Layer Cake (2004)
- Synopsis:
- Fast-paced, double-crossed-filled thriller profiles an unusually ethical drug dealer who is sucked into the murderous underworld of modern Britain. His situation is further complication when he becomes a target of the Serbian mob.
- Starring:
- Daniel Craig, Colm Meaney
- Director:
- Matthew Vaughn
- Rated:
- R
22 handpicked matches for Layer Cake
Scroll over a movie for more information about the match. Click "Compare" to see a side-by-side comparison of our clerk's recommendation with your starting movie.
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Sexy Beast (2000)
Sexy Beast is a Close match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- Pungent dialogue and dark humor spark this violent gangland thriller about a volatile sociopath who travels to Spain to recruit a retired safecracker for a London heist and meets unexpected resistance.
- Starring:
- Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley
- Director:
- Jonathan Glazer
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 88
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Sexy Beast
(2000) (R)
More Tension
-
Sexy Beast (2000)
Sexy Beast is a Close match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- Pungent dialogue and dark humor spark this violent gangland thriller about a volatile sociopath who travels to Spain to recruit a retired safecracker for a London heist and meets unexpected resistance.
- Starring:
- Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley
- Director:
- Jonathan Glazer
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 88
-
RocknRolla
(2008) (R)
More Complex, Comic
-
More Complex, Comic
RocknRolla (2008)
RocknRolla is a Close match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- Old-school mobster Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson) rules London's underworld with an iron fist and a score of well-greased palms. As big-time gangsters and petty crooks all scramble to get their cut of a Russian mobster's crooked land deal, street-wise hustler One Two (Gerard Butler) tries to play both sides of the fence as the lucrative deal falls into the lap of Lenny's presumed-dead son.
- Starring:
- Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson
- Director:
- Guy Ritchie
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 114
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Get Carter
(1971) (R)
As Downbeat
-
As Downbeat
Get Carter (1971)
Get Carter is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- When his brother dies under questionable circumstances, a London-based gangster returns to London seeking revenge in this stylish, suspenseful, Britcrime classic. Caine is dazzling as the relentless mobster.
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Ian Hendry
- Director:
- Mike Hodges
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 111
-
The Long Good Friday
(1982) (R)
Equal Suspense
-
Equal Suspense
The Long Good Friday (1982)
The Long Good Friday is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- Terrific British crime drama about a successful mob boss frustrated by a new syndicate moving in on his territory. Violent and profane, it's a must-see despite some tough-to-understand Cockney accents.
- Starring:
- Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren
- Director:
- John Mackenzie
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 114
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The Krays
(1990) (R)
More Violent
-
More Violent
The Krays (1990)
The Krays is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- Warped by their mother (Billie Whitelaw), cockney twins Ronald and Reginald Kray (Gary Kemp, Martin Kemp) become gangsters in 1950s London.
- Starring:
- Billie Whitelaw, Gary Kemp
- Director:
- Peter Medak
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 119
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Croupier
(1998) (NR)
Similar Tone
-
Similar Tone
Croupier (1998)
Croupier is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- A broke writer (Clive Owen) gets a job as a croupier and becomes involved with a woman (Alex Kingston) who wants to rob his casino.
- Starring:
- Clive Owen, Kate Hardie
- Director:
- Mike Hodges
- Rated:
- NR
- Runtime:
- 91
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Gangster No. 1
(2000) (R)
Less Sympathetic
-
Less Sympathetic
Gangster No. 1 (2000)
Gangster No. 1 is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- A British gangster's (Malcolm McDowell) euphoria dissipates upon learning that a colleague (David Thewlis) was just released from a 30-year prison stint.
- Starring:
- Malcolm McDowell, David Thewlis
- Director:
- Paul McGuigan
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 103
-
The Bank Job
(2008) (R)
Bigger Scale
-
Bigger Scale
The Bank Job (2008)
The Bank Job is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- "Some names have been changed to protect the guilty." Such is the cheeky spirit of THE BANK JOB, a solidly entertaining British heist film based on England's famous walkie-talkie bank job. The year is 1971 and Michael X--emerging black activist and budding crime lord--has British authorities over a barrel after he gets hold of sexually incriminating photos of royal Princess Margaret. Desperate to recover the photos, the government pressures troubled model Martine Love (Saffron Burrows) to recruit a team and steal the bank safety deposit box containing the photos. Martine promptly enlists small-time con man and old flame Terry Leather (Jason Statham), luring him and his crew with the promise of millions. But also in their loot is a ledger detailing payoffs made to crooked cops by reputed gangster Porn King Vogel (David Suchet). Leather and mates soon find themselves on the run from both the British spy community and the ruthless British underworld, needing to stay one step ahead if they are to stay alive. Veteran director Roger Donaldson (THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN, NO WAY OUT) deftly juggles the shifting intricacies and loyalties of THE BANK JOB's plot, balancing backroom politics with bank caper humor and cringe-inducing criminal brutality. Statham (LOCK, STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS) is excellent as the petty criminal who finds himself in over his head, and who will need some quick thinking and a whole lot of guts to protect his friends and family. Briskly paced and lively in its handling of some serious intrigue, THE BANK JOB is an enjoyable entry in the bank robbery genre.
- Starring:
- Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows
- Director:
- Roger Donaldson
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 111
-
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
(2003) (R)
More Melancholy
-
More Melancholy
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2003)
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- A former gangster returns to his old ways after he returns to London and discovers what's behind his younger brother's suicide in this stylish, moody revenge tale that is more atmospheric than suspenseful.
- Starring:
- Clive Owen, Charlotte Rampling
- Director:
- Mike Hodges
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 102
-
The Limey
(1999) (R)
As Character-Driven
-
As Character-Driven
The Limey (1999)
The Limey is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- An aging Brit ex-con travels to Los Angeles to get the truth behind his daughter's death and to seek vengeance from the man responsible in this stylish, suspenseful, character-driven thriller.
- Starring:
- Terence Stamp, Peter Fonda
- Director:
- Steven Soderbergh
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 90
-
Snatch
(2000) (R)
More Satirical
-
More Satirical
Snatch (2000)
Snatch is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- An unlicensed boxing promoter gets involved with a big-time criminal, and a heist goes awry when a valuable jewel is missing.
- Starring:
- Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Farina
- Director:
- Guy Ritchie
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 102
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Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
(1999) (R)
More Humorous
-
More Humorous
Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (1999)
Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- A London cardsharp's (Nick Moran) pals (Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher) enter him in a high-stakes card game, then must pay a huge sum within a week.
- Starring:
- Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher
- Director:
- Guy Ritchie
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 105
-
The Departed
(2006) (R)
Faster-Paced
-
Faster-Paced
The Departed (2006)
The Departed is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- Intense, violent, often-comic crime thriller about a cop going undercover inside the Boston mob while a criminal mole simultaneously infiltrates the state police. Winner of Best Picture and Best Director Oscars.
- Starring:
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon
- Director:
- Martin Scorsese
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 152
-
Jackie Brown
(1997) (R)
More Intricate
-
More Intricate
Jackie Brown (1997)
Jackie Brown is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- It's jail if she doesn't talk or death if she does for a flight attendant caught smuggling money, but the crafty femme has a plan to come out on top in this stylish, darkly funny, and suspenseful Elmore Leonard adaptation.
- Starring:
- Pam Grier, Samuel Jackson
- Director:
- Quentin Tarantino
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 155
-
Scarface
(1983) (R)
Much More Brutal
-
Much More Brutal
Scarface (1983)
Scarface is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- A Cuban immigrant from Castro's jails cuts a violent path of destruction on his way to the top of Miami's drug trade.
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer
- Director:
- Brian De Palma
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 170
-
Casino Royale
(2006) (PG-13)
Same Star
-
Same Star
Casino Royale (2006)
Casino Royale is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- Reboot of James Bond franchise finds famed British spy just getting his license to kill. As he infiltrates a terrorist financier's inner circle, he falls in love—complicating events immeasurably.
- Starring:
- Daniel Craig, Eva Green
- Director:
- Martin Campbell
- Rated:
- PG-13
- Runtime:
- 144
-
Road to Perdition
(2002) (R)
Nastier Daniel Craig
-
Nastier Daniel Craig
Road to Perdition (2002)
Road to Perdition is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- Directed by Sam Mendes and based on the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner, the Depression-era crime epic ROAD TO PERDITION stars Tom Hanks as Michael Sullivan, a quiet hit man who is duty bound to Mafia boss John Rooney (Paul Newman). The mobster's close bond with Sullivan, however, leads Rooney's jealous blood son, Connor (Daniel Craig), to orchestrate a tragic series of events that results in Sullivan on the run with his 12-year-old son, Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin). Soon an unscrupulous crime photographer/assassin named Maguire (Jude Law) is sent after Sullivan and his son, and Sullivan must decide on a course of action as young Michael comes to terms with his father's violent way of life.Meticulously directed by Mendes and brilliantly photographed by Conrad Hall, each scene of ROAD TO PERDITION has the composition of an expertly crafted painting. Making effective use of rain, snow, and shadows, the filmmakers create a cinematic world that's as dark, cold, and unforgiving as many of its inhabitants. But the film also allows for glimpses of emotional warmth, particularly in Sullivan's relationships with his son and Rooney, his surrogate father. In these roles, the respective actors create complex characters that resonate even in their restraint. Hanks is outstanding as a man of action with little time for words, while Hoechlin creates an unsentimental portrait of a confused boy; Newman once again proves why he's a screen legend and, in a strikingly unflattering role, Law makes the most out of his screen time as a creepy, parasitic hit man. Even in its harshest moments, however, Mendes never fails to remind the audience that ROAD TO PERDITION is a film about fathers and sons; and this is what elevates it from an atmospheric gangster movie to a truly astonishing work of art.
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Paul Newman
- Director:
- Sam Mendes
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 116
-
Carlito's Way
(1993) (R)
Similar Themes
-
Similar Themes
Carlito's Way (1993)
Carlito's Way is a Creative match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- A reformed ex-convict (Al Pacino) is torn between his girlfriend (Penelope Ann Miller) and his crooked lawyer (Sean Penn) in 1975.
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Sean Penn
- Director:
- Brian De Palma
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 144
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The Opportunists
(2000) (R)
More Low-Key
-
More Low-Key
The Opportunists (2000)
The Opportunists is a Borderline match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- A Dubliner (Peter McDonald) claiming to be a relative lures a reformed Queens criminal (Christopher Walken) back for one last job.
- Starring:
- Christopher Walken, Peter McDonald
- Director:
- Myles Connell
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 89
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Smokin' Aces
(2007) (R)
More Cartoonish
-
More Cartoonish
Smokin' Aces (2007)
Smokin' Aces is a Borderline match for Layer Cake
- Synopsis:
- Sleazy entertainer Buddy ``Aces'' Israel (Jeremy Piven) incurs the wrath of crime boss Primo Sparazza when he agrees to testify against the Las Vegas mob. Two FBI agents (Ray Liotta, Ryan Reynolds) have the difficult task of protecting him from a motley assortment of bounty hunters, hit men and nefarious vixens who are converging on his Lake Tahoe encampment to rub him out and collect a hefty reward.
- Starring:
- Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia
- Director:
- Joe Carnahan
- Rated:
- R
- Runtime:
- 109
