Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is a 2007 crime-drama directed by Sidney Lumet, best known for classics like 12 Angry Men and Dog Day Afternoon. It’s a dark, slow-burn story about family, greed, and the disastrous consequences of a badly planned crime.
Detailed Summary
The Botched Robbery
The film opens with Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) convincing his younger brother Hank (Ethan Hawke) to take part in a “victimless” robbery: robbing their parents’ suburban jewelry store. Andy paints it as a simple plan that would help them both escape financial troubles. Andy is drowning in debt, embezzling money from his employer, and Hank is behind on child support.
Hank recruits someone else to do the robbery—his unstable acquaintance Bobby. Things spiral out of control when Bobby tries to pull off the job. Instead of being an easy score, Andy and Hank’s mother Nanette (played by Rosemary Harris) is working that day, and she is fatally shot during the attempted robbery.
The Fallout
The robbery’s aftermath begins unraveling both brothers’ lives. Their father, Charles (Albert Finney), is grief-stricken and enraged, determined to find who killed his wife. Hank is a nervous wreck, unable to cope with the guilt. Andy tries to maintain control, pushing Hank into silence while attempting to cover his own tracks.
The film shows their desperate attempts to manage the disaster while avoiding exposure. Andy’s marriage to Gina (Marisa Tomei) deteriorates—complicated by the fact that Gina is having an affair with Hank.
Charles’ Investigation
Charles takes matters into his own hands, investigating beyond what the police are doing. Slowly, he pieces together the truth. He discovers Hank’s involvement first, then realizes Andy was the mastermind. The family’s fragile bonds are shattered as betrayal and anger take center stage.
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Movie Ending
The climax is devastating. Charles confronts Andy in his hospital bed after Andy is injured during another botched attempt to “clean up loose ends.” Andy, fragile and on the edge, confesses in a mix of guilt and desperation. He explains how everything went wrong and how greed and desperation drove him to betray his own family.
Charles, unable to forgive and overwhelmed with grief for his wife, makes a cold, final decision. As Andy lies helpless, Charles suffocates him with a pillow, killing his own son. The film closes with Charles leaving the hospital room, his face a mask of sorrow and moral ruin.
It’s a bleak, morally uncompromising ending that refuses to offer redemption or catharsis.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
No, there are no post-credits scenes in Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. The story ends definitively with Andy’s death and Charles’ grim decision.
Type of Movie
This is a crime thriller and tragedy, combining elements of noir storytelling with Shakespearean family drama.
Cast
- Philip Seymour Hoffman as Andy Hanson
- Ethan Hawke as Hank Hanson
- Albert Finney as Charles Hanson
- Marisa Tomei as Gina Hanson
- Rosemary Harris as Nanette Hanson
- Michael Shannon as Dex
- Brian F. O’Byrne as Bobby
Film Music and Composer
The score was composed by Carter Burwell, whose music emphasizes tension, melancholy, and the inevitability of downfall. His restrained approach heightens the film’s tragic tone rather than overwhelming it.
Filming Locations
- The movie was primarily filmed in New York City and Westchester County, including various suburban neighborhoods and interiors.
- The jewelry store scenes were shot in Bay Terrace Shopping Center, Queens, giving the robbery sequence a sense of lived-in realism.
- Manhattan’s urban backdrop is crucial, symbolizing both opportunity and entrapment for the brothers.
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Awards and Nominations
- The film received critical acclaim but only moderate awards recognition.
- It won the Satellite Award for Best Ensemble (2007).
- It was nominated at the Independent Spirit Awards for Best Male Lead (Philip Seymour Hoffman).
- Sidney Lumet received lifetime achievement recognition in several circles, with this film being hailed as a powerful final entry in his career.
Behind the Scenes Insights
- Sidney Lumet directed this film at age 82, marking his final directorial work before his death in 2011.
- Hoffman and Hawke reportedly improvised emotional beats in their confrontations, which heightened the authenticity of their sibling rivalry.
- Marisa Tomei’s character was originally written with less screen time, but Lumet expanded her role to emphasize the brothers’ personal failures beyond the robbery.
- Lumet shot with multiple cameras at once, capturing performances from different angles simultaneously to preserve intensity.
Inspirations and References
- The story is an original screenplay by Kelly Masterson, but it clearly draws inspiration from classic noir and Shakespearean tragedies, particularly themes of betrayal and downfall within families.
- The title is derived from the Irish toast: “May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
- There are no widely released alternate endings. Lumet was known for his precision in editing and delivered a final cut close to the original script.
- A few deleted character-driven scenes involving Hank’s daughter exist but add little to the central plot and were cut for pacing.
Book Adaptations and Differences
The film is not based on a book. However, it stylistically echoes the literary tradition of Greek tragedy and Shakespearean drama in its themes of family collapse and moral downfall.
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Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- The opening robbery that goes horrifically wrong.
- Andy confessing in the hospital to his father.
- Charles’ silent, chilling act of suffocating Andy.
- Hank breaking down after realizing the robbery has doomed them all.
Iconic Quotes
- Andy: “The world is an evil place, Charlie. Some of us make money off of that, others get destroyed.”
- Charles: “The law is weak. I am not.”
- Andy (to Hank): “We’re not going to get caught because it was perfect. Flawless.”
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- The opening sex scene between Andy and Gina was controversial at release, symbolizing Andy’s desperation and self-destructive nature rather than simply being erotic.
- Charles’ name evokes “King Charles,” reinforcing the Shakespearean tragedy tone of a patriarch facing betrayal from his children.
- The fractured, non-linear storytelling mirrors the fractured lives of the characters.
Trivia
- This was Sidney Lumet’s final film.
- Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke reunited later in stage work before Hoffman’s death in 2014.
- The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2007.
- Lumet insisted on minimal CGI and practical sets for authenticity.
Why Watch?
Watch it if you appreciate gritty, character-driven crime dramas that explore moral ambiguity rather than clean resolutions. It’s a masterclass in acting, with Hoffman and Hawke delivering some of their most intense performances. Plus, it stands as the swan song of one of cinema’s greatest directors.
Director’s Other Movies
Recommended Films for Fans
- Mystic River (2003)
- A Most Violent Year (2014)
- Before the Night Falls (2000)
- The Departed (2006)
- Affliction (1997)
- No Country for Old Men (2007)