Apple TV+’s Must-Watch Docuseries Is As Engrossing As It Is All-Encompassing

Near the start of Rebecca Miller’s five-part documentary series, mr. Scorsesewe see the director and her subject setting up for the wide-ranging interview that will serve as its backbone. Nor do they, Scorsese begins directing his own interview, which Miller quickly and jokingly calls him out on. It’s a brief, endearing little moment that kicks off the series, but it actually reflects one of the themes of the whole piece – Scorsese cannot stop directing.

The soon-to-be 83-year-old is as energetic as ever in Miller’s film portrait, as the Apple TV+ series is billed. He’s also reflective, freely discussing both good and bad times in his career and personal life. Most of all, mr. Scorsese finds the director brimming with enthusiasm, happily discussing his craft in fascinating detail. Without a doubt, this series is essential viewing for anyone with even a passing interest in filmmaking, chronicling not just one man’s career, but the industry that changed with him.

A Film Portrait Of An American Cinema Legend

Nearly Every Movie In His Storied Career Is Highlighted

mr. Scorsese isn’t a particularly groundbreaking documentary, and in fact, the biggest criticism you can level against it is how by-the-numbers it is. What’s included is the sort of material you’d expect from a documentary about the filmmaker – new interviews, old clips, archival footage. But what a treasure trove of material it is.

There are new talking head interviews with Scorsese’s contemporaries, including Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, and Brian De Palma. Both of Scorsese’s muses, Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, feature heavily, more or less spanning his career alongside his legendary editor, Thelma Schoonmaker. Then there are the interviews with his family and childhood friends – including Salvatore “Sally Gaga” Uricola, the real-life inspiration for De Niro’s Johnny Boy from Mean Streetwho is himself a total character – which really helps to elucidate his films.

Every Martin Scorsese Movie Featured In Mr. Scorsese

And, rightly so, it’s the films that take center stage throughout the documentary, creating the framework within which Miller tells Scorsese’s story. Practically every movie he’s ever worked on is featured in the series, even if just briefly. From his earliest work in Who’s That Knocking at My Door and Boxcar Berthato the seismic shifts he made with Taxi Driver and Goodfellasto the box office behemoths of The Departed, Shutter Islandand The Wolf of Wall Street.

Stringing them all together is the story of a man who has put directing above all else – family, marriages, friends, even, at times, his health. mr. Scorsese is an overall reverent look at one of cinema’s great directors, but it doesn’t shy away from digging into the darker aspects of the celebrated auteur. There’s rage within Scorsese that gets explored, as well as obsession, addiction, and just the overall price that gets paid to become one of our greatest living filmmakers.

Over the course of the series, we see Scorsese become a more present, less selfish person, and his growth as a director, husband, and father is even more rewarding than the abundance of film trivia. By the end, it’s clear he has no plans of slowing down, and the series closes with him beginning production on Killers of the Flower Moonhis 26th picture. mr. Scorsese is sure to be considered the definitive examination of the director and his work, but I’ll wager it’s going to need an addendum in a few years to cover the movies he’s completed since.

mr. Scorsese releases on Friday, October 17, on Apple TV+.

Release Date

2025 – 2025-00-00

NETWORKS

Apple TV+

Directors

Rebecca Miller

Pros & Cons

• Fascinating and in-depth look at the legendary director’s career.
• Excellent interview segments.

• More or less a by the numbers documentary.