Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersIndependent Spirit AwardsWomen's History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Live by Night

  • 20162016
  • RR
  • 2h 9m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
58K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,399
1,009
Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Brendan Gleeson, Chris Messina, Zoe Saldana, Sienna Miller, and Elle Fanning in Live by Night (2016)
In the roaring 1920s, when Prohibition hasn't stopped the flow of booze in an underground network of gangster-run speakeasies, the opportunity to gain power and money is there for any man with enough ambition and nerve. Joe Coughlin, the son of the Boston Police Superintendent, long ago turned his back on his strict upbringing for the spoils of being an outlaw. But even among criminals there are rules and Joe breaks a big one: crossing a powerful mob boss by stealing his money and his moll. The fiery affair ends in tragedy, setting Joe on a path of revenge, ambition, romance and betrayal that propels him out of Boston and up the ladder of Tampa's steamy rum-running underworld.
Play trailer2:06
47 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionCrimeDrama
A group of Boston-bred gangsters set up shop in balmy Florida during the Prohibition era, facing off against the competition and the Ku Klux Klan.A group of Boston-bred gangsters set up shop in balmy Florida during the Prohibition era, facing off against the competition and the Ku Klux Klan.A group of Boston-bred gangsters set up shop in balmy Florida during the Prohibition era, facing off against the competition and the Ku Klux Klan.
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
58K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,399
1,009
  • Director
    • Ben Affleck
  • Writers
    • Ben Affleck(screenplay by)
    • Dennis Lehane(based on the novel by)
  • Stars
    • Ben Affleck
    • Elle Fanning
    • Brendan Gleeson
  • Director
    • Ben Affleck
  • Writers
    • Ben Affleck(screenplay by)
    • Dennis Lehane(based on the novel by)
  • Stars
    • Ben Affleck
    • Elle Fanning
    • Brendan Gleeson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 196User reviews
    • 307Critic reviews
    • 49Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations

    Videos47

    Trailer #2
    Trailer 2:06
    Watch Trailer #2
    Trailer #1
    Trailer 2:19
    Watch Trailer #1
    Youll Be A King
    Clip 0:43
    Watch Youll Be A King
    Bodies Will Pile Up
    Clip 0:40
    Watch Bodies Will Pile Up
    Favorable Terms
    Clip 0:50
    Watch Favorable Terms
    Lets Go
    Clip 0:52
    Watch Lets Go
    Why Am I Talking To You
    Clip 1:10
    Watch Why Am I Talking To You
    Pick Our Sins
    Clip 0:48
    Watch Pick Our Sins
    Charm The Devil
    Clip 0:49
    Watch Charm The Devil
    Free To Leave
    Clip 0:43
    Watch Free To Leave
    Live By Night: Pick Our Sins
    Clip 0:44
    Watch Live By Night: Pick Our Sins
    Live By Night: Why Am I Talking To You?
    Clip 1:05
    Watch Live By Night: Why Am I Talking To You?

    Photos237

    Ben Affleck and Sienna Miller in Live by Night (2016)
    Ben Affleck and Chris Messina in Live by Night (2016)
    Sienna Miller in Live by Night (2016)
    Chris Messina in Live by Night (2016)
    Ben Affleck and Chris Messina in Live by Night (2016)
    Ben Affleck in Live by Night (2016)
    Chris Cooper in Live by Night (2016)
    Ben Affleck and Chris Cooper in Live by Night (2016)
    Ben Affleck and Sienna Miller in Live by Night (2016)
    Ben Affleck and Chris Messina in Live by Night (2016)
    Ben Affleck and Zoe Saldana in Live by Night (2016)
    Elle Fanning in Live by Night (2016)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ben Affleck
    Ben Affleck
    • Joe Coughlin
    Elle Fanning
    Elle Fanning
    • Loretta Figgis
    Brendan Gleeson
    Brendan Gleeson
    • Thomas Coughlin
    Chris Messina
    Chris Messina
    • Dion Bartolo
    Remo Girone
    Remo Girone
    • Maso Pescatore
    Robert Glenister
    Robert Glenister
    • Albert White
    Matthew Maher
    Matthew Maher
    • RD Pruitt
    Sienna Miller
    Sienna Miller
    • Emma Gould
    Miguel
    Miguel
    • Esteban Suarez
    • (as Miguel J. Pimentel)
    Zoe Saldana
    Zoe Saldana
    • Graciela
    Chris Cooper
    Chris Cooper
    • Chief Figgis
    Titus Welliver
    Titus Welliver
    • Tim Hickey
    Max Casella
    Max Casella
    • Digger Pescatore
    Christian Clemenson
    Christian Clemenson
    • Ritz Investor
    JD Evermore
    JD Evermore
    • Virgil Beauregard
    Clark Gregg
    Clark Gregg
    • Calvin Bondurant
    Anthony Michael Hall
    Anthony Michael Hall
    • Gary L. Smith
    Chris Sullivan
    Chris Sullivan
    • Brendan Loomis
    • Director
      • Ben Affleck
    • Writers
      • Ben Affleck(screenplay by)
      • Dennis Lehane(based on the novel by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Accountant
    7.3
    The Accountant
    The Town
    7.5
    The Town
    The Way Back
    6.7
    The Way Back
    Runner Runner
    5.6
    Runner Runner
    Gangster Squad
    6.7
    Gangster Squad
    Argo
    7.7
    Argo
    Black Mass
    6.9
    Black Mass
    I Killed My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meathook, and Now I Have a Three Picture Deal at Disney
    4.1
    I Killed My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meathook, and Now I Have a Three Picture Deal at Disney
    Changing Lanes: Deleted and Extended Scenes
    6.3
    Changing Lanes: Deleted and Extended Scenes
    Gone Baby Gone
    7.6
    Gone Baby Gone
    Triple Frontier
    6.4
    Triple Frontier
    The Infiltrator
    7.0
    The Infiltrator

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The original cut ran closer to three hours, and was intended to be a very character heavy film.
    • Goofs
      At the movies with his son, Joe muses about the rise of Hitler and suggests that it is unlikely there will be another war. As the credits roll, the production year is MCMXLI (1941).
    • Quotes

      Joe Coughlin: I don't wanna be a gangster. Stopped kissing rings a long time ago.

    • Connections
      Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movies of 2016 Already Getting Oscar Buzz (2016)
    • Soundtracks
      Sugartime
      Written by Odis 'Pop' Echols (as Odis Echols) and Charlie Phillips

    User reviews196

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    It looks fantastic but as a drama it is severely lacking in impact and finesse.
    Ben Affleck returns to Dennis Lehane's work with this adaptation of Live By Night, the second novel in a trilogy (starting with The Given Day and finishing with World Gone By). Live By Night is a gangster epic which follows the rise to power of Joe Coughlin, a young Boston criminal who ends up running an empire in Florida for the Italian mob. As with The Town and Argo, Affleck casts himself in the leading role and is joined by an impressive supporting cast including Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana, Elle Fanning, Robert Glenister, Chris Cooper and Brendan Gleeson.

    The film begins with Coughlin, as the narrator, introducing himself as a veteran who has returned disillusioned from WW1 to the extent that he refuses to follow rules or take orders from anybody. As such, he now considers himself an outlaw. We see him and his crew embark on daring robberies, including a poker game ran by one of Boston's major gangsters, Albert White (played with menacing vigour by Glenister) whose moll is having an affair with Coughlin. As repercussions ensue, Coughlin reluctantly takes on a job for White's mob rivals who send him to Ybor City, Florida, in order to take over their rum import enterprise during the prohibition era. Despite initial protestations that he is not a gangster, does not want to be wedded to the mob or have to take orders from anyone, he eventually concedes to his circumstances and his need for revenge against White, and so quickly sets about establishing his presence, authority and power across Southern Florida. In doing so, he finds love, friendship and enemies as he encounters the wrath of various strands of the Florida populous, ranging from the devoutly religious to the KKK, who take umbrage with his diverse business and personal relations. Naturally, events head toward a bloody and violent showdown.

    As an addition to the gangster genre, Live By Night certainly has a uniqueness to it. Thanks to the Florida setting, there is a notable feel and style to the film. Whereas the typical gangster movie might be set in dark and claustrophobic city locations such as Chicago, New York, Detroit or Boston, the story here is told against sun-soaked, colourful and expansive scenery which provides a sense of heat so stifling that it can almost be felt coming through the screen. The film also boasts some sumptuous scenery, particularly of the Florida glades, whilst the early 20th Century town-life of Ybor City really comes to life thanks to excellent design, costumes and vibrant music. It was interesting, too, to see a gangster film based during the prohibition era which told its story from the perspective of the suppliers of the alcohol, rather than the city-based recipients. Additionally, the ethnic diversity of the characters form a foundation for the depiction of the racism that was so prevalent in the southern United States during this period, and this gives Live By Night a distinctiveness within the genre.

    Unfortunately, whilst Affleck has proved himself to be a superb director, this is by far his weakest effort. Hastily cut and edited, the first act in particular chops and changes scenes with such frenetic pace and frequency one could be forgiven for feeling queasy with motion sickness. This may very well be a conscious decision by Affleck, as Coughlin's voice-over thankfully helps provide some degree of constructive narrative, but as a result any provision of context, plot or character development feels completely overlooked; an issue that lingers throughout the film. Too much feels glossed over and rushed, with relationships suddenly formed and underdeveloped, whilst character motivations and intentions are under-explored and largely ignored.

    Lehane's novel does not suffer from the same issues and therefore the source material cannot be blamed here. Indeed, we are introduced to Coughlin in the first novel, The Given Day, and his character, relationships, background, grievances and drive are detailed thoroughly. With Affleck's film, he introduces us to Coughlin midway through the character's reality and doesn't bother to lay a foundation for him. As a result, Coughlin's relationship with his high-ranking police officer father is barely covered, whereas Lehane uses this as one of the core influences behind his intention to live a life of crime. In the film, Coughlin says how he mourns for a lost love, but this is not something we actually get to see. Again, Lehane uses this as a key impetus for his character. Affleck's Coughlin, a petty criminal, insists on not becoming a gangster, yet hits the ground running the second he arrives in Florida setting up the empire. There are various other examples which all highlight how the events within Affleck's film are mostly conceived out of pure convenience.

    Compounding this sense of underdevelopment and hastiness is an infuriating lack of any indication of how much time is passing throughout the story. At one point towards the end of the film, Coughlin refers to a girl who died in 1927, and this just highlighted the fact that, aside from references to US Presidents and the end of prohibition, there is nothing to suggest when these events are taking place or indeed how long they are taking.

    It's frustratingly poor storytelling, especially when considering the strength and quality of the source material. Combined with Affleck being so prominent in his leading role, his decision as the director to use so many facial close-ups and lingering shots of Coughlin means that Live By Night essentially feels like a self indulgence piece. Ironically, his brother Casey would arguably have made a better Coughlin and perhaps Affleck would benefit from staying behind the camera next time.

    Ultimately, Live By Night is a missed opportunity. It looks fantastic, and there are some excellent action sequences including car chases and shoot-outs, but as a drama it is severely lacking in impact and finesse.
    helpful•34
    25
    • JMCReelReviews
    • Jan 16, 2017

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 13, 2017 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Faceboook
      • Official Site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Luật Ngầm
    • Filming locations
      • 1331 Newcastle Street, Brunswick, Georgia, USA(street scenes)
    • Production companies
      • Appian Way
      • Pearl Street Films
      • RatPac-Dune Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $65,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $10,378,555
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $33,336
      • Dec 25, 2016
    • Gross worldwide
      • $22,678,555
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 9 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Atmos
      • Dolby Digital
      • Dolby Surround 7.1
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Brendan Gleeson, Chris Messina, Zoe Saldana, Sienna Miller, and Elle Fanning in Live by Night (2016)
    Top Gap
    What was the official certification given to Live by Night (2016) in India?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.