‘The Many Saints of Newark’ Reviews: Here’s What Critics Are Saying About ‘The Sopranos’ Prequel

The much-anticipated sequel to The Sopranos, The Many Saints of Newark, hit theaters and HBO Max on Oct. 1, and critics are already weighing in on the new film. The Many Saints of Newark is co-written and produced by Sopranos creator David Chase and is directed by Alan Taylor. The film’s story leaps back decades in the Sopranos mythology and takes place during the Newark riots of 1967. The Many Saints of Newark focuses on Dickie Moltisanti (played by actor Alessandro Nivola), who is Christopher Moltisanti’s father. Christopher was Tony Soprano’s nephew and protégé, famously played by Michael Imperioli on the series. Additional actors in the new film include Leslie Odom Jr., Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, Billy Magnussen, Ray Liotta, and Vera Farmiga.

The Sopranos star James Gandolfini tragically passed away in 2013, but his son Michael Gandolfini took on the role as the younger version of Tony Soprano. Recently, Michael sat down with PopCulture.com to talk about The Many Saints of Newark, and he shared a little about what it was like to step into his father’s shoes. “I’d say the biggest challenge was, I was a little older than I was playing and after diving into the series, I really understood that Tony and the show and how we thought,” he said. 

Michael continued, “There were times in the movie where I’d want to attack or maybe be sarcastic or push something off in a very Tony way and Alan really helped me be like, ‘He’s not there yet. He’s not that confident. He’s not that angry. He’s not that cynical yet.’ And sort of tone it back so that he could come into that and get hardened to over the arc of the movie.” With all of this riding on a new installment in a beloved franchise, did The Many Saints of Newark measure up?

A Disappointment

Washington Post critic Inkoo Kang called the film “disappointingly eager to please.”

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Mixed Reviews

The opinions on The Many Saints of Newark were decidedly mixed, some critics were fans. YouTuber Shaurya Chawla said “If you’re a fan of The Sopranos, rejoice cause THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK is the gabagool you ordered. It’s got the makings of a varsity athlete too (for the most part).”

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Lots of Opinions

Glen Kenny wrote on RogerEbert.com that “It’s been a while since I’ve experienced a cinematic disappointment on the level of The Many Saints of Newark.”

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Any Fresh Ideas?

“My review of The Many Saints of Newark:If it wasn’t tied to The Sopranos, and every character had a different name, it would be critically & universally panned,” wrote critic Danny Bags. “It’s a story we heard a million times, and not well told.But, Vera Farmiga is good7.3/10.”