

When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelry store, the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that send them and their family hurtling towards a shattering climax.
Acting
Hoffman's sweaty desperation is a masterclass.
Direction
Lumet's final film — ruthless and precise at 83.
Editing
Time-jumps that tighten the noose perfectly.

Director
Sidney Lumet
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Lumet filmed chronologically so the actors could physically deteriorate — Hoffman's weight gain and Hawke's gauntness are real progression, not makeup.
The title comes from an Irish toast: 'May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead' — the brothers never get that grace period.