Episode 94: Carlito’s Way (1993)

I revisit Carlito’s Way (1993), a film I absolutely loved when I first saw it at 21. I made a copy on VHS, watched it repeatedly, and was completely drawn into its world — the 1970s New York setting, the Puerto Rican influence, Al Pacino’s magnetic performance as Carlito Brigante and Sean Penn’s wild, unpredictable Kleinfeld.

Coming back to it years later, I found a very different experience. It’s still stylish, beautifully made and packed with great performances, but the darker, more tragic tone didn’t hit me in the same way it did back then.

A fascinating rewatch of a film that meant a lot to me at a very different stage of my life.