Year: 2011
Runtime: 85 mins
Language: English
Director: Mike Gunther
A group of friends meticulously plan a heist, but it turns deadly when one double‑crosses the others and runs off with the loot. Betrayed, Sonny takes matters into his own hands, allying with the city’s most dangerous mob boss to reclaim what’s his. When he finally confronts his former friend, he must choose between vengeance and his future.
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In Detroit, three friends, Sonny, Dave, and Vincent, hatch a plan for a high-stakes heist worth $5 million in diamonds. The scheme takes a dark turn when betrayal cuts through the group: Vincent shoots both Sonny and Dave, leaving Dave dead on the spot while Sonny narrowly survives and turns to the city’s most dangerous mob boss, Biggs, to recover the loot.
Biggs then sends Sonny, along with one of his trusted henchmen, Petey, to retrieve $2 million buried in a cemetery. They succeed in extracting the money, and Petey places it in the trunk of his car, but a tragic mistake follows—he accidentally shoots himself. Sonny drags Petey’s body to the Butcher, starts tracing a lead involving a girl named Mia, and confronts the fence at his home, threatening to unravel the entire operation. The fence, frightened, darts to Vincent with the warning that Sonny remains a loose end, and Vincent responds by killing him.
Meanwhile, Biggs checks in on Petey and Sonny, and Sal questions Ivan to death in a bid to uncover more about the missing money. At the church, a stark philosophical moment emerges as the pastor asks, “do you believe in free will? the idea that you are free to make your own choices in this world?” Sonny answers, “of course.” The pastor’s follow-up question looms large as Vincent moves to close the Sonny thread by any means necessary.
Vincent enlists John’s help to pin down Sonny, and Sonny makes a somber pilgrimage to Dave’s grave in the cemetery. The tension shifts to a prison setting, where Vincent’s father sits behind bars and faces a cruel inquiry about what he wants his son to be asked before any life is taken. Mia is attacked at home by the owner of the diamonds, who demands his property back, and Vincent later visits Mia only to discover she is dead.
Sal and Tony push a dangerous Russian suspect who mutters, “the black man took the money that’s all I see, he took it.” The interrogation ends with the man dying, and Biggs notes that the testimony may have been true. In a tense prison meeting, Saunders pressures Vincent for $100,000 to protect his own father, intensifying the leverage over the clan’s fragile web of loyalties.
Vincent later learns his father knows Sonny is still alive and carries the ominous line, “Big men make big moves, are you a big man?” This realization intensifies the countdown as Sonny secretly appropriates part of Biggs’ money, hiding it first in a Teddy Bear and then in a box. He goes to Biggs and fabricates a tale that Vincent has the money, prompting a high-stakes confrontation.
John arranges a face-to-face between Vincent and Biggs, and the moment erupts into a bloody shootout with heavy casualties. Sonny pursues Vincent, but the elusive culprit escapes. The diamonds’ owner forcibly breaks into Vincent’s home as he’s packing up his funds, only to be killed by Vincent in a desperate defense. The chase reaches a brutal apex when Sonny ambushes Vincent just as he’s about to open his car door; Sonny douses him with oil and dictates that Vincent must dig his own grave.
In a final, chilling confession, Vincent reveals he was forced to kill Sonny and Dave because Saunders had threatened his father, explaining why he needed every last penny to escape trouble. Sonny spares Vincent’s life, but the next scene shifts to the prison where Vincent’s father is murdered by another inmate. Dave’s girlfriend receives the Teddy Bear package containing the money Sonny hid, sealing the fates of those involved. As Sonny takes the money from the locker, he delivers a rueful reflection, “An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind. As i was not my brother’s keeper, neither was I his killer. I could live with the fact that Vincent was still alive. Question was, could he?” With that somber line, Sonny drives away as the credits roll.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:08
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.
Stories where meticulously planned robberies are undone by a fatal double-cross.For viewers who liked the gritty betrayal and revenge plot of Setup, this list features similar movies about heists collapsing due to deception. If you enjoy stories filled with tense double-crosses, brutal retaliation, and the grim consequences of broken loyalty in the criminal world, you'll find more movies like it here.
Narratives typically begin with a high-stakes, detailed heist plan that immediately unravels when one participant betrays the others. The core of the story is a linear, fast-paced revenge quest, where the wronged protagonist must navigate dangerous alliances and escalating violence, culminating in a final confrontation that questions the true price of vengeance.
These films are grouped by their central narrative engine: a heist betrayal that sets off a chain reaction of violence and retribution. They share a dark, cynical tone, high intensity, and a focus on the devastating personal consequences of greed and disloyalty within a criminal framework.
Stories where achieving justice leaves a bitter taste and emotional scars.If the heavy, cynical feel of Setup resonated with you, this collection features similar gritty crime dramas. These movies explore themes of moral collapse, ruthless violence, and protagonists whose triumphs are ultimately bittersweet or pyrrhic, leaving them—and the viewer—with a somber reflection on the costs of their actions.
The narrative journey involves a descent into a violent, unforgiving world, often driven by a need for retribution. The protagonist's path is marked by hard choices and escalating brutality. The climax provides a form of resolution, but the ending is characterized by a profound sense of loss, questioning whether any true victory was possible in such a corrupt environment.
These movies are united by their consistent dark tone, high emotional weight, and a specific type of ending where the outcome feels more like survival than triumph. They deliver a powerful, heavy viewing experience centered on the bleak realities of crime and the elusive nature of true justice.
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Track the full timeline of Setup with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
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