The 51st State

"Nice wheels. Dirty deals. And one mean mother in a kilt."

2001 1h 33m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 701

ThrillerActionComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An American master chemist plans to score big on a once in a lifetime drug deal. All does not go as planned and he is soon entangled in a web of deceit.

“Nice wheels. Dirty deals. And one mean mother in a kilt.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Samuel L. Jackson
Elmo McElroy
Robert Carlyle
Felix DeSouza
Emily Mortimer
Dakota Parker
Meat Loaf
The Lizard
Rhys Ifans
Iki
Sean Pertwee
Detective Virgil Kane
Ricky Tomlinson
Leopold Durant
Michael Starke
Arthur

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ronny Yu
Writers: Stel Pavlou
Languages: English
Countries: Canada, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 48% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

25 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Canada, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ronny Yu, shot by Poon Hang-Sang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Headrillaz. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor David Wu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Carlyle and Emily Mortimer carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Nice wheels. Dirty deals. And one mean mother in a kilt.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ronny Yu directs. Poon Hang-Sang behind the camera. Headrillaz scores. David Wu cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Canada, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 48% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
225 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 2 countries: Canada, United Kingdom.
4Directed by Ronny Yu, shot by Poon Hang-Sang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Headrillaz. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor David Wu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Carlyle and Emily Mortimer carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Nice wheels. Dirty deals. And one mean mother in a kilt.".
9IMDB entry: tt0227984 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 15 themes, including "northern england", "liverpool, england", "organized crime", "double cross".