Greedy People is a dark crime comedy that mixes absurdity, violence, greed, and chaotic twists in a small-town setting. It balances humour with noir-like elements and paints a bleak but funny portrait of how money ruins everyone’s moral compass in Providence.
Detailed Summary
Opening Chaos Sets the Stage
The film introduces rookie cop Will Shelley, who has just moved with his pregnant wife Paige to the sleepy coastal town of Providence for a quiet new life. He’s paired with the morally questionable lifer cop Terry Brogan, a guy who seems to think police work mostly involves free coffee and questionable decisions.
One day while Terry is off on a personal errand, an emergency call sends Will into a house where he accidentally kills the resident — Virginia Chetlo — in a ridiculous and shocking moment. Rather than report it, Will and Terry choose to stage the scene as a burglary gone wrong… and discover a bag with $1 million in cash inside. What follows is a cascading sequence of greed-fuelled madness engulfing nearly every resident they encounter.
Greed and Mayhem Escalate
From here, the narrative spins into a web of conspiracies, betrayals, and contracts on people’s lives as everyone — including hitmen for hire, small-town gossips, lovers, and even Paige herself — becomes obsessed with who gets the money. Each character’s choices spiral further into violence and distrust.
Key developments include:
- Keith, a hapless masseur with ties to Virginia, trying to escape the mess.
- Wallace Chetlo, Virginia’s husband, desperately trying to reclaim both his wife’s reputation and the missing money.
- Paige secretly hiring an assassin to deal with Terry after discovering more of the truth.
Movie Ending
The ending is deliberately bleak and shocking, showing just how destructive greed can be:
Will and Terry’s attempts to cover up the initial incident unravel completely. Terry kills Will after it becomes clear Paige has taken control of the situation and plotted against him. Before Terry can escape with the money, the police chief, Murphy, shoots him. Paige, trying to flee her own escalating predicament, ends up being killed by the hired hitman known as “The Colombian.”
But here’s the twist that pushes the film into dark moral fable territory: everybody who gets greedy pays a terrible price. The Colombian, in an unexpected move, ends up dead after a struggle with Deborah, one of the other conspirators. In the film’s final moments, a hopeful note arrives as Chief Murphy adopts Will and Paige’s child, and she reminds herself — and the audience — that even in a world consumed by greed, there can be room for compassion and renewal.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
There are no known post-credits scenes or extras after the credits roll — the story ends with the events in the hospital and the credit sequence begins.
Type of Movie
Greedy People is a crime comedy thriller with strong elements of dark humour and neo-noir satire, showcasing how greed and bad decisions transform a quiet town into a violent spiral of betrayals.
Cast
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Officer Terry Brogan
- Himesh Patel as Officer Will Shelley
- Lily James as Paige (Will’s pregnant wife)
- Tim Blake Nelson as Wallace Chetlo
- Traci Lords as Virginia Chetlo
- Uzo Aduba as Chief Murphy
- Simon Rex as Keith Crawford
- Nina Arianda as Deborah
- Jim Gaffigan as The Irishman
- José María Yazpik as The Colombian
Film Music and Composer
The score for Greedy People was composed by Jordan Lehning, who anchors the film’s quirky, chaotic tone with a mix of playful and suspenseful music that mirrors the story’s dark humour.
Filming Locations
The movie was primarily shot in Southport, North Carolina, using the coastal town’s quiet aesthetic to contrast the excessive greed and violence that erupt in the narrative. These real-world locations help ground the otherwise absurd plot in a very tangible small-town America setting.
Awards and Nominations
As of now, Greedy People has not received major awards or nominations, particularly in mainstream categories — though its ensemble cast and unique tone have drawn attention in smaller critic circles.
Behind the Scenes Insights
- Director Potsy Ponciroli and writer Michael Vukadinovich crafted this film as a kind of morality fable about greed with a Coen brothers influence.
- Filming completed in Southport over a compact shoot in 2022.
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s performance balances comic timing with menace, a deliberate choice to keep audiences guessing.
- Lily James worked to portray both emotional depth and gritty resolve in her complex role.
Inspirations and References
The film’s vibe channels Coen brothers classics like Fargo and Burn After Reading — thematic cousins in blending crime, absurdity, and dark humour. Critics have compared its structure and tone to that style of storytelling.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
There are no widely publicised alternate endings, but some deleted scenes referenced in reviews cut extra character interactions and fleshed-out motives that didn’t make the final cut. These tended to focus on deepening backstories that slowed the chaotic pace.
Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- The accidental shooting that ignites the film’s chaos.
- Discovery of the $1 million bag that becomes everyone’s undoing.
- Paige hiring a hitman — a twist that flips her character arc.
- The spiralling chain of betrayals and double crosses leading to the finale.
Iconic Quotes
Because the film leans toward action and absurd dialogue rather than standalone quotes, standout lines tend to derive from characters’ self-justifications:
- “We can fix this. We just need the money.” (Repeated justification that never works.)
- “In Providence, nobody gets what they deserve… except maybe karma.” (Paraphrased, summing the theme.)
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- The two contract killers advertising their services openly on the same street from opposite ends — a quirky detail that underscores the town’s bizarre acceptance of violence.
- Visual nods to noir crime tropes in set rentals and background props.
Trivia
- The movie’s original title was The Problem with Providence before changing to Greedy People.
- Some reviewers noted tonal mismatches that make the film feel part Coen parody, part serious drama.
- The bag of money plot device is a classic trope inspired by crime comedies and thrillers.
Why Watch?
If you want a movie that starts funny but ends dark, where every character’s greed literally destroys them, and you enjoy twisty crime comedies with noir edges, this is the kind of off-beat thriller that surprises and unsettles in equal measure.
Director’s Other Works
- Potsy Ponciroli’s previous work includes indie titles and shorts, with Greedy People (2024) marking his most widely released feature to date.
