Synopsis

Retired criminal Gal Dove is enjoying a peaceful life in southern Spain when his former associate Don Logan arrives with an ultimatum: return to London and participate in a dangerous bank robbery. Don's relentless intimidation shatters Gal's idyllic retirement, forcing him to confront old loyalties, buried fears, and the violent world he thought he had escaped.

Factoids & Trivia

• The screenplay grew out of an abandoned project connected to Gangster No. 1. Writers Louis Mellis and David Scinto had envisioned a trilogy, with Sexy Beast as its middle installment and 44 Inch Chest as the later part.

• Filming took place in London and Agua Amarga, Spain, during the summer of 1999.

• Ray Winstone arrived in Spain two weeks before filming to build up a tan and gain weight for Gal's relaxed, sun-soaked lifestyle. He later described that preparation period as the best rehearsal experience he had had.

• Ben Kingsley said that his portrayal of Don Logan drew heavily on his grandmother, an unexpected inspiration for one of the film's most abrasive characters.

• The enormous boulder that crashes toward Gal's pool was made from fiberglass. A safety net was positioned near the cliff edge to prevent the practical prop from rolling into the village below, while some additional boulder shots were completed digitally.

• The film underwent a difficult post-production process. Editor Sam Sneade was brought in, and the material was substantially reworked before the final cut found its distinctive rhythm.

• Sexy Beast received an Academy Award nomination for Ben Kingsley in the Supporting Actor category. It also won the 2001 BAFTA Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film of the Year.