From The Godfather to Heat to The Irishman, Al Pacino has been prevalent in Cinema for decades. Over the years, Al Pacino has been featured in films considered to be among the greatest of all time and is unanimously revered by fans of Cinema.
Given his resume and the large number of films he has been cast in, there were bound to be films that went under the radar or those that did not get the critical reception they deserved. These are out picks for the most underrated Al Pacino movies everyone should check out.
7 Donnie Brasko
Despite good critical reception, time was not kind to Donnie Brasko. The film is rarely talked of these days. Donnie Brasko features the story of Donnie, an undercover FBI agent working for Lefty (Al Pacino), who happens to be a hit man for the mafia. Over time, Donnie develops a deep friendship with Lefty and has to decide between ratting him out or going against the FBI.
Donnie Brasko features excellent writing, direction, and an impeccable performance by Al Pacino as he brings Lefty to life. This is easily among the most underrated Al Pacino movies, and one can argue that it is among Al Pacino's finest movies.
6 The Devil's Advocate
The premise of The Devil's Advocate is simple, Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) is a lawyer that accepts a job at a famous New York law firm ran by John Milton (Al Pacino). What ensues, however, is both sinister and all over the place.
Due to spoilers, we cannot get into the plot more, but The Devil's Advocate is a beautifully written film with excellent performances and also serves as an essay on how money can overshadow morals. Despite its fantastical elements, a lot of the story is based on real-life concepts of greed, lust, envy, and anger.
5 Insomnia
Christopher Nolan's Insomnia featuring is easily among Al Pacino's most underrated movies of all time. Insomnia tells the tale of Will Dormer (Al Pacino), a detective sent to a small Alaskan town to investigate the murder of a 17-year-old girl. What follows is a goose chase as Al Pacino goes after the murderer.
In the middle of this all, Al Pacino is battling some personal demons and has to navigate both the investigation and his worsening mental stability. Insomnia is among Nolan's forgotten movies and one every fan of Al Pacino should watch at least once.
4 The Insider
The Insider is a tense psychological drama fans of the genre will have a great time with. Despite strong critical reception, The Insider never made it big at the box office. Featuring impeccable performances by Russel Crowe and Al Pacino, this movie is definitely worth a watch.
The Insider tells the story of Jeff Wingam, a former Big Tobacco employee who goes to Lowell Bergman, a CBS journalist, for a story exposing the tobacco giant. What follows is very tense as Wingam receives death threats and warnings from Big Tobacco. Overall, The Insider is a very well written movie featuring Al Pacino.
3 Panic In Needle Park
Panic in Needle Park is the story of Bobby (Al Pacino), a heroin addict who resides in the Needle Park, an area where full of addicts. He eventually meets Helen (Kitty Winn), a homeless girl from the area, and they fall in love.
Bobby ultimately introduces Helen to Heroin and what follows is a tragic tale of love and addiction where they engage in crimes such as theft to gain access to the drug. Grim and depressing, Panic in Needle Park is an excellent film that also happens to be Al Pacino's first movie as a lead.
2 Dog Day Afternoon
Dog Day Afternoon is another tense Al Pacino film. In this movie, Sonny (Al Pacino) goes to rob a Brooklyn bank alongside two accomplices. Things quickly take a turn for the worse when Sonny gets a call from the NYPD saying that the bank is surrounded. The robbery turns into a hostage situation where Sonny tries his best to negotiate his escape from the Bank.
While the premise is straightforward, the story unfolds in ways one does not expect. The movie is written beautifully, and the acting Al Pacino and the cast are excellent.
1 Scarecrow
Scarecrow features Gene Hackman and Al Pacino, this alone makes it a film worth watching. Scarecrow showcases how Al Pacino was destined for greatness from the very start. Often revered as a masterpiece in the drifter genre, the film deserves way more praise and a bigger audience than what it got.
Thanks to its masterful direction by Jerry Schatzberg, Scarecrow tells the tale of two vagabonds, Max Millan and Francis Delbuchi as they meet on the road and decide to become business partners. What follows is a tense story full of friendship and drama. A must-watch for every Al Pacino fan.