Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

Capone (2020) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Capone (2020) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2020 · 103 min · English
Echo score 55
JustWatch #3,850 18
Directed by
Josh Trank
Starring
Linda Cardellini, Tom Hardy, Jack Lowden, Sue-Lynn Ansari, Edgar Arreola, Al Sapienza
Budget
$20.6M

Suffering from dementia, infamous gangster Alfonse Capone is haunted by memories of his violent past. As his mind deteriorates, the FBI investigates, and Capone struggles to distinguish reality from the fragmented recollections of his criminal empire. He must piece together his fading memories to uncover the location of a hidden fortune somewhere on his estate, all while confronting the consequences of his past deeds.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (4)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like Capone
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Capone (2020)

Where can you watch Capone? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Hoopla and Kanopy: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

Streaming availability powered by JustWatch

4 main characters · contains spoilers

Capone Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Capone (2020), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Alphonse 'Al' Capone

    played by Tom Hardy

    Al Capone, famously known as Fonse, is portrayed as a once-feared gangster who is now a mere shadow of his former self, grappling with severe health issues. His character reflects vulnerability amidst the chaos of his past, revealing moments of tenderness and confusion. As he relives memories, the contrast between his past and present emphasizes his tragic decline.

    • 👤 Protagonist
    • 📉 Decline
    • 💔 Tragedy
  • Mae

    played by Linda Cardellini

    Mae is Al's devoted wife who struggles to support him through his mental and physical decline. Her character embodies loyalty and emotional strength, navigating the challenges of their life together. Mae's relationship with Al is marked by love, nostalgia, and the painful acceptance of his deteriorating condition.

    • ❤️ Love
    • 💪 Strength
    • 👩‍👧 Family
  • Tony

    played by Mason Guccione

    Tony, Al's estranged son, epitomizes the conflict of seeking connection with a father who is rapidly losing grasp on reality. His character illustrates the strained familial ties and the weight of legacy. Tony's interactions with Fonse are filled with unspoken sentiments, highlighting the depths of their fractured relationship.

    • 👨‍👦 Estrangement
    • ❓ Conflict
    • 💭 Legacy
  • Rosie

    played by Kathrine Narducci

    Rosie, Al's sister, represents the familial anchor during tumultuous times. Her character brings both support and harsh truths to Fonse's life, acting as a reminder of their shared past. Rosie navigates the family dynamics with a blend of care and practicality, embodying the love and challenges of family ties.

    • 👩‍👦‍👦 Caregiver
    • 🏠 Family
    • ⚖️ Realism

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:39

Was this helpful?

Setting

Where and When Does Capone Take Place?

The setting of Capone (2020): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

1931

The film is set during the autumn and winter months of 1931, a period marked by the Great Depression. Society was grappling with economic hardship, and Capone's waning influence mirrors the tumultuous changes happening in America. This time frame plays a crucial role in illustrating the transition of Capone from feared gangster to a shadow of his former self.

Location

Florida

The movie takes place primarily in Florida, where Al Capone retreats to his home after being released from prison. Known for its warm climate and beautiful beaches, Florida contrasts sharply with Capone's dark past. The setting serves as a backdrop for his family's attempts to support him during his decline.

  • 🏖️ Florida
  • 🌆 Exile

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:39

Was this helpful?

3 major themes

Capone Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Capone (2020) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Time and Memory

    The theme of time and memory is pivotal to the narrative, as Capone grapples with his faltering recollections and the passage of years. His deteriorating mental state serves as a poignant reminder of his former power and influence. This theme explores the impact of memory loss on familial relationships and the struggle to hold onto the past.

  • Family Bonds

    Family is at the heart of Capone's story, as he navigates his relationships with his wife, children, and extended family amidst his decline. The film emphasizes the complexity of love and care in the face of illness. These bonds are tested as they seek to maintain connection despite the shadows of Capone's past.

  • Lost Fortune

    The enigma of Capone's hidden fortune drives much of the plot, symbolizing both his greed and the unattainability of his past. The theme reflects how wealth can warp lives, leading to paranoia and desperation. Ultimately, Capone's pursuit becomes a haunting reminder of his lost glory.

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:39

Was this helpful?

Character & theme questions

Capone Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Capone (2020): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is the movie set?

The movie takes place primarily in Florida, where Al Capone retreats to his home after being released from prison. The warm climate and beach setting of Florida sharply contrasts with Capone's dark past as a feared gangster, creating an atmospheric backdrop for his decline.

  • florida setting
  • capone home
  • florida location
Q2

What time period is the movie set in?

The film is set during autumn and winter of 1931, during the Great Depression. This time period is significant because Capone's waning influence mirrors the broader societal changes happening in America during this tumultuous era.

  • 1931
  • great depression
  • time period
  • 1930s
Q3

What does the Time and Memory theme explore?

The theme explores how Capone's deteriorating mental state due to dementia affects his familial relationships and his struggle to hold onto his past. His faltering recollections serve as a poignant reminder of his former power and influence, making this theme central to the film's emotional weight.

  • memory loss
  • dementia
  • time theme
  • past回忆
Q4

What role does Family play in the movie?

Family Bonds theme centers on Capone's relationships with his wife Mae, son Tony, and sister Rosie as they navigate his decline. The film emphasizes the complexity of love and care in the face of illness, showing how these bonds are tested while seeking to maintain connection despite the shadows of Capone's violent past.

  • family
  • mae
  • tony
  • rosie
  • relationships
Q5

What is the significance of Capone's hidden fortune?

The Lost Fortune theme drives much of the plot, symbolizing both Capone's greed and the unattainability of his past. The hidden fortune represents how wealth warped his life, leading to paranoia and desperation. His pursuit becomes a haunting reminder of his lost glory and the moral consequences of his criminal empire.

  • hidden fortune
  • treasure
  • money
  • wealth
  • greed
Q6

Who is Mae in the movie?

Mae is Al Capone's devoted wife, portrayed by Linda Cardellini. She struggles to support him through his mental and physical decline, embodying loyalty and emotional strength. Her relationship with Capone is marked by love, nostalgia, and the painful acceptance of his deteriorating condition.

  • mae
  • wife
  • linda cardellini
  • caregiver
Q7

Who is Tony and what is his relationship with Capone?

Tony is Capone's estranged son, representing the conflict of seeking connection with a father who is rapidly losing grasp on reality. His character illustrates the strained familial ties and the weight of legacy, with interactions filled with unspoken sentiments highlighting their fractured relationship.

  • tony
  • son
  • estranged
  • family conflict
Q8

Who is Rosie in the film?

Rosie is Al Capone's sister, portrayed by Kathrine Narducci. She represents the familial anchor during his decline, bringing both support and harsh truths. Rosie navigates family dynamics with a blend of care and practicality, embodying the love and challenges inherent in family ties.

  • rosie
  • sister
  • family support
Q9

Why is Florida an important setting for Capone's story?

Florida serves as a place of exile and retreat for Capone after his prison release. The setting provides a stark contrast between the peaceful, warm environment and his violent criminal past. It also represents a final chapter in his life where his family attempts to care for him during his decline.

  • florida
  • exile
  • retreat
  • climate contrast
Q10

What does the movie say about Capone's legacy?

The film examines how Capone's legacy is shaped by memory loss and the consequences of his violent past. As his mind deteriorates, the mystery of his hidden fortune represents his unfinished business and the moral weight of his criminal empire. The narrative suggests that legacy is fragile and ultimately defined by how one is remembered, not just by one's past actions.

  • legacy
  • reputation
  • moral consequences
  • criminal empire

Movie threads

More Movies Like Capone, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Capone tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about psychological deterioration like Capone

Unflinching portrayals of a character's mind unraveling under the weight of their past. If you appreciated the psychological depth of Capone, explore these movies that delve into fractured minds and unraveling realities. This section features similar films about mental illness, dementia, and the haunting nature of memory, perfect for viewers who like heavy, introspective character studies.

  • disorienting
  • oppressive
  • psychological
  • haunting
  • sad
  • paranoid
  • Tone: dark, melancholic, oppressive
  • Pacing: slow, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread often unfold from a single, unreliable perspective, using non-linear structures to mirror a character's disintegrating mental state. The central journey is one of internal collapse, where protagonists confront forgotten traumas and struggle to maintain a grip on reality against a rising tide of confusion and fear.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their intense, psychological focus on a protagonist's mental deterioration. They share a heavy emotional weight, a dark or bleak tone, and often a slow, deliberate pacing that allows the audience to feel the suffocating weight of the character's internal struggle.

Crime dramas about a gangster's demise like Capone

A dark, slow-burn look at the grim and lonely end of a once-powerful criminal. For viewers who liked the bleak, introspective take on a gangster's end in Capone, this section collects similar crime dramas. Discover movies about the downfall of crime figures, focusing on regret, legacy, and the heavy price of a life of violence, rather than the action-packed rise to power.

  • melancholic
  • lonely
  • oppressive
  • sad
  • haunting
  • regretful
  • Tone: dark, bittersweet, melancholic
  • Pacing: slow, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives follow a fall-from-grace arc, but the emphasis is on the aftermath—the physical and moral decay. The conflict shifts from external power struggles to an internal battle with regret, paranoia, and the consequences of past actions, often set against a backdrop of surveillance or betrayal.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread are connected by their focus on the grim, unglamorous end of a criminal's life. They share a bittersweet or bleak ending feel, a dark tone, and a mood that is deeply melancholic and lonely, prioritizing character reflection over fast-paced action.

If you liked this

Movies Like Capone

Similar movies to Capone: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries

Every angle

Capone (2020) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Capone in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning, the ending explained and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app