Al Pacino is inarguably one of the best living actors today, with plenty of classic movies to his name. Here are his best, ranked by Letterboxd.
There are few groups of people that can stand together on a stage and encompass as much of film history as Robert De Niro, Frances Ford Coppola, and Al Pacino, as was seen when they presented at the Academy Awards. Watching the three of them together is a special treat, as their contributions to the film industry are limitless. In particular, Pacino's career is riddled with great movies and great roles.
Letterboxd users often have strong opinions about their favorite movies, and it's where many dedicated cinephiles share their ratings. There are tons of great movies starring Al Pacino, many of which center around crime and mafia stories.
10 Scent Of A Woman 3.9/5
Though it probably isn't Al Pacino's best role or even one of his most iconic movies, Scent of a Woman is the film that won Al Pacino his first and only Academy Award. Al Pacino plays a blind man who's difficult to get along with, and Chris O'Donnell partners with him for a dramatic soul-searching film.
The film also features a supporting role from Philip Seymour Hoffman very early in his career. Scent of a Woman is a great watch, but it's often considered a strange movie to earn Pacino the award since it's so different from his usual roles.
9 Glengarry Glen Ross 3.9/5
Glengarry Glen Ross features one of the greatest casts of actors ever, from Al Pacino to Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Jonathan Pryce, and Alan Arkin. With a cast like this, it's almost impossible for the movie to not be a success.
But great actors can't do anything with a poor script. Luckily, the film is written by David Mamet, known for crime films such as The Untouchables and Ronin. Glengarry Glen Ross has an awesome script, showing the entanglement of a number of salesmen in a tense drama.
8 The Irishman 3.9/5
After a nearly 50-year career, Al Pacino finally paired with one of the best directors he's ever worked with, Martin Scorsese, for The Irishman. Not only that, it was the first successful combination of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro since the '90s. The film spans multiple decades, and rather than casting younger versions of the actors, the film experimented with new CGI technology to de-age the acting legends.
Seeing crime movie legends Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci all on-screen together is exciting, though some found the experimental CGI to be off-putting or distracting. Regardless, the film's writing and directorial style still earned it a great score from viewers.
7 Carlito's Way 3.9/5
Brian De Palma was one of the best directors of the 1980s, and his partnership with Al Pacino resulted in some of the strongest crime films to date, one of which was Carlito's Way, which was released in 1993 with Al Pacino and co-starring Sean Penn. The film also features a short scene with a young Viggo Mortensen.
Carlito's Way is intense, following the story of Pacino as an ex-con who gets entangled, once again, in the world of crime, hoping to achieve one last score before escaping the country and living a dream life with his long-time love. The final sequence of the film involves one of the best chase sequences in movies, through Grand Central Station in New York.
6 The Insider 3.9/5
The second of two films made by director Michael Mann in his relationship with Al Pacino was The Insider. The film also features rising star Russell Crowe alongside the veteran Pacino. It's one of the many roles Pacino had in the '90s and early 2000s in which he co-starred alongside a younger movie star.
The Insider is essentially a legal drama, following Pacino and Crowe in an ongoing process to expose the truth about a major tobacco company. The film follows a modern David vs Goliath tale, as the two team up to fight the massive corporation.
5 Scarface 4/5
One of the greatest villain stories of all time, and one of the best villain roles Pacino has played, was Tony Montana in Scarface. Like with Michael Corleone and The Godfather, Tony Montana drops legendary lines left and right and almost everyone has heard the line "Say hello to my little friend" and understands what it means.
It only speaks to the quality of the movie and character when a piece of it becomes a greater part of pop culture. Scarface is not only a great crime movie but also a great action movie that has even spread into video games, and there have been rumors of potential reboots coming out for years.
4 Heat 4.2/5
The second of only four films that starred both Al Pacino and Robert De Niro is Michael Mann's crime masterpiece Heat. The main attraction of the drama was watching the already legendary Pacino and De Niro facing off on screen in opposing roles. The film masterfully sets up their meetings, with only one major sit-down conversation throughout the intense ride.
Heat also features Val Kilmer in one of his best performances, and some of Michael Mann's best directorial work, with a keen sense of detail, visual style, and character creation. Both Pacino and De Niro reached new heights in the '90s, with some of their strongest roles and performances, and Heat is the pinnacle of the decade for both.
3 Dog Day Afternoon 4.2/5
Seeing Al Pacino team up with his Corleone family brother, John Cazale, for one of the most unsuccessful movie heists ever is incredible. Dog Day Afternoon is definitely worth the watch for any fans of Pacino or The Godfather. The second pairing of Pacino and director Sidney Lumet gives one of the best performances of his career.
Dog Day Afternoon is entertaining from start to finish, with a tense, sweaty heist with twists and turns all over. The movie would influence heist movies for years to come, as well as become a cultural touchstone for Al Pacino references.
2 The Godfather Part II 4.5/5
Al Pacino's performance in The Godfather Part II is legendary, and many feel that his not winning an Academy Award for it is a crime.
Like Part I, Part II has some incredible movie quotes, to the point where the lines of Al Pacino have worked their way into the American lexicon. "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer" has been used in so many different mediums of pop culture entertainment, and Al Pacino's influence in the role deserves a good amount of credit.
1 The Godfather 4.5/5
It's difficult to stack the first two Godfather films against one another, as both are widely considered to be cinematic masterpieces. While both host a massively impressive 4.5 score from Letterboxd users, Part I has a slight edge over II, as well as a much larger view count.
For all intents and purposes, The Godfather was the catalyst for what Pacino's career would become, and though he may share the stage with the great Marlon Brando, he has some of the most dramatic and intense moments of the film, in particular, the restaurant scene.
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