Carlito's Way

"He's got a good future if he can live past next week."

1993 2h 24m EN

🙌

7.8

BANGER

🍅

84%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.9

IMDB

★7.8TMDB · 3,614🍅84%Rotten Tomatoes●66Metacritic★7.9IMDB · 244,420

CrimeDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Free after years in prison, Carlito Brigante intends to give up his criminal ways, but it's not long before the ex-con is sucked back into the New York City underworld.

“He's got a good future if he can live past next week.”

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Cast

Al Pacino
Carlito Brigante
Sean Penn
David Kleinfeld
Penelope Ann Miller
Gail
John Leguizamo
Benny Blanco
Ingrid Rogers
Steffie
Luis Guzmán
Pachanga
James Rebhorn
Norwalk
Joseph Siravo
Vincent Taglialucci

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Brian De Palma
Writers: David Koepp
Languages: English, Spanish
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

33 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Carlito's Way Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Brian De Palma, shot by Stephen H. Burum. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Patrick Doyle. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Kristina Boden shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Al Pacino and Sean Penn and Penelope Ann Miller carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He's got a good future if he can live past next week.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Brian De Palma directs. Stephen H. Burum behind the camera. Patrick Doyle scores. Kristina Boden cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

133 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.
3Part of the "Carlito's Way Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Brian De Palma, shot by Stephen H. Burum. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Patrick Doyle. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Kristina Boden shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Al Pacino and Sean Penn and Penelope Ann Miller carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "He's got a good future if he can live past next week.".
9IMDB entry: tt0106519 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 16 themes, including "new york city", "based on novel or book", "gangster", "go-go dancer".
11Released under 18 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Stephen H. Burum
Original score: Patrick Doyle
Editing: Kristina Boden
Production design: Richard Sylbert
Costume design: Aude Bronson-Howard
Makeup / hair: Michael Kriston
Stunt coordinator: Dick Ziker
Runtime: 144 min · 2h 24m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $30,000,000
Box office: $63,848,322
Return: 213% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Carlito's Way (1993)
Rotten Tomatoes: 84% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 66/100
IMDB rating: 7.9/10 · 244,420 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

2 wins & 9 nominations total

Part of

Carlito's Way Collection

Follow ex-drug lord Carlito Brigante as he tries to escape his violent, treacherous past in the original Carlito's Way. Then delve into Carlito's early years as he is seduced by the brutal New York underworld in the electrifying prequel Carlito's Way: Rise to Power. These action-packed films tell the complete story of one of the most explosive crime sagas in history!

Also by

Brian De Palma

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2026-08-29
★ 7/10
Talk about swimming through treacle? "Carlito" (Al Pacino) has a pretty murky past when he is released from jail after five years (of thirty - on a technicality), but now free he is determined to hook up with his gal "Gail" (Penelope Ann Miller) and steer clear of the riff-raff he'd hitherto associated with. Easier said than done, though, when he almost immediately gets caught up in a gun fight with some drug pedlars and then embroiled in the complicated activities of his lawyer (Sean Penn) whose connections with the underworld are no less established than those of "Carlito" himself. What chance he can achieve his dream? On that front there is little by way of guesswork required - not least because we start where we finish, but unlike with so many films from this genre there is something more celebral about the characterisation of "Carlito". No, he's not a decent nor upstanding pillar of any community - even a criminal one, but he is a man of principle who is prepared to fight for what and who he wants. That puts him at odds with erstwhile allies whilst also exposing him to the machinations of a district attorney (James Rebhorn) who will happily use him regardless of the risk to him or "Gail" . There is ruthlessness here, but it isn't so much graphic as implied and as the poacher becomes something of the poached, Pacino exposes a vulnerability to his persona that almost has us feeling a bit of sympathy for his "Carlito". I felt as if I wanted him to sail off into the sunset happily at the end - after quite a tense cat and mouse game on the subway. Penn also works well here depicting an unpleasant yet magnetic sleaze-bag so deep in a mire of his own making that you just know he can drag anyone down with him. The camerawork doesn't overdo the POV style of intimacy which I find can be annoying at times, and with a score from Patrick Doyle that complements the steady pace of this gritty but still personable and enjoyably mature affair, this is a superior glimpse into the unforgiving underbelly of our society.
nggr2026-08-29
★ 5/10
This movie feels off most of the time. The story is fine on paper, but almost all scenes lack soul. You see what is happening and it turns you off on a subconscious level. You know what they are trying to do, you have seen these kind of scenes, but they just don't work here. Its like an uncanny valley. Its the gangster movie your mom says you have at home, when you're trying to get her to buy you The Godfather, Donnie Brasco or Scarface. The start is already weird. We see the protagonist being shot and lying on a train platform dying . Sad strings play maudlinly, people rush to help, but you don't care. The movie hasn't even gone a minute. You don't know the characters, you just recognize Al Pacino. The dramatic intent fizzles out in 10 s, you are already bored and asking yourself why the director (or writer) does not know the first thing about writing. We need to know and care for the character to feel empathy for him, but we don't. Then there is a slow rotating camera for a minute or two. The director probably thought he was really clever - but he is not. Its just form over function. Just because you can, you shouldn't. I don't think even in 1993 anyone was impressed with this. Anyway, this goes on for 2,5 hours. You barely care about anything. There are 2-3 scenes that are actually entertaining, but all of them have been done before and better. P.S.Most of the actors are actually good but are wasted on this movie. Are you going to waste your time?