Robert De Niro has long been ᴀssociated with mob characters in Hollywood, but his return to the mafia genre with The Alto Knights has not proven successful. This misfire comes just four weeks after De Niro’s disappointing Netflix series, Zero Day, premiered to poor reviews. This is all surprising considering the actor’s track record in this particular genre. One of De Niro’s first gangster movies was Mean Streets in 1973, one of many collaborations between De Niro and Martin Scorsese. Additionally, De Niro’s role in The Godfather Part II secured him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1975.

The last mob movie De Niro had starred in was Scorsese’s The Irishman, before his return to the genre this year with the new true-crime movie, The Alto Knights. The film is having its theatrical release in March 2025, ahead of its arrival on streaming platforms across the globe. De Niro’s new movie is experimental but familiar, and it faced high expectations considering the actor has been in some of the best gangster movies of all time.

The Alto Knights Has A Pretty Low Rotten Tomatoes Score After Harsh Critic Reviews

The Alto Knights Has A “Rotten” Score On Rotten Tomatoes

De Niro’s latest crime drama, The Alto Knights, currently has a 38% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The Alto Knights‘ disappointing score is the result of 48 critical reviews on the site, most of which have expressed harsh criticism of Barry Levinson’s new film. The Alto Knights is based on a true story and follows the conflict between the well-known mob bosses, Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. Starring De Niro in a dual role as both figures, this dynamic stands out as the film’s strongest ᴀsset — though reviews are not so inclined towards the film’s main narrative.

The most prominent piece of criticism it faces is that The Alto Knights is a tired rehash of clichéd gangster tropes, but one that a select number of critics still find enjoyable. Empire Magazine‘s review by Laura Venning claims “It’s hardly a return to the golden age of gangsters, but it’s always a pleasure to see De Niro toast his rivals’ downfall.” Other critics are not as receptive, for instance, The Telegraph‘s Tim Robey, who brands The Alto Knights as a “forgettable gangster thriller… [in] a face-off that lacks any real punch.”

The Alto Knights Gives Robert De Niro Two Big Misses On Rotten Tomatoes This Year

De Niro’s New Thriller Streaming On Netflix, Zero Day, Has Bombed Critically

The Alto Knights is the second project from De Niro in 2025 that is a considerable misfire. The actor has recently starred in the Netflix political miniseries, Zero Day, which has also received a “rotten” score on Rotten Tomatoes. This series marks a first for De Niro when he entered the realm of television as a lead for the first time, though it culminated in a below-average score of 53% on the review aggregate site. The show, created by Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim, and Michael Schmid, centers on cyberattacks and sees De Niro as a former president.

Despite the miniseries’ stacked cast, several Zero Day reviews claimed the show suffered from poorly managed pacing, which resulted in a rushed climax. The concept of the show was interesting but not enough to keep all episodes engaging. Between Zero Day and The Alto Knights, 2025 just hasn’t been a great year for Robert De Niro’s career.

Source: Empire Online, The Telegraph