42 Years Later, One of the Greatest Gangster Movies Ever Made Is Making a Name For Itself on Free Streaming

Say hello to my new streaming home! There are gangster films, and then there are gangster films that will be remembered for a long time to come. Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Parts I and II and Goodfellas certainly fall into the latter category. But it’s one of the greatest gangster movies ever made, which is currently a hit on a free streaming platform. In 1983, Brian De Palma released one of the best gangster films of all time, starring Al Pacino as a character whose name everyone has forgotten, because we know him only as Scarface.

Scarface is streaming for free on Tubi. At the time of writing, it is the most popular film on the free streaming platform. Brian De Palma’s Scarface is based on the 1932 movie of the same name, which was directed by Howard Hawks and starred Paul Muni as Tony Camonte. De Palma’s version put a (then) modern spin on the story, with Al Pacino playing the iconic Tony Montana, alongside Michelle Pfeiffer as Elvira Hancock, Steven Vauer as Manny Ribera, Mark Margolis as Alberto the Shadow, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Gina Montana. The official synopsis reads:

“After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana (Al Pacino) stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall.”

Tony Montana’s rise and fall in the drug trade paved the way for the future of the gangster genre. Everything from Pacino’s excellent performance as the violent protagonist, to De Palma’s direction, and the timeless final shootout all set a new benchmark for the genre, which few other directors have since been able to hit. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Scarface scored great reviews when it was released, and holds a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences were more inclined to say hello to Tony Montana’s little friend, as Scarface holds a 93% audience rating.

‘Scarface’ Was a Surprising Box Office Flop

Tony Montana shoots a gun in Scarface

Universal Pictures

While critics and audiences adored Scarface at the time, and even more so 40+ years later, the movie wasn’t actually very popular upon its release in 1983. Despite great reviews and now being known as one of the all-time greats of the gangster genre, Scarface only earned $66 million during its theatrical run. This is even worse when it’s compared to the film’s budget of $60 million.

Audiences at the time were put off by the movie’s graphic content and gratuitous violence, a staple of De Palma’s movies. However, it should go without saying that, in the years since, Scarface has become nothing short of a classic.