The title alludes to the Nietzsche quote "Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker "(What does not kill me makes me stronger).
What Doesn't Kill You (2008) is loosely based on the true life story of the film's director Brian Goodman, detailing his own exploits involved with South Boston's Irish Mob.
Starring Ethan Hawke and Mark Ruffalo, it premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, and was released on a very small scale in December 2008 due to the collapse of its distributor Yari Film Group.
The cast of What Doesn't Kill You (2008) includes two Oscar® nominees --- Mark Ruffalo for The Kids Are All Right (2010), Foxcatcher (2014) and Spotlight (2015), and Ethan Hawke for Training Day (2001).