Sexy Beast

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
The eponymous "Sexy Beast"
Shut up, cunt! You louse. You got some fucking neck. Retired? Fuck off. You're revolting. Your fucking suntan... you're like leather. Like a leather man. You could make a fuckin' suitcase, a hold-all. You look like a fat crocodile, fat bastard. You look like fuckin' Idi Amin. State of you... you should be ashamed of yourself. Who d'you think you are? King of the castle? Cock of the walk? You think this is the Wheel of Fortune? You make your dough and fuck off? "Thanks, Don. See you, Don. Off to Spain, Don. Fuck off, Don." Lie in your pool laughing at me. D'you think I'll have that? You think I'll have that, ya ponce? All right, I'll make it easy for you. God, you're fucking trying! Are you gonna do the job? It's not a difficult question. Yes or no?
Don Logan, Sexy Beast

Sexy Beast is a 2000 British crime film starring Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, and Ian McShane. The film received a lot of buzz on the indie circuit, but is perhaps best known to mainstream audiences as the other film released in 2000 with a nightmarish, anthropomorphic bunny.

Gal Dove is a retired English crook living a life of modest luxury in Spain. He spends his days sunbathing by the pool while his beautiful wife Dee Dee jets around town. At night they dine with their best friends from England, Aitch and Jackie. One day, a ghost from Gal's past arrives: Don Logan, an old soldier of the underworld. Bitter, jealous, and violent, Don barges into Gal's home with an offer that he can't refuse: return to London to participate in a dangerous heist. Can Gal resist Don's overpowering force of will and refuse the summons? And can he survive the repercussions of their meeting?


Tropes used in Sexy Beast include:
  • All Girls Want Bad Boys: Jackie had a brief fling with Don before she was with Aitch. Technically, both Dee Dee and Jackie married former crooks, though they're both harmless.
  • Avenging the Villain: Averted. Teddy says point blank that he cared absolutely nothing for Don. Since the job went off without a hook, Teddy just banishes Gal from London without pay.
  • Beta Couple: Aitch and Jackie.
  • Bi the Way: Harry the banker accepts all comers.

Teddy: Men or women?
Harry: Oh... definitely.

  • The Caper: Don wants Gal to participate in a complicated bank robbery, in which the robbers tunnel in through the adjacent sauna and use the pool water to short out the security.
  • Chekhov's Skill: Gal can hold his breath quite a while under water.
  • Cluster F-Bomb: Don Logan's language is remarkably foul even when he is being civil. While on a tirade, his cursing reaches epic heights.
  • Gayngster: Teddy Bass, who attends orgies "like in ancient Rome".
  • Gentleman Thief: Teddy is a sophisticated and well-dressed man who is apparently known by the London elite well enough to get invited to their orgies.
  • Hair-Raising Hare: Gal has a nightmare that a giant rabbit with a gun is coming to kill him.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: The group is terrified of doing anything to upset Don when he arrives. Don's anger at Gal's refusal is completely anticipated, however.
  • Happily Married: Gal and Dee Dee are clearly head over heels in love after all these years.
  • Invisible to Gaydar: Harry, a powerful and straight-laced banker who attends the same orgies as Teddy.
  • Killer Rabbit: After watching Aitch utterly fail to shoot a jackrabbit in the desert, Gal's anxiety over Don manifests in strange dreams in which Gal is menaced by an anthropomorphic rabbit.
  • Ladykiller in Love: Hinted at in Gal Dove's past. Don says he used to be a very fit and handsome man, called "Dove the Love," and very popular with the ladies until he surprised everyone and married Dee Dee, with whom he is still in love.
  • London Gangster: All main characters are connected to the London mob scene, some more willingly than others.
  • London Town: Teddy's gang is centered in London. When Gal arrives there, it is dark and rainy, in comparison to the clear, sunny Spain.
  • Mirror Monologue: Don stares into the mirror and mumbles to himself, working up the nerve to attack Gal in his bed.
  • One Dialogue, Two Conversations
  • Psycho for Hire: Don Logan, a severely unbalanced man who works at the pleasure of underworld royalty like Teddy.
  • Rapid-Fire "No": In the heat of a tirade, Don begins shouting, "Nononononononononono!" refusing to accept Gal's refusal.
  • Ray Winstone: Stars as Gal Dove.
  • Resignations Not Accepted: A slightly different version in that it's only Don who insists that Gal cannot turn his back on his old comrades. Ultimately Teddy punishes Gal by banishing him from London, which is what Gal wanted all along.
  • Toros Y Flamenco: Gal lives in a secluded area of Spain and loves the hot, sunny weather as well as the local cuisine.
  • The Unfettered: Don Logan.
  • Yiddish as a Second Language: Don drops a little Yiddish, notably "schtum", meaning "quiet". Coming from East London, Don would know a few Yiddish words that have crept into the criminal argot.
  • You Wouldn't Shoot Me: Don pulls this on Gal's Spanish helper boy. One look at Dee Dee, however, and he doesn't even try.