Carlito's Way (1993)
He's got a good future if he can live past next week.
Free after years in prison, Carlito Brigante intends to give up his criminal ways, but it's not long before the ex-con is sucked back into the New York City underworld.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 10 November 1993 |
| Genre | Crime, Drama, Thriller |
| Director | Brian De Palma |
| Starring | Al Pacino, Sean Penn and Penelope Ann Miller |
| Runtime | 144 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7.1/10 · IMDb 7.9/10 · Metacritic 66/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 84% · TMDB users 7.8/10 |
Where to watch Carlito's Way
Carlito's Way is streaming on Prime Video ($13.98 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Prime Video is $13.98 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 1 November 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Rent or buy
You can rent or buy Carlito's Way on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Carlito's Way in 12 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Australia | Binge $19.00 AUD, Foxtel |
| Belgium | Max €10.99 |
| Brazil | Clarovideo |
| Canada | Paramount+, Tubi |
| Chile | Clarovideo |
| Colombia | Clarovideo |
| Ecuador | Clarovideo |
| France | Max €10.99 |
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Mexico | Clarovideo |
| Monaco | Max |
| Peru | Clarovideo |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Brian De Palma directs Al Pacino as Carlito Brigante, a man who walks out of prison intending to leave the New York City underworld behind. He fails. The tagline is blunt: "He's got a good future if he can live past next week." That line does the heavy lifting. It tells you exactly what kind of movie this is. A 144-minute thriller. Sean Penn appears as David Kleinfeld. It is a tight, uncomfortable watch about how hard it is to stop being who you were.
What the critics said
Critics found the reunion of De Palma and Pacino stylish, if a bit predictable. Rotten Tomatoes lists an 84% approval rating as of August 2024, while Metacritic sits at 66. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called it one of De Palma's finest, a verdict Gene Siskel countered with a thumbs down on the syndicated At the Movies television show. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone argued the film went "down smokin' in the shadow of Scarface." The consensus calls it a wistful crime epic with a beating heart, though some reviewers noted it retreaded old ground. Bregman was surprised by the initial negativity, noting that some critics later retracted their views.
How it did with audiences
Carlito’s Way sits at 7.8 on TMDB, a solid user score for a crime drama that refuses to hold your hand. IMDb audiences agree, giving it a 7.9 out of 10 as of June 2026. That consistency suggests viewers who watched it twice, once for the plot and once to confirm the ending wasn’t a joke. The numbers don’t scream, but they don’t whisper either.
What came next for the cast
Al Pacino had already starred in The Godfather and its sequel. Sean Penn was known for Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Penelope Ann Miller had just finished Awakenings. John Leguizamo had appeared in Die Hard 2. After 1993, Pacino moved on to Heat. Penn shifted toward Mystic River. Miller landed a role in The Artist. Leguizamo eventually joined the John Wick franchise.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Carlito's Way.
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Sources
- Carlito's Way on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q939176 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Carlito's Way” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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