Fear City: New York vs. the Mafia
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 22, 2020
Metascore
61

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
Watch Now

Where To Watch

Stream On

Critic Reviews

  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Richard Roeper
    Jul 21, 2020
    88
    Director Sam Hobkinson does a masterful job of weaving previously unheard recordings, new interviews with mob insiders and former investigators, and well-filmed dramatic re-creations to tell a story that never glamorizes these infamous thugs while painting a shocking picture of a crime-infested, corrupt and grimy New York that at times seemed to be teetering on the brink of complete chaos.
  2. The Daily Beast
    Reviewed by: Nick Schager
    Jul 21, 2020
    80
    Where Fear City truly shines is in its finer details, be it the revelation that Lucchese boss Tony “Ducks” Corallo got his nickname from his skill at evading subpoenas and arresting officers, or the way in which the FBI tailed bugged vehicles not only with a monitoring van, but with four separate cars equipped with repeaters that boosted the wiretap’s transmission signal. The result is a real-life cat-and-mouse saga of duplicity, treachery and murder that put an end to the golden age of the New York City mafia
  3. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Brian Tallerico
    Jul 22, 2020
    75
    It can be a little dry at times, but it’s an easy watch, a reminder of how dedicated professionals and breakthroughs in technology can change law and order. ... Unlike a lot of Netflix mini-series, I almost felt like “Fear City” could have used another chapter.
  5. Decider
    Reviewed by: Joel Keller
    Jul 22, 2020
    70
    Fear City: New York Vs. The Mafia may not be the most revealing docuseries, but the interview subjects and the subject matter are still fascinating enough to give this well-worn topic a revisit.
  6. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Robert Levin
    Jul 27, 2020
    63
    The series works best as a clinical dissection of how this happened both from a conceptual standpoint in terms of formulating the case and piecing the puzzle together, and from a practical one. ... The documentary feels perilously thin for such a rich subject. "Fear City" would benefit from being longer and more in depth than just three episodes.
  7. Movie Nation
    Reviewed by: Roger Moore
    Jul 25, 2020
    63
    A slick, engaging, well put-together documentary series that neatly skims the surface of Federal efforts to bring down the Five Families who made up The Commission — the organizers who made “organized crime” a phrase all of America was all too familiar with.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
  1. UncleWillard
    Jul 31, 2020
    5
    Bunch of FBI agents and mobsters, way past their primes jerking each other off. Some interesting footage, audio, and history, but ultimatelyBunch of FBI agents and mobsters, way past their primes jerking each other off. Some interesting footage, audio, and history, but ultimately ruined by a lot of self-congratulation on both sides. The o e guy turned state's evidence. How is he alive?… Full Review »
  2. Kuggz
    Jul 26, 2020
    6
    Could have been really good seems like maybe they rushed it because something is missing...
  3. geewah
    Jan 21, 2021
    7
    An entertaining and at times compelling look into organised crime and also NYC in the 1970's & 80's.
    Can be dry at times but on the whole an    An entertaining and at times compelling look into organised crime and also NYC in the 1970's & 80's.
    Can be dry at times but on the whole an informative docu-series.    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »