Layer Cake

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Layer Cake

R

Released May 13, 2005

1h 45m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

141 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

An unnamed mid-level cocaine dealer (Daniel Craig) in London makes plans to step away from the criminal life. Before he can cut ties, the dealer's supplier Jimmy Price (Kenneth Cranham) draws him into a complicated pair of jobs involving kidnapping the teenage daughter of a rival gangster (Michael Gambon) and brokering the purchase of a large shipment of ecstasy pills from a dealer known as the Duke (Jamie Foreman), leading to a series of elaborate double-crosses from all corners.

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Critics Consensus

A stylized, electric British crime thriller.

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Will Self

London Evening Standard

Layer Cake features all the doublecrosses, grasses and reversals of fortune that come as standard to the genre, but it is lifted by the uniformly excellent cast, the snide intelligence of the script, and the effortless pace of Vaughn's direction.

Dec 27, 2017

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Leslie Felperin

Variety

There's a proper lived-in believability about Layer Cake's depiction of how the worlds of the rich, the criminal and the criminally rich intersect.

Jul 29, 2008

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Empire Magazine

Rated: 4/5

Apr 1, 2006

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Johnny Loftus

Decider

Daniel Craig is cool and compelling.

May 14, 2021

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James Croot

Stuff.co.nz

As well as a marvellous scenario that boasts more twists and turns than a rollercoaster, Vaughn has also assembled a terrific cast.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jan 5, 2021

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Brian Costello

Common Sense Media

Violence, language, drugs in British noir crime movie.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 8, 2020

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Ellisha D

A perfect blend of great writing and great casting that together tell a classic story.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/28/24

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Audience Member

One of if not best British crime film of all time. An absolute must see.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/06/24

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Julian P

Almost the perfect action thriller with humour. Craig is perfect and the characters full.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/25/24

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Farah R

A stylish and well-acted British film that cleverly tells an intriguing story, Layer Cake is entertaining and worth watching if one's got the patience for it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/14/24

Full Review

r96 s

Absolutely tremendous! I haven't got much (edit: five paragraphs later...) to say about 'Layer Cake', but that's only because it's simply one of those movies that is undeniably outstanding, to the point it's plain and simple that it requires little explanation. I had heard this bandied about down the years as being arguably Daniel Craig's best, though that is all that I knew about it. What a film! I knew it was one of my favourites because I got goosebumps as soon as the credits rolled as I processed it and that only happens for the movies I adore. Going back to Craig, that man is superb in this, definitely one of the best performances of his that I've seen - up there with 'Knives Out'. That's also saying something, given his other stellar stint as that spy geezer. Michael Gambon is, though, the one I enjoyed most. I'm already a big fan of his, though here he is also a notch above; his voice is up is just so iconic. Away from Craig & Gambon, I lost track of all the known faces that appeared insert Rick Dalton meme here. Crazy to see Tom Hardy in this and that he's used the least of his whole crew! I also didn't even recognise Sally Hawkins, despite seeing her name in the opening credits! Simply put: It's brilliantly entertaining! I loved every second, quite literally. It gave me exactly what I wanted from a British gangster flick, so many from this subgenre fail to correctly tow the line between the crime and comedic gangster elements so it can either be cringe or boring, or even both. This, however, utterly nailed it for me. It also holds a pleasing score, you give me that, an entertaining plot and a fantastic cast then, I'm afraid, I am gonna love your movie. It does surpass (the great) 'Stardust' as my standout Matthew Vaughn flick.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/25/24

Full Review

Ryan N

Misleading title....

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/17/24

Full Review

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Matthew Vaughn

Director

Daniel Craig

XXXX

Colm Meaney

Gene

Kenneth Cranham

Jimmy Price

George Harris

Morty

Jamie Foreman

The Duke

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Synopsis

An unnamed mid-level cocaine dealer (Daniel Craig) in London makes plans to step away from the criminal life. Before he can cut ties, the dealer's supplier Jimmy Price (Kenneth Cranham) draws him into a complicated pair of jobs involving kidnapping the teenage daughter of a rival gangster (Michael Gambon) and brokering the purchase of a large shipment of ecstasy pills from a dealer known as the Duke (Jamie Foreman), leading to a series of elaborate double-crosses from all corners.

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Producer: Adam Bohling, David Reid, Matthew Vaughn
Screenwriter: J.J Connolly
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Sony Pictures Classics, Falcon Films
Rating: R (Nudity|Drug Use|Pervasive Language|Sexuality|Strong Brutal Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): May 13, 2005, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.3M
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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