The Alto Knights is the latest project from acclaimed filmmaker Barry Levinson, starring Robert De Niro, Debra Messing, and Cosmo Jarvis in a brutal 1950s New York crime drama. The film attracted attention for housing De Niro’s anticipated return to the gangster genre, where he found huge success throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s. Although The Alto Knights didn’t open to great reviews, many audiences still appreciated its unwavering loyalty to the genre and De Niro’s inspired lead performance.

Although The Alto Knights is based on a true story, Levinson’s film takes some major creative liberties in how it depicts this narrative. It’s a loose retelling of the lives of Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, two of the most notorious New York crime bosses of the 1950s. The film’s huge narrative scope is very reminiscent of projects like The Godfather and Goodfellas, but Levinson doesn’t quite go far enough to make his project rival those undeniable classics. Still, there’s a lot to enjoy in the film, and its arrival on streaming will hopefully inspire some new audiences to give it a chance.

Robert De Niro Plays Dual Gangster Roles In The Alto Knights & It’s Now Streaming

The Actor Has Two Strong Roles In This Brutal Story

Not only does The Alto Knights mark a long-awaited return to the gangster genre for Robert De Niro, but it also includes one of his darkest and most versatile roles in a long while. In fact, the actor portrays two separate characters — a pair of rival mob bosses who used to be close friends but have since let their professional conflicts get in the way of their friendship. It’s such an interesting concept for a movie, giving audiences twice as much De Niro as they signed up for, and making the most of every second.

The Alto Knights feels very much like a Martin Scorsese movie with its complex plot threads and intricate character work, even if it sometimes struggles under the weight of its own story. However, De Niro is consistently great in both of his roles, using his dual performance to highlight the mirrored personalities of these two characters. It’s not just a gimmick; his performances help the mafia movie explore themes of human autonomy and inevitability within the world of organized crime.

The Alto Knights Is Made For Robert De Niro & Gangster Movie Fans

The Film Is A Celebration Of Classic Gangster Movies

Ultimately, The Alto Knights feels like a movie that was made exclusively for existing fans of the gangster subgenre. It’s not trying to reinvent this formula by any means (in fact, its familiarity was largely disliked by critics), but that’s exactly what makes it so entertaining for De Niro fans. It’s a welcome return to the dark, pulpy thrillers that De Niro was making during the ‘80s and ‘90s, and Nicholas Pileggi was clearly inspired by some of his classics when writing this script.

Why The Alto Knights’ Reviews Were So Bad

Unfortunately, Critics Didn’t Rally Around De Niro’s New Movie

However, this familiarity wasn’t quite enough to get critics on board with The Alto Knights. The film ultimately pales in comparison to De Niro’s other classic gangster movies, taking inspiration from projects like Casino and Goodfellas in a way that can sometimes feel reductive and derivative. The dual performances can only do so much heavy lifting. If you’re not immediately on board with the premise, The Alto Knights doesn’t accomplish much to change your mind.

Thankfully, The Alto Knights has now found a home on streaming and is available to watch for anybody who might have missed its theatrical run. Without the pressure of being “the new De Niro movie” in theaters, Levinson’s film should hopefully find more success from those audiences simply looking to get lost in a classic, familiar crime drama with one of cinema’s finest actors in his most versatile role(s) in years.