Gangs of New York

Right now you can watch Gangs of New York in Australia on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels, and in the US on fuboTV and Paramount Plus Premium — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch Leonardo DiCaprio work — the performance is a masterclass in restraint. Put it on tonight on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Gangs of New York is worth clearing space for. At its heart, Gangs of New York understands what makes crime drama work — character first, plot second. In early 1860s New York, Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon is released from prison and returns to the Five Points, seeking revenge against his father's killer, William Cutting, a powerful anti-immigrant gang leader. He knows that revenge can only be attained by infiltrating Cutting's inner circle. Vallon's journey becomes a fight for personal survival and to find a place for the Irish people. Credit to Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis for grounding it — this is a cast that earns the twists. Gangs of New York came out in 2002. The plot mechanics of Gangs of New York never overwhelm the human cost underneath them. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Viewers who think they have seen every crime drama tend to find Gangs of New York proves them wrong. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Leonardo DiCaprio carries scenes that would sink a lesser production. The resolution feels inevitable rather than arbitrary, which is rarer than it sounds.