The Many Saints of Newark (marketed with the subtitle A Sopranos Story) is a 2021 crime drama directed by Alan Taylor and written by David Chase and Lawrence Konner. A prequel to Chase's HBO crime drama series The Sopranos, it takes place during the 1960s and 1970s in Newark, New Jersey.
Young Anthony Soprano is growing up in one of the most tumultuous eras in Newark’s history, becoming a man just as rival gangsters begin to rise up and challenge the all-powerful DiMeo crime family’s hold over the increasingly race-torn city. Caught up in the changing times is the uncle he idolizes, Dickie Moltisanti, who struggles to manage both his professional and personal responsibilities—and whose influence over his nephew will help make the impressionable teenager into the all-powerful mob boss we’ll later come to know: Tony Soprano.
The cast includes Alessandro Nivola (“Disobedience,” “American Hustle”), Tony winner Leslie Odom Jr. (Broadway’s “Hamilton,” “Murder on the Orient Express”), Jon Bernthal (“Baby Driver,” “The Wolf of Wall Street”), Corey Stoll (“First Man,” “Ant-Man”), Michael Gandolfini (TV’s “The Deuce”), Billy Magnussen (“Game Night,” “The Big Short”), Michela De Rossi (“Boys Cry,” TV’s “The Rats”), John Magaro (“The Finest Hours,” “Not Fade Away”), with Emmy winner Ray Liotta (TV’s “Shades of Blue,” “Goodfellas”) and Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air,” “The Conjuring” films).
Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema obtained the rights to produce The Many Saints of Newark alongside HBO Films. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Fall Preview on September 22nd, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 1st, along with a month-long simultaneous release on the HBO Max streaming service.
THE GOOD
Just as we were closing out the 90’s, a genre-defining series called The Sopranos made its debut, and would be known as one of the best shows of all time. The winner of 21 Primetime Emmy Awards five Golden Globes, James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano was a staple of Sunday night television. I was part of the crowd that started watching the show from the beginning, and tuned in every week until its conclusion in 2007. When The Many Saints of Newark was announced a few years ago as a movie prequel to the series, nostalgia began to take hold. With expectations and anticipation running rampant, could the film possibly live up to expectations?
Okay so if you’ve made it this far, you are surely well aware of the mixed thoughts on The Many Saints of Newark. High expectations are more often than not the perfect recipe for a letdown, especially when it comes to a movie based on a show that is widely regarded as one of the best ever. With that being said, as a fan of The Sopranos I genuinely enjoyed this film. It was a welcomed journey down memory lane, and reminded me just how much I love shows and movies based around organized crime. The Many Saints of Newark has a similar gritty feel, and sets the tone early with the trademark violence the series was known for. I really liked the idea of finding out how Tony Soprano came to be, and the movie does a really nice job laying that foundation. It is a story about family and role models, and ultimately the desire to make something of yourself regardless of the path you choose.
What I enjoyed most about The Many Saints of Newark was just how immersive the experience was. I remember watching The Sopranos, although admittedly its been awhile, and as soon as you moved past the trademark HBO title screen, you were locked in until that episode concluded. And if you weren’t caught up for one reason or another, there was no way you could watch just one episode. The film is very similar in that sense, and had my eyes glued to the screen for the entire 2-hours. The show was built around the dynamic of loyalty and greed, and The Many Saints of Newark follows in its footsteps nicely.
Pivotal characters meet their demise when you least expect it, and everyone is seemingly on edge. I felt like the characters were well developed and helped to progress the story without much of an issue, and the world felt dangerous and unpredictable just like the series. For those of us who have seen the show in its entirety, the foundation of the series is built around Tony Soprano and his behind closed doors work he is doing with his therapist. The film establishes young Tony as intelligent and a born leader, but also sets the stage for the emotional stress that will take a toll on him later on in his life. I enjoyed the character development, and by the time the final minutes of the film came around, I was ready to go back and re-watch the series which I plan to do soon.
The cast for The Many Saints of Newark is absolutely stacked from top to bottom. Alessandro Nivola plays the most pivotal role in the film as young Tony Sopranos influential Uncle, Dickie Moltisanti, and I thought he did a fantastic job. Nivola is certainly not a household name, but he was incredible in a supporting role in one of my favorite multi-layered crime films, American Hustle. Nivola is everything you could want in a leading man, charismatic, full of personality, and probably most importantly for a role like this, an absolute sociopath. He was just great all around. I also really enjoyed the duo-roles played by Mr. Crime Drama himself, Ray Liotta. Although Liotta technically has a supporting role, he gets a good amount of screen time and leaves a big mark on the film. I loved Jon Bernthal’s portrayal of Johnny Soprano, and was once again reminded why he has become one of my favorite actors since his days on The Walking Dead. He is absolutely deserving of his success.
The very well known Corey Stoll and Vera Farmiga are incredible in their roles as well. Farmiga takes on the important role of Tony’s mother, Livia Soprano, and she is great from start to finish. Stoll plays the often slighted and vengeful Junior Soprano. Leslie Odom Jr. is fantastic as Harold McBrayer, a man that starts as part of the family business but transitions to a dangerous and determined enemy. Even though he didn’t necessarily deliver the best performance in the film, I mean he was up against some stiff competition, but I was a huge fan of the late James Gandolfini’s son Michael, who took on the role of a young Tony Soprano, a character that his father made a legend that will live in television history forever. Maybe I have a soft spot for James Gandolfini and The Sopranos in general, but it just warmed my heart to see that his son had the opportunity to play this role. Kudos to everyone for making that happen.
THE BAD
While The Many Saints of Newark is a great film, it is not perfect. The issue that plagued the film the most would have to be the writing. Now let me just preface this by pointing out the obvious fact that writer Lawrence Konner was at a gigantic disadvantage as he was tasked with doing right by The Sopranos as he collaborated with David Chase, and the characters and world he created. Konner is no slouch with a pen in his hand, as he is credited with contributing to the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, as well as the 2001 film Planet of the Apes, but this was still a tall task. Not only is he in a position where he has to somehow live up to the expectations of one of the greatest crime drama shows ever created, he also has the task of trying to attract new viewers who have yet to see the show. The Many Saints of Newark is a prequel and is without a doubt successful in that sense, but where it struggles the most in my opinion is balancing character backstories as it essentially tries to build up to the start of the series. It was clear that Konner and Chase wanted to tie the film into the series at every turn, but it was a tall task.
The Sopranos ran for 6 seasons and totaled 86 episodes, and one of the biggest strengths of the series was the writing and the acting. The characters and the world that was created is what kept people coming back for more. It is extremely difficult to balance so many influential characters, and while I do think the film does a great job all things considered, it is not perfect. A series has the benefit of taking its time with character development from one episode to another, but with a movie you have to cram just enough into a short window. I do however feel like the decision to try and focus on the coming-of-age element for a young Tony Soprano was the way to go, I just felt like the story jumped around so much that at times it seemed to waste momentum. But again, that is just my personal opinion as a fan of the series.
THE VERDICT
A gritty and extremely violent coming-of-age tale chronicling young Tony Soprano’s formidable years, The Many Saints of Newark is a rewarding and immersive experience for fans of The Sopranos and newcomers alike. I mean sure, the fact that this is a prequel to the show helps, but I could easily recommend this film to fans of crime dramas that have never seen an episode of The Sopranos. While it admittedly is not as polished as the award-winning series, the fact that it can stand on its own like it does is probably what impressed me most about The Many Saints of Newark. While its not perfect and the writing will surely leave some fans feeling like opportunities were missed, the package as a whole still delivers in my opinion. This is a just a good old fashioned mob style flick taking place during a very difficult and confusing time in our countries history, and it is well worth a watch.
TED TAKES RATING - 8.2/10
The Many Saints of Newark is now playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max through October 31st. Check out the latest trailer below.