Director Jonathan Glazer had made quite the mark in music videos most notably with Jamiroquai’s 1996 song Virtual insanity that saw Jay Kay jigging about in a room whose floor seemed to be constantly on the move ( clue: it’s the walls that were on a huge rig that are actually moving). With a talent for visuals he turned to feature films in 2000 releasing the gangster film ‘Sexy Beast’ that starred Ray Winstone, Amanda Redman and Ben Kingsley
The Sexy Beast….
Following a long stretch behind bars Gal Dove (Winstone) is ready to hang up his swag bag and retire from a career in crime. Enjoying his new life of luxury with his true love Deedee (Redman), in a sprawling villa in sunny Spain, he’s happy just lazing by the pool in his yellow speedos… but the calm soon becomes a storm when his nemesis, the dangerously unhinged criminal Don Logan (Kingsley), turns up announced on his doorstep.
Gal knows trouble’s not far behind and his blissful world is about to be shattered. When Don tries to tempt him with the promise of one last major job in London, one that’ll mean he’ll never have to work again, Gal refuses to be swayed. Unfortunately, Don won’t take no for an answer and makes his feelings known in no uncertain terms. With Gal desperate to hold on to his newfound paradise, the hard as nails pair lock horns and the battle of wills from hell ensues, forcing Gal is to go back to his old ways to save his wife, his life and prove who’s the boss.
THAT Oscar nominated performance…..
It’s a terrific debut – Winstone as the speedo wearing perma-tanned villain retired to his Spanish villa with his wife an under rated Amanda Redman (and we really should see much more of her in films). But its Kingsley who fittingly for his villainous role, steals the film. Having won an Oscar for his role as Ghandi it would see the actor assume the mantle of a character who could not be further away from the peace loving gentle soul that was the Indian leader in what was a tour de force terrifying audiences in its unrelenting ferocity as he spewed bile failing to contain his fury. It’s as exhausting as it is exhilarating to watch Kingsley in a role that saw him at the top of his game and rightfully earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination but losing to Jim Broadbent for his turn in ‘Iris’. It was proof, if proof was ever needed, that Kingsley was and is one of our greatest actors able to turn his hand to any genre that was further underlined with his comic turn in Iron Man 3 (we’ll ignore Mike Myers The Guru).
It’s for that reason alone that Sexy Beast out on a limited edition blu-ray is worth buying that’s enhanced by its array of bonus features that includes….
Special Features
- New Second Sight Films 4K restoration from the original camera negative supervised and approved by Director Jonathan Glazer
- Dual format edition including UHD and Blu-ray with main feature and bonus features on both discs
- UHD presented in HDR with Dolby Vision
- New audio commentary by John Bleasdale
- That’s the Job: a new interview with Actor Ray Winstone
- Poetic Drama: a new interview with Actor Sir Ben Kingsley
- The Real Criminal: a new interview with Actor Ian McShane
- That’s Cinema: a new interview with Producer Jeremy Thomas
- Finding the Rhythm: a new interview with Editor Sam Sneade
- Beast Mode: Creating Don Logan – a video essay by Leigh Singer
- Behind the Scenes
- On Location
- Archive Cast & Crew Interviews
Limited Edition Contents
- Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Neil Kellerhouse
- 160-page hardback book with new essays by David Michael Brown, Jamie Graham, Joel Harley, Nathan Lunn, Christina Newland, Katie Rife, Hannah Strong and Travis Woods
- 7 collectors’ art card
Second Sight have proved time and again with their re-releases that the love they bestow on their releases is exceptional and Sexy Beast is no different. The bonus features are excellent with standalone interviews with Kingsley along with Winstone and also Ian McShane plus the late great producer Jeremy Thomas as highlights. What it does miss is any input apart from the camera negative supervision, is its director Jonathan Glazer. Something of a Kubrick like enigma this was the first of only four films he has made between 2000 and 2023’s Oscar nominated ‘The Zone of Interest’ and each has rightly been met with almost universal acclaim. Perhaps like Kubrick he’s reticent about talking about his work letting the films speak for themselves.
Sexy Beast came out at the tail end of a flurry of British gangster films instigated by Guy Ritchie’s, ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ and later ‘Snatch’ though both were released in the UK before Glazer’s film which is a very different entity.
Whilst the plot of Sexy Beast is arguably a little pedestrian with none of the labyrinthine bravado of Guy Ritchie’s plotting, Glazer’s film has a look, a style and of course a riveting performance that marks it way above the average and places it firmly in the pantheon of great British gangster films
related feature : Nick Moran reveals what REALLY happened with Guy Ritchie after Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
related feature : Craig Fairbrass Retribution – the latest ‘Rise of the Footsoldier film
Here’s the trailer…..
Sexy Beast – 4K UHD / BLU-RAY limited edition is released 28th September 2026
