Al Pacino's crime thriller Carlito's Way is airing on TV tonight, in case you're looking for a '90s classic to wrap up the weekend. The 1993 film, directed by Brian de Palma, follows an ex-convict who is dragged into a world of danger despite his attempts to leave his criminal days behind.
Based on Judge Edwin Torres' novels Carlito's Way and After Hours, the thriller boasts a star-studded cast, including One Battle After Another star Sean Penn, Wednesday's Luis Guzmán and Lord of the Rings actor Viggo Mortensen.
Carlito's Way is airing tonight (Sunday 25 January) at 11:55pm on Channel 4. Don't worry if you already had plans, though, as the film will be available to stream on the Channel 4 platform shortly afterwards. Additionally, you could rent the movie from digital retailers such as Prime Video and AppleTV.
Written by David Koepp, who reunited with de Palma three years later to helm the script for Mission: Impossible, the crime thriller focuses on Puerto Rican Carlito Brigante, played by Pacino.
Per the synopsis: "A free man 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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"Reconnecting with his dancer girlfriend, Gail, Carlito gets entangled in the shady dealings of his friend Dave Kleinfeld, who also serves as his lawyer. When Carlito and Kleinfeld run afoul of shifty gangster Benny Blanco, it sets them on a dangerous path."
Carlito's Way currently sits at an impressive 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (from 51 reviews), with critics calling it "masterful" and praising Pacino's performance.
"Carlito's Way reunites De Palma and Pacino for a more wistful take on the crime epic, delivering a stylish thriller with a beating heart beneath its pyrotechnic performances and set pieces," reads the Critics Consensus on the review aggregator.
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"A masterful piece of entertainment anchored by an interesting story and fine performances and hoisted by an intoxicating field of vision that nevertheless, maintains a sharply focused perspective," opined The Austin Chronicle.
The New York Times wrote that the film is "best watched as lively, colorful posturing and as a fine demonstration of this director's bravura visual style," while Esquire said that its "somber mood is balanced only by its larger-than-life performances, retro '70s threads, thrilling sequences, and plenty of sweaty disco tunes outside of Patrick Doyle's stellar score".
Carlito's Way is airing tonight (Sunday 25 January) at 11.55pm on Channel 4.
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Mireia (she/her) has been working as a movie and TV journalist for over eight years. Based in the UK, she is a former deputy movies editor at Digital Spy, and previously worked for the Spanish magazine Fotogramas. Mireia's work has been published in other outlets such as Esquire and Elle in Spain, and WeLoveCinema and GamesRadar+ in the UK. She is also a published author, having written the essay Biblioteca Studio Ghibli: Nicky, la aprendiz de bruja about Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service.
During her years as a freelance journalist and film critic, Mireia has covered festivals around the world and has interviewed high-profile talents such as Kristen Stewart, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and many more. She's also taken part in juries such as the FIPRESCI jury at Venice Film Festival and the short film jury at Kingston International Film Festival in London. LinkedIn
