← Back to results
Sexy Beast
2001 89 min Spain, United Kingdom, United States of America R 18+
★7.7
Crime, Thriller, Drama
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Trailers
Description
Ex-safecracker Gal Dove 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, intent on persuading Gal to return to London for one last big job.
Budget:
$5M
US Gross:
$6.95M
Starring
Ray Winstone
Actor
Ben Kingsley
Actor
Ian McShane
Actor
Awards
European Film Awards 2001
— Best Actor
European Film Awards 2001
— Audience Award – Best Actor
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2002
— Best Supporting Actor
Academy Awards 2002
— Best Supporting Actor
BAFTA 2001
— Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film
Golden Globe 2002
— Best Supporting Actor
Key opinion
Sexy Beast is a stylized, atmospheric crime drama that stands out for its unique blend of gritty British realism and surreal, auteur-driven aesthetics. While the plot follows a relatively conventional heist trajectory, the film is widely celebrated for the powerhouse performances of its leads and a distinct, music-video-influenced visual style.
| Acting | Ben Kingsley's explosive, menacing performance as Don Logan is the film's undeniable emotional and theatrical centerpiece. | |
| Direction | The film utilizes striking visual symbolism and a rhythmic, music-video-inspired aesthetic to create a unique, immersive atmosphere. | |
| Acting | The core cast, including Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, and Ian McShane, deliver authentic and powerful character work that anchors the film. | |
| Screenplay | Opinions on the screenplay are divided: supporters praise the sharp, idiosyncratic dialogue, while critics find the underlying story thin or patchy. | |
| Accessibility | The film's dense, uniquely British humor and surreal, non-linear narrative choices make it highly appealing to some, while others find it inaccessible or confusing. |