Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- irreverent
- witty
- profane
- action comedy night
- buddy movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film energetic and occasionally entertaining but substantially undermined by profanities, an incoherent script, and thin plotting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Elmo McElroy and Felix DeSouza are forced into an uneasy partnership while navigating Liverpool's criminal underworld.
McElroy's powerful blue synthetic formula drives the competing deals, betrayals, and pursuit.
The film combines organized crime, double-crosses, absurd set pieces, and broad comic behavior in a deliberately exaggerated register.
McElroy's sale becomes entangled in multiple betrayals involving gangsters, an escort, and his former partner.
Films like The 51st State, and why
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
shares a fast-paced crime-comedy structure, mismatched partners, criminal schemes, and irreverent violence
Snatch
shares British gangster comedy, double-cross plotting, stylized action, and ensemble criminal chaos
Lucky Number Slevin
shares an American outsider navigating British criminal circles through buddy banter, drug trafficking, and escalating action
Movie Details
- Director
- Ronny Yu
- Release Date
- 2001-12-07
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (699)
Cast
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Robert Carlyle
- Emily Mortimer
- Meat Loaf
- Rhys Ifans
- Sean Pertwee
- Ricky Tomlinson
- Michael Starke
- Anna Keaveney
- Paul Barber
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The 51st State about?
- A streetwise American chemist's lucrative synthetic-drug deal turns into a chaotic Liverpool crime caper of mismatched partners, gangsters, and betrayals.
- What is The 51st State like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The 51st State as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The 51st State violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The 51st State as moderate.
- What did critics think of The 51st State?
- Critics generally found the film energetic and occasionally entertaining but substantially undermined by profanities, an incoherent script, and thin plotting.
- Which films are like The 51st State?
- Films with a similar feel include Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and Lucky Number Slevin.
- How long is The 51st State?
- The 51st State runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch The 51st State?
- In United States, The 51st State streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
