8 Best movies and shows by Al Pacino after actor claims to be broke
Al Pacino is undeniably a titan in the American film industry. With a career spanning over five decades and starring in more than 50 films, Pacino has starred in some of the biggest titles of the last century.
However, in his recently published memoir, Sonny Boy, Pacino claimed to have gone broke in the later part of his life. According to him, it was because of his lifestyle of excess, financial ignorance, and a corrupted accountant who mismanaged his money and lost a substantial amount to a Ponzi scheme.
Considering the kind of fame and success Al Pacino had gotten at the peak of his career, going broke seems unimaginable. Also, Pacino was not an actor with just one or two box-office successes but numerous more.
With that in mind, below are some of his best works in movies and shows across his career.
The Godfather, Hunters, and more – 8 of Al Pacino’s best works
1) The Godfather
The Godfather is an epic gangster film trilogy from the house of Paramount Pictures. Francis Ford Coppola directed the movie with a screenplay he co-wrote with Mario Puzo, the author of the crime novel, which acted as the source material for the movies.
The cast for the trilogy was quite extensive, with an ensemble of talented actors portraying some of the most pivotal characters. Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Diane Keaton, Richard Bright, James Caan, and Robert Duvall are just a few of them.
Released in 1972, 1974, and 1990, respectively, the trilogy was a critical and commercial success, even winning nine Academy Awards. Although the third installation doesn’t get much attention, the first two parts are often considered among the best films ever made.
Al Pacino played the complex character of Michael Corleone, a decorated war hero and the youngest son to Vito Corleone, the patriarch of an Italian American mafia family. Initially disdainful of his family’s criminal lifestyle, the films see Michael become the next head of his house and a ruthless and powerful mob boss.
In the debate for Al Pacino’s most remembered and iconic role, The Godfather trilogy is a winner.
2) Scarface
Scarface is another epic crime drama film from Universal Pictures. It was directed by Brian de Palma and had a screenplay written by Oliver Stone. The film was a remake of Howard Hawks’ 1932 film of the same name, which in turn was inspired by Armitage Trail’s 1930 novel. De Palma’s Scarface was released in theaters in 1983.
The cast featured Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Robert Loggia, and others in pivotal roles. On its release, Scarface was not exactly a box-office or critics’ favorite for its graphic usage of drugs and excessive violence. However, the film has since been re-evaluated by critics to be a cult classic and one of the best gangster movies out there.
Pacino plays the lead character of Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant who rises the ladder to become an influential drug lord in 1980s Miami. With an unending desire for wealth and power, Tony lives a life of violence and abundance, ultimately bringing about his demise. Pacino’s performance as Tony Montana is often considered among the most iconic characters in cinema history.
3) Hunters
Hunters is a dark conspiracy thriller drama series from the house of Prime Video. Created by David Weil, the show premiered on Prime Video with a 10 episode season in 2020. It was then renewed for a second and final season, which was released with eight episodes in January 2023.
The series featured an ensemble cast featuring Logan Lerman, Al Pacino, Lena Olin, Josh Radnor, Carol Kane, Tiffany Boone, Jerrika Hinton, Greg Austin, and others in pivotal roles. Hunters received widespread praise for its depiction of death camp brutality, stellar cast performances, and well-executed action sequences.
Al Pacino plays the character of Meyer Offerman, a wealthy Holocaust survivor who leads a group of Nazi hunters in late 1970s New York. However, in reality, Offerman is a former Nazi himself, originally called Wilhelm Zuchs. He had killed the real Offerman and took his place to evade arrest for being a Nazi.
Hunters is Al Pacino’s first lead role in a series and is a gripping watch.
4) Dog Day Afternoon
Dog Day Afternoon is a true crime drama thriller from the house of Warner Bros. Pictures. The film was directed by Sidney Lumet, with a screenplay written by Frank Pierson, based on a Life magazine article written by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore, “The Boys in the Bank.” The film premiered at the 1975 San Sebastián International Film Festival before releasing in theaters.
The cast features Al Pacino, John Cazale, Penelope Anne, James Broderick, and Charles Durningz among many others in pivotal roles. The film was a box-office favorite, with critics praising Pacino’s performance and the exceptional storytelling.
Al Pacino plays the character of Sonny Wortzik, a man who tries to rob a bank to get enough money for his partner’s sex reassignment surgery. Sonny is a complex character marked by nuances such as commitment, kindness, impulsiveness, and desperation.
5) Heat
Heat is a crime action drama from Warner Bros. Pictures. The film was written and directed by Michael Mann, with its origin rooted in his very own 1989 TV film, L.A. Takedown. Mann had originally written the screenplay in 1979, taking inspiration from Chicago police officer Chuck Adamson’s pursuit of Neil McCauley, a criminal who organized multiple heists across Chicago.
The cast features Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Jon Voight, and others in pivotal roles throughout the film. The film was released in theaters in 1995 to become a commercial success and a critical favorite. Mann’s direction and De Niro and Pacino’s performance were subjects of critical praise.
Al Pacino plays Lieutenant Vincent Hannah, an LAPD detective who goes after Robert De Niro’s Nei McCauley. His strong sense of justice often intervenes with his interpersonal relationships and marriage. Hannah’s character is also marked by his growing moral ambiguity in his pursuit of justice.
6) The Irishman
The Irishman is an epic gangster film from the house of Netflix. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the screenplay was written by Steven Zaillian, basing it on Charles Brandt’s 2004 narrative non-fiction book, I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran and Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa.
The film premiered at the 2019 New York Film Festival before getting a limited theatrical release in November 2019. It arrived for streaming on Netflix at the end of the month. The cast featured prominent actors like Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Ray Romano, Harvey Keitel, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, and others in pivotal roles.
The Irishman was the first time Al Pacino and Martin Scorsese worked together during their illustrious careers. Portraying the character of Jimmy Hoffa, Pacino did what he does best. Hoffa’s character is the ambition-driven leader of the Teamsters Union with a larger-than-life personality.
7) Angels in America
Angels in America is a romantic fantasy drama mini-series from the house of HBO. The series was directed by Mike Nichols, with Tony Kushner writing the screenplay as an on-screen adaptation of his own Pulitzer prize-winning 1991 play of the same name. The series arrived on HBO in 2003 in two parts, coinciding with the play’s Millenium Approaches and Perestroika, each with three one-hour episodes.
The series starred Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeffrey Wright, and Patrick Wilson among others in pivotal roles. Angels in America received widespread critical acclaim and became one of the most-watched TV movies that year. The title also won all major categories at the 2004 Primetime Emmy, alongside all the nominations at the Golden Globes.
Angels in America stars Al Pacino in the central role of Roy Cohn, an influential and corrupt lawyer in 1985 New York. Cohn refuses to acknowledge his AIDS diagnosis and homosexuality despite his undeniable mortality as a reflection of the social toxicity of the era.
8) Serpico
Serpico is a biographical crime drama film from the house of Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by Sidney Lumet with a screenplay written by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler as an on-screen adaptation of Peter Mass’s book of the same name. The filmwas released in theaters in 1973.
The film starred Al Pacino in the titular role alongside John Randolph, Jack Kehoe, Biff McGuire, Barbara Eda-Young, and Cornelia Sharpie, among others, in pivotal roles. Serpico was released in theaters in 1973 to widespread critical acclaim and box-office success. However, its theme and content attracted flak from police officers.
Pacino portrays the character of John Randolph, the whistleblower cop who exposed the rampant corruption in the 1960s and early 1970s NYPD.
These are the top picks of movies and TV shows starring Al Pacino. While these are considered to be Pacino’s best works, he has done numerous more titles that have seen acclaim and success.
Source: Sportskeeda
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