Sexy Beast

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Sexy Beast

R,

2000,

1h 29m,

Comedy/

Drama/

Crime/

Mystery & Thriller

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Watchlist

87%

143 Reviews

Tomatometer

85%

25,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

143 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Ex-villain Gal Dove (Ray Winstone) has served his time behind bars and is blissfully retired to a Spanish villa paradise with a wife he adores. The idyll is shattered by the arrival of his nemesis Don Logan (Ben Kingsley), intent on persuading Gal to return to London for one last big job. Desperate not to sacrifice his enchanted existence, Dove is drawn into a shocking battle of wills with Logan, and takes part in a sensational underwater heist, risking everything to protect the woman he loves.

Critics Consensus

Sexy Beast rises above other movies in the British gangster genre due to its performances -- particularly an electrifying one by Ben Kingsley -- and the script's attention to character development.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Jul 3, 2021

5/5

A crime film like no other, Sexy Beast is composed of moments of startling audacity, visual and dramatic, that arrive in waves, just long enough for you to catch your breath before the next.

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Anthony Lane

The New Yorker

Sep 14, 2020

The movie needs to be seen for its clean compositions, for its sure touch of fantasy, and, above all, for the forbidding presence of Kingsley-the prince of darkness, lightly disguised as a human being.

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Mar 31, 2008

The talented Glazer keeps things crisp, clean and purposeful. The only flab on this film is around the waist of its sybaritic hero, a working-class crook who has finally gotten a taste of the good life, and doesn't want to lose it.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Aug 19, 2026

6/10

Kingsley is sensational, giving a maniacal performance for an over-the-top villain, often overshadowing the other leads.

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Michael D. Reid

Victoria Times Colonist (B.C., Canada)

Apr 30, 2024

4/5

A gorgeously vitriolic crime flick with a personality all its own.

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Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

Apr 30, 2024

A-

Remember the Gandhi of Ben Kingsley? Wait until you seem him here as Don Logan, a psychotic gangster, the British equivalent of Pesci in GoodFellas. Kingsley's work is more bizarrely eccentric. And more accomplished.

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Feb 4, 2019

I've watched this movie several times, it's that good. The cast is wonderful as quiet, understated characters or as outright psychopaths. And that's the beauty of it. Ben Kingsley is worth every moment of screen time. Underlying all that is the tension between Ray Winstone's character being drawn back into his former life of crime or enjoying his well-earned retirement. For a movie of this genre, it is spell-binding and captivating.

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Theodore G

Jan 12, 2019

Really good! Fresh and exciting from start to finish :)

Finn R

Jul 18, 2018

How could I have missed this? Jonathan Glazer's debut, the guy behind the brilliant "Under the skin". It got Oscar nominated and is known to be one of Ben Kingsley's greatest roles. In a way it's still pretty overlooked I guess - maybe it's the horrible, misleading title? Some retired mob guy, Gal, is living life in a villa in Spain with his wife. He chills out next to his pool, eats out and drink. A few friends, warm weather and silent surroundings does not harm him either. Then Don enters the stage. He needs Gal to do a job. One last job. Gal simply won't do it. Don just won't accept that fact. This get's rugged and raw. Great characters. I almost like Ray Winstone as Gal as much as I like Ben Kingsley as Don. Some earlier pornstar wifes and some rugged looking big bosses are pluses too. A very cool story that looks sweet, soaked in cool music. The story structure is daring but the result is a very original and funny film with plenty of snappy one-liners. 8 out of 10 pools.

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George S

May 30, 2018

Great talented cast, shame about the plot !

Leia P

Mar 21, 2018

Interesting and different gangster movie. Some really good moments in it, and good performances.

Harry S

Jan 28, 2018

A better film that its title suggests. A stand-out performance from Kingsley fuels this stylish crime drama, which realises its limits. Its well-thought-through storyline balances comedy and genuine frights without letting suspense slip.

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Jonathan Glazer

Director

Ray Winstone

Gary "Gal" Dove

Ben Kingsley

Don Logan

Ian McShane

Teddy Bass

Amanda Redman

Deedee

Cavan Kendall

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Synopsis

Ex-villain Gal Dove (Ray Winstone) has served his time behind bars and is blissfully retired to a Spanish villa paradise with a wife he adores. The idyll is shattered by the arrival of his nemesis Don Logan (Ben Kingsley), intent on persuading Gal to return to London for one last big job. Desperate not to sacrifice his enchanted existence, Dove is drawn into a shocking battle of wills with Logan, and takes part in a sensational underwater heist, risking everything to protect the woman he loves.

Director: Jonathan Glazer
Producer: Jeremy Thomas
Screenwriter: Louis Mellis, David Scinto
Distributor: Fox
Production Co: Jonathan Glazer Film, Recorded Pictures Company, Jeremy Thomas Production
Rating: R (Some Sexuality|Pervasive Language|Strong Violence)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Crime, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 13, 2000, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.9M
Runtime: 1h 29m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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