Gangs of New York (2002)

★★★★☆

Set in 1863, a young man named Amsterdam Vallon returns to the Five Points district of New York for one thing: to kill the man (Bill the Butcher) who brutally murdered his father years ago in a bloody gang fight. However, things have changed, the allies that his father had are now working for Bill and Bill has become untouchable. So Vallon decides to get on Bill’s good side and inevitably becomes his protégé, without Bill knowing who is really is. However, things slowly come to a boil and Vallon is beginning to resemble Bill himself. Sure it’s not Scorsese’s best film but I think it’s a movie that is overlooked by a lot of people. It has outstanding costuming and set design and the performances are great; Daniel Day-Lewis gives a chilling performance as the film’s main antagonist and I think DiCaprio exceeds in his as well. It’s a compelling story with rich characters and some brutal violence. Highly recommended.