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Raging Bull

Raging Bull

I don’t go down for nobody.

1980129 minRMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
Martin Scorsese
Starring
Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent

The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Raging Bull?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Raging Bull streaming on Pluto TV (free), Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Raging Bull?

Raging Bull earns 14 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Stood the test of time.

Show 6 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Raging Bull worth watching?

Raging Bull's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 1.1M ratings across 6 sources. 89% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

98th percentile among Biography99th percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)98th
Approval (how many liked it)97th

82 /100

98th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Biography99th percentile among 1980s

Critics 90 · Audience 81

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

89% liked it

97th percentile of all films

96th percentile among Biography98th percentile among 1980s
89% rated it 7–1011% rated it 1–6

Critics 92% · Audience 93%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

2 Oscars won · 6 Oscar noms · 22 wins / 28 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Actor in a Leading Role
  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Film Editing

99th percentile

1.1M ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Biography99th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 3% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$18M
Opening weekend$129K
Domestic gross$23M
Worldwide gross$23M

Returned 1.3× its budget — 80th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A brutally honest, technically masterful portrait of a deeply flawed, self-destructive man.

Fans praised

  • De Niro's transcendent performance fully embodying LaMotta's rage and vulnerability
  • Scorsese's brutal, expressionistic fight choreography and subjective sound design
  • Thelma Schoonmaker's jarring, rhythmic editing that internalizes the violence

Detractors panned

  • An utterly unlikable, one-dimensional protagonist with no redeeming qualities
  • Repetitive, monotonous structure of screaming and domestic abuse with no character growth
  • Pretentious black-and-white style that fails to compensate for a hollow story

What stands out

ActingDivisive95

De Niro's transformative, career-defining embodiment of LaMotta; Pesci and Moriarty also lauded

CinematographyDivisive95

Stunning black-and-white imagery evoking period newsreels; some critics find it overly pristine

AtmosphereDivisive90

Immersive, gritty 1940s/50s world-building through smoke, lighting, and period detail

Effects and spectacleDivisive85

Brutal, immersive fight sequences with stylized sound and visceral impact; detractors note unrealistic volume of punches

Emotional impactDivisive60

Devastating to fans who empathize with LaMotta's tragedy; detractors feel only revulsion

Plot and storyDivisive45

Repetitive rise-and-fall structure; fans call it unflinching, detractors find it monotonous

PacingDivisive45

Fans find it hypnotically intense, detractors call it sluggish and repetitive

CharactersDivisive35

Compelling but deliberately repellent protagonist with no arc; fans find depth, detractors see one-dimensional monster

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 16 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Raging Bull like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Harrowing: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for a hard story that does not look away.

It is intense, swings between moods and leaves you devastated. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Harrowing.

Moods
TenseMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Bleak · 8% of filmsBrutal · 7% of films
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.
ToneThe film treats LaMotta's self-destruction with unflinching seriousness, presenting his violence both in and out of the ring with raw intensity.
The rideThe film maintains high tension through Jake's jealousy and violence, with the emotional weight peaking in his fall—arrest, jail, and lonely aftermath.
StructureThe film opens with LaMotta older in 1964, then tells his story from 1941, bookended by a return to the present.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Devastated.

The answer rests on this: Devastating · 3% of filmsHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's unflinching portrait of self-destruction leaves a lingering sense of tragedy and waste.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% (this title) · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Obsession: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeJake LaMotta's self-destructive jealousy and violent temper drive his rise and fall, making this a tragedy of obsession.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfObsession
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3% (this title)
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% (this title) · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Obsession · 3% of filmsViolence · 4% of filmsSelf-worth · 7% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeJake LaMotta's obsessive jealousy and rage consume him, driving the violence that destroys his relationships while he seeks validation through boxing prowess.
StanceThe film presents Jake's obsession without moralizing, letting his actions and their consequences speak for themselves.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score
SettingBronx and boxing rings of 1940s-1950s New York
MusicThe score, though not by a single credited composer, uses classical pieces and jazz to underscore the period and emotional beats.

Content guide

Is Raging Bull okay for kids?

R

Raging Bull is rated R. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (80/100), sexual content at moderate (49/100), language at severe (92/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (40/100) and frightening material at intense (75/100). Overall it is heavier than 81% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 20 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland18
  • JapanR18+
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Greece16
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyVM14
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • PortugalM/16
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 88% of all filmsHeavier than 81% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 64%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 52%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 95%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 49%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 72%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language, violence, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Raging Bull have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Raging Bull?

Cast

4 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 2 award-winning performances in the cast.

Robert De Niro
as Jake La Motta
Oscar win: Academy Award — Best Actor in a Leading RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Cathy Moriarty
as Vickie La Motta
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Joe Pesci
as Joey
BAFTA win: BAFTA Award — Most Outstanding Newcomer to Leading Film RolesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Frank Vincent
as Salvy
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Nicholas Colasanto
as Tommy Como
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Theresa Saldana
as Lenore
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Mario Gallo
as Mario
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Frank Adonis
as Patsy
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Joseph Bono
as Guido
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Frank Topham
as Toppy
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Raging Bull?

Movies like Raging Bull include The Aviator (2004), New York, New York (1977) and 2046 (2004). Of the 12 closest matches, several are stories of obsession, and half are films set in New York.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Martin Scorsese directed 6 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Raging Bull?

2.1K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: athlete. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.