Gangs of New York (2002)

Somebody tell Leonardo DiCaprio he’s the lead, because Daniel Day-Lewis never got the memo. Day-Lewis plays Bill the Butcher with a glass eye, a mustache like a pair of handlebars, and a voice that makes a dinner invitation sound like a threat. Every time he leaves the frame, the movie goes looking for him. DiCaprio’s revenge plot is the thinnest thread here, and Cameron Diaz’s accent takes a scenic tour before it settles on a city. Scorsese built the Five Points like a place you could catch a cold in, all mud, smoke and crowded halls. But at 167 minutes the story wanders, and the bigger history of the city gets squeezed into the final act instead of running through the whole thing. It made $193.8 million worldwide on a reported $97 to $100 million budget. A 6.9 because one performance is legendary and the movie around it is a long rough draft. $24 says you try the Butcher’s accent at dinner and your family asks for the old you back.

What works: Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher, and a hand-built Five Points that feels muddy, crowded and alive.

What doesn’t: Amsterdam’s revenge plot is flat next to Bill, the romance with Jenny never sparks, and the movie runs long.

Who it’s for: Scorsese completists, and anyone who wants to watch one actor take over an entire city.