5 Must-Watch Films of Robert De Niro’s That Are Underrated

Robert De Niro turns 72, how many of his underrated films have you watched from our list?

To call Robert De Niro one of the greatest actors of all time would be a cliché, but there’s little else one can refer to him as. The granddaddy of screen magnetism turns 72 today, so it’s a good time to catch up on some of his best work. De Niro may be most known for his roles in The Godfather Part 2, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and The Deer Hunter, but listed below are five of his most underrated films:

1. Ronin (1998)

Dir: John Frankenheimer

John Frankenheimer’s spy thriller not only had a dense plot and a superb no nonsense performance from De Niro, but also some seriously amazing car chase sequences. Ronin is one of the rare movies that matches its popcorn thrills with heady writing – thanks to its scribe David Mamet who refused to be credited because he had to share the screenplay credit. Had this movie made more money we would have had a whole Ronin franchise like the Bourne and the Mission Impossible series. De Niro as an action hero is a thing of beauty, pity it didn’t last too long.

2. Midnight Run (1988)

Dir: Martin Brest

Ever wondered why there are so many Hollywood action bromantic comedies about two mismatched dudes, one of which is super serious while the other is a goof? That’s because films like Midnight Run originally started this trend. De Niro renders a hilarious performance as an annoyed bounty hunter who must catch an accountant (Charles Grodin) who had embezzled money from a mob boss. The film was directed by Martin Brest, who had made Beverly Hills Cop before, and this one too turned out to be a non stop laugh riot. De Niro’s straight-faced comedy carried over to his later career with Analyze This and Meet the Parents.

3. The King of Comedy (1983)

Dir: Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese and De Niro wanted to try something lighter after doing Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. The result was the most underrated film of both their careers – a dark, pitch black comedy about a wannabe comedian going to extreme lengths to make it big. The film is a biting satire on showbiz culture, and some scenes are as arresting as they’re uncomfortable to watch. In fact the film is a lot like Nightcrawler, in the way the protagonist maniacally attempts to achieve his goal and social commentary is pummelled onto our heads.

4. Awakenings (1990)

Dir: Penny Marshall

Robin Williams was at that time known for his slapstick comedy, so seeing him play an extremely restrained doctor in a heavy set, atmospheric drama was shocking. The only more stunning thing in the film was De Niro as his mentally impaired patient. In the previous two years Daniel Day Lewis’ My Left Foot and Dustin Hoffman’s Rainman had already made the ‘mentally handicapped tearjerker drama’ a mainstream genre, yet De Niro brought his own original layer to his performance to get a few onions close to the audiences’ eyes. Make sure you get some hankies before watching this one.

5. Once Upon A Time In America (1984)

Dir: Sergio Leone

With breathtaking cinematography, set design and direction, Sergio Leone’s last film is as enigmatic as it is epic and iconic. De Niro is in familiar territory – playing a gangster in the 1930s Manhattan, as the film traces the rise and fall of his power. The filmmaking is so powerful you can’t look away from the screen even for a second in its sweeping 4-hour running time. It’s a pity we never got to see more collaborations between De Niro and Leone.