Cameron Diaz called Gangs of New York a masterpiece early
Before Gangs of New York hit theaters in 2002, Cameron Diaz declared Martin Scorsese's historical epic "Marty's masterpiece"—even though she had not watched the completed film. The actor, filming on the movie's 15-acre Five Points set, said less than a minute of raw footage "gave me chills" and made her heart swell with emotion. Her pre-release endorsement still shapes how fans remember one of the director's most ambitious early-2000s projects.
Key Takeaways
- Diaz labeled Gangs of New York Scorsese's masterpiece while still filming on the movie's 15-acre Five Points recreation.
- She starred with Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Liam Neeson in the crime epic that launched Scorsese's DiCaprio era.
- Far Out Magazine reports Diaz said unfinished clips "gave me chills" and made her heart "swell."
- As Netflix loads up fall 2026, IGN and Entertainment Weekly highlight a packed September schedule alongside new prestige originals.
- Diaz's early praise underscores why the 2002 film remains a touchstone when discussing Scorsese's 21st-century catalog.
Which 2002 movie did Cameron Diaz call a masterpiece?
The film is Gangs of New York, Martin Scorsese's 2002 crime drama set in the Five Points neighborhood of 1860s New York City. Far Out Magazine notes that Scorsese had traded his longtime collaborator Robert De Niro for Leonardo DiCaprio, beginning a partnership that would later produce The Departed and The Aviator.
For Diaz, the role marked a career-defining moment. She worked alongside DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson, and one of cinema's most respected directors on a project built around staggering practical set design rather than CGI-heavy spectacle.
Why did Cameron Diaz say the footage gave her chills?
Despite standing in the middle of Scorsese's massive Five Points rebuild, Diaz told press she could not picture how the director would assemble the final cut. She had only seen fragments of the work in progress.
"It's Marty's masterpiece," she said proudly, according to Far Out. "I have seen parts of it, and I wanted to cry. It gave me chills because it was so beautiful. My heart just swelled. And that was literally after watching not even a minute of footage. So I can't wait to see the whole thing."
The quote captures the anticipation that surrounded the film before release, when industry observers wondered whether a new generation of filmmakers might finally displace the Coppola-Spielberg-Scorsese elite. Scorsese's answer, Far Out argues, was to prove his ambition remained boundless.
Does Gangs of New York still hold up more than two decades later?
Far Out acknowledges that Scorsese arguably reached higher peaks later in the decade, citing The Departed as one of his finest achievements. Still, Gangs of New York demonstrated that the director was not resting on his 20th-century laurels.
He pushed forward with new technology, fresh collaborators, and epic-scale production design to define what great cinema could mean in the 2000s. Diaz's pre-release verdict may not be the final word among critics, but it reflects the scale of what everyone on set believed they were making.
What's landing on Netflix as fall 2026 streaming heats up?
The Diaz story lands as subscribers weigh a busy autumn lineup. IGN reports that Netflix's September 2026 release schedule is packed with monster movies and horror franchise favorites, including the Jaws series, Resident Evil titles, and both Alien and Aliens arriving September 1.
The same day brings catalog standouts such as Phantom Thread, About Time, Knocked Up, Liar Liar, and Cruel Intentions. Later in the month, Netflix adds Smile 2, Oculus, Party Down, a revival of A Different World, and Unabomber on September 25.
Entertainment Weekly is rounding up the most exciting movies set to premiere on Netflix this fall as awards season approaches. For more release roundups, see our Streaming & TV Alerts hub. Whether you are revisiting a Scorsese epic Diaz once championed or queueing new fall premieres, the season offers plenty to watch. Read the original Diaz report at Far Out Magazine.