The world is a harsh place, Charlie. Some people profit from that reality, while others suffer because of it. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead was directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Kelly Masterson. The film features Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei, Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris, and Amy Ryan. Carter Burwell composed the music, and Ron Fortunato handled the cinematography. Two brothers facing financial difficulties plan to rob their parents’ jewelry store. When things go wrong and a tragedy occurs, it plunges them and those around them into a realm of fear, shame, and violence... The film begins with an explicit sex scene depicting a couple experiencing intense intimacy—a moment of pleasure. However, this quickly proves to be deceptive; it marks the last time anyone on screen will experience joy in Lumet’s morally challenging story. From that point forward, the movie unfolds using multiple perspectives and overlapping narrative structures, creating a jarring effect as a family crumbles under the weight of greed, deceit, and shortcomings. A failed robbery drives the plot, but it's the aftermath that truly resonates; we move between characters to understand their actions and motivations, learning what’s necessary to fully immerse ourselves in this bleak world. This is a place filled with infidelity, drug abuse, embezzlement, poor parenting, and blackmail—a world where the Hanson brothers (Hoffman & Hawke) now reside, either ill-prepared (Hawke's Hank) or caught between foolishness and calculated malice (Hoffman’s Andy). Their mistake and their desire for more have a devastating impact on their family. My life doesn't make sense to me. Nothing seems connected. I don’t feel like a complete person; my different parts don’t come together to form one whole. It was Lumet's final film (he died in 2011), and thankfully, it serves as a worthy conclusion to the career of this talented filmmaker from Philadelphia. He is greatly assisted by a sharp script from debut screenwriter Masterton, which is full of unpleasantness and tension but remains observational as a family tragedy, avoiding clichés and resisting easy resolutions. Lumet’s strength lies in eliciting exceptional performances from his cast. Hawke portrays youthful helplessness and weariness, Hoffman embodies a powerful manipulator struggling with emotional turmoil, Tomei demonstrates that women over 40 can still be alluring while delivering a deeply moving performance. Finney is remarkable as a grieving man, Ryan plays a tough ex-wife, and Michael Shannon appears later in the film radiating a palpable threat. All of these actors are skillfully directed, asked to portray characters with complex motivations and hidden agendas. It’s bleak, brutal, and almost brilliant throughout. 9/10

Source on TMDB