Robert De Niro’s 170-Minute Crime Epic Is Officially on Netflix

4 days ago 24

Published Oct 25, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT

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Los Angeles has never looked as dangerous, or sounded as loud, as it did when Michael Mann decided to host a shootout in the middle of the city back in 1995. Plopping Robert De Niro and Al Pacino into the middle of it all just added to the lore of the film. Now, more than 30 years later, with a long-awaited sequel finally moving forward, there's never been a better time to revisit one of the greatest crime movies ever made.

Heat has officially arrived on Netflix in the United States, joining the streamer's library in October 2026 as excitement continues building for Mann's upcoming Heat 2. With Leonardo DiCaprio attached to star in the sequel, audiences now have another reason to revisit the movie that started it all. The film is a classic cat-and-mouse crime saga that follows professional thief Neil McCauley (De Niro) as he leads a crew of criminals across carefully planned robberies throughout L.A. But after a job goes fatally wrong, LAPD detective Vincent Hanna (Pacino) doggedly chases them down.

The cast is led by De Niro (Goodfellas) and Pacino (The Godfather), alongside Val Kilmer (Top Gun) as Chris Shiherlis, Ashley Judd (Double Jeopardy) as Charlene Shiherlis, Amy Brenneman (The Leftovers) as Eady, Diane Venora (The Insider) as Justine Hanna, Natalie Portman (Black Swan) as Lauren Gustafson, and Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan) as Michael Cheritto.

What Is 'Heat 2' About?

Speaking to Variety last year, DiCaprio, who is taking over the role of Chris Shiherlis from the late Kilmer, explained that Heat 2 won't simply try to recreate the original movie, even if it remains heavily inspired by Mann's crime classic. "This is very much its own movie," he said, adding that "it tips its hat to Heat, but it's an homage, and it picks up the story from there." He also went on to describe the original as "the great crime noir film of my lifetime," praising its enormous influence on Hollywood over the years. However, he was quick to stress that the new movie needs to stand on its own, admitting that "we can't duplicate what Heat was," and that the goal is to honor the original while creating something that feels fresh and different.

Heat is streaming now on Netflix in the United States.