25th Hour (2002)
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A man spends his final 24 hours of freedom wandering New York City before heading to prison for drug dealing.
The story
Monty Brogan has only one day left before he begins a seven-year prison sentence for drug dealing. On his final day of freedom, he walks through New York City with a rescued dog, visiting his old high school and planning to meet up with childhood friends at a club. However, the weight of his past actions and the looming reality of his incarceration haunt him. As he navigates the city, he reflects on the night of his arrest and the betrayals that led him there, struggling with his identity and the consequences of his criminal life.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Monty Brogan spends his final day of freedom in New York City before a seven-year sentence for drug dealing. He walks the city with Doyle, a dog he rescued from a potential mercy kill, and visits his old high school. He plans to meet friends Frank Slaughtery and Jacob Elinsky, along with Frank's girlfriend Naturelle Riviera. Flashbacks reveal Monty was arrested during a DEA raid on drugs sold for a Russian mobster, Nikolai. While in a police interview, agents try to get Monty to turn on Nikolai, but he refuses. Monty later learns from Nikolai that his friend Kostya was the actual traitor. After a tense night involving a failed attempt by Jacob to kiss a student named Mary and a confrontation where Naturelle is accused of betrayal, Monty reconciles with her. Terrified of prison rape, Monty asks Frank to beat him into looking 'ugly' for survival; Frank refuses, but Monty goads him into it, leaving Monty bruised. Finally, Monty's father, James, takes him to the prison in upstate New York. During the drive, James shares a vision of a peaceful future for Monty, but they continue toward the correctional facility.
- First release year
- 2002
- Runtime (minutes)
- 135
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Spike Lee
- Writers
- David Benioff · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Edward Norton · Monty Brogan; Philip Seymour Hoffman · Frank Slaughtery; Barry Pepper · Jacob Elinsky; Rosario Dawson · Naturelle Riviera; Anna Paquin · Mary; Brian Cox · James; Tobey Maguire · Kostya
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- Betrayal; Consequences of crime; Fear of violence; Identity
- Tone and mood
- Somber; Reflective; Gritty
- Premise and plot tags
- Crime; Drug Trade; Prison; Urban Drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- The 25th Hour by David Benioff (2001)
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews, being praised for its portrayal of New York City after 9/11 and its acting. It was ranked as one of the best films of the 2000s and appeared on several 'greatest' lists.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 80% · review count: 176; Metacritic · score: 69 · scale: 100 · review count: 40
- Production trivia
- The film was in the planning stages during the September 11 attacks.; The film is visually and verbally referenced in the Better Call Saul episode 'Bingo'.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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