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Movies & TV

05th Feb 2025

One of the best crime drama movies ever is on TV tonight

Stephen Porzio

It was the breakthrough movie for three people who would become cinematic legends.

Our TV movie pick for tonight (Wednesday, 5 February) is Mean Streets, the 1973 crime drama co-written and directed by Martin Scorsese (The Departed, Goodfellas and Taxi Driver).

Set in the Little Italy neighbourhood of New York City, the film centres around Charlie (Harvey Keitel), a young man torn between his devout Catholicism and his illicit Mafia work.

This is as his more reckless friend Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro) gets in over his head with a vicious loan shark.

Serving as the breakthrough movie for future legends De Niro, Keitel and Scorsese, Mean Streets’ stylish direction, incredible sense of place and powerful performances have cemented it as an all-time classic.

The movie is airing on TV tonight on Film4 at 11.35pm.

It is also currently streaming on Mubi and should be available to watch on Channel 4’s website after it airs.

Here are the other films airing on TV tonight:

Father Stu – Film4 – 9pm

Mark Wahlberg stars in this 2022 biographical drama as a boxer-turned-Catholic priest who is diagnosed with a rare muscular disease.

The King’s Man – RTE2 – 9pm

This prequel in the Kingsman series of spy comedies takes place during WWI and stars Ralph Fiennes.

You Only Live Twice – ITV4 – 9pm

The fifth Bond movie with Sean Connery, You Only Live Twice is notable for having its screenplay penned by Roald Dahl.

Need for Speed – Sky Max – 9pm

This movie adaptation of the popular racing video game is no Fast and Furious.

Sabotage – Legend – 9pm

Arnold Schwarzenegger leads a crack team of drug enforcement agents who start getting picked off one by one after stealing a lot of money in this action thriller JOE previously called “absolutely disgusting”.

The Howling – Legend Xtra – 11.10pm

The legendary werewolf movie made by Gremlins director Joe Dante.

Legacy of Lies – Legend – 11.10pm

Cult action movie star Scott Atkins (Avengement) plays an ex-MI6 agent thrown back into the world of espionage in this spy thriller that earned solid reviews.

Respect – BBC One – 11.15pm

Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson is Aretha Franklin in this music biopic.

A Little Chaos – BBC Two – 11.30pm

Alan Rickman directed and appeared in this drama set in 17th-century France about King Louis XIV’s chief landscape architect (Matthias Schoenaerts) hiring a woman (Kate Winslet) to create a lavish garden at Versailles.

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