Before the Devil Knows ...

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

Two brothers are in desperate need for money, until one of them gets the perfect idea for a victimless crime. The place is insured and nobody will get hurt. But when one of the brothers gets an accomplice to do the job, nothing works out quite like they wanted.

The Cast


The Trailer



Worth the Popcorn?

I know the above summary is quite short, but I would hate to take out any suspense by spoiling something. Personally I like to watch a movie without knowing anything about it. I just need to know I'm going to watch something worth my time -- eh, popcorn. Some trailers can basically explain the entire story and that would ruin this whole movie.

If it wasn't for the two great actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke, I feel like we wouldn't be talking about this movie. What could have been an average thriller is taken to the next level by these two 'brothers'. Especially Philip Seymour Hoffman gets so intense, you question if anyone else could have pulled it off like him.

What they create is a psychological family drama. How far can people go when they are desperate, addicted? How do you solve something you caused by going too far? The story is told from different perspectives in different times and manages to give you a new fitting piece of the puzzle every time. All these pieces make for a pretty fresh and flawless suspense thriller. Except for the strange changes in time in the story, you wouldn't say this was directed by a 83 year old (Sidney Lumet). Certainly not when you see the first scene, but I'll leave that as a surprise for now.