Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

I was a little disappointed that a narrative built on mixed causality and unpredictability was left rather open-ended and unclear, but otherwise Lumet and all the actors deliver truly admirable performances. A depressing, skin-deep tale of two losers that tightens the screws from the beginning and doesn't leave even a spark of positive energy in the viewer. I don't think Hollywood has ever seen a family this tough, and the resulting insight "How fragile family relationships can be in the face of a difficult life situation" will throb in my head for a long time. (19/09/2016)

A depressing family drama put together masterfully by director Sidney Lumet. The story is almost unpredictable, full of dark corners and incredible realities. The acting performances are great, especially Philip Seymour Hoffman is chillingly perfect. If the story hadn’t dragged in places, I would give this 5. (07/04/2008)

A terribly depressing study of twisted family relationships brought on by a tragedy. The characters have more personal weaknesses and character flaws than we are used to in American films, and the screenwriter sends them to the deepest pits of hell for it. The plot is unpredictable and although the picture feels like it is 20 minutes longer than it really is, it is never boring. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is a thoroughly old-school psychological drama with very good acting performances, thriller elements and a special multi-flashback composition. It will exhaust you mentally. The curse of a journalist is to see such a film in the morning or early in the afternoon, as they would feel completely devastated for the rest of the day. (15/02/2008)

A film that always somehow passed me by finally came into my view, and I immediately seized the opportunity and watched it. There are countless thrillers these days, but when I narrow it down to the quality ones, about ninety percent of films drop out of that category. This film is undoubtedly a quality one, boasting several excellent attributes, where I would especially praise the individual flashbacks that aren't forced but gradually reveal every detail to the viewer, one by one. Philip Seymour Hoffman is the best asset of the film—his performance simply captivated me. Ethan Hawke played a complete fool and coward who turned a relatively simple robbery of a family business into a situation from which there’s no escape, due to his mistakes and senseless actions. I liked how the noose gradually tightened around the two main characters. The plot is perfect, and the twists were also well-executed. The ending was perfectly intense, sending chills down my spine. The only thing that bothers me is that we don’t know what happened to Hawke's character. I can’t believe he would be able to escape from such a mess, so some clarification would have been welcome. Otherwise, I give it 79%. (08/07/2017)

I appreciate the retrospective style of storytelling, where we learn the whole plot from the perspectives of all involved through multiple flashbacks, but apart from that and the fine acting, the film didn't really grab me. I was expecting more action, more psychological intensity and more build-up to a complete analysis of the viewer's soul, but the whole thing is just such a forgettable "meh"... (07/07/2023)