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Considered one of the greatest actors of all time, Robert Anthony De Niro was born in New York City and studied acting at HB Studio, Stella Adler Conservatory, and Lee Strasberg’s Actors Studio. After nearly a decade’s appearances in various films, Robert first gained popularity for his role in the 1973 film ‘Bang the Drum Slowly.’ However, it was his first collaboration with Martin Scorsese, ‘Mean Streets,’ which was released in the same year, that established him as a dynamic actor in Hollywood. The actor-director duo went on to collaborate in many projects over the decades, creating masterpieces such as ‘Taxi Driver,’ ‘Raging Bull,’ ‘Goodfellas,’ and ‘The Irishman.’
Robert gained great acclaim for his dramatic roles in films like ‘The Godfather Part II,’ ‘The Deer Hunter,’ ‘Once Upon a Time in America,’ ‘The Untouchables,’ ‘Heat,’ and ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’ He also dabbled in political satire and comedy with movies such as ‘Wag the Dog,’ ‘Meet the Parents’ film series, and ‘The Intern.’ Over the course of his career, Robert has received numerous accolades, including the Oscars and Golden Globes, as well as the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Honors, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, and the Honorary Palme d’Or. He has also received BAFTA and Emmy nominations, along with BAFTA Los Angeles’s 2009 Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film. If you’re looking for films starring Robert De Niro on Netflix, the following list will help you get started.
8. Shark Tale (2004)
‘Shark Tale,’ directed by Vicky Jenson, Bibo Bergeron, and Rob Letterman, follows Oscar, an anthropomorphic bluestreak cleaner wrasse. He works his dream job at a whale wash, but has amassed a considerable debt to his boss, Sykes, a pufferfish. As he loses even more of his boss’s money at a seahorse race, he is sent out to the deep sea to be tortured by electric eels. There, Oscar crosses paths with Lenny, a great white shark and son of the fearsome Don Lino (De Niro). Lenny is a vegetarian and therefore brings shame to his family. Oscar and Lenny bond over their sorrow and decide to help each other out. You can stream the animated film here.
7. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994)
‘Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’ shows De Niro take on the role of Victor Frankenstein’s Creature, with Kenneth Branagh playing Victor Frankenstein. Set in the late 18th century, the story shows Frankenstein recounting his life to a team on an expedition to the North Pole, revealing how he created the Creature as proof of his ability to create life. However, the Creature flees after Victor finds himself unhappy with its appearance and tries to kill it. The Creature desperately searches for Viktor again after spending time with a family and realizing he has been brought into a world that can never love him for what he is. He wants Viktor to make him a companion and gatecrashes Viktor’s marriage, even killing his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), who is also his adopted sister. The movie culminates in a heartwrenching scene, where Viktor and the Creature ultimately find peace by proving that life is incomplete without death. The Academy Award-nominated movie can be streamed here.
6. The Family (2013)
Directed by Luc Besson, ‘The Family’ centers on mafia boss Giovanni Manzoni (De Niro) and his family, who are forced to relocate after snitching on a rival boss, Luchese. Under the FBI’s witness protection supervised by Robert Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones), Giovanni, his wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer), son Warren, and daughter Belle, settle in Cholong-sur-Avre, Normandy, starting a new life with new identities. Each of them has his/her own issues to tackle, given the nature they have developed over the years in mob culture. Giovanni is miserably pretending to be an author, Maggie blows up a market after an argument, Warren (John D’Leo) takes on bullies and forms a gang in school, and Belle (Dianna Agron) navigates romance with a college student while “dealing” with perverts. If they want to stay safe, they must play safe, unless they want word to reach Luchese, who is already looking for them. The crime thriller can be streamed here.
5. The Whisper Man (2026)
In James Ashcroft’s crime thriller ‘The Whisper Man,’ De Niro plays the role of retired detective Peter Willis. Peter is contacted by his estranged son, Tom Kennedy (Adam Scott), whose 8-year-old son, Jake (Acston Luca Porto), has mysteriously disappeared from home. With rumors of a child serial killer making the rounds amidst the discovery of dead bodies of kids, Peter teams up with Detective Amanda Beck (Michelle Monaghan), who is investigating the murders, to track down the killer. Interestingly, the killer shares his/her/their MO with “the whisper man,” AKA Frank Carter (Michael Keaton), a serial killer whom Peter caught and put behind bars. Is there a connection between Carter and this new criminal? ‘The Whisper Man’ does a pretty good job as a crime thriller, with a bit of the supernatural thrown about. The movie can be streamed here.
4. Zero Day (2025)
Created by Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim, and Michael Schmidt, ‘Zero Day’ stars Robert De Niro as former US President George Mullen. After an unprecedented cyberterrorist attack on the country kills thousands of people, and with the threat of a second attack looming ahead, Mullen is given vast powers by his successor and charged with leading the investigation. As he and his team ruthlessly crack down on suspects in a race against time, people begin to voice their concern about human rights being trampled in the process. You can find the show on Netflix.
3. The Irishman (2019)
Based on the book ‘I Heard You Paint Houses’ by Charles Brandt, Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Irishman’ follows Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a World War II veteran who becomes a union truck driver in Philadelphia in the 1950s. He gets involved with the Bufalino crime family and becomes a personal favorite of their leader, Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci). Soon, he starts to carry out jobs and rises through the ranks to become the top hitman. He is also introduced to Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) — a powerful Teamster with ties to organized crime — and befriends him as well. You can watch the epic true-crime period drama on Netflix.
2. Heat (1995)
Starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, Michael Mann’s acclaimed crime drama ‘Heat’ tells the story of criminal mastermind Neil McCauley (De Niro) and LAPD detective Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Pacino). The paths of these two men cross after a heist planned by McCauley is unintentionally botched by a crew member. As McCauley plans another heist while trying to keep his men in line, Hanna must track down the crew, but also has to deal with his wife’s infidelity. Considering the mind games these two intelligent men get into, they develop a mutual respect that lays the foundation for a gripping climax. The cast also includes Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Ashley Judd, Ted Levine, William Fichtner, Natalie Portman, Danny Trejo, and Hank Azaria. A must-watch movie starring two acting legends, ‘Heat’ remains one of the most influential flicks of the gangster genre. You can watch it here.
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1. The Deer Hunter (1978)
With five Oscars to its credit, among many other accolades, Michael Cimino’s ‘The Deer Hunter’ is a star-studded, magnificent affair. Featuring performances by Robert De Niro, John Savage, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, and John Cazale, the film follows a group of best friends/factory workers who enlist in the Vietnam War, determined to fight for their country. However, the war takes its expected and unprecedented toll on them. While some were captured but managed to escape, the war never left them even after they returned. The horrors of the war and its aftermath, portrayed in a most visceral manner through genocide and torture, imprint an everlasting trauma. With nerve-racking imagery and powerful themes, ‘The Deer Hunter’ is an immortal reminder of the futility of war and remains one of the best war dramas of all time. You can watch it here.
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