Title – The Alto Knights (2025)

Director – Berry Levinson (Rain Man)

Cast – Robert De Niro, Debra Messing, Kathrine Narducci, Cosmo Jarvis

Plot – Based on the true story of friends and Mafia bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese (De Niro) who were set on a collision course when the United States government instigated a very public examination of organised crime practices across the country.

“The most dangerous enemy is an old friend”

Review by Eddie on 21/07/2025

One of 2025’s most infamous box office duds that put Warner Brothers CEO David Zaslav’s head firmly on the chopping block until Minecraft and Sinners arrived to save the day after Barry Levinson’s mob drama followed in the footsteps of the Joker sequel and Mickey 17, The Alto Knights is a film that may’ve made an impact in another era but in the current climate feels stale and without voice.

Another forgettable addition to the growing collection of sad and sorry Levinson feature films that use to be Rain Man and Good Morning Vietnam and now are Envy and Rock the Kasbah, Knights based on a true story of Mafia players Frank Costello and Vito Genovese could’ve been a grand new addition to the mobster sub-genre and with star Robert De Niro pulling lead duties and a script by Goodfellas and Casino scribe Nicholas Pileggi, the stars were there to align but unfortunately for all, Knights is a DOA experience.

Produced for an estimated $50 million, Knights had some money behind it as well as talent to make it work but after multiple decades in various stages of development hell and starts and stops, Levinson’s eventual version of the life and times of Costello and Genovese is such a generic and lifeless offering you wonder why anyone thought this was a good idea, even more so with De Niro bizarrely playing both main protagonists for no apparent reason other than because he could.

Not related in anyway, shape or form, Knights makes no attempts to justify why it decided to get De Niro in the make-up chair to bring both these figures to life and while De Niro gives it as much of a shot as an 80 year old actor can give the dual casting of the esteemed screen legend is more of a distraction than a service to the film around him that seemingly takes place around a bunch of still photographs and talking head interviews that all go hand in hand to make this feature one that feels disjointed and disengaged.

There are some brief moments where Levinson’s film comes to life, an integral senate enquiry and some brief segments where De Niro goes toe to toe with himself in shared scenes bring some interest to the viewer but for such a layered true life tale there’s so much within Knights that never comes into full bloom and despite the prestige attached to it, including cinematography work from the Oscar nominated Dante Spinotti, nothing ever feels fully formed or functioning within an end product that lacks a heart and soul.

Formulaic and lacking a spark, Knights is a missed opportunity to gift De Niro with one final mob-centric hurrah and for director Levinson to finally get back on track after years of missed opportunities and half-baked concoctions.

Final Say –

There’s good reason why The Alto Knights came and went from cinemas in record pace as this talk-heavy mobster tale fails to find its place in a mismanaged examination of two life long friends bought to conflict by their life in the mob scene.

2 pleadings of the 5th amendment out of 5