paced without ever feeling boring, andthough it’s an emotionally taxing watch, it is ultimately rewarding for those who stick with it. The performances on offer here are also pretty great, withAndrew Garfieldshining in what ends up being the lead role, and it could well represent the best acting he’s done in a film to date.
2’The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie
Taking the overall feel and style ofGoodfellasand using it all to explore a different kind of crime,The Wolf of Wall Streetfeels likesomething new for Scorsese, even if he’s once again technicallyoperating within the crime genre.The Wolf of Wall Streetlooks at white-collar crime, and unpacks how it can be as destructive as more violent crime, in many ways, all the while being carried out by people who are less at-risk physically, both while they’re committing crime and when they’re eventually caught and “punished.”
It’s a forceful and angry film at times, exploring greed and a darker side of human nature, proving unafraid to suggest that many people – whether they’d want to admit it or not – would want to be likeJordan Belfort, the movie’s central character. But it’s also worth noting that The Wolf of Wall Street manages to besurprisingly funny and quotable throughout, generally finding itself able to condemn or at least be thought-provoking while also succeeding as entertainment. It’s a fascinating and dynamic character study for the real-life Jordan Belfort, and a soaring crime epic… but it wasn’t the only crime epic Scorsese directed in the 2010s, by any means.
The Wolf of Wall Street
1’The Irishman' (2019)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci
That otherbig crime movie directed by Martin Scorsesein the 2010s wasThe Irishman, which at first looked debatably even more like familiar stomping ground for the filmmaker thanThe Wolf of Wall Streethad. After all,The Irishmanseesnumerous legendary gangster movie actorsteaming up with the guy who’s particularly well-known for making such films. It’s a film where organized crime plays a central role, and there’s a historical setting here, too, marking one of many times Scorsese looked at the role of crime in America’s past. There’s also some borderline-signature voiceover narration here, with the central character,Frank Sheeran, reflecting on his past and his time spent being a hitman.
But Sheeran’s at an advanced age, and he looks back on his life much the same way Scorsese is looking back on the genre he’s continually been well-associated with. This givesThe Irishmanasorrowful feeling throughout that’s truly powerful. It is a well-paced, engaging, and sometimes quite funny film, butit’s also a mournful one, humanizing morally questionable characters and dealing with the idea of getting old in an uncompromising way. Couple all that with a stacked cast that includes the likes ofRobert De Niro,Al Pacino, anda reliably greatJoe Pesci, and what you’re left with is the best film Scorsese directed during the 2010s.
