--- title: "The Limey" year: 1999 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-limey" fi1m_id: "the-limey" imdb_id: "tt0165854" tmdb_id: 10388 wikidata_id: "Q1382199" fi1m_score: 80 critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 8 published: "2026-09-09" updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:53.917220+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Limey (1999) Directed by Steven Soderbergh · 1h 29m · MPA R · Crime, Drama, Thriller ## Identity The Limey - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-limey - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-limey - **IMDb ID:** tt0165854 - **TMDB ID:** 10388 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1382199 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165854/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10388, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1382199 **Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 68 from 8 reviews *In a sentence:* Terence Stamp arrives in Los Angeles speaking a language nobody there understands and frightens everyone anyway > Steven Soderbergh takes a plain revenge plot, cuts it out of order and lets Terence Stamp’s face do the rest. It is short, sharp and far sadder than the genre requires, though the script under the style is thin. ## Synopsis Wilson (Terence Stamp), a Cockney career criminal newly out of prison, flies to Los Angeles after his daughter Jenny (Melissa George) dies in a car crash. The police have closed the case. Wilson has not. With the help of Eduardo (Luis Guzmán), a friend of Jenny’s who becomes his reluctant driver, and Elaine (Lesley Ann Warren), a voice coach who knew her, he follows her last months to Terry Valentine (Peter Fonda), an ageing record producer with a house in the hills, a young girlfriend, Adhara (Amelia Heinle), and a fixer, Avery (Barry Newman), who handles the things Valentine would rather not know about. Wilson starts asking questions, and then he stops asking. ## Review Terence Stamp plays Wilson, a Cockney career criminal just out of prison, who flies to Los Angeles because his daughter Jenny (Melissa George) is dead. The police call it a car crash. Wilson does not believe them, and the trail leads him to Terry Valentine (Peter Fonda), a record producer with a house in the hills and a girlfriend, Adhara (Amelia Heinle), about Jenny’s age. That is the whole plot, and Steven Soderbergh and his writer Lem Dobbs know it. What they have made from it is 89 minutes of revenge thriller that keeps turning into something sadder, and we recommend it without much hesitation. The first thing you notice is the cutting. Sarah Flack does not let a scene run in order: a sentence starts in a car and finishes in a kitchen, a conversation on a beach is handed out in pieces across the whole film, and a shot of Wilson on the plane, staring at nothing, comes back again and again. This is the method of *Point Blank* (1967) and Soderbergh is not hiding the debt. In lesser hands it is a trick. Here it plays as an old man’s memory, going back to the same few pictures because they are the only ones he has. Some of those pictures are borrowed. When Wilson remembers Jenny as a child, Soderbergh uses footage of Stamp himself from Ken Loach’s *Poor Cow* (1967), a young thief with a young man’s face. There is no make-up and no recasting, just the same actor thirty-two years apart, and it caught us off guard; we were more moved than we expected a revenge film to manage. Soderbergh does not underline it. He cuts from the boy to the old man and moves on. Stamp does the rest. Wilson speaks in rhyming slang that nobody in California can follow, and Luis Guzmán, as Eduardo, a friend of Jenny’s who becomes his reluctant driver, keeps asking him to say it again in English. The film’s best scene is in the first twenty minutes: Wilson walks into a warehouse asking about his daughter, is beaten and thrown into the yard, gets up, walks back in, and we stay outside with the camera while the gunshots come through the wall. We laughed, and then felt the cold under it. The line he leaves with is the one on the poster. Fonda plays Valentine as a man who got rich off the sixties and kept the tan. He is vain, soft and frightened, and Barry Newman’s Avery, the fixer who does his sums, is the one person in the house who understands what is coming. Edward Lachman shoots the two worlds differently: Valentine’s glass house in hard white daylight, and Wilson’s Los Angeles at night in motels, warehouses and car parks. Gary Frutkoff furnishes Valentine’s rooms with money and not much else. Cliff Martinez’s score is a low electronic hum that never tells us what to feel, and Louise Frogley keeps Wilson in the same dark jacket throughout. The flaws are in the writing. Dobbs gives Valentine a crime that stays a sketch, and a middle stretch involving a party and a federal agent that the film seems as bored by as we were. Lesley Ann Warren’s Elaine, a voice coach who knew Jenny, brings a warmth the script does not know what to do with, and Heinle’s Adhara is a good idea for a character who is mostly looked at. Now and then Flack’s cutting stops being memory and becomes a mannerism, the same shot returning for a fourth time when the third had done the work. A few critics have called Stamp wooden. We think the stillness is the performance, though there are moments where the editing does his acting for him. This came a year after [*Out of Sight*](https://film.one/film/out-of-sight) (1998) and a year before [*Erin Brockovich*](https://film.one/film/erin-brockovich) and [*Traffic*](https://film.one/film/traffic) (both 2000), and it is the smallest and strangest of the four. It is also the one that feels most like a film Soderbergh made for himself. Watch it at home, where the broken sentences settle and the faces are close enough to read. It runs 89 minutes and carries an 18. *Fi1m score 80, published 9 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics take The Limey for what it is: a slight revenge plot made sadder and more interesting by the way Soderbergh assembles it. The praise clusters around the editing, the scrambled timelines and the decision to use footage of the young Terence Stamp from Poor Cow as flashbacks, which several reviews single out as the film’s most affecting idea. The casting of Stamp and Peter Fonda as relics of the 1960s is widely admired, as is Ed Lachman’s photography, and the general reading is of a rueful, nostalgic picture about ageing and retirement rather than an action film. The reservations are about Lem Dobbs’s script, which even admirers find thin, and about whether the style carries more weight than the story can bear. The spread is wide. Empire dismisses it as stilted and overstyled, and Eye for Film finds Stamp wooden, a view no other review shares. ## Straight answers **Is The Limey worth watching?** *The Limey* is worth watching, and we scored it 80. Terence Stamp plays a Cockney criminal hunting the man he blames for his daughter's death in Los Angeles, and Steven Soderbergh cuts the revenge plot out of order until it turns into something sadder. The script under the style is thin, but it runs 89 minutes and rarely wastes one. **How long is The Limey, and what is it rated?** *The Limey* runs 1h 29m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a crime and drama film. **Where can I watch The Limey in the US?** *The Limey* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Starz, The Roku Channel, Tubi, Hulu and Apple TV in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $3.99. It leaves The Roku Channel on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is The Limey, and is it suitable for children?** *The Limey* carries an 18 certificate and is not suitable for children. It is a revenge thriller with beatings and gunfire, some of it heard through walls rather than shown, and an adult tone of grief and menace throughout. The squeamish may cope better than they expect; the violence is brief and unglamorous rather than lingering, but it is meant to hurt. **How does The Limey compare to Get Carter?** *The Limey* is the sadder and more elliptical of the two, [*Get Carter*](https://film.one/film/get-carter) the tenser and more vicious. Both send a hard London criminal into a strange city to find out how a relative died, but Soderbergh fractures the plot into an old man's memory, while Mike Hodges keeps Michael Caine's hunt straight and cruel. Choose *Get Carter* for grip, *The Limey* for feeling. **What should I watch after The Limey?** After *The Limey*, try [*Point Blank*](https://film.one/film/point-blank) (1967, Fi1m 84): The revenge film Soderbergh is quoting; Lee Marvin walks through Los Angeles like a ghost. Then [*Get Carter*](https://film.one/film/get-carter) (1971, Fi1m 86): Michael Caine goes north to bury a brother and asks harder questions than anyone likes; and [*Sexy Beast*](https://film.one/film/sexy-beast) (2000, Fi1m 85): Another London hard man in the sun, this time trying not to go back. ### Reviews we read (12) - **Slant Magazine**, Chuck Bowen (85/100, inferred): The critic describes The Limey as a terse and atmospheric crime film with an unusually vivid sense of regret achieved through submerged textures and cross-cutting timelines. It functions as a perfect storm of technique, intuition, and personal taste that opens a vortex of longing and nostalgia for lost cinematic waves. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-limey-review-steven-soderbergh/) - **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (80/100, inferred): The critic sees The Limey as a clever and meaningful homage to fractured late-'60s classics like Point Blank and Petulia that scrambles basic genre elements into something fresh and formally exciting. It edges into a sad, rueful tone that lends poignancy to Stamp's quest and the stars' ebbing careers. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-limey-1798195666) - **Time Out**, GA (80/100, inferred): This low-budget crime movie is funny, touching and assured, milking the fish-out-of-water premise with imagination and wit. Stamp delivers a superb lead performance supported by strong turns from Fonda and others, with Soderbergh's narrative playfulness singled out as a highlight. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-limey) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (75/100, inferred): The critic describes Soderbergh's thriller as a compelling duel between two 1960s relics, with Terence Stamp as a vengeful Cockney ex-con and Peter Fonda as his sleazy target. He singles out the film's innovative use of clips from the 1967 film Poor Cow for flashbacks instead of recasting or aging the actor. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian/0,4267,51229,00.html) - **Sight and Sound**, Philip Strick (70/100, inferred): Soderbergh's latest is a fragmented, memory-like revenge tale that prioritises visual and linguistic play over straightforward narrative. The critic highlights the film's elegant framing and allusions while noting its capricious attention and the standout performance by Amelia Heinle. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/540) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (70/100, inferred): The critic finds power in the film's oblique European-style approach and glimpses of the protagonist's past rather than its deadened morality or revenge plot. He singles out the use of clips from the young Terence Stamp in Poor Cow for emotional resonance. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1999/10/11/in-a-lonely-place) - **Empire**, Andrew Collins (30/100, inferred): The film is a stilted, slight and bizarre fish-out-of-water yarn that fails to balance tension and comedy. Stamp's performance and the casting of 1960s icons are highlights but cannot save the thinly plotted, overstylised result. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/limey-review/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kevin Thomas: The review describes it as a sleek, stylish contemporary L.A. noir that offers familiar genre satisfactions while evoking the lost idealism of the 1960s through its casting and references. It singles out the adroit casting of 1960s icons and Ed Lachman’s lush photography. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-oct-08-ca-19996-story.html) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert: The critic praises Soderbergh's ironic, visually inventive take on a basic revenge story centered on two aging criminals. He singles out the use of flashbacks from Terence Stamp's earlier work and the film's focus on retirement and mortality over action. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-limey-1999) - **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (NYT Critic’s Pick): The review calls the film a piquant nostalgic throwback to 1960s noir style, with the best chance among Soderbergh's films of becoming a sentimental favorite. It singles out the revisiting of Terence Stamp and Peter Fonda as charismatic 1960s stars and the cool panache of the cinematography. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/08/movies/film-review-touring-show-business-royalty-and-its-underworld.html) - **Variety**, Emanuel Levy: The review notes that Soderbergh turns a routine revenge thriller into an accomplished, contemplative character-driven drama about family and generational issues. It singles out the bravura acting ensemble and the impressive technical aspects like cinematography and editing, despite script weaknesses. [Read](https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/the-limey-1117499755/) - **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (45/100, inferred): The critic praises Soderbergh's stylish direction, camera tricks, and time-shuffling for creating a seductive noir look but criticizes Lem Dobbs's flashy script and Terence Stamp's wooden performance as the vengeful ex-con Wilson. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-limey-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) ## Details - **Director:** Steven Soderbergh - **Director:** Steven Soderbergh - **Writer:** Lem Dobbs - **Cinematography:** Edward Lachman - **Editor:** Sarah Flack - **Music:** Cliff Martinez - **Production design:** Gary Frutkoff - **Costume design:** Louise Frogley - **Producer:** Scott Kramer, John Hardy - **Cast:** Terence Stamp as Wilson; Lesley Ann Warren as Elaine; Luis Guzmán as Eduardo Roel; Barry Newman as Jim Avery; Joe Dallesandro as Uncle John; Nicky Katt as Stacy the Hitman; Peter Fonda as Terry Valentine; Amelia Heinle as Adhara - **Runtime:** 1h 29m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 8 October 1999 - **Genres:** Crime, Drama, Thriller - **Budget:** $10 million - **Box office:** $3 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-Ks8nV8Adg ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: streaming, uhd - Starz: streaming - Amazon Prime Video: free, uhd - The Roku Channel: free, hd, leaving 2026-10-01 - Tubi: free, hd, leaving 2026-10-01 - Hulu: add-on, hd - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd - Apple TV: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $5.99, sd - Apple TV: buy $5.99, sd *Checked 2026-09-10.* Also available in: AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Point Blank* (1967), Fi1m 84: The revenge film Soderbergh is quoting; Lee Marvin walks through Los Angeles like a ghost — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/point-blank.md) - *Poor Cow* (1967): The Loach film that lends Wilson his youth; see the young Stamp for yourself - *Get Carter* (1971), Fi1m 86: Michael Caine goes north to bury a brother and asks harder questions than anyone likes — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/get-carter.md) - *Sexy Beast* (2000), Fi1m 85: Another London hard man in the sun, this time trying not to go back — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/sexy-beast.md) - *Blue Ruin* (2013), Fi1m 84: A revenge film that keeps showing how badly an ordinary man does it — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/blue-ruin.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-limey