What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedCarlito's Way
Brian De Palma · Film · 1993
If you loved Carlito's Way, start with After Hours (Martin Scorsese, 1985) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Carlito's Way across media.
You were drawn to the inescapable gravity of Carlito's Way, where past choices constantly threaten to pull characters back into chaos.
Start with the source
The source
After Hours
Martin Scorsese · Film · 1985
Books on the same thread
Get Shorty
Elmore Leonard · Book · 1990
Explores: Fish-out-of-water, Hollywood satire, Mobster in Hollywood.
Much like the protagonist in Carlito's Way, Chili Palmer seeks a clean break from his criminal history, finding that the underworld follows him even when he tries to change.
COOL MACHINE
Colson Whitehead · Book
Shares 2 threads with Carlito's Way: urban decay, criminal underworld.
Fans of the urban decay and systemic corruption that defined Carlito's Way will appreciate how this narrative captures the relentless pressure of a changing city on its inhabitants.
Crook Manifesto
Colson Whitehead · Book
Shares a thread with Carlito's Way: criminal underworld.
The 1970s setting and the struggle against violent, encroaching forces mirror the fatalistic atmosphere of Carlito's Way, where characters are perpetually caught in a cycle of dangerous urban tension.
Pronto
Elmore Leonard · Book · 1993
Shares a thread with Carlito's Way: Criminal underworld.
If you valued the high-stakes betrayal found in Carlito's Way, you will recognize that same sense of desperation as Harry Arno attempts to escape his past and his pursuers.
Series on the same thread
Breaking Bad
Vince Gilligan · Series · 2008
Shares a thread with Carlito's Way: Neo-Noir.
Walter White’s transformation echoes the moral decay seen in Carlito's Way, illustrating how the consequences of past decisions inevitably spiral out of control and consume a man's entire life.
The Sopranos
David Chase · Series · 1999
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Existential Crisis, Family Dynamics.
The internal conflict Tony Soprano faces while balancing his home life and criminal organization parallels the personal struggles that made Carlito's Way such a powerful study of divided loyalties.
Crime Story
Gustave Reininger · Series · 1986
Shares 2 threads with Carlito's Way: Urban decay, Neo-noir.
The obsessive pursuit between cop and criminal captures the same sense of inevitable confrontation that drives the tension in Carlito's Way, highlighting the dark reality of urban crime.
Narcos
Chris Brancato · Series · 2015
Explores: War on Drugs, Rise and Fall, Corruption.
This chronicle of power dynamics and the war on drugs mirrors the grand scope of the criminal underworld explored in Carlito's Way, where every action carries heavy consequences.
Podcasts on the same thread
Criminal
Podcast
Explores: Justice, Wrongful Conviction, Morality.
These stories of people caught in the middle of justice and crime reflect the same complex morality that Carlito's Way explored through its portrayal of redemption and human behavior.
The Connect- with Johnny Mitchell
Podcast
Explores: Drug Trafficking, War on Drugs, Prison Life.
Johnny Mitchell’s firsthand perspective on prison life and redemption provides a real-world counterpart to the themes of second chances and systemic entrapment featured in Carlito's Way.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Carlito's Way based on a novel or original screenplay?
Carlito's Way is a 1993 film directed by Brian De Palma. The plot follows the character Carlito Brigante, an ex-con who attempts to leave his criminal life behind in New York City after being released from prison, only to be drawn back into the underworld.
Should I watch After Hours if I enjoyed Carlito's Way?
If you enjoyed the cinematic style of Carlito's Way, you may appreciate After Hours. Released in 1985, this film is another notable project directed by Brian De Palma that captures a specific atmosphere within New York City, similar to the setting found in Carlito's Way.
What is the premise of Carlito's Way?
Carlito's Way tells the story of Carlito Brigante, a man recently freed after serving years in prison. Despite his stated intention to abandon his criminal past, he finds himself inevitably pulled back into the dangerous reality of the New York City underworld.
Who directed the movie Carlito's Way?
The 1993 film Carlito's Way was directed by Brian De Palma. The story focuses on the struggles of Carlito Brigante as he navigates his return to society and the persistent pull of his former criminal life in New York City.