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The Debt Collector

  • 1999
  • 1h 49m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
Billy Connolly in The Debt Collector (1999)
Mean, gritty, dirty, and low - and that's just Policeman Gary Keltie  out for retribution for the horrendous crimes against the helpless people of Edinburgh, Scotland during the 1970s by notorious, torturous, and killer debt collector Nickie Dryden.
Play trailer1:40
1 Video
15 Photos
ActionCrimeThriller

Edinburgh cop Gary Keltie pursues violent 1970s debt collector Nickie Dryden, seeking revenge for his brutal crimes against locals. Their conflict escalates into a final violent confrontatio... Read allEdinburgh cop Gary Keltie pursues violent 1970s debt collector Nickie Dryden, seeking revenge for his brutal crimes against locals. Their conflict escalates into a final violent confrontation on the city streets.Edinburgh cop Gary Keltie pursues violent 1970s debt collector Nickie Dryden, seeking revenge for his brutal crimes against locals. Their conflict escalates into a final violent confrontation on the city streets.

  • Director
    • Anthony Neilson
  • Writer
    • Anthony Neilson
  • Stars
    • Billy Connolly
    • Ken Stott
    • Francesca Annis
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    1.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Anthony Neilson
    • Writer
      • Anthony Neilson
    • Stars
      • Billy Connolly
      • Ken Stott
      • Francesca Annis
    • 27User reviews
    • 15Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:40
    Trailer

    Photos14

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    + 9
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    Top cast29

    Edit
    Billy Connolly
    Billy Connolly
    • Nickie Dryden
    Ken Stott
    Ken Stott
    • Gary Keltie
    Francesca Annis
    Francesca Annis
    • Val Dryden
    Iain Robertson
    • Flipper
    Annette Crosbie
    Annette Crosbie
    • Lana
    Alastair Galbraith
    Alastair Galbraith
    • Colquhoun
    Shauna Macdonald
    Shauna Macdonald
    • Catriona
    • (as Shauna MacDonald)
    Sandy Neilson
    • Duncan
    Julie Wilson Nimmo
    • Young Girl
    • (as Julie Wilson-Nimmo)
    Alan Francis
    Alan Francis
    • Young man
    James Thomson
    • Jobbie
    Stephen Duguid
    • Kev
    • (as Steven Duguid)
    Matt Costello
    • Policeman
    • (as Matt Costelloe)
    Stuart Sinclair Blyth
    Stuart Sinclair Blyth
    • Policeman
    • (as Stuart Blyth)
    Gordon Orr
    • Scott
    Jenny Foulds
    • Susie
    Neil McKinven
    Neil McKinven
    • Radio interviewer
    Andrew Neil
    • Macrieff
    • Director
      • Anthony Neilson
    • Writer
      • Anthony Neilson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews27

    6.61.2K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    Tav-2

    Good film, excellent performances.

    This was a good film, with excellent performances. Billy Connolly adds yet another great performance to his growing list of acting achievements. Violent movie, but very realistic, at points in the movie we had sympathies for main male characters, however that does not last until the end of the film, by which time we came to despise them both.

    Very much reminded me of the Jimmy Boyle story, for those of you who know of & about him, with Connolly performing that role, indeed I believe he spoke with Boyle prior to filming.

    Not a good advert for Edinburgh though!
    Lemos

    Powerhouse performances from the main actors

    Ken Stott who is the policeman who just keeps on hounding Billy Connolly an ex-con, even after the latter has served his sentence, puts in a really brilliant performance. Francesca Annis as Connolly's wife is very good as well. Well paced and riveting throughout this film is well worth seeing when one is sick of all the bang-wham of the big American movies.
    9almagill

    Powerful if bleak view of human nature

    An excellent film, though what a bleak view of human nature. Connolly's character is trying to live a good life and the psychotic policeman is determined that it won't happen.

    Real Shakespearian tragedy, the wilful misunderstanding of the others characters motives by virtually everyone in the film made the outcome inevitable. The fight in Edinburgh Castle was a wee bit on the unbelievable side, but definitely fitted into the dramatic tradition.

    At the end you were left wondering who had actually benefited from the whole sordid mess?
    6CharltonBoy

    A film that is difficult to watch.

    This a gritty , violent movie that i found quite hard to watch. Not because of the gritty nature of the film but because it was extremely depressing , so much so it spoilt the film . The film is about a ex debt collector(Billy Connolly) who has done his time for murder and the Policeman (Kenn Stott) who sent him down , who cannot still find it in himself to forgive him for the terrible things he did even though he was a changed man. I found it hard to understand why the Cop took it so personally . The language is about as blue as i have ever heard in a film and the violence is pretty bad too. One thing is for sure , the scottish tourist board will not be using this film to promote their capital city! Check out the actor who plays flipper, he looks like he fell out of the ugly tree hitting every branch on the way down. 6 out of 10.
    7Drifteral99

    First class thriller

    I really enjoyed this movie. The acting was excellent throughout and the storyline gritty and lifelike. This is life at the raw end of the spectrum. The violence was visceral and essential to the plot. Some good sights of Edinburgh and the iconic Forth Rail Bridge.

    A tale of a violent man struggling to shake off his past, though it seems far behind him. When a contemporary from that past makes it all the more difficult to forget the haunting truth of 'another' life. Nick Dryden ,convicted gangster and man of violence emerges from prison a respected sculptor and marries a middle class journalist.

    Francesca Annis for me took the acting honours though all the male roles were almost equally well performed.Stott and Connolly both excel.

    As someone said already 'a debt well worth collecting', see it soon if you haven't already

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    Related interests

    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
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    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      As a condition of funding from the Glasgow Film Fund, Glasgow locations stand in for most of the Edinburgh settings.
    • Quotes

      Val Dryden: Keltie came to the house today.

      Nickie Dryden: That cunt came to the hoose?

    • Connections
      References Braveheart (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      Showdown
      Written by Phil Lynott

      Performed by Thin Lizzy

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    FAQ15

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 25, 1999 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Сборщик долгов
    • Filming locations
      • Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK
    • Production companies
      • Channel Four Films
      • Dragon Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 49m(109 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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