Empire State

Empire State

Year: 2013

Runtime: 94 mins

Language: English

Director: Dito Montiel

DramaActionCrime

Having failed to be accepted into the police academy, Chris Potamitis takes a security guard position for an armored truck company. A careless comment to his best friend inadvertently pulls him into a complex plot to rob the company’s vast cash reserves. The plan unfolds into the largest cash heist in U.S. history, based on a true story.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Empire State (2013)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Empire State (2013). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Early 1980s

The story unfolds in the early 1980s New York City, with explicit events surrounding December 12, 1982. It portrays an era of volatile street crime, shifting police tactics, and the beginnings of large-scale heists that define the period. The social and economic climate amplifies risk-taking and the costs of betrayal within tight-knit communities.

Location

Astoria, Queens, New York

Astoria in Queens provides a dense, working-class backdrop for a tale of ambition and crime in the early 1980s. The neighborhood reflects a mix of immigrant roots and city-scale pressures, with close-knit streets that magnify the consequences of every decision. The setting situates the characters amid aging Greek social clubs, bustling tenements, and the lure of Manhattan's financial world.

🏙️ Urban 🧭 Immigrant community 🗽 New York

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:48

Main Characters – Empire State (2013)

Meet the key characters of Empire State (2013), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Chris Potamitis (Liam Hemsworth)

Chris is a working-class immigrant who dreams of becoming a police officer but is thwarted by a past marijuana conviction. He takes a low-paying security job and becomes entangled in a high-stakes scheme after stealing money from his company. His divided loyalties between friends, family, and his own safety drive the plot toward a dramatic confrontation.

🧭 Ambition 💼 Working-class 🇬🇷 Immigrant heritage

Eddie (Michael Angarano)

Eddie is Chris's loud-mouthed best friend who craves status in the gangster world. He leaks information about the lax security and helps spark the heist, but he also faces risk and personal consequences as the plan unravels. His impulsive choices test loyalty and friendship.

🗣️ Impulsive 💬 Peer pressure 🕶️ Streetwise

Spyro (Chris Diamantopoulos)

Spyro is a ruthless gangster who pressures the crew and influences the course of the robbery. He embodies the coercive, money-driven side of organized crime, driving demands and conflicts within the group.

🗡️ Criminal 🤝 Gang ties 🎯 High-stakes

Detective James Ransome (Dwayne Johnson)

Ransome is a seasoned NYPD detective who pursues the heist with determination. He foils the robbery and leads to the arrests, navigating the line between professional duty and the murky ethics of pursuit in a corrupt urban environment.

🕵️‍♂️ Detective ⚖️ Justice 🧭 Duty

Nancy Michaelides (Emma Roberts)

Nancy is Chris's confidante who learns of the money and becomes entangled in the aftermath. She embodies a mix of loyalty and caution as relationships and finances become intertwined with crime.

💖 Love interest 🧭 Loyalty 🔎 Investigative

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:48

Major Themes – Empire State (2013)

Explore the central themes of Empire State (2013), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💰 Greed

Money becomes a catalyst that drives Chris, Eddie, and their associates into reckless schemes. The prospect of wealth corrupts loyalties and blurs moral lines as the plan to steal millions unfolds. The pursuit of cash exposes vulnerabilities, temptations, and the consequences of unchecked desire.

🕵️ Crime & Justice

A veteran detective chases a complex money trail while balancing professional duty with personal loyalties. The investigation pits law enforcement against organized crime and a pair of impulsive criminals. The pursuit tests the ethics of those involved and the ultimate fate of the stolen money.

👨‍👩‍👧 Family

Family ties shape decisions and loyalties amid the heist. Chris's duty to his parents and to the memory of his partner's family creates moral conflict. The film shows how a son's choices ripple through the household, culminating in a violent confrontation and a costly outcome.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:48

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about desperate working-class criminals like in Empire State

Stories of desperate, ordinary people pulled into high-stakes criminal plots.If you liked the true-story desperation of Empire State, you'll find similar gritty tales here. These movies explore the world of blue-collar crime, where regular people are driven to drastic acts, leading to tense heists and severe repercussions.

grittydesperatetensefatalisticregretfulanxiousoppressive

Narrative Summary

The narrative typically follows a relatable, often down-on-their-luck protagonist who sees crime as their only way out. The plan is straightforward but high-risk, unfolding with a steady, inevitable pace toward failure and punishment, emphasizing the high cost of a single bad decision.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared focus on economic desperation as a motivator, the palpable tension of amateur criminals in over their heads, and the bleak, morally complex outcomes that feel both tragic and inevitable.

Fatalistic heist movies with tragic endings like Empire State

Heist films where the plan unravels under the weight of betrayal and pressure.For viewers who enjoyed the tense, doomed atmosphere of Empire State's heist. This collection features crime stories where meticulously laid plans are undone by human error, betrayal, and the crushing weight of the law, leading to bleak conclusions.

tensefatalisticbleakanxiousparanoidregretfuldesperate

Narrative Summary

The story structure follows the meticulous planning of a seemingly perfect crime, only for it to immediately begin fracturing due to internal pressures, loose ends, and betrayals. The journey is a steady descent into chaos, paranoia, and ultimate failure, often from the perspective of a reluctant participant.

Why These Movies?

These movies share a specific vibe: the tension comes not from whether the heist will succeed, but from how tragically it will fail. They are united by a dark tone, heavy emotional weight, and a focus on the corrosive nature of crime on personal loyalties.

Unlock the Full Story of Empire State

Don't stop at just watching — explore Empire State in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Empire State is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Empire State Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Empire State, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Empire State Summary

Empire State Timeline

Track the full timeline of Empire State with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Empire State Timeline

Empire State Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Empire State that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Empire State Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Empire State

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Empire State: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Empire State