Leonardo DiCaprio’s Gritty $291M Oscar-Winning Crime Movie Is A Global Streaming Sensation 20 Years Later

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A Leonardo DiCaprio crime film, which earned $291 million globally and won an Oscar for Best Picture two decades ago, is now a hit on streaming services worldwide.

Since the 1990s, Leonardo DiCaprio has consistently delivered popular and critically praised performances in Hollywood. He’s starred in blockbuster films like James Cameron’s Titanic and Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can, won an Academy Award for his work in Alejandro Iñárritu’s The Revenant, and frequently collaborated with director Martin Scorsese. More recently, he took the lead role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another.

Currently, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio’s 2006 film, The Departed, is the fourth most popular movie on HBO Max globally. As of today, it’s a top 10 hit in 18 countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. Spider-Man: Homecoming, Death of a Unicorn, and the 2025 release of I Know What You Did Last Summer are the top three films, with The Departed ranking higher than titles like The Damned, Blackhat, The Killer’s Game, One Battle After Another, Blink Twice, and Click. However, it’s not available for streaming on HBO Max in the United States.

Martin Scorsese’s The Departed is a remake of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Billy Costigan Jr., a young police officer who goes undercover to infiltrate a powerful Boston crime syndicate led by Frank Costello, played by Jack Nicholson. Meanwhile, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) secretly works as a mole for Costello within the Massachusetts State Police. As Costigan gains Costello’s trust, tensions and violence build. The film also features strong performances from Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Vera Farmiga, Ray Winstone, Alec Baldwin, and Anthony Anderson.

Martin Scorsese had directed several acclaimed crime films, including Mean Streets, Goodfellas, Casino, and Gangs of New York, but The Departed is the only one to win him the Academy Awards for both Best Director and Best Picture. The 2006 film also earned awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing. While Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t nominated for an Oscar, Mark Wahlberg received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Even twenty years after its release, The Departed remains highly praised, with a 91% score from critics and a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Many consider it one of the greatest gangster films ever made. The movie was also a financial success, earning close to $300 million worldwide on a $90 million budget, and continues to be popular with viewers on streaming platforms like HBO Max.

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2026-02-07 20:28