For more than 50 years, Robert De Niro has put his heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears into the entertainment industry. As a young boy, De Niro had a knack for acting and taking on eccentric roles, but it was not until he met Martin Scorsese that his acting skills would really shine through. Just one year after doing Mean Streets with Scorsese, De Niro was cast as the cutthroat Italian gangster Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II. Little did De Niro know at the time that this role — for which he won his first Academy Award — would define his future.
De Niro’s roles on screen have never been limited. He has gone from ruthless killer to lovable grandpa during his time in Hollywood, and even at the ripe age of 80, it seems like this legend is never going to slow down. Just this past year, fans got to see De Niro and Scorsese’s 10th collaboration, Killers of the Flower Moon, on the big screen (he even nabbed an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor). At this time, the legendary actor has two more films coming out: Alto Knights, a gangster film where he will have a dual role as two mafia bosses, and Tin Soldier, an action thriller that puts his character back into combat-mode.
Happily, Netflix is well aware of our love and respect for this great actor, and they have a number of his incredible films out to stream. Here is every Robert De Niro movie you can find and watch on Netflix.
9 Jackie Brown (1997)
Based on Elmore Leonard’s 1992 novel Rum Punch, Jackie Brown follows a flight attendant named Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) as she tries to smuggle $550,000 into the United States after being caught by the police. However, with that amount of money, and knowing that certain people are watching, Jackie’s boss, Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson), is taking no chances. He hires backups to make sure the drop goes smoothly, but unsurprisingly, these criminals are all just looking out for themselves.
How Robert De Niro’s Character Stands Out
De Niro may have played a supporting role in Quentin Tarantino’s film adaptation of a great criminal story, but he certainly left an impression. His character, Louis Gara, is unapologetically hilarious when it comes to explaining why he killed his partner and trying to piece together who exactly he saw at the mall that could be an accomplice to the double-crossing. Louis may be an ex-convict, but he really just seems like a slightly impatient and respectable guy who just wants to do the job and get on with his life.
8 The Good Shepherd (2006)
Directed and produced by De Niro, The Good Shepherd tells a fictional story with real-life connections to the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Matt Damon takes the lead as Edward Wilson Sr., a young man who finds himself at the forefront of the birth of the CIA during World War II. His character is based on intelligence operative James Jesus Angleton and covert operations specialist Richard Bissell. Edward quickly learns what it means to get his hands dirty and to trust absolutely no one with any information. This leads to a life filled with paranoia and regret, but, in the end, he believes he’s done the right thing for his country.
How Robert De Niro Saved This Film
After the screenplay exchanged hands numerous times, and De Niro was already attached to the project as a supporting actor, he decided to take on the director’s role as well to see to it that this incredible story would be told to as many people as possible. De Niro played General Bill Sullivan, the man who warns Edward to always watch his back as they were creating an elite agency that would eventually change the world. His seriousness about his role as well as the telling of a cohesive story rather than focusing on flashing action scenes is what puts this film over the top.
7 Meet the Parents (2000)
As a remake of Greg Glienna’s 1992 film of the same name, Meet the Parents dives right into the comedic gold that naturally takes place when a young man in love must meet his girlfriend’s very overprotective father for the very first time. The chemistry between Ben Stiller and De Niro is unmatched, as Stiller portrays the bumbling but good-hearted man in love, Gaylord “Greg” Focker to De Niro’s no-nonsense retired CIA operative, Jack Byrnes. Everything that can go wrong does, and Jack is there to ridicule and judge Greg every step of the way.
How Robert De Niro’s Character Stands Out
Having just finished up yet another mafia film, Analyze This, De Niro’s popularity in the business, paired with his naturally intimidating demeanor, made him a perfect candidate to play Jack Byrnes. De Niro fully understood the subtle terror his character needed to bring to the set — with him being a Vietnam veteran and former CIA operative — but he also added one big element to the script. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Jay Roach said Jack’s polygraph test was all De Niro’s idea. It added an obsessive and slightly unhinged element to Jack that was needed to complete the character.
6 Meet the Fockers (2004)
At the end of Meet the Parents, Jack tells Dina (Blythe Danner) that they only have one more thing left to do before Greg and Pam (Teri Polo) get married: they have to meet Greg’s parents. This sets the premise for the next film, Meet the Fockers, where the Byrnes meet Greg’s free-spirited and slightly dysfunctional family. Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand play Bernie and Roz Focker, and rather than being intimidated by Jack, they welcome him in with open arms and happily overstep every boundary he has with his own family. It’s humorous to see the two families come together, but Jack, of course, still has his reservations about Greg’s family lineage merging with his own.
Robert De Niro’s Return as Jack Byrnes
As promised, Jack Byrnes tries to meet the Fockers with an open mind now that he has come around to the idea that his daughter truly loves Greg. However, personalities clash, and while Dina is more than accepting of Roz and Bernie’s openness and ability to talk about anything and everything (including their very active sex life), Jack wishes he were anywhere else. Eventually, Jack softens a bit after realizing he could potentially lose his family due to his cold ways. We see a slight change in this hard-exteriored man by the end, but it is still clear that he is set in his ways.
5 Little Fockers (2010)
After having twins in Little Fockers, Greg notices that his and Pam’s lives have significantly changed. He is not as passionate about his work, he and Pam are falling into a rather mundane routine, and Greg cannot get his daughter to speak to him for most of the film. While preparing for his kids’ birthday party, Greg gets a bit stretched thin with work, a flirty sales rep, and his wife’s ex-fiance showing up to save the day. Jack, as always, takes notice of Greg’s distracted and distant state. In the end, truths are revealed to everyone, and both sets of grandparents decide they need to be much closer — as in just a couple of houses away — to their grandchildren.
How Robert De Niro’s Character Stands Out
At the start of the film, Jack has a heart attack while alone in his house, and after successfully recovering, he only discloses the information to Greg. Audiences see that Jack is starting to accept that he is no longer in the best of shape due to his naturally aging body, but of course, he still pushes himself. He and Greg still do their cat-and-mouse dance, wherein Jack is always waiting for Greg to slip up, but by the end of the movie, Jack completely accepts Greg’s role as the next “man of the family” once he is gone.
4 Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Just one year after starring in Limitless together, Bradley Cooper and De Niro signed on to be a father-son duo, Patrizio Sr. and Patrizio “Pat” Jr., in the comedy-drama Silver Linings Playbook. While Patrizio struggles to come to terms with his own obsessive-compulsive disorder, Pat does his best to manage his bipolar disorder. Pat goes through the motions of reinventing himself while living with his parents once again. He finds friendship with the sarcastic widow Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), but she often pushes him to the edge and forces him to face harsh truths. In the end, the two realize they are good for one another despite everything else.
How Robert De Niro’s Character Stands Out
Even as a supporting character, De Niro still manages to make a huge impression on audiences. The scary thing about Patrizio Sr. in this film is how relatable he is. After losing his job, he has taken to illegal “bookkeeping” where he places large bets on the Philadelphia Eagles. He is set in his ways with rituals and good luck charms, but his son sees it as him refusing to acknowledge his own issues. Patrizio tries to bond with Pat the best he can, but unfortunately, his own desires get in the way, and the two often end up clashing.
3 Dirty Grandpa (2016)
Zac Efron and De Niro make the absolute best grandson-grandfather duo in Dirty Grandpa. After losing his wife, Richard “Dick” Kelly (De Niro) asks his grandson Jason (Efron) to drive him all the way back home to Boca Raton, Florida. Jason is reluctant at first because he needs to help prepare for his wedding, which is happening in a week, but Dick assures him everything will be alright. On their adventure, Dick manages to get Jason to let loose, do some drugs, and make friends with some questionable people. After a few days of fun, Dick admits that he just wants his grandson to really live for himself rather than be told what to do.
One of De Niro’s Most Foul-Mouthed Characters
Even when De Niro gets to play a foul-mouthed but lovable grandpa, he still cannot shake the underlying tough guy aspect that is always added to his characters. De Niro says some questionable and sometimes racist things all throughout Dirty Grandpa, but when it comes down to it, Dick really is a good guy. In the end, he is a great role model for Jason, and he manages to steer his life and Jason’s in a more positive direction, even if that means becoming a father once again in his 70s.
2 Joker (2019)
Joker
- Release Date
- October 2, 2019
Todd Phillips and Scott Silver’s origin story of how the DC villain came to be, Joker is marvelous as well as disturbing. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as Arthur Fleck is incredible, as he portrays a mentally unstable amateur clown, whose mental illness sends him spiraling until the only thing that is left of him is his menacing persona, the Joker. Audiences watch as Arthur struggles to get a grip on reality. After his idol mocks him, and he learns the truth about his parentage, Arthur loses all control and embraces the chaos and riots he has caused.
How Robert De Niro’s Character Stands Out
There is a saying in theater that goes “there are no small parts, only small actors,” and while De Niro is on the screen for a fraction of this film, he by no means is either. De Niro plays Murray Franklin, Arthur’s idol-turned-nemesis after he mocked him on live television. Murray later brings Arthur onto his talk show, only for the latter to make morbid jokes, confess to the murder of three businessmen, and kill Murray. Seeing Murray try to reason with Joker and rationalize why he’s committed such heinous acts feels all too real in this day and age.
1 The Irishman (2019)
The Irishman
- Release Date
- November 1, 2019
- Director
- Martin Scorsese
De Niro and Scorsese had been trying to pin down an aging hitman film since the ’80s, but they seemed to always run into trouble. After De Niro read Charles Brandt’s I Heard You Paint Houses, conversations were had and a script was set in motion again. Al Pacino and Joe Pesci joined De Niro on set, and things just fell into place with their natural chemistry and friendship. De Niro’s Frank Sheeran finds himself a part of the Italian-American Mafia, and after a lifetime of tough calls, Frank ends up an old man in a nursing home thinking about the good ole days when he was running the streets.
How Robert De Niro’s Character Stands Out
While De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci were all in their mid- to late-70s while filming, de-aging technology was used to keep the men looking a bit on the younger side. De Niro’s portrayal of the very real hitman, Frank Sheeran, was praised by critics and fans alike. Granted, it is not like he is a stranger to the subtleties and expectations that come with playing a mobster.
