The Many Saints of Newark Parent Guide

Newark in 1968 is a dangerous place, with warring crime families fighting for turf and police brutality instigating massive rioting. For young Tony Soprano (William Ludwig, later Michael Gandolfini), it’s an especially difficult time to grow up since his father, Johnny (Jon Bernthal) has recently been incarcerated for assault. So Tony turns to his uncle Dickie (Alessandro Nivola), a major player in the mob, for inspiration. Dickie has his own problems, though, between his father “Hollywood Dick” (Ray Liotta) and his new wife Giuseppina (Michela de Rossi), up-and-coming gang leader Harold McBrayer (Leslie Odom Jr.), and, of course, regular mob business. Business that involves theft, arson, and murder…just for a start.

Before I get started, I have a confession to make: I’ve never seen The Sopranos. Before any ardent fans start jumping down my throat, I was 12 years old when the series ended – a little young for HBO mob dramas. So I can’t tell you how faithful this is to the show or the characters. Luckily for you, that’s what the internet is for, and there are more than a few obsessive fans out there who would love to give you their unfiltered, unedited opinions on the matter.

On its own, this is just another stereotypical mob movie, albeit one with far too many named characters. The story meanders around, introducing the many criminals of Newark through a variety of crimes, including everything from illegal gambling to murder. Without having seen the show, I can’t say if this backstory becomes relevant later. For the purposes of the movie, there just isn’t a lot of connective tissue between the plotlines, and some things just don’t seem relevant.

As with all mob movies, there are more than a few content concerns. There are a handful of sex scenes, almost none of which involve the character’s spouse, and some of which involve a certain amount of nudity, including one which sees a character having sex with his father’s much younger widow. Charming, I’m sure. Then there’s the usual torrent of profanity, served hot and fresh with a sprinkling of torture and a pinch of murder. None of which is surprising for the genre, but none of which makes this something you’d watch with grandma.

It’s easily apparent that The Many Saints of Newark is not intended to draw new viewers into the franchise, but to appeal to existing fans. That’s all fine and good. Just don’t try to pick up the series here. Unless decontextualized violence and adultery really turn your crank (in which case, seek help), this is going to be about as fun as trying to follow The Godfather with the volume muted. Speaking of The Godfather, that’s a much better way to spend a few hours – although there are still going to be more than a few murders.