Earlier this year, Barry Levinson’s “Alto Knights” landed with a thud — both critically and commercially. The film earned just $6M at the domestic box office, making it one of Warner Bros’ lowest-grossing wide releases in recent memory. Critics were equally dismissive: a 37% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 47 on Metacritic paint a pretty clear picture.
And yet, Variety’s Owen Gleiberman is now attempting a full-blown reappraisal. He calls the film “criminally underrated” and claims that it’s “built to last.”
We dare you to listen to us — rather than the tidal wave of critics who crashed down on it — when we say that “The Alto Knights” is a Mob saga built to last. Criminally underrated […] What De Niro brings off in this astonishing double performance is an acting master class. Yes, the film was a big bomb, indicating that the slow-burn Mafia blood opera is no longer a money genre. But let’s call “The Alto Knights” its riveting swan song.
The project had been floating around for decades, with no studio willing to touch it — until Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav personally greenlit it as one of his early pet projects. The budget? Reportedly $50M. A major swing for what was always going to be a tough sell: a slow-burn period mafia drama with no clear commercial hook beyond De Niro.
In a recent New York Times piece, longtime producer Irwin Winkler suggested that Alto Knights will find a second life on streaming, comparing its long-term prospects to “Goodfellas”:
I think the film is terrific. I wish it did more box office. Over the years, I’m sure that Warners will make some money on it. We never did big theatrical business with Goodfellas, but we certainly did in home entertainment. I think that in the long run, The Alto Knights will have the same kind of long-range audience acceptance.
That’s quite a comparison. However, unlike ‘Alto Knights,’ Scorsese’s film had strong critical support out of the gate and made a solid $46M at the box office in 1990 — adjusted for inflation, that’s a very different picture.
Still, there’s something compelling about Gleiberman’s attempt to revive the conversation. Who else has seen it? Is this just another nostalgia-fueled rescue mission, or is ‘Alto Knights’ actually worthy of a second look? It’s currently streaming on Max — I might finally check it out tonight.