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Layer Cake

Layer Cake

The art of good business is being a good middleman.

2004105 minRMidcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Director
Matthew Vaughn
Starring
Daniel Craig, Sienna Miller, Tom Hardy, Colm Meaney

When a seemingly straight-forward drug deal goes awry, XXXX has to break his die-hard rules and turn up the heat, not only to outwit the old regime and come out on top, but to save his own skin...

Where to watch

Where can I watch Layer Cake?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Layer Cake streaming on Sony Pictures Core via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Layer Cake?

Layer Cake earns 7 badges, led by Top 10% in Crime and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Layer Cake worth watching?

Layer Cake's Midcredits score is the 88th percentile of all films, from 380K ratings across 6 sources. 80% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

88th percentile

Better received than 88% of films

90th percentile among Crime87th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)83rd
Approval (how many liked it)90th

71 /100

83rd percentile of all films

87th percentile among Crime82nd percentile among 2000s

Critics 73 · Audience 71

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A tight consensus around 7.4 — people broadly agree on this one.

80% liked it

90th percentile of all films

90th percentile among Crime89th percentile among 2000s
80% rated it 7–1020% rated it 1–6

Critics 81% · Audience 84%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 7 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

96th percentile

380K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Crime93rd percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 115% in 30 days

Box office

Budget£4M

In British pound, not converted to dollars.

Opening weekend$82K
Domestic gross$2.3M
Worldwide gross$12M

79th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree it's a stylish British crime thriller with a complicated, layered plot and a standout performance from Daniel Craig.

Fans praised

  • Craig's charismatic, cool performance as a businessman-like dealer
  • Stylish direction, slick cinematography, and kinetic editing
  • Sharp, witty dialogue and a twisty, layered plot

Detractors panned

  • Convoluted, confusing plot with too many characters and subplots
  • Style over substance, pretentious and derivative of better crime films
  • Unlikable, flat characters and a slow, meandering middle section

What stands out

ActingDivisive80

Craig's charismatic, cool lead; strong supporting cast

CinematographyDivisive80

Slick, stylish visuals; glossy but sometimes over-stylized

Sound and musicDivisive80

Great soundtrack; effective use of pop songs and score

DialogueDivisive70

Sharp, witty lines but some found it forced or inaudible

PacingDivisive65

Fast and kinetic in parts, but drags in the middle

Plot and storyDivisive60

Twisty and layered but overly convoluted and hard to follow

CharactersDivisive60

Craig's lead is compelling, but supporting cast feels one-dimensional

OriginalityDivisive45

Derivative of Guy Ritchie and other Brit gangster films

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 23 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 9 points apart
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Layer Cake like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseContemplativeThrilling
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Hardboiled · 1% of films: Terse, unsentimental, noir-inflected.Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its material completely straight — a cool, professional crime drama that treats drug dealing as business, without winking or undercutting itself.
The rideSustained tension throughout, with contemplative lulls, then a violent late twist that lands heavily.
StructureThe story unfolds in order, following the drug deal from its setup through its escalating complications to its resolution.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

The answer rests on this: Haunting · 14% of filmsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a cold, uneasy sense of the criminal world's relentless machinery and the fragility of any plan made within it.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe protagonist's careful plan to retire from the drug trade is undone by the chaotic, unpredictable forces of the criminal underworld he moves through — a situation that engulfs him rather than one he can control.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfAmbitionSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% (this title) · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Ambition · 7% of filmsBetrayal · 5% of filmsSurvival
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film follows XXXX's calculated ambition to exit the drug trade profitably, but his plan is constantly undermined by betrayal and the need to survive in a violent ecosystem.
StanceThe film observes the criminal ecosystem with cool neutrality, neither moralising nor romanticising XXXX's ambition and eventual downfall.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Ilan Eshkeri, Lisa Gerrard
SettingLondon criminal underworld: drug deals, posh country clubs, backstreet garages, and safe houses.
MusicA brooding orchestral-electronic score that underscores the tension and cold professionalism of the underworld.

Content guide

Is Layer Cake okay for kids?

R

Layer Cake is rated R: “Rated R for strong brutal violence, sexuality, nudity, pervasive language and drug use” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (84/100), sexual content at moderate (60/100), language at severe (86/100), drug and alcohol content at severe (91/100) and frightening material at intense (63/100). Overall it is heavier than 93% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 29 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland18
  • JapanR-15
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil18
  • Argentina+16
  • Belgium16
  • Czechia15
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hungary16
  • IndiaUA
  • IS16
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland18
  • RO18
  • SingaporeM18
  • South Africa16
  • Spain18
  • Sweden15
  • Taiwan18+
  • Türkiye16+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 96% of all filmsHeavier than 93% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 72%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 74%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 84%
Alcohol & Drugs
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 98%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 51%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: drug and alcohol content, language, violence, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Layer Cake have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Layer Cake?

Cast

Daniel Craig
as XXXX
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sienna Miller
as Tammy
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Tom Hardy
as Clarkie
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Colm Meaney
as Gene
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
George Harris
as Morty
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Sally Hawkins
as Slasher
newcomer then · star now
Kenneth Cranham
as Jimmy Price
Jamie Foreman
as Duke
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Michael Gambon
as Eddie Temple
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Ben Whishaw
as Sidney
newcomer then · star now

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Layer Cake?

Movies like Layer Cake include London Boulevard (2010), GoodFellas (1990) and Legend (2015). Of the 12 closest matches, all are gangster films, and several are stories about hitmen.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its world: London. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Layer Cake?

1K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: gangster. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.