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Greed (2019) movie poster

Timeline

Greed (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2019 · 100 mins · English
Echo score 69
Directed by
Michael Winterbottom
Starring
Ben Stiller, Keira Knightley, Will Smith, Colin Firth, Steve Coogan, Shirley Henderson
Budget
$5.5M

The devil is in the retail. A retail billionaire’s 60th birthday party is celebrated in an exclusive hotel on the Greek island of Mykonos.

Comedy Drama Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (14)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Greed (2019)

Where can you watch Greed? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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14 events in order · contains spoilers

Greed Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Greed (2019) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Richard McCreadie's rebellious rise begins at a British public school

    The film introduces Richard 'Greedy' McCreadie as an outcast and rebellious student at an unnamed British public school. His sharp wit and ambition are apparent even as he clashes with authority and peers. This early attitude foreshadows his later ruthless approach to business.

    When
    late 1960s–early 1970s
    Where
    British public school

  2. Rise of a high-street fashion mogul

    From these roots, McCreadie grows into a powerful high-street fashion merchant during the 1970s and 1980s. The summary notes his wealth is underpinned by ruthless exploitation and controversial practices. His public image as quick-witted and connected with celebrities masks a more dangerous reality.

    When
    1970s–1980s
    Where
    United Kingdom/high street fashion

  3. Skepticism around wealth: sweatshops and malpractices

    The narrative reveals that much of McCreadie's fortune rests on sweatshops in Southeast Asia, tax avoidance, and asset stripping. These revelations begin to erode his celebrated public persona as Nick investigates. The contrast between image and reality becomes a central theme.

    When
    1980s–present
    Where
    Southeast Asia, corporate offices

  4. Government inquiry and the memoir plan

    After a disastrous public inquiry into the fashion industry's abuses, McCreadie decides to publish memoirs. He hires Nick, a mild-mannered journalist, to ghostwrite the book for him. This choice sets the stage for a non-linear storytelling structure driven by Nick's research.

    When
    present-day
    Where
    government inquiry

  5. Nick begins digging into McCreadie's past

    Nick's research uncovers a complex background, and the film uses flashbacks to chart the billionaire's ascent from privilege to power. The process threatens to reveal uncomfortable truths that clash with McCreadie's self-image. Nick's growing conflict drives the moral center of the story.

    When
    present-day with flashbacks to 1970s–1980s
    Where
    UK and abroad; flashback sequences

  6. Present build-up to the 60th birthday party

    The focus shifts to the upcoming Gladiator-themed birthday party on Mykonos, intended as a carefree retreat for McCreadie. The party is hampered by real-world issues, like fragile constructions and untrustworthy labor. The event foregrounds the tension between spectacle and exploitation.

    When
    present day, before the birthday
    Where
    Mykonos, Greece

  7. Arena trouble and labor tensions

    Work on the Roman arena is shoddy, relying on undocumented immigrant labor, reflecting the same ethical failures the film critiques. The centerpiece fight and ceremonial lion become farcical rather than triumphant. McCreadie clings to control as preparations spiral.

    When
    present night
    Where
    Mykonos party site

  8. Refugee camp and social pressures

    A public beach near McCreadie's estate hosts a noisy makeshift camp of Syrian refugees. They are a constant reminder of the fallout from McCreadie's wealth and the politics of migration during the party period. The crowd's hostility toward the refugees reflects the wider moral conflict.

    When
    present night
    Where
    Public beach adjoining the estate, Mykonos

  9. Family dynamics: Samantha, Lily, Naomi, and Finn

    Samantha, McCreadie's ex-wife and public CEO, remains a central figure as he drifts toward her while married to Naomi. Lily stars in a reality show with her boyfriend, while Finn, McCreadie's son, quietly plots a more pernicious future. The family tensions mirror the ethical rot at the heart of the empire.

    When
    present day
    Where
    Family home and estate

  10. Amanda's moral awakening

    Amanda, one of McCreadie's assistants, forms a fragile friendship with Nick while questioning working for McCreadie. She reveals that her mother died after being fired from a sweatshop, highlighting the human cost behind the empire's wealth. Her conscience drives her toward a dangerous decision.

    When
    present day, during memoir work
    Where
    McCreadie's staff wing

  11. The three-card monte and the refugees

    On the night of the party, McCreadie uses a three-card monte trick to manipulate the Syrian refugees into working for him when his own staff down tools. A tense exchange sees some refugees’ relatives persuade a worker to return stolen silverware. The scene juxtaposes spectacle, coercion, and moral choice.

    When
    present night
    Where
    Mykonos event grounds

  12. Cocaine, the lion, and a fatal misstep

    Finn secretly steals cocaine and drugs the lion's food, an act that heightens the danger. The chaos foreshadows the tragedy to come as the party descends into lawlessness. The film ties these micro-actions to the climactic downfall.

    When
    present night
    Where
    Mykonos arena vicinity

  13. The fatal encounter

    McCreadie, drunk and desperate for control, enters the arena where he encounters the lion in its cage. Amanda suddenly releases the lion, and it mauls him in a drug-fueled frenzy. Nick witnesses the brutal death and helps Amanda escape.

    When
    present night
    Where
    Mykonos arena

  14. Aftermath and truth-seeking

    In the wake of McCreadie's death, a string of flattering eulogies follows as Nick quietly shifts toward writing a hagiography. Finn takes over the family business, signaling a repeat of the same duplicitous pattern. Amanda and Nick agree to keep her role in the death secret as the credits foreground exploitation in the fashion industry.

    When
    post-event, near-term
    Where
    Mykonos and surrounding media circuit

Last updated: February 24, 2026 at 13:58

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Timeline questions answered

Greed Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Greed (2019): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Amanda release the lion in Greed?

Amanda releases the lion because she has spent months working for McCreadie and learning about the exploitative practices that built his empire, including the death of her own mother in a sweatshop that supplied his factories. Driven by anger, desperation, and a sense of justice, she sees an opportunity to kill the man responsible for so much human suffering when he drunkenly enters the arena.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Amanda revealing her mother's death and expressing growing resentment toward McCreadie, foreshadowing her desperate act.

  • amanda
  • mccreadie
  • lion
  • death
  • revenge
  • sweatshop
Q2

What happens to Richard McCreadie at the end of Greed?

McCreadie is mauled to death by a lion in the arena at his own birthday party. After entering the cage drunk and attempting to assert control, Amanda unlocks the door and the animal attacks him in a drug-fueled frenzy while Nick watches.

Foreshadowing: Finn drugs the lion's food earlier in the evening, heightening the animal's aggression.

  • mccreadie
  • death
  • lion
  • mauling
  • party
  • mykonos
Q3

Why does Finn take over the business in Greed?

Finn inherits the family business because he is McCreadie's son and the logical heir, despite his troubled nature. The film suggests he will continue his father's exploitative practices rather than reform the company, reinforcing the cyclical nature of greed and corruption.

Foreshadowing: Finn's Oedipal tension and dangerous risk-taking behavior throughout the film set the stage for his takeover.

  • finn
  • mccreadie
  • business
  • inheritance
  • son
Q4

What is the three-card monte scene in Greed about?

The three-card monte scene shows McCreadie exploiting the Syrian refugees when his own staff walk out in protest. He tricks them into working for him through a gambling scam, demonstrating his characteristic willingness to manipulate vulnerable people for personal gain.

Foreshadowing: This scene highlights McCreadie's exploitation of labor that has defined his entire career.

  • three-card monte
  • refugees
  • mccreadie
  • exploitation
  • labor
Q5

Why are there Syrian refugees at McCreadie's party in Greed?

The Syrian refugees have set up a camp on the beach near McCreadie's estate, representing the human cost of his wealth. Their presence serves as a stark counterpoint to the party's opulence and highlights the exploitation that financed McCreadie's fortune.

Foreshadowing: The refugees appear throughout the party buildup, creating ongoing tension with the celebration.

  • refugees
  • syrian
  • mykonos
  • beach
  • protest
Q6

Does Nick publish the memoir in Greed?

Nick does publish the memoir, but it becomes a hagiography rather than the truthful account he initially intended. After witnessing McCreadie's death and helping Amanda escape, Nick compromises his journalistic integrity and writes a flattering version of events.

Foreshadowing: Nick's moral compromise mirrors the broader theme of complicity in the film.

  • nick
  • memoir
  • publish
  • hagiography
  • compromise
Q7

Why does McCreadie enter the lion's cage in Greed?

McCreadie enters the lion's cage drunk and desperate to maintain control over his failing party. His ego and sense of entitlement lead him to attempt a dramatic stunt, underestimating the danger while the lion has been drugged by Finn.

Foreshadowing: Finn's drugging of the lion earlier creates the fatal conditions for this decision.

  • mccreadie
  • lion
  • cage
  • drunk
  • control
  • arena
Q8

What happens to Amanda after McCreadie's death in Greed?

After the death, Amanda retreats to a Leicester sweatshop, returning to the very cycle of labor exploitation the film has criticized. She and Nick agree to keep her role in the death secret, and she disappears back into the system that victimized her family.

Foreshadowing: Amanda's return to the sweatshop represents the inescapable nature of the exploitative system.

  • amanda
  • sweatshop
  • leicester
  • escape
  • secret
Q9

What is the documentary ending of Greed about?

The ending transitions from narrative drama to documentary-style facts about exploitation and inequality in the fashion industry. This shift underscores the film's central thesis that profits are built on unseen, unprotected workers, making the fictional story a vehicle for real-world critique.

Foreshadowing: The entire film builds toward this expose of systemic abuse in the fashion industry.

  • documentary
  • fashion
  • exploitation
  • ending
  • credits
  • workers
Q10

Why does McCreadie want to write memoirs in Greed?

McCreadie decides to publish memoirs after a bruising government inquiry into greed and ethics in the fashion industry. He wants to control his narrative and rebuild his public image by presenting his version of events through Nick's ghostwriting.

Foreshadowing: The government inquiry serves as the catalyst that prompts McCreadie to take control of his story.

  • memoir
  • mccreadie
  • inquiry
  • image
  • ghostwriter
  • nick

Movie threads

More Movies Like Greed, by Mood & Story

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

Dark Satires of Capitalist Excess like Greed

Biting satires that expose the corrupting power of wealth and greed. Explore movies like Greed that use sharp wit and moral unease to critique corporate greed and social inequality. If you enjoyed the frustrating yet insightful exposure of wealth's corruption in Greed, you'll find similar darkly comedic stories here.

  • satirical
  • critical
  • uneasy
  • cynical
  • frustrating
  • moral critique
  • Tone: dark, cynical, satirical
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically follow characters deeply entrenched in systems of power and wealth, revealing the exploitative foundations of their success. The narrative often involves a gradual or sudden unveiling of ethical decay, leading to consequences that highlight systemic injustice rather than individual redemption.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they share a cynical, critiquing tone aimed squarely at corporate and social greed. They blend dark humor with heavy emotional themes, creating an experience that is both intellectually stimulating and morally unsettling.

Greed movie poster

Greed

2019
Business Ethics movie poster

Business Ethics

2020
Greedy People movie poster

Greedy People

2024
The Ruling Class movie poster

The Ruling Class

1972
Network movie poster

Network

1976
Billionaire Boys Club movie poster

Billionaire Boys Club

2018
Pain & Gain movie poster

Pain & Gain

2013
The Last Supper movie poster

The Last Supper

1995

Bleak Exposés of Moral Corruption like Greed

Stories where characters face the devastating consequences of their ethical compromises. Find movies similar to Greed that explore the heavy toll of ethical compromise and the bleak aftermath of greed. If you were drawn to the frustrating moral unraveling and systemic critique in Greed, these character-driven dramas will resonate.

  • bleak
  • frustrating
  • ethical dilemma
  • character study
  • downfall
  • critiquing
  • Tone: bleak, heavy, critical
  • Pacing: steady, unveiling
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a protagonist whose pursuit of success leads them to make increasingly damaging ethical choices. The story steadily unfolds the human cost of their actions, often through flashbacks or parallel storylines, culminating in an ending that offers little redemption and underscores the perpetuation of the corrupt system.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their focus on a character's moral corruption, a steady pacing that allows for deep critique, and a bleak, heavy emotional tone. They leave viewers with a sense of frustration and a clear-eyed view of systemic injustice.

Business Ethics movie poster

Business Ethics

2020
Greed movie poster

Greed

2019
Small Crime movie poster

Small Crime

2008
Dirty Hands movie poster

Dirty Hands

2014
Disgraced movie poster

Disgraced

2017
Dangerous to Know movie poster

Dangerous to Know

2020
The Trust movie poster

The Trust

2016
City of Lies movie poster

City of Lies

2018

Every angle

Greed (2019) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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

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