Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

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Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

R

Released Oct 26, 2007

1h 56m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

179 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

I enjoyed it all the way through the last second.

Rated: A-

Sep 12, 2017

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Ben Kenigsberg

Time Out

Rated: 4/5

Nov 17, 2011

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Jordan Hoffman

UGO

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.

Rated: A-

Aug 14, 2009

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Ray Pride

Newcity

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.

Rated: 10/10

Aug 29, 2024

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Kathy Fennessy

Seattle Film Blog

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.

Rated: 3.4/4

Mar 17, 2024

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Dimitris Passas

PopMatters

There is a lot of family drama in Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, combined with bouts of suspense, and the finalé is fitting and satisfying.

Nov 28, 2023

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Priyan B

Worst to the core, non linear screenplay doesn't suit for this film.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/10/24

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Maarit L

Netflix made popcorn version (uncut gems) of this movie. Great actors and director Sidney Lumet make Before the devil knows you’re dead film very good.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/07/24

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amy k

Created an account just so I could rate how bad this movie was.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/30/24

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KB B

It's such an engaging movie with great acting and storyline. Both Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke were extraordinary. It's definitely worth the watch.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/28/24

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Audience Member

B movie feel to it. Entertaining, but cheesy.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

05/21/24

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Nathan W

I'm really not a fan of the non-linear storytelling. It's usually just an excuse to beef up a weak story and make it seem more interesting. In this case, however, I feel like it did the opposite and made it less interesting... By way of making things more confusing. There was more than enough going on, and a talented enough cast, to tell this one straight and still have an interesting film. Because the overall story was great! You know, the ultimate robbery gone wrong scenario. But how it unfolded was a little messy. As I've already said, there's a fabulously talented cast here, but a lot of the deliveries felt off. Tons of intensity... but lacking in conviction. I still enjoyed the movie, but I think much of its charm comes from the unorthodox filming style that it didn't really need.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/19/24

Full Review

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Sidney Lumet

Director

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Andy Hanson

Ethan Hawke

Hank

Marisa Tomei

Gina

Albert Finney

Charles

Rosemary Harris

Nanette

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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: Unity Productions, Funky Buddha Productions, Capitol Films
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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