Oscar-winner Al Pacino might be known for his role in the Godfather franchise, but his 1997 gangster drama hits closer to Goodfellas. Fans of the iconic actor can catch Pacino alongside Johnny Depp in Donnie Brasco as it heads to a new streamer next month.
Writer Paul Attanasio earned an Oscar nod for writing the screenplay for Donnie Brasco, which will hit the free streaming service Tubi on Dec. 1. When it was released in 1997, Donnie Brasco earned more than $124 million at the worldwide box office against its $35 million budget. The movie was directed by Mike Newell, who notably directed Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The movie also stars Michael Madsen, Bruno Kirby, and Anne Heche.
In Donnie Brasco, which boasts a 98% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Depp plays FBI agent Joseph Pistone, who has infiltrated a major New York mob family and now lives under the name Donnie Brasco. "Donnie" then develops a friendship with mob hit man Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggerio (Pacino) in an attempt to go more deeply undercover. In the end, Pistone has to decide between his job and his new friend. The movie is based on the 1988 nonfiction book titled Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia by Joseph D. Pistone and Richard Woodley.
CBR's Ben Morganti compared Donnie Brasco to Martin Scorsese's 1990 mobster hit film Goodfellas. "Newell did an incredible job crafting the world and honoring the authenticity of Pistone's real-life experience as an undercover cop infiltrating the Italian Mafia," Morganti said of the film's director.
He continued, "What makes Donnie Brasco comparable to Goodfellas is not just its biographical identity, but its distinct portrayal of organized crime. There is a tone and energy about Donnie Brasco that makes it just as dramatic, thrilling, and even humorous as anything else done in the genre. Of course, Donnie Brasco manages to separate itself from the common trend of '90s gangster movies by being more of an exploration of morality and sin. What's portrayed in the film is not meant to glorify criminality or violence but rather to discuss it objectively from a different point of view entirely."
Al Pacino is Keeping Busy
After decades in the movie industry, Pacino is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. In 2025, his credits included The Ritual, Billy Knight, In the Hand of Dante, Dead Man's Wire, and Easy's Waltz. Depp is set to star in a new adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol for Paramount. Depp will play Ebenezer Scrooge in the new movie that is slated to be released in November 2026. The film will also star Tramell Tillman (Severance) and Ian McKellen.
Donnie Brasco will stream for free on Tubi starting Dec. 1.
Donnie Brasco
Like
R
Biography
Crime
Drama
Release Date February 28, 1997
Runtime 127 minutes
Director Mike Newell
Writers Joseph D. Pistone, Richard Woodley, Paul Attanasio
Cast
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Genres Biography, Crime, Drama
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