Once Upon a Time in America

Play trailer

Once Upon a Time in America

R

1984

2h 19m

Crime

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

56 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

In 1968, the elderly David "Noodles" Aaronson (Robert De Niro) returns to New York, where he had a career in the criminal underground in the '20s and '30s. Most of his old friends, like longtime partner Max (James Woods), are long gone, yet he feels his past is unresolved. Told in flashbacks, the film follows Noodles from a tough kid in a Jewish slum in New York's Lower East Side, through his rise to bootlegger and then Mafia boss -- a journey marked by violence, betrayal and remorse.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Sergio Leone's epic crime drama is visually stunning, stylistically bold, and emotionally haunting, and filled with great performances from the likes of Robert De Niro and James Woods.

Read Critics Reviews

Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

09/13/2023

It isn’t just the echoing moments that keep you absorbed. It’s those reverberant dreamland settings and Leone’s majestic, billowing sense of film movement; the images seem to come at you in waves of feeling.

Go to Full Review

Paul Attanasio

Washington Post

01/04/2018

The movie's four hours long, but no one had the time to write a single real character.

Go to Full Review

Gary Arnold

Washington Post

05/05/2017

This would-be epic schlep, dragging almost 50 years of chronology over a sluggish 140 minutes, is far too slight of text and ponderous of presentation to sustain more than nodding-off dramatic interest.

Go to Full Review

Mike Studley

Liverpool Echo

Dec 8

A remarkable movie, superbly photographed, and one that keeps you totally involved despite its long running time.

Go to Full Review

Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

07/12/2024

A bad movie at any length, swimming in the syrup of Morricone's score. But hey, some call it a masterpiece.

Go to Full Review

Toussaint Egan

Polygon

10/22/2021

Once Upon a Time in America is a tremendous work that captures the animating ambition and sorrow at the heart of the American Dream.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

shane O

@Shanes_DVD_Shack 7h

What a disgusting film, horrible irredeemable characters doing awful things. I can’t think of a good word to say about this move. Glamorising this type of thing is repugnant. There is no take home from this move . I don’t care about the ambiguity of the ending. It is not poetic . Who cares what a bunch of malevolent monsters do to each other. Don’t wast your time with this. Don’t listen to the high ratings

See more

Max M.

@Househuntermax 5d

Just an incredible story of brotherhood and betrayal. I can see why the shorter version bombed on release. You have to watch it in its full length glory. Peak filmmaking.

See more

Tom S.

@MovieReviewMafia Mar 13

Every time I watch one of my favorite films, Once Upon a Time in America, I enjoy the peak of its storytelling, though it often confuses many viewers at the end. My breakdown: To me, Noodles is a man who is broken and shattered. His sinful choices throughout his life, many of which initially seemed like paths to escape his life through divine design, ultimately trap him through his lifestyle and poor decisions. Like many criminals, the lure of a risky, exciting life draws him in repeatedly until it destroys him. By the end of his story, Noodles is broken, trying to escape the consequences of his decisions and the taint of the evil deeds he's committed. It leaves him resorting to drugs, leaving him a shell of a man, as that was his only way to escape the reality of his life. Not the best "mob/mafia/gangster" films, but it is a classic, yet for a 4-hour movie, it may be a lot for many casual viewers

See more

M. K

@RT75336364 Mar 9

Would have given it a higher grade if DeNiro altered his expression or tone of his voice just once. He's plays the same character in every movie. Slow moving in many scenes that added little to whatever plot was being attempted.

See more

Austin M.

@MooreMovies Mar 5

The perfect movie that has everything excitement love gangsters danger, tragedy, nostalgia friendship, betrayal, mystery, gore, drama, and let’s be honest Robert De Niro

See more

Ian R

@RT23899272 Feb 10

Might be okay but too slow. The endless scenes with nothing happening bored me. The characters are hard to like. The film needed better dialogue and severe editing.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Sergio Leone

Director

Robert De Niro

David 'Noodles' Aaronson

James Woods

Maximilian 'Max' Bercovicz

Elizabeth McGovern

Deborah Gelly

Treat Williams

James Conway O'Donnell

Tuesday Weld

Carol

Goodfellas

93%

97%

Goodfellas

Watchlist

New Jack City

81%

80%

New Jack City

Watchlist

Next of Kin

50%

46%

Next of Kin

Watchlist

Bonnie and Clyde

91%

88%

Bonnie and Clyde

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Bonnie and Clyde

True Confessions

71%

53%

True Confessions

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

New on Netflix in May 2022

New on Netflix in August

New on Netflix in October

View more photos

Synopsis

In 1968, the elderly David "Noodles" Aaronson (Robert De Niro) returns to New York, where he had a career in the criminal underground in the '20s and '30s. Most of his old friends, like longtime partner Max (James Woods), are long gone, yet he feels his past is unresolved. Told in flashbacks, the film follows Noodles from a tough kid in a Jewish slum in New York's Lower East Side, through his rise to bootlegger and then Mafia boss -- a journey marked by violence, betrayal and remorse.

Director: Sergio Leone
Producer: Arnon Milchan
Screenwriter: Harry Grey, Piero De Bernardi, Leonardo Benvenuti, Enrico Medioli, Franco Arcalli, Franco Ferrini, Sergio Leone
Production Co: Warner Brothers, Embassy International Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 12, 2015
Runtime: 2h 19m

Most Popular at Home Now