The Departed (2006)
Cops or criminals. When you’re facing a loaded gun, what’s the difference?
To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop curries favor with the mob kingpin, a career criminal rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there's a mole among them.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 4 October 2006 |
| Genre | Drama, Thriller, Crime |
| Director | Martin Scorsese |
| Starring | Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson |
| Runtime | 151 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.3/10 · Metacritic 85/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 91% · IMDb 8.5/10 · TMDB users 8.2/10 |
| Budget | $90 million |
| Box office | $291 million worldwide |
Where to watch The Departed
The Departed is streaming on Max ($18.49 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Max is $18.49 at list price.
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What kind of watch this is
Martin Scorsese’s 2006 crime thriller runs 151 minutes, a length that feels necessary rather than indulgent. The film hinges on a simple, brutal symmetry: two men are embedded in each other’s world, yet neither knows the other’s true allegiance. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the cop inside the mob, while Matt Damon plays the criminal inside the police. Jack Nicholson anchors the chaos as the kingpin. It is a study in paranoia where trust is a liability and silence is the only safe currency. The tension does not spike; it simmers until it boils over. You will not look at a handshake the same way again.
What the critics said
Critics treated the remake as a triumph rather than a translation. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 91% positive score as of January 2026. Metacritic follows with an 85, which its system files under universal acclaim. Entertainment Weekly called it a "masterpiece" that kept Scorsese's streak of one classic per decade alive. James Berardinelli saw an "American epic tragedy." Even the original co-director, Andrew Lau, conceded the Hollywood version was "pretty good," despite feeling it ran too long. Not everyone agreed. J. Hoberman of the Village Voice found the violence excessive, noting it reached near-Tarantinian levels. That is a compliment, technically, but it explains why some viewers found the heat a little too high.
How it did with audiences
The Departed cost $90 million to make and took in $291 million worldwide. That margin suggests the studio recovered its investment, though the accounting details depend on how you slice the overhead. In the United States, it earned $132 million. Audiences seem to have agreed with the box office numbers. TMDB users give it an 8.2 score. IMDb rates it 8.5/10 as of March 2026. The numbers align.
Awards
The Departed collected 7 awards from 5 nominations. At the 79th Academy Awards, it took home 4: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was also recognized at the 64th Golden Globes. This was the first time Martin Scorsese won an Oscar after 5 previous losses.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Departed.
Sources
- The Departed on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q172975 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Departed” 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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