Kevin Costner’s Gangster Drama Deserves a Second Look Nearly 40 Years Later (And It’s Streaming For Free)

Brian De Palma is a director of singular bombastic vision and such an over-the-top gangster style that usually allows Al Pacino to chew the scenery within an inch of its life. But The Untouchables, starring Kevin Costner, is a different kind of De Palma movie, a director that did have a lot of range to him, even if loud gangster films are what he’s most known for. The Untouchables is a bit more of an adventure romp than a hardcore gangster flick, even allowing Robert De Niro the chance to chew scenery for a change and Sean Connery to be his authoritative self.De Palma’s The Untouchables has some of that expected grit, but it feels a lot more heightened than some of his other work. It also has an unmistakable and unique optimism that the little guys can crush the villain and save the day with some shootouts and charm. Costner gets the chance to lead his gang of crime fighters. He’s fine in the movie but gives himself over to the campy fun of it in a crucial way. Without Costner, the movie wouldn’t have an anchor for which to channel the fun, and he works as a blank slate to do that.

The Untouchables is more light-hearted than some may expect from a De Palma movie, but the director uses his setting to create a different feeling to a traditional gangster drama. Along with one of the best uses of Grand Central Station in a movie, The Untouchables is an overlooked Costner classic that’s worth a watch.