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The 51st State (2001) movie poster

Timeline

The 51st State (2001) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2001 · 93 mins · English
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Directed by
Ronny Yu
Starring
Samuel L. Jackson, Rhys Ifans, Angus MacInnes, Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Terry O'Neill

A brilliant American chemist sets out to land a once‑in‑a‑lifetime drug deal, boasting flashy cars and navigating shady negotiations. When things go sideways, he becomes trapped in a tangled web of betrayal, aided—or hindered—by a fierce mother in a kilt. The plot blends humor and danger as alliances shift and he fights to stay one step ahead.

Thriller Comedy Action Crime Cast, crew & box office
On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (13)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like The 51st State
  6. 6 Every angle
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13 events in order · contains spoilers

The 51st State Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The 51st State (2001) 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. Elmo's 1971 DUI arrest derails his pharmacology career

    In 1971, Elmo McElroy is pulled over for driving under the influence of marijuana. He is arrested and convicted, which blocks his chances of working as a pharmacologist. The setback sets him on a path toward entanglement with criminal elements that shapes the rest of his story.

    When
    1971

  2. The Lizard summons a meeting to peddle POS 51

    In the present day, the drug lord the Lizard calls a meeting with his colleagues to push a new substance Elmo has supposedly created. Pudsey, Durant's chemist, provides a second opinion that corroborates the drug's potency. Durant offers Elmo over a million dollars in bonds to seal the deal, foreshadowing big stakes even before negotiations begin.

    When
    present day

  3. Elmo detonates the building to escape the Lizard's control

    During the meeting, Elmo detonates a blast to escape from the Lizard's manipulation, killing everyone in the building except the Lizard. The act shatters the negotiation and redefines the balance of power around POS 51. The incident makes Elmo's willingness to use drastic means undeniable.

    When
    present day

  4. Dakota's rooftop hit and its aftermath

    On a roof across the street, Dakota, acting on the Lizard's orders, is prepared to shoot Elmo but the hit is canceled until the formula is secured. Instead, Dakota kills everyone else, leaving Durant, Elmo, and a wounded Felix alive. The attack triggers a city-wide chase as investigators close in.

    When
    present day
    Where
    Rooftop across the street

  5. Durant makes an offer and Elmo refuses

    Elmo arrives at the meeting with Durant and presents POS 51, a synthetic drug said to be 51 times as potent as others. Pudsey confirms the claim, reinforcing Durant's interest. Because the payment is $18 million short of the agreed total, Elmo refuses to sell.

    When
    present day
    Where
    Durant's meeting room, Manchester

  6. Skinhead attack and Elmo's escape

    As Elmo and Felix leave the hotel, skinheads attack them in the street. Elmo uses a golf club to fend off the assailants, buying time to slip away. Detective Virgil Kane and his partner Arthur arrive and pursue, but Elmo lures them into a dangerous game of chicken and escapes.

    When
    present day
    Where
    Near the hotel, Manchester

  7. Kane's demand and Durant's death

    Kane and Arthur return to the scene and pressure Durant's operation, demanding a 50% share of the deal. A miscommunication among the players leads to Durant's death, unraveling the arrangement and escalating the chase for Elmo. The loss deepens the conflict between the police and criminal factions.

    When
    present day
    Where
    Durant's operation site, Manchester

  8. Felix negotiates with Iki and the POS 51 pipeline expands

    Felix contacts Iki, a gun-dealing club owner and drug distributor, offering him the POS 51 formula for £20 million. Elmo and Felix begin gathering the necessary ingredients, all over-the-counter products, to manufacture the drug. The looming deal draws attention and increases the risk as the situation grows more volatile.

    When
    present day
    Where
    Iki's rave club

  9. The makeshift lab and the two POS 51 batches

    The group travels to a site they believe is a lab, but it turns out to be a broken-in animal testing facility. Elmo and Felix manufacture two POS 51 batches, blue and red, and plan a big distribution. Elmo reveals the red pill's claimed strength but secretly foils its effects as a laxative, enabling a quick escape while the skinheads party.

    When
    present day
    Where
    Broken-in animal testing facility

  10. Deal interrupted at Iki's rave and Dawn's abduction

    At Iki's rave club, Elmo initiates the deal and delivers the drug to the waiting crowd. Kane and the police interrupt the deal and arrest Felix. Dawn, whose real name is Dakota, abducts Elmo and they escape via the roof, but Elmo overpowers her and they strike a deal to slip past Kane.

    When
    present day
    Where
    Iki's rave club, Liverpool

  11. Kane corners Felix and reshapes the deal

    Kane blackmails Felix during interrogation and forces himself into the Iki deal, which Felix sets up. The power balance shifts as law enforcement and criminal interests collide, tightening the net on Elmo. The move recalibrates the final terms of the POS 51 operation.

    When
    present day
    Where
    Interrogation room

  12. Final confrontation at Anfield; POS 51 exposed as placebo

    Felix, Elmo, and Dawn meet Iki in a private viewing box at Anfield during a Liverpool match. The Lizard interrupts, kills Iki, and demands the formula. Elmo reveals POS 51 is a placebo—the Power of Suggestion—and a cocktail of his explosive brew kills the Lizard, while Kane is knocked unconscious and arrested as the trio exits unscathed.

    When
    present day
    Where
    Anfield Stadium, Liverpool

  13. Dawn, Felix, and Elmo's new power in Scotland

    Dawn and Felix settle into a life together after the chaos. Elmo buys the Scottish Highlands castle of the Chief of Clan McElroy and proclaims the tartan of his former slave master as his own, signaling a new era of control and identity.

    When
    epilogue
    Where
    Scottish Highlands, Castle of Clan McElroy

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:39

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Timeline questions answered

The 51st State Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The 51st State (2001): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did Elmo refuse Durant's deal despite needing the money?

Elmo refused because Durant's payment was $18 million short of the agreed total. Elmo had invested significant effort into creating POS 51 and wasn't willing to accept less than what he believed the drug was worth, demonstrating his confidence in his product and his unwillingness to be undervalued by criminals.

  • elmo
  • durant
  • deal
  • money
  • refused
  • pos 51
Q2

What is POS 51 and what makes it special?

POS 51 is marketed as a synthetic drug 51 times more potent than existing substances. However, Elmo reveals at the climax that it's actually a placebo called the 'Power of Suggestion', it has no actual drug properties. The entire deal was built on perception and reputation rather than real chemistry.

  • pos 51
  • drug
  • placebo
  • power of suggestion
  • synthetic
Q3

Why did Elmo detonate the building during the meeting?

Elmo used explosives to escape from the Lizard's control. During the negotiation meeting, he triggered a blast that killed everyone inside except the Lizard himself. This drastic action demonstrated Elmo's willingness to use extreme measures to maintain independence and avoid being controlled by criminal elements.

  • elmo
  • explosion
  • building
  • lizard
  • escape
  • control
Q4

Who is Dawn and what is her connection to the Lizard?

Dawn's real name is Dakota, and she was the assassin the Lizard sent to kill Elmo. Earlier, she was positioned on a rooftop to shoot him but only killed everyone else when the hit was canceled until the formula was secured. Later, she abducts Elmo from Iki's rave but they strike a deal to escape Kane together.

Foreshadowing: Dakota was originally positioned on a rooftop to kill Elmo but was ordered to wait for the formula.

  • dawn
  • dakota
  • assassin
  • lizard
  • rooftop
  • abduct
Q5

Why did the red POS 51 batch cause people to get sick?

Elmo deliberately sabotaged the red batch by adding a laxative. When skinheads consumed it during the deal, they suffered stomach issues while Elmo and his crew used the chaos to escape. The blue batch was the intended real product, though both were ultimately placebos.

  • red pill
  • laxative
  • skinheads
  • escape
  • sabotaged
Q6

How did Durant die and who was responsible?

Durant was killed during a confrontation with Detective Kane and his partner Arthur. Kane demanded a 50% share of the deal, and a miscommunication among the criminal players led to Durant's death. This event unraveled the original arrangement and intensified the conflict between police and criminals.

  • durant
  • death
  • Kane
  • police
  • miscommunication
Q7

How did Elmo escape the skinhead attack in Manchester?

As Elmo and Felix left the hotel, skinheads attacked them in the street. Elmo used a golf club to fight off the attackers, buying enough time to slip away. Detective Kane and his partner pursued, but Elmo lured them into a dangerous game of chicken and escaped.

  • skinheads
  • attack
  • golf club
  • escape
  • Manchester
  • Kane
Q8

Why did the Lizard kill Iki at Anfield?

The Lizard interrupted the final deal at Anfield Stadium to claim the POS 51 formula for himself. He killed Iki when Iki refused to hand it over, attempting to take control of the entire operation. This confrontation led to Elmo revealing the truth about POS 51.

  • lizard
  • iki
  • kill
  • Anfield
  • formula
  • interrupt
Q9

How did Elmo kill the Lizard at Anfield?

When the Lizard demanded the formula, Elmo revealed that POS 51 was a placebo. As the Lizard attempted to kill him, Elmo activated a hidden explosive device, a cocktail of his explosive brew, that killed the Lizard. Kane was knocked unconscious and arrested while Elmo, Felix, and Dawn escaped unharmed.

  • lizard
  • killed
  • explosive
  • Anfield
  • placebo
  • escape
Q10

What does Elmo's purchase of the Scottish castle mean?

In the epilogue, Elmo buys the Scottish Highlands castle of the Chief of Clan McElroy and proclaims the tartan of his former slave master as his own. This symbolizes his rise to power and new identity, he has transformed from a disgraced chemist into a powerful figure who now controls his own destiny and territory.

  • scotland
  • castle
  • elmo
  • tartan
  • power
  • epilogue
Q11

Why was Elmo arrested in 1971 and how did it affect his life?

In 1971, Elmo was pulled over for driving under the influence of marijuana and convicted. This arrest derailed his legitimate pharmacology career and set him on a path toward entanglement with criminal elements, ultimately leading to the events of the present day.

  • 1971
  • arrest
  • DUI
  • marijuana
  • career
  • pharmacology
Q12

How did Detective Kane track down Elmo and the drug deal?

Kane and his partner Arthur pursued Elmo throughout Manchester and Liverpool. After the chaos at Iki's rave where Felix was arrested, Kane blackmailed Felix during interrogation to force himself into the deal, inserting the police directly into the final operation at Anfield.

  • kane
  • police
  • tracking
  • elmo
  • felix
  • interrogation
  • anfield

Movie threads

More Movies Like The 51st State, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The 51st State tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Caper Thrillers with a Cynical Edge like The 51st State

High-stakes criminal plots where slick plans unravel with darkly humorous consequences. If you liked the blend of high-stakes criminal plotting and darkly comedic chaos in The 51st State, you'll find more movies like it here. These stories feature ambitious capers, shady negotiations, and a cynical view of the criminal underworld, all delivered with a fast pace that keeps you on edge.

  • cynical
  • anxious
  • edgy
  • satirical
  • dangerous
  • unpredictable
  • Tone: dark, cynical, satirical
  • Pacing: fast, chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically follows a mastermind or team executing a complex, high-reward criminal endeavor. The initial slick confidence is quickly challenged by unforeseen complications, double-crosses, and escalating chaos, turning a calculated plan into a desperate fight for survival. The focus is on the clever maneuvering and witty character interactions amidst the danger.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a specific cocktail of elements: a plot-driven crime narrative, a fast and anxious pace, a darkly humorous tone that mocks the criminal world, and characters who are more clever than they are virtuous. The experience is an edgy, thrilling ride that is as funny as it is tense.

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Crimewave

1986
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1987
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1960

Dark Comedies in the Criminal Underworld like The 51st State

Stories that find the absurd humor and shifting alliances within dangerous criminal enterprises. Fans of The 51st State's blend of dangerous drug deals and sharp, cynical humor will enjoy these similar movies. Discover other dark comedies set in the gritty world of organized crime, where betrayal is common and the line between comedy and tension is brilliantly blurred.

  • satirical
  • dark humor
  • gritty
  • dangerous
  • cynical
  • unpredictable
  • Tone: dark, satirical, edgy
  • Pacing: fast, urgent
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The stories often follow a protagonist navigating the treacherous social dynamics of a criminal organization or a major deal. The central conflict is less about good vs. evil and more about outsmarting rivals and surviving the fallout of broken alliances. The narrative uses humor to highlight the hypocrisy and chaos of this world, creating a uniquely edgy and entertaining experience.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their core tone: a darkly comedic perspective on serious criminal activities. They share a specific mood that is simultaneously anxious, gritty, and satirical. The pacing is typically brisk to maintain a sense of urgency, and the emotional weight is balanced so the danger feels real without becoming overwhelmingly grim.

The Gentlemen movie poster

The Gentlemen

2019
Snatch. movie poster

Snatch.

2001
The Comedy of Terrors movie poster

The Comedy of Terrors

1963
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels movie poster

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

1999
The 51st State movie poster

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2001
The Late Show movie poster

The Late Show

1977
Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! movie poster

Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!

2008
Fast-Walking movie poster

Fast-Walking

1982

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