**Mr. Scorsese (Now Streaming on Apple TV+): A Five-Part Documentary Series Explores the Life and Legacy of a Cinematic Legend**

*I’m joking!* Of course, this miniseries is catnip for movie hounds. Naturally, there will be discussions of gangsters and Catholicism, with luminary stars and technicians he’s worked with offering praise for his genius and influence—rightfully so. The question is: is five hours enough?

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### MR. SCORSESE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

**Opening Shot:**
The series opens with a quick-cutting montage of film clips from Martin Scorsese’s extensive oeuvre. As The Rolling Stones play in the background (of course), we watch Scorsese cinch a tie around his neck for a photo shoot.

**The Gist:**
“Who are we? What are we, I should say, as human beings? Are we intrinsically good or evil?” Scorsese’s voice poses the core curiosity that drives him as a filmmaker and storyteller. Friends, contemporaries, peers, admirers, and scholars—all or any of the above—offer glowing praise, calling him a “poet of the contemporary landscape” and “a priest and a gangster.”
Although he needs no introduction, the series provides one nonetheless.

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### The Early Years: Stranger in a Strange Land

The rest of the first hour chronicles the early years of the Scorsese saga. He grew up in tenement housing in Queens, New York, experiencing a brief stay in the Corona neighborhood—cut short when his father got into a fistfight with their landlord. Italian crime families intervened to settle the dispute, sending the Scorsese family back to the tenement. Scorsese describes this ordeal as “traumatizing,” and anyone familiar with even a handful of his movies knows how formative such experiences were for his stories.

He was surrounded by the world of gangsters: his uncle was a gangster, and in those days, every Italian non-crime family inevitably had ties to crime families. Diagnosed with severe asthma at age three, the only relief little Marty found was in air-conditioned movie theaters. “Thank god for asthma!” jokes Spike Lee, laughing.

Scorsese immersed himself in films—from Technicolor musicals to shadowy black-and-white noir—while *Bicycle Thieves* proved foundational to his sensibility. At home, he sketched storyboards of epic gladiator battles, complete with long zooms. “I’m still doing this shot,” he says, holding up a reproduction of his childhood sketches.

His asthma made him a homebody who often watched other kids play outside from his upper-level vantage point—a perspective that informed his love of high-angle shots.

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### A Superhero Origin Story of Cinema

Are you soaking up these details like a wanderer in the desert stumbling upon a sparkling oasis? If not, you might not have come this far. *Mr. Scorsese* is the origin story of a cinematic superhero—yes, the implications are acknowledged.

“Stranger in a Strange Land” explores Scorsese’s ethical tension between the Catholic Church and organized crime, his formative years as a student filmmaker at NYU, and his early creativity inspired by French and Italian New Wave movements. These influences led him to break traditional cinematic rules with a camera in hand on the streets of New York.

We also learn about crucial relationships—including meeting lifelong film editor and fellow legend Thelma Schoonmaker, being nudged out of co-director credit on the documentary *Woodstock*, and injecting his traditional moral sensibility into his work despite the progressive culture of 1960s America.

His first major directing gig was for Roger Corman—a job he would later somewhat regret. John Cassavetes physically embraced him once and encouraged him to follow his own muse and stories.

Scorsese’s parents, Charles and Catherine, appear in archival interviews from 1990. Delightful reminiscences with childhood friends from Queens, some of whom worked on or starred in his earliest films, enrich the narrative. They recount tales of their rough-and-tumble upbringing—including discovering a dead body on the streets and poking a pencil into the bullet wound.

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### What Shows Will It Remind You Of?

The last time we watched a five-hour documentary focused on one subject was just last week with *Aliens Expanded*. But *Mr. Scorsese* aligns more closely with documentaries like 2017’s *Spielberg* and 2015’s *De Palma*.

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### Our Take

*Stranger in a Strange Land* sets the stage by establishing Scorsese’s personality and recurring themes, preparing viewers for a deep dive into his most acclaimed films: *Mean Streets*, *Taxi Driver*, *Raging Bull*, *The Last Temptation of Christ*, *The Departed*, and more—highlighting his towering filmmaking career.

The series promises tragic and triumphant stories, but right now, there’s a risk of simply praising Marty instead of focusing on how entertaining *Mr. Scorsese* itself is. With a who’s who of talking heads, familiar anecdotes appreciated by cinephiles, smart analytical insights, and more revelations to come in future episodes, the series keeps viewers engaged.

Look for Thelma Schoonmaker as a consistent and insightful commentator—she has edited every Scorsese film since 1980 and provides candid perspectives.

We’ll also see mentions of drugs (briefly touched on in episode one), the Oscars that came surprisingly late in his career, and well-deserved accolades from a diversity of voices.

One fascinating insight unveiled here is Scorsese’s key mentorship by Father Principe, a priest who could “throw hands if necessary.” If that doesn’t shed crucial light on Scorsese and his work, what will?

*Mr. Scorsese* is already rife with such revelations. More, please.

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### Sex and Skin

None yet.

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### Parting Shot

A closeup of Robert De Niro, offering a little half-smile.

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### Sleeper Star

It’s always been Schoonmaker. Why would this series be any different?

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### Most Pilot-y Line

Goodfellas screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi aptly observes about Scorsese’s early days: “Marty’s life depended on going to movies. It’s where he could breathe.”

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### Our Call

The series probably should be 10 hours—at least.

**STREAM IT.**

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### How To Watch *Mr. Scorsese*

*Mr. Scorsese* is available to stream on Apple TV+. Apple TV+ offers a seven-day free trial for new subscribers and features a single ad-free streaming plan for $13.99/month.

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*John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.*
https://decider.com/2025/10/17/mr-scorsese-martin-scorsese-documentary-apple-tv-plus-review-stream-it-or-skip-it/