Still on the fence about whether or notThe Irishmanis for you? Well, let Oscar-winning directorGuillermo del Toro’s review ofMartin Scorsese’s latest film starringRobert De Niro,Al Pacino, andJoe Pescipersuade you. The film stars De Niro as Frank Sheeran, a mob heavy whose work in the latter half of the 20th century leads him to possible involvement in the murder of Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino).
The film is coming to theaters before taking its rightful place on Netflix and already garnering serious awards season buzz for all involved. ButThe Irishmanis also clocking in at a reported 3+ hours and some unusual digital de-aging of the three leads which might test even the most die-hard Scorsese or De Niro fans. On the heels ofThe Irishman’s debut at the 2019 New York Film Festival, del Toro has now offered up arguably the most insightful and sensitive reading ofThe Irishmanthat damn near proves this movie is a must-see.
Del Toro comes out of the gate hot, comparingThe IrishmantoStanley Kubrick’sBarry Lyndonin a tweet thread comprised of 13 individually dense and intriguing observations. He begins, writing, “[The Irishman] is about lives that came and went, with all their turmoil, all their drama and violence and noise and loss… and how they invariably fade, like we all do…”
It should surprise no one at this point that the man behind such dark and sensitively-drawn delights asThe Shape of WaterandPan’s Labyrinthwould see the beauty in a grim crime saga which activelyinterrogates toxic masculinityand legacies of violence that play out in such a world. He refers to the movie as a “mausoleum of myths” and goes on to call it the “anti ‘My Way’": “The road cannot be undone and we all face the balance at the end.”
Bleak? Yes. But does it ring painfully true and manage to pique curiosity about howThe Irishmanactually achieves this end result? Hell yes.
Del Toro also finds space to speak on Pesci and De Niro’s performances, specifically. Not that either actor needs the warm thoughts (their respective, towering careers certainly speak for themselves), but the high praise coming from del Toro in his Twitter thread review reminds us why these men are great actors and helps stir up some excitement to seem them on screen together once more.
Del Toro caps his Twitter thread with an order for us all: “See it. In a theatre. This movie languished in development in studio vaults for so long… having it here, now, is a miracle. And, btw- fastest 3 hours in a cinema. Do not miss it.”
Make sure to read ourNYFF review ofThe Irishmanand check outour additional coverageof the film.The Irishmanarrives on August 05, 2025.
