The Godfather
The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola · Crime · Drama · 175 min · 1972
Trailer
Director
Francis Ford Coppola
Studio
Paramount Pictures / Alfran Productions
Release
24 Mar 1972
Runtime
175 min
Genres
Crime, Drama
Full Plot
The Godfather "Don" Vito Corleone is the head of the Corleone mafia family in New York. He is at the event of his daughter's wedding. Michael, Vito's youngest son and a decorated WWII Marine is also present at the wedding. Michael seems to be uninterested in being a part of the family business. Vito is a powerful man, and is kind to all those who give him respect but is ruthless against those who do not. But when a powerful and treacherous rival wants to sell drugs and needs the Don's influence for the same, Vito refuses to do it. What follows is a clash between Vito's fading old values and the new ways which may cause Michael to do the thing he was most reluctant in doing and wage a mob war against all the other mafia families which could tear the Corleone family apart.
Cast & Characters
Vito Corleone: crime boss and patriarch of the Corleone family
Marlon Brando
Michael Corleone: Vito's youngest son
Al Pacino
Sonny Corleone: Vito's eldest son
James Caan
Peter Clemenza: a caporegime in the Corleone crime family, Sonny's godfather
Richard Castellano
Tom Hagen: Corleone consigliere, lawyer, and unofficial adopted member of the Corleone family
Robert Duvall
Captain McCluskey: a corrupt police captain on Sollozzo's payroll
Sterling Hayden
Jack Woltz: A Hollywood film producer
John Marley
Emilio Barzini: a crime boss of a rival family
Richard Conte
Virgil Sollozzo: a drug boss
Al Lettieri
Kay Adams-Corleone: Michael's girlfriend and, later, second wife
Diane Keaton
Salvatore Tessio: a caporegime in the Corleone crime family
Abe Vigoda
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $6.0M, The Godfather has grossed $245.1M worldwide — about 40.8x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
The Godfather is part of TMDb's "The Godfather Collection."
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Francis Ford Coppola has directed 3 films in our catalog, including The Godfather Part II, Apocalypse Now.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Here is a summary of the role of Al Pacino in the making of "The Godfather" film:
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Despite being contracted to star as Michael Corleone, Pacino was replaced by Robert De Niro for the role of Paulie Gatto.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
The reason for this change was that Pacino had already committed to another project, "MGM's The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight", and the two studios agreed on a settlement.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
After Pacino quit the project in favor of "The Godfather", De Niro auditioned for the role of Gatto and eventually landed it.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
The Godfather holds 9.2/10 on IMDb (2,222,804 votes), 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, 100/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 30, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (9.2/10 on IMDb (2,222,804 votes), 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, 100/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Godfather's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
The Godfather holds a 97% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is The Godfather's IMDb rating?+
The Godfather has a 9.2/10 rating on IMDb from 2,222,804 votes.
What is The Godfather's Metacritic score?+
The Godfather has a Metascore of 100/100 on Metacritic.
Is The Godfather good? What are critics saying?+
The Godfather holds 9.2/10 on IMDb (2,222,804 votes), 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, 100/100 on Metacritic.
How long is The Godfather?+
The Godfather has a runtime of 175 min.
Who directed The Godfather?+
The Godfather was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Where can I watch The Godfather?+
The Godfather is available to stream, rent, or buy on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Paramount Plus Basic with Ads, Sky Store, JioHotstar.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to "The Godfather" has been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising its writing, acting, and direction as a masterpiece. Critics have commended the film's ability to perfectly tell the story of a mob family, while others have noted its complexity and depth. The movie's enduring popularity is attributed to its ability to seamlessly blend crime drama with epic exploration of power and loyalty.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
The Godfather Review by Al Carlson The Godfather is a film considered by most to be one of the greatest ever made. From The American Film Institute to as voted by users on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) it is consider to be one of the best. As a film that ranks as high as oth…
futuretv · 10/10The best movie ever... A masterpiece by the young and talented Francis Ford Coppola, about a Mob family and their drama, the story telling is perfect, the acting good, sometimes a little over the top in the case of Thalia Shire (the sister of the director) The 70's were the best…
crastana · 10/10While I'm writing this, The Godfather is still beloved by people who love it simply because they are told they have to love it. It's written by a mobster with the sole intention of depicting the lead mobsters as demi gods. Every line and every scene in the movie and the book is m…
drystyx · 1/10When you get a story written quite this magnificently it would take an extreme amateur to screw it up - and Francis Ford Coppola is no amateur. Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan and Robert Duvall represent the epitome of guile, sophistication, loyalty, honour and brutality in…
CinemaSerf · 7/10Great Movie **Ever**
Surya · 9/10The Godfather (1972), directed by the legendary Francis Ford Coppola, is nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece that redefined storytelling in film. Based on Mario Puzo’s bestselling novel, the movie seamlessly blends crime drama with an epic exploration of power, loyalty, and…
RalphRahal · 10/10
