He ruled with terror—now he's a prisoner of his own mind
Capone (2020), directed by Josh Trank and starring Tom Hardy, is not the gangster epic most audiences expected. Instead, it’s a psychological, surreal descent into the final, fevered year of one of America’s most infamous crime lords—Alphonse “Scarface” Capone. Gone are the tommy guns and speakeasy glamour. What remains is a man haunted by ghosts, rotting from the inside, and clutching at memories that no longer serve him.
The film finds Capone at 47, released from prison on compassionate grounds due to his declining health. Suffering from neurosyphilis and dementia, he spends his last days wandering a decaying Florida mansion with cigars in hand and a golden pistol tucked in his robe. His mind fractures as hallucinations of violence, guilt, and lost power swirl around him. He’s no longer the man who ruled Chicago—he’s a broken figure, terrifying and tragic in equal measure.
Tom Hardy’s performance is wild, guttural, and entirely committed. He growls through scenes, smears his face with drool and confusion, and evokes a man trapped in a prison of his own brain. It’s not a flattering portrayal, nor is it conventional—it’s risky, often grotesque, and surprisingly sympathetic in its portrayal of decline. Hardy doesn’t ask for pity, but he forces you to witness the cost of a life built on blood and fear.
Josh Trank's direction leans into the surreal, using dream sequences, distorted timelines, and grotesque imagery to mirror Capone’s deteriorating mind. It’s less Goodfellas and more Eraserhead meets The Godfather, with long silences punctuated by sudden eruptions of violence—real or imagined. The film is divisive, often uncomfortable, and undeniably ambitious.
Capone isn't interested in redemption or legacy—it’s about decay. It’s about what’s left when fear no longer holds weight and the empire has turned to rot. The man who once controlled cities can no longer control his own bowels, his memories, or his past. For those expecting gangster glamor, this film may feel off-course. But for those willing to sit with discomfort, Capone is a daring portrait of a legend undone by time, disease, and the weight of his sins.
