And Then You Die (1987) User Reviews

A great, very realistic movie. Don't miss it!

[johnr760 · 24 November 2008]

I thoroughly agree with the positive reviews. I don't understand the very negative stance; sounds like the writer has an ax to grind, or was referring to another film. And Then You Die is a movie about people as much as crime and criminals. It has it all: character development; plots & subplots; bizarre situations; suspense; unpredictable outcomes; great acting along with some humor. The picture has it all! The screenplay had to be based on actual events; you can't write stuff like that. Much of the realism has to do with the characters looking like everyday people; you wouldn't pick them out of a crowd. The film shows three facets of the criminal world at that time in Montreal: the mafia; the Irish mafia and the biker gangs. Four if you include the corrupt police, and the detective who took the law into his own hands every chance he got, including killing Eddie's brother with his car. Some bizarre subplots include the kid trying to sell Eddie the stolen tractor trailer, the loving mother who was well aware of her son's dark lives, the exploding VCR and the eerie graveyard scene. It's an unforgettable film.

I enjoyed the location shots

[yodarkritch · 5/10 · 20 September 2005]

Loosely based on actual happenings which I remember from the news. I recognized many of the actors from Canadian T.V. Also some of the location shots were familiar (and, alas) no longer exist. Suitable low budget T.V. fare. I watched on T.V. (MPIX). Any Montrealer, I'm sure, would like this picture because of the familiar location shots. For instance, the Montreal Pool Room with its French fried potatoes (frites) and steamed hot dogs (steamés). Years ago, I used to be a regular. Having been there several time in my salad days, I was happy to see the old place once more. Ken Welsh turned in a good performance. We cannot be completely negative with respect to average TV fare. This might not be the Godfather or Bonny and Clyde, but it does have its own merits.

An unknown classic! See this movie and tell a friend!

[BadMojo · 10/10 · 26 January 1999]

AND THEN YOU DIE is based on the true story of Canadian drug kingpin Eddie Griffin (Kenneth Welsh). Griffin is a man with two lives. On one side he has a wife and son in an average suburban home, and on the other a crew of stone-killers. Unfortunately for Griffin, things start to go down in flames when he makes enemies of the RCMP and the Hells Angles in the same week, and one of his crew is blackmailed in to selling Griffin out.

I first saw this film on cable TV in college in about 1987, and I've been looking for it on video ever since. Finally I found it, and I was worried that I'd overestimated it in memory. I was wrong. This is an absolutely BRILLIANT movie about honor among thieves and the dark side of the law. It's intricate and perfectly paced with plenty of action. My only complaint is that the quality of the video I got is not very good. I hope enough people will watch it to create a demand for a re-issue!

An exceptionally realistic crime film

[pan-10 · 10/10 · 13 August 1999]

This is a good one! It has realistic acting and a very interesting view of crime in Montreal. It's a film on the order of Friends of Eddie Coyle. It is a heck of a lot better than Hollywood's phoney crime flicks - and it has a surprise ending!

Damn good and first rate crime drama!

[DaveJLA · 10/10 · 12 September 2007]

My name is David and I am a 39 year old man. I live in Pennsylvania. When I was young, in the 1980's, I saw this movie for the first time as it was recommended to me. Being from America the scenes that were made in Canada were interesting and brightly displayed. And although I did not know any of the actors at the time, their performances were very believable and really brutally realistic. When I was young I was a movie junkie and I know what is good and what is trash. This film is so gripping and "entertaining" you will find yourself glued to your TV screen. Right now I am going to say the only thing that can be said about this movie that the people of "today" can understand. This movie is so good you actually feel you are watching the lost episode of The Sopranos!

What a totally nauseating mess

[ionamay48 · 20 January 2004]

This has got to be the lamest attempt at a so called "movie" since Blair witch. It is totally devoid of anything you would want to pay to see in a movie. Just one meandering and meaningless scene after another with no focus or direction and totally lacking in intelligence or imagination. You can disregard the other positive review as it was most certainly written by someone involved in the making of this abominable MESS. I had a tough time finding reviews about this disaster as the thing is thankfully hard to find. Then I made the HUGE mistake of paying $9.25 on ebay for it. I would rather have given the money to the Hare Krishnas. Take my advice...if you enjoy well thought out crime movies with good cast and script- TOTALLY avoid this disgrace!!

The Canadian connection

[searchanddestroy-1 · 15 January 2023]

I had never heard about this movie nor its director. It looks like a British TV crime drama, telling the story of a drug traffic lord, kingpin, and in the same time a family man who wants to get rid off his opponents. Not bad stuff, but a bit weak for my own taste. Good study on relationsip between characters whose depiction is rather well made for this kind of stuff. I like the lead character, the boss of this gang. Canadian gangsters against the Italian branch of the mob in Montreal. Not a widely known topic. Saved by the ending, very dark, gloomy and very unexpected. In summary, not so bad Canadian crime drama.