---
title: "The Departed"
year: 2006
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-departed"
fi1m_id: "the-departed"
imdb_id: "tt0407887"
tmdb_id: 1422
wikidata_id: "Q172975"
fi1m_score: 84
critics_score: 82
critics_reviews: 6
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:30.126183+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Departed (2006)

Directed by Martin Scorsese · 2h 31m · MPA R · Drama, Thriller, Crime

## Identity

The Departed

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-departed
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-departed
- **IMDb ID:** tt0407887
- **TMDB ID:** 1422
- **Wikidata ID:** Q172975
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407887/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1422, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q172975

**Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 82 from 6 reviews

*In a sentence:* Boston’s police and gangsters appear to share the same terrible recruitment policy

> Scorsese’s double-mole thriller is tense, viciously funny and worth your full attention. DiCaprio and Damon make the deceptions matter, though Nicholson’s overplaying occasionally lets the tension slip.

## Synopsis

In Boston, the police and the gangsters they pursue each have a mole in their ranks. Billy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Colin (Matt Damon) live with the pressure of hiding their loyalties as both sides try to identify the informers. Gangster Costello (Jack Nicholson) is an unpredictable presence in the struggle. Dignam (Mark Wahlberg), Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Madolyn (Vera Farmiga) are drawn into the men’s parallel stories. Martin Scorsese directs this adaptation of *Infernal Affairs*, following an investigation in which conversations, threats and scraps of information can put a cover story at risk.

## Review

Martin Scorsese’s *The Departed* is a gripping, blackly funny crime thriller that could use a little less of Jack Nicholson. Adapted from [*Infernal Affairs*](https://film.one/film/infernal-affairs), it puts a mole on either side of the struggle between Boston’s police and gangsters. William Monahan’s screenplay makes concealing a loyalty seem like a full-time occupation with no prospect of leave. Scorsese takes evident pleasure in the threats, insults and competitive swagger around that central problem. The pleasure is infectious, even when the plot becomes more elaborate than it needs to be.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Billy gives the film its most persuasive fear. We were frightened for him because DiCaprio makes the effort of speaking calmly look exhausting. There is enough strain in the performance to make the double-mole plot matter beyond the question of who discovers what. Matt Damon gives Colin a practised ease that makes deception look like something a man could learn to enjoy. Moving between the two performances keeps our attention on the people carrying the secrets, even as the screenplay adds complications.

Michael Ballhaus’s gliding camera keeps the conversations unsettled, and Thelma Schoonmaker’s urgent cross-cutting makes the parallel stories easy to follow at speed. Both serve the tension well: movement through a scene and movement between scenes keep denying us a comfortable pause. At 151 minutes, though, the film has room for digressions and takes more of it than the chase requires. Schoonmaker sustains the pace through those stretches, but fast cutting cannot make every additional complication necessary.

Kristi Zea’s production design gives the scheming a convincing everyday setting, with police and criminal spaces that feel part of the same city. That helps when the plotting threatens to become too ingenious for the people caught in it. Howard Shore’s music contributes to the agitation, while the soundtrack’s recurring musical patterns reinforce the connection between the two men’s lives. The sound is doing useful storytelling work alongside the cutting, helping us carry the tension from one strand into the other.

Nicholson’s Costello is entertaining company for a while, despite being someone nobody sensible would want to meet. His unpredictability gives the film a threat the intricate plotting cannot supply on its own. But the leering and swagger become so conspicuous that we start watching Nicholson enjoy himself, and Scorsese gives him too much room to do it. We laughed at the foul-mouthed aggression, then noticed how much safer the laughter made us feel. DiCaprio’s anxiety has to work harder whenever Costello starts to resemble a cartoon.

Monahan’s dialogue is sharper when the insults arrive without a performance built around each one. Mark Wahlberg’s Dignam brings a useful briskness to the verbal bullying, and the supporting cast keeps the film from depending entirely on its three leads. Scorsese knows the crime genre well enough to let its humour be ugly and its violence abrupt. Those sudden changes make the familiar cops-and-gangsters business feel dangerous, even when the machinery of the plot is showing. Give it your full attention, and be prepared for the shouting.

*Fi1m score 84, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics greet The Departed as a confident return to crime territory for Scorsese, praising its pace, black humour and forceful handling of the cops-and-gangsters story. The praise clusters around the performances: DiCaprio and Damon make compelling counterparts, while Nicholson’s volatility is a particular attraction for many. The reviews also credit the urgent camerawork and editing with keeping a complicated plot moving, finding considerable pleasure in the dialogue, sudden violence and assured direction.

The reservations concern excess, plausibility and whether the film sustains its early tension. Time Out finds the remake more distended than Infernal Affairs, despite enjoying its cast and humour. Slant Magazine objects more strongly to the later narrative bloat and regards Nicholson as cartoonish. The Evening Standard offers a sharper dissent, finding simplified characters and twists without surprise. The spread is therefore wider than the predominantly enthusiastic response might suggest.

## Straight answers

**Is The Departed worth watching?**

*The Departed* is worth watching for anyone who wants a tense, blackly funny crime thriller and can give it 151 minutes of full attention; we scored it 84. DiCaprio and Damon make the double-mole deceptions matter, though Nicholson's overplaying occasionally lets the tension slip and the plot grows more elaborate than it needs to be.

**How long is The Departed, and what is it rated?**

*The Departed* runs 2h 31m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and thriller film.

**Where can I watch The Departed in the US?**

*The Departed* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $5.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is The Departed, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Departed* is certified 18 in the UK and R in the US, and it is not suitable for children. The violence is abrupt and the dialogue is relentlessly foul-mouthed, with threats and verbal bullying throughout; the fear comes less from gore than from sustained dread for a man trying to hide his loyalties. Squeamish viewers should be prepared for sudden brutality and a great deal of shouting.

**How does The Departed compare to Infernal Affairs?**

*The Departed* is the broader, funnier and longer version of the double-mole premise, while [*Infernal Affairs*](https://film.one/film/infernal-affairs) is the tighter and more suspenseful of the two. Scorsese adds swagger, insults and digressions the chase does not need; the earlier film keeps the danger personal through precise editing and two leads who make deception look exhausting. Viewers who want sprawl and black comedy should choose Scorsese; those who want pure tension should start with the original.

**What should I watch after The Departed?**

After *The Departed*, try [*Infernal Affairs*](https://film.one/film/infernal-affairs) (2002, Fi1m 87): The same double-mole premise, pursued with less sprawl and tighter suspense. Then [*Deep Cover*](https://film.one/film/deep-cover) (1992, Fi1m 72): An undercover assignment makes moral compromise feel increasingly like the actual job; and [*A Prophet*](https://film.one/film/a-prophet) (2009, Fi1m 86): A prison crime drama where survival depends on learning who holds power.

### Reviews we read (14)

- **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (A): Scorsese orchestrates a perfect balance between mirroring mole characters with propulsive storytelling and musical symmetry. The film has Goodfellas pop, sharp black comedy, startling violence, fresh details, and supreme confidence in the crime genre. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-departed-1798202080)
- **Radio Times**, Leslie Felperin (8.5/10): Scorsese returns to familiar cops-and-gangsters form with a superior Boston-set story adapted from Infernal Affairs that earned him an Oscar; the complex script and luminous leads, especially Nicholson, plus scene-stealing support make for extremely watchable entertainment. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-dzelzy/the-departed/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (85/100, inferred): Martin Scorsese has got his groove back with arguably his best picture since GoodFellas: a big, brash, splatteringly violent mob opera. Jack Nicholson gives an outrageous and outrageously enjoyable performance as the ageing sociopath Frank Costello. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/oct/06/thriller.mattdamon)
- **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): Scorsese returns to inner-city gangsters with an expertly-crafted, fast-paced genre thriller that is unpretentious and bound to find a large mainstream audience; DiCaprio, Damon and especially Nicholson deliver well, and it stands as one of the best US remakes of a foreign film in years. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/the-departed/4028919.article)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (60/100, inferred): The film starts with feverish, foul energy, violent passion, and urgent cross-cutting that rocks violently in its first half. It later suffers from narrative bloat, operatic excess, and a tonal shift that diffuses tension, compounded by Nicholson's cartoonish performance and contrived elements. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-departed/)
- **Empire**, Roberto Sadovski: Scorsese crafts a superbly violent urban thriller that holds its own with 1970s classics like Serpico. The critic singles out Nicholson's unpredictable, leery Costello as the driving force and praises the balance of DiCaprio and Damon. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/departed-review/)
- **Evening Standard**: The Departed is a disappointing big-budget remake that begins promisingly but fails to deliver. The critic complains that the script flattens characters into basic sinner/saint types and produces a film full of twists but devoid of surprise. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/no-surprise-in-this-pulp-fiction-7389525.html)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan: The critic calls the film frequently excessive but never dull, a potboiler that is almost impossible to resist thanks to its crackerjack premise and strong cast. He praises the deepened story and standout performances, especially from DiCaprio and Farmiga, while noting Scorsese's occasional over-the-top tendencies. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-the-departed-review-20061006-snap-story.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt: The critic praises Scorsese's return to contemporary crime fiction with a robust, satisfying gangster story that is his best since Casino. Strong performances, gliding camera work, atmospheric sets, tight editing, and relaxed energy elevate the tale to tragedy while delivering ferocious entertainment. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/departed-2006-review-935692/)
- **The Independent**, Jonathan Romney: Scorsese is on his mettle with a mean-mouthed cops-and-robbers thriller that feels like a return to form. The critic singles out the crackling dialogue, black humour, editing and macho performances, especially Nicholson's, for praise while noting some awkward female roles. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-departed-18-6231154.html)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis: The critic finds the film an energetic, fast-paced entertainment that succeeds through its assured direction and editing rather than narrative logic. She singles out the urgent camera work and cutting that maintain momentum amid the story's hall of mirrors. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/06/movies/scorseses-hall-of-mirrors-littered-with-bloody-deceit.html)
- **Time Out**, Ben Walters: The critic finds the remake of Infernal Affairs somewhat distended and over-seasoned compared to the original's mathematical tragedy, with a hint of self-pastiche, but praises the strong casting of DiCaprio, Damon and especially Nicholson, along with Scorsese's assured direction and the film's entertaining macho banter and humour. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-departed)
- **Total Film**: Scorsese is bordering on his A-game with a balletic and brutal crime film that blends mob and police procedure. The critic praises the urgent camerawork, emotional and physical violence, and DiCaprio's dangerous turn while noting some tangled plot threads. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-departed-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (4.5/5): Scorsese is back with a vengeance after previous overblown mishaps, delivering a blistering, perfectly structured remake. The performances are riveting, the pace electric, and the dialogue tough, with particular praise for Nicholson's cunning psychopath and the leads' intense portrayals. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-departed-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## Details

- **Director:** Martin Scorsese
- **Director:** Martin Scorsese
- **Screenplay:** William Monahan
- **Cinematography:** Michael Ballhaus
- **Editor:** Thelma Schoonmaker
- **Music:** Howard Shore
- **Production design:** Kristi Zea
- **Costume design:** Sandy Powell
- **Producer:** Graham King, Brad Grey, Brad Pitt
- **Cast:** Leonardo DiCaprio as Billy; Matt Damon as Colin; Jack Nicholson as Costello; Mark Wahlberg as Dignam; Martin Sheen as Queenan; Ray Winstone as Mr. French; Vera Farmiga as Madolyn; Anthony Anderson as Brown
- **Runtime:** 2h 31m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 5 October 2006
- **Genres:** Drama, Thriller, Crime
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Winner, 2006); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 2006); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 2006)
- **Budget:** $90 million
- **Box office:** $291 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-MiSNsCdQ4

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: rent $5.99, uhd
- Apple TV: rent $5.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd
- Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2007: Best Supporting Actor (nominated); Best Director (won); Best Film Editing (won); Best Picture (won); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (won)
- Amanda Award for Best Foreign Feature Film 2007: Amanda Award for Best Foreign Feature Film (won)
- MTV Movie Award for Best Villain 2007: MTV Movie Award for Best Villain (won)

## If you liked this

- *Infernal Affairs* (2002), Fi1m 87: The same double-mole premise, pursued with less sprawl and tighter suspense. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/infernal-affairs.md)
- *The Friends of Eddie Coyle* (1973): Boston crime stripped of swagger, with frightened men negotiating dwindling options.
- *Deep Cover* (1992), Fi1m 72: An undercover assignment makes moral compromise feel increasingly like the actual job. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/deep-cover.md)
- *A Prophet* (2009), Fi1m 86: A prison crime drama where survival depends on learning who holds power. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-prophet.md)
- *Le Cercle Rouge* (1970): Patient French crime filmmaking for anyone curious how tension works without shouting.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-departed