Overview
In the shadows of Brooklyn's bars, a lonely bartender finds himself caught in a dangerous game of crime and survival.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- bleak
- tense
- melancholic
- late night viewing
- crime thriller night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film to be a smartly written, well-acted crime drama elevated by its strong cast and direction despite familiar genre material.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bob and Marv's Brooklyn bar is repeatedly used for anonymous cash drops to gangsters, making ordinary work inseparable from organized crime.
The film emphasizes winter streets, dim bars, and stark neighborhood interiors to create a bleak rendering of Brooklyn.
Bob appears lonely and nonconfrontational while navigating criminals, a robbery, and a past that shapes the investigation around him.
The robbery, police investigation, blackmail, and competing ties among Bob, Marv, Eric, and local gangsters make trust unstable throughout the story.
Films like The Drop, and why
Mystic River
shared neo-noir atmosphere, organized crime tension, morally compromised characters, and bleak urban setting
Gone Baby Gone
shared slow-burn crime drama structure, neighborhood secrets, gangland violence, and psychologically guarded protagonists
Eastern Promises
shared crime thriller mood, working-class urban milieu, escalating betrayal, and tightly controlled suspense
The Town
shared neo-noir fatalism, criminal networks, terse dialogue, and pressure building around an apparently ordinary protagonist
Movie Details
- Director
- Michaël R. Roskam
- Release Date
- 2014-09-12
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (2505)
Cast
- Tom Hardy
- Noomi Rapace
- James Gandolfini
- Matthias Schoenaerts
- John Ortiz
- Ann Dowd
- Michael Aronov
- James Frecheville
- Elizabeth Rodriguez
- Tobias Segal
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Drop about?
- A quiet Brooklyn bartender becomes trapped between a stolen mob cash drop, family betrayal, and the violent history buried beneath his unassuming exterior.
- What is The Drop like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Drop as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Drop violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Drop as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Drop?
- Critics broadly found the film to be a smartly written, well-acted crime drama elevated by its strong cast and direction despite familiar genre material.
- Which films are like The Drop?
- Films with a similar feel include Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, Eastern Promises, and The Town.
- How long is The Drop?
- The Drop runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Drop?
- In United States, The Drop is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
