Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

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Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

R

2007

1h 56m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

180 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a debt-ridden broker, needs some quick cash. He ropes his younger brother, Hank (Ethan Hawke), into a scheme to commit the perfect crime: to rob their parents' (Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris) jewelry store. The scheme goes horribly awry, and the family patriarch takes justice into his own hands, unaware that the criminals he is hunting are his own sons.

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Critics Consensus

A tense and effective thriller, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead marks a triumphant return to form for director Sidney Lumet.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

09/12/2017

A-

I enjoyed it all the way through the last second.

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Jordan Hoffman

UGO

08/14/2009

A-

Suspense and action would be enough to seal this film, but the feeling of dread, that under different circumstances this could be us, makes this a heist picture for the ages.

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Christopher Orr

The New Republic

09/18/2008

The movie's title comes from the Irish toast, 'May you be in Heaven half an hour before the Devil knows you're dead.' Unfortunately, everyone in the film is running about 35 minutes late.

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Joseph Tomastik

Loud and Clear Reviews

Jul 12

4/5

A hectic unraveling of two men whose very different lives bring them to the same violent head.

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Ray Pride

Newcity

08/29/2024

10/10

Told with force and assurance, hewing to primal archetypes of family and fate; economy of means; elegance of composition; a sense of time and place that is immediately coherent and memorable; a bracing sense of humor.

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Kathy Fennessy

Seattle Film Blog

03/17/2024

3.4/4

Fortunately, [Sidney] Lumet's hard work has paid off this time around--the title comes from the Irish toast, "May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead"--and he's currently at work on his 45th feature in 50 years.

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Paul S

Dec 25

It might've been a little slow, but other than that, I can't find a single thing wrong with this movie. It had a great story, amazing acting, and was really fun to watch. I definitely recommend it for crime and drama fans!

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Steven S.

@stevesneed Dec 21

Not a good movie. Wasted 2 hours.

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Charlie B

@Charlieberens Dec 13

This was the most stressful movie I have ever watched. It was an incredibly unpleasant viewing experience.

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Jessica M

@Jess123 Nov 22

Good film - at first I didn’t know what I was watching with the time back and forth. Then after a hour I could start to see the pattern forming- thrilling whilst being poignant and a good balance of both. Fantastic acting with a stellar cast.

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Nov 17

I need to watch it again, because I don't really remember all the details, but I think it was cool.

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Carlos I

@carlosFibarra Nov 16

This is an intense and bleak masterpiece of a film, a gripping exploration of greed and familial collapse that makes for an awesome thriller. Brilliantly dissects the events surrounding a disastrous robbery from multiple, agonizing perspectives, showing how one terrible decision spirals into devastating consequences for everyone involved. Lumet sure went out with a bang.

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Sidney Lumet

Director

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Andy Hanson

Ethan Hawke

Hank

Marisa Tomei

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Albert Finney

Charles

Rosemary Harris

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Synopsis

Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a debt-ridden broker, needs some quick cash. He ropes his younger brother, Hank (Ethan Hawke), into a scheme to commit the perfect crime: to rob their parents' (Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris) jewelry store. The scheme goes horribly awry, and the family patriarch takes justice into his own hands, unaware that the criminals he is hunting are his own sons.

Director: Sidney Lumet
Producer: Michael Cerenzie, Brian Linse, Paul Parmar, William S. Gilmore
Screenwriter: Kelly Masterson
Distributor: ThinkFilm
Production Co: Capitol Films, Funky Buddha Productions, Unity Productions
Rating: R (Language|Drug Use|Nudity|Strong Graphic Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 26, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 15, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $7.1M
Runtime: 1h 56m

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