The Departed

Name: The Departed
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Released: October 6, 2006
Duration: 151 min
Rating: 85
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon

2006

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 39 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 1923 Ratings

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7.0

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7.0	Your Score
7.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 1923 Ratings

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The Departed

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: October 6, 2006 | R

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon

Movie Facts:

An English-language remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs

Summary: This gritty crime drama from director Martin Scorsese takes us into the lives of two cops: Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), smart and unabashedly ambitious, appears to be on the fast track in the Massachusetts State Police Department's elite Special Investigations Unit, whose prime target is powerful Irish mob boss Frank Costello (JackThis gritty crime drama from director Martin Scorsese takes us into the lives of two cops: Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), smart and unabashedly ambitious, appears to be on the fast track in the Massachusetts State Police Department's elite Special Investigations Unit, whose prime target is powerful Irish mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), street-smart and tough, is purported to have a violent temper that costs him his badge and eventually lands him back on the rough streets of South Boston, where he is recruited into Costello's ranks. But neither man is what he seems and, as they work at cross purposes, they are plunged into a dangerous game of cat and mouse in which the stakes could not be higher. [Warner Bros.]… Expand

Director: Martin Scorsese

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 151 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Jack Mathews

A movie-movie of the first rank. Read full review

100

Premiere Glenn Kenny

A triumphant revisiting of territory in which Scorsese is an unchallenged master -- the crime drama. Read full review

100

Peter Travers

A new American crime classic from the legendary Martin Scorsese, whose talent shines here on its highest beams. Read full review

Marc Savlov

This is a dream cast for both Scorsese and the viewer, and everyone is working at the peak of their craft. Nicholson's flawless performance as the increasingly unhinged crime boss is a marvel of manic, paranoid ruination. Read full review

Ty Burr

When The Departed roars to life, as it does in so many of its scenes, you feel like nobody understands movies -- the delirious highs, the unforgiving moral depths -- as well as this man does. Welcome back, Marty. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Frequently excessive but never dull, The Departed is a little too much of a lot of the things that define Martin Scorsese films but it's also almost impossible to resist. Too operatic at times, too in love with violence and macho posturing at others, it's a potboiler dressed up in upscale designer clothes, but oh how that pot does boil. Read full review

Stanley Kauffmann

Is Scorsese desperate? This screenplay has the scent of it, as if he is scraping for material to feed his basic filmic interests. But the risk in this case--not evaded--was that his need led him close to painful strain. I can't remember another Scorsese moment as shockingly banal as the finishing touch here. Read full review

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User Reviews

Favre4Life

Feb 14, 2007

Y'all are CRAZY that voted this movie lower than an 8. WHATCH IT AGAIN- you obviously missed a whole lot- great acting-great story-love the ending.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

god-amaterasu

Jun 23, 2012

The Departed is a masterpiece: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson are wonderful together. And I'm Shipping Up To Boston is a wonderful song for a soundtrack.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

cabrita

Mar 19, 2012

The film is not a film like taxi driver or Raging bull but, it is instead a regular crime thriller film with scorcesse's special touch. This film would have been just an average film if it werent for 2 things. Scorcesse's direction and the acting ensemble. The films writting is alsoThe film is not a film like taxi driver or Raging bull but, it is instead a regular crime thriller film with scorcesse's special touch. This film would have been just an average film if it werent for 2 things. Scorcesse's direction and the acting ensemble. The films writting is also masterful but, it works extremely well because of the acting. Overall a great film.… Expand

16 of 41 users found this helpful1625

TylerC.

Feb 6, 2008

DiCaprio, Damon, and Nicholson make one of the most badass trios in cinematic history (as far as I've seen). Definitely watch this one, Scorsese is amazing.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

AMovieCritic

Mar 6, 2007

Extremely excellent movie with great acting, exciting and interesting directing, really great writing, and overall just put together with great skill. Really an interesting movie that is complex but it only lost me towards the end; I was well-able to follow the plot through most of it. Extremely excellent movie with great acting, exciting and interesting directing, really great writing, and overall just put together with great skill. Really an interesting movie that is complex but it only lost me towards the end; I was well-able to follow the plot through most of it. Just, overall, great movie. My only problem was that at nearly 2 and a half hours, it stretches. Not during the movie itself, but Everything after the big shootout at the end just seems to go on for a bit too long. Otherwise, though, great movie. Not sure why Mark Wahlberg was the only one to get noticed by the academy here; DiCaprio, Damon, and Nicholson really offer fantastic performances.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

pirhett

Feb 18, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. No turn was predicted in this film, and a lot of the writing was on point with tons of hysterical quotable scenes. I thought it could've been better, and some of the writing---like for the therapist---lacked some pungency. They could've had more development for Damon's relationship with Nicholson or some sort of conflict when DiCaprio and Damon found out they were with the same woman. Or something could've come from said 314 instead of 344. The ending wasn't necessarily bad, but it was a little lazy. Seriously, a bunch of deaths? I think this one certainly had its moments but lacked a deeper message besides **** around and find out." Favorite quotes:
"I'm the guy who does his job. You must be the other guy."
"Because you're tired and you don't give a **** It's not super-natural."… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DavidS.

Oct 9, 2006

A waste of film on every level. Scorsese is in bad need of a dominatrix.

0 of 11 users found this helpful

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15	#15 Best Movie of 2006
3	#3 Most Discussed Movie of 2006
14	#14 Most Shared Movie of 2006