The Wasteland Reviewer

The Alto Knights (2025) Written Review

Are you ready for another mobster movie starring Robert De Niro in 2025? Not only that…there are two of him this time! Barry Levinson takes the reins of this new mafia tale ripped from the headlines as it tells the story of the big boss, Frank Costello, and his dangerous former friend and underling, Vito Genovese. The film starts off hot with an attempted assassination of Costello by one of Genovese’s goons. This sets the stage for a tale of mafia politics, strategic maneuvering, and bloodshed.

 Does Levinson bring the goods behind the camera with this late in career effort? Levinson hasn’t made many feature films in the past decade, and you can certainly feel some rust on those filmmaking bones. He was never a truly dynamic director, but he always delivered a fresh and engaging feel when he was on. Levinson has a vintage feel for this film but at times it just feels drab and lacks energy. The gray-out feel does not do the film any favors. Instead of feeling dark and gritty, it just feels bland and unenthusiastic. The music choices are certainly obvious, but you really cannot go wrong with some Frank Sinatra in a mafia movie. There are some interesting storytelling choices through editing that feel like a choice…just a disorienting and unfavorable choice. There are some solid uses of newspaper headlines and older news footage that helps set the tone and the period for the audience. The use of an aged Costello speaking straight to the audience “from the future” works better than it could have (feeling very “Scorsese” of it). 

Does this conflict between Costello and Genovese engage and entice the audience? There are a lot of familiar beats that Nicholas Pileggi’s screen play walks through. This film feels a little too much like the greatest hits of mafia movies instead of a compelling narrative for you to slip into. There are multiple moments that might get you to say “I have seen this one before” which is not a great effect when you are trying to lose yourself in a story. But there is a fiery and personal conflict at the center of the film that certainly opens the door for conflict and shocking moments. This one does not play it safe with some of its main characters facing some serious consequences. There are even a few standout moments including the climactic farm meeting that feels a little bit different and unique for such a film. One of the frustrating elements of the film is how it handles its themes and messaging. The script is too clunky with spelling things out and both Costello and Genovese are a bit too one note in their actions to make this more compelling. If one is just paranoid all the time and the other is always mild mannered and overly understanding, that is not as much tension, friction, and conflict to appreciate. 

Does De Niro deliver in this double role? He is…fine. This man is a legendary and extremely talented performer and does his job. He stands out most as the aged Costello who tells the story back to us. The energy matches well in those moments. But with each of the “younger” versions of these characters, they both feel a little tired. That is not great when you are in a high-tension mafia film. His turn as Genovese also feels limited by the make-up while he also tries to channel Pesci as best as possible. Debra Messing portrays Costello’s wife, and she feels like she is giving a performance which feels artificial and inauthentic. Cosmo Jarvis is a bit too over-the-top as the young hitman and sticks out in this film (even though it is filled with big personalities in the form of plenty of Italian Americans). Michael Rispoli gives the best performance in the film as Albert Anastasia, the right-hand man of Costello. He feels authentic, genuine, and committed to this honorable man in a world of violence and crimes. 

Does Levinson and De Niro deliver a new win in the mobster genre? This crime thriller just feels lacking in too many ways to really satisfy on a deep level. Sure…it is entertaining and a casual watch for sure. But there are too many great films in this genre for this to really stand out. De Niro was solid, but this film would have benefited from other performers (or at least a different second one). This is a compelling story that is delivered in a solid and unremarkable package.