Snatch (2001)

72% of critics liked it
(138 reviews)
92% of users liked it
(349,889 ratings)

Guy Ritchie's sophomore follow-up to his 1998 sleeper hit Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch revisits the previous film's territory of London's crime-ridden underbelly, and does so with the same brand of humor and stylish direction that made Ritchie's first effort a surprise success. With… More Guy Ritchie's sophomore follow-up to his 1998 sleeper hit Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch revisits the previous film's territory of London's crime-ridden underbelly, and does so with the same brand of humor and stylish direction that made Ritchie's first effort a surprise success. With a labyrinthine plot that is ostensibly oriented around a missing diamond, Snatch introduces viewers to three groups of characters intent on retrieving the elusive stone, which has been stolen from an Antwerp jeweler. In the first group are friends and business partners Turkish (Jason Statham, who also supplies the film's voice-over narration) and Tommy (Stephen Graham), who join up with Mickey (Brad Pitt), an Irish gypsy and boxer. Turkish and Tommy make arrangements with Mickey to take a fall in a match engineered by lunatic gang leader Brick Top (Alan Ford). In another corner resides equally loony Russian gangster Boris the Blade (Rade Sherbedgia), who has asked Jewish gangster Franky Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro) to place a bet on the match for him. Boris is also scheming to have Sol (Lennie James), the owner of a pawn shop, rob the place with a couple of dim associates. Meanwhile, Avi (Dennis Farina), freshly arrived in London from New York, hires Bullet Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones) to find Franky when he goes missing; it seems that it was none other than Franky who was supposed to be transporting the purloined diamond to New York. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 43 min.
Directed By: Guy Ritchie
Written By: Guy Ritchie
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 19, 2001 Wide
On DVD: Jul 3, 2001
Studio: Columbia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader
Ritchie may be skilled at generating controlled chaos, but his surprise-a-minute strategy ultimately holds no surprises.
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
This may be one of the hazardous offshoots of the music-video-trained generation of moviemakers; they confuse a diet of eye candy with a full meal.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
Bouncing around in a world of bare-knuckle boxing, gypsy swindlers, pretend Jewish diamond merchants, indestructible Russian assassins and a thug who disposes of bodies by feeding them to hungry pigs, Snatch has enough plots for a fair-sized cemetery.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
He's not breaking new ground with Snatch, merely fine-tuning the knack for disreputable kicks he showed in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic
The cinematic dazzle, the high pitch to which he leads his actors, the relish of sheer velocity are reward enough.
Joel Siegel, Good Morning America
Ritche has nothing but fun with this movie and we get the feeling that the actors do the same.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
An entertaining romp of a crime caper flick that wants to be funny more than it wants to be dangerous or mysterious.
M. Faust, Common Sense Media
Eccentric characters, lively banter, adults only.
, Film4
Of the ensemble, only Pitt truly shows his class, delivering an amusing yet emotive performance amongst a group of actors who -- at best -- are pandering to laddish culture.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
It's a twisting, witty, and wise crime-boxing story about the hunt for a huge diamond and a prizefighter who can't take a fall.
Brent Simon, Now Playing Magazine
Ritchie's two lockstep debut movies [are] exceedingly, willfully flamboyant exercises in masturbatory style.
Wally Hammond, Time Out
Ritchie's follow-up to Lock, Stock is an even more craftily concocted underworld entertainment, helped no end by the casting of Pitt as the bare-knuckle boxer Mickey.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...an ideal follow-up to writer/director Guy Ritchie's debut effort, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Michael Dequina, Film Threat
Snatch is a full-throttle comedic crime caper that more than resembles Lock, Stock... yet remains a rollicking good time in its own right.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Madonna's husband is a dervish in the editing room, and he's not ashamed to have nicked most of the conventions of American noir.
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
Fortunately, the drop in entertainment value from one Ritchie film to the next isn't as steep as the drop in originality.
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
It's rather like the favorite pastime of this movie's villain ... throwing wild dogs into a pit and watching them fight until there's only one left standing.
Spence D., IGN Movies
This is a swift, sharp picture that pleases the senses on all levels, ranging from the visual to the aural, the linguistic, and yes even the intellectual.
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
Own [this single-disc edition]. Unless you already have the two-disc.
Eugene Novikov, Film Blather
There's just not a lot of fun to be had here. The plot is too convoluted, too filled with double-reversals and twists for us to turn our brains off, relax and watch Guy Ritchie's kinetic visual style.

Read all 20 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Jameson W

The first 30 minutes or so were very hard to follow, there are a lot of characters, but once everyone is introduced and the story unfolds, the film is nothing but pure entertainment. Great cast, good characters, solid writing, and lots of action...Snatch. is a must see! Also, Brad… More
The first 30 minutes or so were very hard to follow, there are a lot of characters, but once everyone is introduced and the story unfolds, the film is nothing but pure entertainment. Great cast, good characters, solid writing, and lots of action...Snatch. is a must see! Also, Brad Pitt is very good in this.
Thomas B

Funny and violent with a great performance from Brad Pitt. Full review later.
Adam K

'Snatch' is entertaining, enjoyable and as one of my friends described it, "a really watchable film". The film follows a collection of people where by through may different stories end up crossing paths over a diamond in London. Directed by Guy Ritchie and starring… More
'Snatch' is entertaining, enjoyable and as one of my friends described it, "a really watchable film". The film follows a collection of people where by through may different stories end up crossing paths over a diamond in London. Directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Jason Statham and Stephen Graham as the film's main two characters Turkish and Tommy, the film also includes Brad Pitt as Mickey O'Neil an Irish traveller. Statham's and Graham's acting is funny and believable as the two, not thugs, but blokes who have made a few mistakes and got into the wrong business. Pitt's acting is heartfelt at times such as a particular scene where a character close to him dies and his accent. With it's believable and funny characters, entertaining script and gripping storyline Snatch is overall a great enjoyable watch. **** 4 Star
Lucas M

Snatch, bring a great screenplay, that looks like to Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but presents a different stylish a exciting plot and good time. With strange characters and dark humor, Guy Ritchie, show us a terrific film, that bring an good direction. Fresh.
Film C

I absolutely love this movie. Guy Ritchie is by far my favourite director when wanting to watch comedy, ganster thrillers. This doesn't disappoint, its an hilarious, london ganster movie that is very enjoyable and worth the watch. Brad Pitt is hilarious as the irish Pikey that… More
I absolutely love this movie. Guy Ritchie is by far my favourite director when wanting to watch comedy, ganster thrillers. This doesn't disappoint, its an hilarious, london ganster movie that is very enjoyable and worth the watch. Brad Pitt is hilarious as the irish Pikey that is a very good fighter. Really worth the watch.
xGary X

Cockney boxing promoter Jason Statham finds himself indebted to a ruthless gangster and has to provide bare knuckle boxer Brad Pitt in recompense. Ritchie's difficult second movie lives up to the potential of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels but it's hardly a massive… More
Cockney boxing promoter Jason Statham finds himself indebted to a ruthless gangster and has to provide bare knuckle boxer Brad Pitt in recompense. Ritchie's difficult second movie lives up to the potential of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels but it's hardly a massive departure. It provides the same mix of laughs and cocknernee gangster hi-jinx, but it doesn't rely so heavily on cheap laughs and Pitt is fantastic as the pikey who's as indestructible as he is incomprehensible. Statham also does what he does best and pretty much the entire supporting cast are in their element; hell, even Vinnie Jones is good in this! It may not have the glitz and glamour of the Ocean's franchise and subtle it most certainly is not, but it's also one of the most entertaining films I've ever seen as the laughs flow constantly and it's got a great one-two punch of an ending. A worthy addition to the British tradition of the comedy caper movie.
Drake T

A mosaic of unfortunate events happening to unfortunate people carefully weaved into this thrilling, entertaining ball of witty humor. Ritchie thrives in his style of story telling as we're introduced to a cast of hilariously incompetent characters all simultaneously getting… More
A mosaic of unfortunate events happening to unfortunate people carefully weaved into this thrilling, entertaining ball of witty humor. Ritchie thrives in his style of story telling as we're introduced to a cast of hilariously incompetent characters all simultaneously getting themselves into ridiculous situations. It'a a whole lot of fun, even if there isn't much substance the style easily makes up for it.
Kase V

Whatever the film lacks in heart, it makes up for in wild entertainment. It starts with sharp editing and moves to witty humor, stylish direction, and a poignant script that sparkles with meticulous plotting and story. Everything fits, and everything is awesome. The performances are… More
Whatever the film lacks in heart, it makes up for in wild entertainment. It starts with sharp editing and moves to witty humor, stylish direction, and a poignant script that sparkles with meticulous plotting and story. Everything fits, and everything is awesome. The performances are decent enough to keep everyone intrigued, but Brad Pitt, Benicio Del Toro, and Alan Ford delight as their wonderfully over-the-top characters. This is the way to make an entertaining, top-notch caper. Take notes from Guy Ritchie.
Idrees K

I thought it was hilarious but I feel like they didn't try hard enough to explore it's underlying themes. Because of that, I think it falls short of something great.
Phil H

'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 2' could be its real name, Ritchie is back with the second in his British gangster trilogy ('Revolver' being number three) and this time due to the success of his first venture he clearly has more money to play with so he brings… More
'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 2' could be its real name, Ritchie is back with the second in his British gangster trilogy ('Revolver' being number three) and this time due to the success of his first venture he clearly has more money to play with so he brings in some big name stars. The film is almost the same kind of thing to 'Lock Stock' being another gritty, dirty, slimy cockney collaboration of tales all revolving around yet more oddball wheeler dealers, thugs and gangsters as they all try to get ahold of money, jewels and each other in (again) a Tarantino type way with more gallows humour. The cast again is fantastic and includes yet more British actors that were somehow left out of the first film, over Ritchie's films he's used every known British character actor or soap star we have haha The inclusion of some big Hollywood stars actually, for me, brings the film down slightly, they don't seem realistic and can't fit into this exclusively British world thus the film loses its sense of realism, a big Hollywood star doesn't always equal a good direction to go. To be frank the film does really have a R. Rodriguez feel to it eg. 'Mariachi' was made, it did well so RR remade it bigger and better. 'Snatch' does seem to fall into that catergory to a degree, it does feel almost like a reboot or upgrade of 'Lock Stock' as some of the cast that do show up in both films are playing the same kind of role, mainly Vinnie Jones who can't really play anything else. The film has the exact same grotty feel to it with your typical South/East London looking pubs, alleys and streets, more cockney dialect to confuse any non Londoner, more hints at vicious violence but without actually showing that much, some glorious fights and more swearing than you can possibly imagine haha The only thing I don't like about the film is all the silly names everyone has, I just get the feeling Ritchie was trying too hard to make it in the same vain as American New York gangsters, your typical hood with his catchy nickname like 'Billy the rat' or 'pool table Pauly' for example lol! it just seemed abit daft. Basically this is another triumph for Ritchie despite making the same film all over haha Alan Fords portrayal of 'Brick Top' is also probably the most chilling baddie I've seen in years. Oi!!! geeeza!!
Bently L

You gotta admit. Guy Ritchie has a very unique filming style. That is best shown in his crime comendy, "Snatch". "Snatch" is the story of a couple of gangsters who come up with a plan to steal a valuable diamond that belonged to the now-deceased thug known as… More
You gotta admit. Guy Ritchie has a very unique filming style. That is best shown in his crime comendy, "Snatch". "Snatch" is the story of a couple of gangsters who come up with a plan to steal a valuable diamond that belonged to the now-deceased thug known as Freddy Four-Fingers. Each dude has their own way of getting to the diamond. The best part of "Snatch" is the twisted sense of humor. Its dark and edgy and brilliantly scripted. I especially enjoy the quotes written for Brad Pitt's character, Mickey. Mickey is the best part of the film. Its what sold the film to me. "Snatch" is a very entertaining crime film that has a very stylish direction style by Guy Ritchie, features a great ensemble cast, well constructed with a great pace (Suprisingly short!) but I didn't think this was all that. It has a 72% on the Tomatometer and thats acceptable. I don't know if this deserves a place on IMDB's Top 250 list but I'm cool with that. Looking for cool gangsters, catch score, funny one-liners, great actors, and dogs who eat chew toys? "Snatch" is for you! "Do you have anything to declare, sir?" "Yes. Don't go to England."
Kristijonas F

A great Brit-Gangster film from Guy Ritchie - featuring lots of cool "British" characters with cool "British" names - and a bevy of plot twists, shoot-outs, British jokes... and Brad Pitt. Can't forget that one.
Jens S

Guy Ritchie made a strong case for being the British Quentin Tarantino. This penny dreadful story is just as hilarious and brutal, with wonderfully wicked characters, plenty of witty one-liners and smart editing. The plot is impossible to predict and offers quite an awesome twist at… More
Guy Ritchie made a strong case for being the British Quentin Tarantino. This penny dreadful story is just as hilarious and brutal, with wonderfully wicked characters, plenty of witty one-liners and smart editing. The plot is impossible to predict and offers quite an awesome twist at the end, the songs of the excellent soundtrack fit every scene perfectly. A crazy Must see. Too bad Ritchie never returned to his form.
Jeff "

Snatch is one of the greatest, most original gangster flicks ever made. Guy Ritchie's characters are eccentric and colorful. The highlight of the film is Brad Pitt as the face talking Gypsy, Mickey O'Neil.The film contains a great dose of comedy combined with effective… More
Snatch is one of the greatest, most original gangster flicks ever made. Guy Ritchie's characters are eccentric and colorful. The highlight of the film is Brad Pitt as the face talking Gypsy, Mickey O'Neil.The film contains a great dose of comedy combined with effective traditional gangster film elements. Snatch is a totally new breed of gangster film. Guy Ritchie has created a memorable film that will most likely stick with you long after you've initially seen it. The characters in this film are eccentric and hilarious. Like I said, the key performance here is Brad Pitt, but Vinnie Jones as Bullet Tooth Tony, Denius Farina as Avi and Alan Ford as Brick Top all deliver something phenomenal on screen. Even Jason Statham delivers something good here (this is his only really good performance, as he became more hit and miss with the films he's made in the coming years). Snatch has been dismissed by many, but there is a great film to be found here. With an awesome cast at hand, Guy Ritchie has delivered something unique for the gangster genre. Ritchie's script is infectious with quotable dialogue, and will definitely make you laugh. Snatch is a terrific film with some of the most eccentric characters ever to appear in a gangster film. Thats one of the reasons why this film is so much fun, it takes itself serious enough, but theres always room for slapstick moments that makes you laugh. I guess that what makes Guy Ritchie's gangster films so special, they're humourous while being serious at the same time. This is definitely the most memorable gangster films since Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Snatch is a blazing work of originality and is a refreshing take on a classic genre.
Lewis C

"I fail to recognize the correlation between losing ten grand, hospitalizing Gorgeous, and a good deal." I'm quite fond of these British crime movies, and Snatch is no exception. It's got a great cast and an interesting story just like Layer Cake and RocknRolla,… More
"I fail to recognize the correlation between losing ten grand, hospitalizing Gorgeous, and a good deal." I'm quite fond of these British crime movies, and Snatch is no exception. It's got a great cast and an interesting story just like Layer Cake and RocknRolla, but what separates it from those movies is how unrelentingly funny it is. I'd say it's probably the most hilarious movies that I've seen in a while. Nearly every line of dialogue gets laughs. The story involves a VERY large diamond, unlicensed boxing, replica guns, gypsies, caravans, and a pig farm. Trust me, it's great. Out of all the characters in the movie (and there are a lot), I'd have to say Brad Pitt as Mickey and Alan Ford as Brick Top are the two that absolutely stole the show. This is my personal favorite Pitt performance and character, its just brilliant. Snatch would be worth watching for those two alone, even if the rest of it wasn't so good. But the rest of it is so good, so take this as a recommendation and check this movie out.
Chris W

This movie is all over the place, but it's really funny, and just a lot of fun period. It doesn't really make a lot of sense upon first viewing, but even then, there's a lot of good stuff on display. It's funny, there are some good gags, the characters are just… More
This movie is all over the place, but it's really funny, and just a lot of fun period. It doesn't really make a lot of sense upon first viewing, but even then, there's a lot of good stuff on display. It's funny, there are some good gags, the characters are just nuts, and Richie's style and technique are just cool. Brad Pitt is a riot here, and really steals the show as a mumbling, gibeerish-talking boxer, who, if I remeber correctly, is also a gypsy or something. The rest of the cast is good too, such as Del Toro, Jones, and Statham. Honestly, I just like the stylish nature of this flick and the names of some of these characters. I mean, what's not cool about characters named Frank Four Fingers, Brick Top, and Bullet Tooth Tony? This isn't for all tastes though. But, if youy can handle a frenzied style, a screwy plot, and lots of profanity and violence, then you'll probably not be that disappointed.
Eliza N

Different people ''working'' for the same reason ...Some of them will give it all and have nothing at the end ,some will take part and risk their lives and some others will give up . Everybody is trying to get the stone , but just one is going to keep it! Deeper… More
Different people ''working'' for the same reason ...Some of them will give it all and have nothing at the end ,some will take part and risk their lives and some others will give up . Everybody is trying to get the stone , but just one is going to keep it! Deeper meaning:There is always something to learn from somebody who you have underestimated!!! Favorite Quote: Anything to declare? Yeah,don't go to England! WARNING! If you are not from England , don't watch this movie without subtitles .You'll understand nothing and the reason why this will happen is because of the different dialects of english that take part in the movie.
Conner R

A very different type of movie than Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; maybe that's why it works so well and is accepted as an equal masterpiece. Guy Ritchie makes this a lot more about the ensemble and it's a lot more stylized and offbeat. I really think giving Jason… More
A very different type of movie than Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; maybe that's why it works so well and is accepted as an equal masterpiece. Guy Ritchie makes this a lot more about the ensemble and it's a lot more stylized and offbeat. I really think giving Jason Statham the lead role was the best possible decision, his charisma and intimidation knows no bounds. This is also surrounded with a star studded cast that all have different strengths. I really like the idea of all the interlocking stories, while it's not a new trick, it feels fresh and appropriate. This is an epic within the genre and a movie everyone can enjoy.
Mike S

Guy Ritchie is to gangster movies, as what Rolls-Royce is to cars. Never does he fail to impress, and always does he offer quality writing. A king of the genre no doubt, and someone who has done a lot of good for the British film industry. Now, before I lose myself in all the praise… More
Guy Ritchie is to gangster movies, as what Rolls-Royce is to cars. Never does he fail to impress, and always does he offer quality writing. A king of the genre no doubt, and someone who has done a lot of good for the British film industry. Now, before I lose myself in all the praise for said director, I'd like to focus the rest of the review on the movie in question; suitably named <i>Snatch</i>. First of all, you know you're in for something good when names like Brad Pitt and Jason Statham show up in the credits. Their presence adds lustre to some already well-polished dialogue. Great plot as well, that makes the most of the film's running time. Complete with heists, fights, foul language and cool characters. Yes, it's all in there and waiting to be enjoyed. All you need to do is slide in the DVD disc and get your bowl of popcorn...or whatever snack it is you prefer with your British entertainment ;-)
Richard C

B+