The Krays

"When people are afraid of you... you can do anything. Remember that."

1990 1h 59m EN

😐

6.1

MID

🍅

82%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.6

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 126🍅82%Rotten Tomatoes●70Metacritic★6.6IMDB · 9,179

DramaCrimeHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray are raised in east London, under the influence of their hateful but doting mother Violet. As they grow up, Ronnie's violent nature takes over, and Reggie follows his brother's lead. The two become notorious crime lords who rule over the East End club scene. But at the height of their power, the brothers veer into different lives, giving the older crime bosses a chance to reclaim what the Krays took from them.

“When people are afraid of you... you can do anything. Remember that.”

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Cast

Gary Kemp
Ronald Kray
Martin Kemp
Reggie Kray
Billie Whitelaw
Violet Kray
Tom Bell
Jack 'The Hat' McVitie
Susan Fleetwood
Rose
Charlotte Cornwell
May
Kate Hardie
Frances
Avis Bunnage
Helen

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Peter Medak
Writers: Philip Ridley
Languages: English
Countries: 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 / 7

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Peter Medak, shot by Alex Thomson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Gary Kemp and Martin Kemp and Billie Whitelaw carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "When people are afraid of you... you can do anything. Remember that.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0099951 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Peter Medak directs. Alex Thomson behind the camera. Michael Kamen scores. Martin Walsh cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

136 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Peter Medak, shot by Alex Thomson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Michael Kamen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Martin Walsh shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Gary Kemp and Martin Kemp and Billie Whitelaw carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "When people are afraid of you... you can do anything. Remember that.".
7IMDB entry: tt0099951 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Alex Thomson
Original score: Michael Kamen
Editing: Martin Walsh
Costume design: Lindy Hemming
Runtime: 119 min · 1h 59m
Status: Released
Box office: $62,300,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Krays (1990)
Rotten Tomatoes: 82% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 70/100
IMDB rating: 6.6/10 · 9,179 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award4 wins & 2 nominations total

Also by

Peter Medak

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-05-29
★ 6/10
Despite the bests efforts of the usually reliable, if hardly versatile, Tom Bell to rescue this pedestrian story of London’s most infamous gangsters, this really doesn’t light any touch papers. Perhaps because neither Martin nor Gary Kemp are much good as actors, nor do either of them exude any sense of menace as this rather tepid biopic trundles along for two hours. “Reggie” (Martin) and gay brother “Ronnie” (Gary) are determined to impress their mother (the underused Billie Whitelaw) with a criminal enterprise that was able to thrive as the city and the country strove to recover from the Second World War. What does work here is the exposure of the sub-culture of criminality that prevailed in what was little better than a lawless East End of London; where protection rackets, prostitution and illicit trading was rampant and where, to some extent, these two men were seen as benevolent influences amongst a community that likened them a little to Robin Hood. Indeed, it’s it’s very clumsy attempts to glamorise the violence with which they ruled the streets that might be it’s redeeming feature. The general population did not recoil from their brutal activities in anything like the fashion we might expect nowadays - but there’s nowhere near enough action of any kind here. Steven Berkoff pops up now and again but somehow his more innate characteristic of odiousness only serves to further show up the lack of that from the pristine Kemps who just looked great in their suits, but little else. Forgettable stuff, sadly.

Production companies