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Money kills the Beast

Bill Simmons: Money’s welcome-home party and subsequent shooting reveal his status, anxiety and humane treatment of a woman; later prison flashbacks reverse his power relationship with Shotgun.

Bill Simmons: The double date turns into a surprise crash; Singles, Whiplash, No Country for Old Men and Pulp Fiction supply other memorable collisions.

Do not drive drunk

Bill Simmons: Do not drive drunk is emphatically affirmed; the film’s warrior/victim dichotomy is also recalled.

The film

Shot Caller (2017)

Directed by Ric Roman Waugh · Crime

120 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Jacob Money Harlon
Omari Hardwick Ed Kutcher
Lake Bell Kate Harlon
Jon Bernthal Frank Shotgun
Emory Cohen Howie
Jeffrey Donovan Bottles
Evan Jones Chopper
Benjamin Bratt Sheriff Manny Sanchez
Holt McCallany Jerry The Beast Manning
Juan Pablo Raba Herman Gómez
Matt Gerald Phil Cole
Jessy Schram Jennifer
Keith Jardine Ripper
Chris Browning Toby Redwood Simms

Everything from the episode

In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.

9:21

What’s Aged the Best?

Prison codes; deliberate capture; cages; title; burner phones; loyalty; geography; tattoos; Bernthal; Bell; letter; m...

Prison codes; deliberate capture; cages; title; burner phones; loyalty; geography; tattoos; Bernthal; Bell; letter; mustaches

In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:21Read transcript
  • Prison-story pleasures include hierarchy, corrupt guards, protective groups, reading, terrified new arrivals, nicknames, respect codes, riot preparation, improvised shanks and sizing up cellmates. — Bill Simmons
  • Prison slang and philosophy are admired; Jericho Mile and Mann’s recurring incarceration interests are compared. — Chris Ryan
  • Deliberate capture as part of the plan is praised, compared with Seven, The Dark Knight, Silence of the Lambs and Face/Off. — Chris Ryan
  • Shot caller is admired as a clear power label and proposed for football/baseball/front-office roles instead of bland job titles. — Bill Simmons
  • The outdoor cage cells and their wide-shot composition are admired. — Bill Simmons
  • Bulletproof-vest fakeouts and prepaid phones are beloved thriller ingredients; Howie’s unquestioning loyalty to Money is praised. — Bill Simmons
  • The family’s move from Pasadena to Eagle Rock efficiently signals financial decline through Los Angeles geography. — Chris Ryan
  • Prison vocabulary and parole-tattoo inspection details add authenticity. — Chris Ryan
  • Bernthal’s anxious repeated agreements and restaurant confrontation are highlights, made funnier by later Wayne Jenkins associations. — Bill Simmons
  • Lake Bell makes a limited role believable; her dating prospects with an imprisoned gang-leader husband are questioned. — Bill Simmons
  • Money’s directive letter to his son is admired but its farewell tone explains why it seemed suicidal. — Bill Simmons
  • Money’s changing facial hair and final horseshoe mustache compete with Benjamin Bratt’s large mustache. — Bill Simmons
28:16

Half-Assed Internet Research

Prison location; gross; gang hierarchy; bookshelf; release delay; Beast inspiration; Coster-Waldau’s marriage

Prison location; gross; gang hierarchy; bookshelf; release delay; Beast inspiration; Coster-Waldau’s marriage

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:16Read transcript
  • Waugh reportedly reused the Felon prison location; making a lower-budget trial version before a fuller film is defended. — Bill Simmons
  • No budget was located and a 3.4 million gross is reported. — Bill Simmons
  • The explained hierarchy runs from unaffiliated wood through PEN 1 and Nazi Low Riders to Aryan Brotherhood leadership; Redwood’s removal elevates Money and explains his outside status. — Bill Simmons
  • The reported bookshelf contains The Book of Five Rings, The Art of War, New King James Bible, selected Nietzsche, The Prince, Deep Black: Jihad, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Aztec Revenge, an uncertain Of Mind and Matter title, and The Human Animal attributed to Karen Sequoia. The last two identities are uncertain rather than externally verified. — Bill Simmons
  • Relativity reportedly bought U.S. rights for 3 million before its 2015 bankruptcy delayed release two years, damaging the lead’s breakout timing. — Bill Simmons
  • PEN 1 is explained as Public Enemy Number 1 from Orange County; the Beast is reportedly loosely based on a man whose name is transcribed as Stephen Single, with source name uncertain. — Bill Simmons
  • Coster-Waldau reportedly married former Miss Greenland, actress/singer Nukaaka, in 1998. — Bill Simmons
32:40

Most Rewatchable Scene

Money kills the Beast

Money kills the Beast

In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 00:32:40Read transcript
  • Money’s welcome-home party and subsequent shooting reveal his status, anxiety and humane treatment of a woman; later prison flashbacks reverse his power relationship with Shotgun. — Bill Simmons
  • The double date turns into a surprise crash; Singles, Whiplash, No Country for Old Men and Pulp Fiction supply other memorable collisions. — Bill Simmons
  • The lawyer’s prison warning and dispirited plea-deal discussion are favorites, while his inability to negotiate and unusually detailed prison knowledge are mocked. — Bill Simmons
  • The first-night assault is terrifying but considered restrained and nonexploitative by staying with Jacob’s reaction. — Chris Ryan
  • Jacob’s yard fight establishes toughness and seeks affiliation, compared with a draft workout. — Bill Simmons
  • Shotgun’s informant reveal contextualizes his nervous party behavior and desperate concern for his imprisoned girlfriend; an omitted explanatory scene is suspected and Bernthal remains sympathetic. — Bill Simmons
  • Money’s first cell murder and the warriors-or-victims narration are praised for slow-motion impact; it is distinguished from the later riot rescue. — Bill Simmons
  • The estranged son’s confrontation over years without letters is praised for Coster-Waldau’s performance. — Bill Simmons
  • The hotel-window escape briefly resembles a suicide attempt and reveals prison-learned ingenuity. — Bill Simmons
  • The riot’s tactical instructions and moment of being caught on camera are highlights. — Chris Ryan
  • Meeting the Beast features McCallany’s unrecognizable beard, isolation-unit visual style and assertion of prison power. — Bill Simmons
  • Money killing Shotgun is praised as a fierce fight with prolonged, fully committed dying from Bernthal. — Bill Simmons
  • Money’s final Beast confrontation is resolved abruptly through concealed contraband, subverting an expected long fight; family threats and the handcuff trick drive it. — Bill Simmons
  • Two final preferences favor the Beast killing/cage setting, while the riot is another choice; the welcome-home party remains an alternative. — Bill Simmons
  • The first post-release coffee with his wife is an honorable mention, revealing seven years without contact and recalling Mann’s awkward diner scenes. — Bill Simmons
37:06

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Dinner alcohol; party shooting; prison knife skills

Dinner alcohol; party shooting; prison knife skills

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:37:06Read transcript
  • The amount consumed at dinner that could produce the stated blood-alcohol level is guessed through cocktails, wine and after-dinner drinks, without a settled calculation. — Bill Simmons
  • Why Money is shot at the party remains confusing: avoiding the informant deal and Shotgun’s obligations to Kutcher over his girlfriend are considered without resolution. — Bill Simmons
  • How inmates acquire coordinated, precise knife-fighting skills is questioned; informal teaching and the actors’ preparation are imagined. — Bill Simmons
49:47

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

Blood-covered Money backlit; Beast’s cage introduction

Blood-covered Money backlit; Beast’s cage introduction

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:47Read transcript
  • Blood-covered Money backlit after victory and the first reveal of the Beast in the cages are separate choices. — Chris Ryan
54:56

John Doe Has the Upper Hand

Deliberately getting caught

Deliberately getting caught

The panel proposes a new category here.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:54:56Read transcript
  • John Doe Has the Upper Hand is suggested as a name for the deliberately-getting-caught device. — Chris Ryan
57:34

The Den of Thieves Benihana Award for Scene-Stealing Location

Outdoor cage cells

Outdoor cage cells

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:34Read transcript
57:34

The Big Kahuna Burger Award for Best Use of Food and Drink

Heroin in ramen; cheesesteak

Heroin in ramen; cheesesteak

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:34Read transcript
  • Heroin hidden in ramen is preferred, with Money’s cheesesteak another choice. — Bill Simmons
1:07:59

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

Rapid transformation; severing family ties; confusing gun plot

Rapid transformation; severing family ties; confusing gun plot

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:59Read transcript
  • Jacob’s gang transformation feels slightly too fast, though compressed time might explain it. — Bill Simmons
  • Jacob’s abrupt cruelty in severing family contact is questioned; survival may require longer imprisonment, but a loving explanation would be kinder. — Bill Simmons
  • The gun deal, competing gangs and Shotgun/Herman relationships are compressed and confusing; the payoff is slow and rushed rather than the film’s strongest material. — Chris Ryan
1:10:18

What’s Aged the Worst?

Accent; soccer; assault and contraband; parole board; physique continuity

Accent; soccer; assault and contraband; parole board; physique continuity

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:18Read transcript
  • Occasional accent slips reveal the lead is not Californian. — Bill Simmons
  • Joshua’s soccer scene has implausibly static players and weak action; Money attending a match or arriving in a cage is a missed comic possibility. — Bill Simmons
  • Prison sexual assault and rectal contraband remain unpleasant genre staples, including the unhygienic handoff. — Bill Simmons
  • The parole board accepts a corrupt guard’s recommendation despite Money’s obvious gang transformation. — Bill Simmons
  • Pre-prison scenes reveal the later muscular physique despite costume concealment; changing Bernthal hair suggests some scheduling care. — Bill Simmons
1:14:22

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Omari Hardwick; Bernthal’s death

Omari Hardwick; Bernthal’s death

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:22Read transcript
  • Hardwick’s car conversation is unusually intense for an otherwise restrained performance; Bernthal’s death is the alternative. — Bill Simmons
1:15:00

Is There a Better Title for This Movie?

Shot Caller
1:15:00

The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie

Gang rules matter; the world went on without us

Gang rules matter; the world went on without us

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:00Read transcript
  • The gang’s rules matter and the world went on without us are separate choices. — Bill Simmons
1:15:36

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Linear structure vs. immediate hook

Linear structure vs. immediate hook

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:36Read transcript
  • A linear version could maximize the descent from ordinary life; the existing opening is defended as more immediately gripping, with The Deer Hunter offered as a director comparison. — Chris Ryan
1:16:33

Casting What-Ifs

None found

None found

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:33Read transcript
  • No actual casting alternatives were located; recent films provide less accessible production intelligence. — Bill Simmons
1:17:04

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Evan Jones

Evan Jones

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:17:04Read transcript
  • Evan Jones is selected despite wondering whether his recognizable filmography should remove That Guy status. — Bill Simmons
1:17:20

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Holt McCallany as the Beast

Holt McCallany as the Beast

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:17:20Read transcript
  • The Beast wins over Ripper, Bottles and added nominee Redwood; Donovan’s stabbing retreat and dirt-covered knuckles are admired. — Bill Simmons
1:18:38

Recasting Couch

Adam Driver; Michael Mann; present-day Glen Powell; California retained

Adam Driver; Michael Mann; present-day Glen Powell; California retained

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:18:38Read transcript
  • Michael Mann and Brad Pitt might create a bigger, more psychologically detailed film; California remains necessary for the gang context. — Chris Ryan
  • Pablo Schreiber, younger Gerard Butler and Hemsworth are considered; Reynolds and Gyllenhaal are doubted, Gosling floated, and Adam Driver becomes the preferred pick. — Chris Ryan
  • Present-day Glen Powell is an additional attractive option, though too young at the original release. — Bill Simmons
1:21:17

What Would Tony Romo’s Director’s Commentary for This Movie Sound Like?

Tony Romo

Tony Romo

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:17Read transcript
  • A Romo-style warning about needing to stand up in prison is performed. — Bill Simmons
1:23:01

Apex Mountain

Uber; Omari Hardwick; The Human Animal

Uber; Omari Hardwick; The Human Animal

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:23:01Read transcript
  • Uber is emphatically selected because the story makes driving after drinking unappealing. — Chris Ryan
  • Coster-Waldau’s peak is disputed between earlier Thrones and this late-series period; Hardwick is affirmed alongside Power, while Bernthal is considered not yet at overall peak but possibly at That Guy peak. — Bill Simmons
  • Prison movies and prepaid phones are rejected; The Human Animal is affirmed, while rectal contraband and cinematic Aryan Brotherhood are only high-placement suggestions. — Bill Simmons
1:24:34

Cruise or Hanks?

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:34Read transcript
  • Cruise is emphatically chosen over Hanks, imagined embracing prison training, bodybuilding and shanking; the running category tally becomes 1–1. — Bill Simmons
1:26:04

Best Movie-Related Fantasy Football Team Name From This Movie

Shot Caller

Shot Caller

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:04Read transcript
1:26:18

Picking Nits

Alcohol test; extra guns; corrupt guard; Redwood; gun plot; missing cafeteria

Alcohol test; extra guns; corrupt guard; Redwood; gun plot; missing cafeteria

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:18Read transcript
  • Delaying the alcohol test is proposed, with trauma explaining Jacob’s poor judgment; the suggestion remains a character critique, not factual legal guidance. — Chris Ryan
  • Giving extra guns to Kutcher may reflect a broader moral plan, perhaps reforming or dismantling the Brotherhood. — Chris Ryan
  • The leader’s power seems excessively dependent on one corrupt guard, whose higher price or vacation could disrupt everything. — Bill Simmons
  • Redwood’s conflict with the guard feels like missing material referenced without explanation. — Bill Simmons
  • Redwood’s unexplained conflict and the gun deal’s shifting Shotgun/Herman relationships remain confusing. — Chris Ryan
  • A cafeteria scene is conspicuously missing; communal meals could establish alliances, routines and prison geography. — Bill Simmons
1:29:13

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

Prestige television expansion

Prestige television expansion

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:13Read transcript
  • A prestige series could expand Lake Bell’s role, the release-party confrontation, Shotgun’s revelation and Money’s eventual takeover. — Chris Ryan
1:29:40

Six Bernthal Movie

Six Bernthal roles

Six Bernthal roles

The panel proposes a new category here.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:40Read transcript
  • A version made three years later would likely star Bernthal; the group raises its rating from 4.5 to 6 possible Bernthal roles, including the son, lawyer and gang characters. Emory Cohen’s actual work is praised. — Bill Simmons
1:30:47

Is This Movie Better With…?

Danny Trejo

Danny Trejo

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:30:47Read transcript
1:31:44

Just One Oscar

Jon Bernthal

Jon Bernthal

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:44Read transcript
1:34:59

Best Double Feature

The Jericho Mile; Den of Thieves
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:59Read transcript
  • The Jericho Mile and Den of Thieves are separate selections. — Bill Simmons
1:35:32

The Andy and Red – Zihuatanejo Award for What Happens the Next Day?

Prison library; investing and cryptocurrency

Prison library; investing and cryptocurrency

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:35:32Read transcript
  • Money might build a prison library and replace drug revenue with stock trading, Robinhood or cryptocurrency. — Bill Simmons
1:36:11

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Pass

Pass

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:36:11Read transcript
  • The category is passed; a dull prop shiv is only reluctantly entertained and the Beast’s bloody boxers are unappealing. — Chris Ryan
1:36:30

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

Do not drive drunk; establish strength immediately in prison

Do not drive drunk; establish strength immediately in prison

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:36:30Read transcript
  • Do not drive drunk is emphatically affirmed; the film’s warrior/victim dichotomy is also recalled. — Bill Simmons
1:37:14

Who Won the Movie?

Ric Roman Waugh

Ric Roman Waugh

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:14Read transcript
Podcast choices
1:38:55

Producer review

Frightening and enjoyable; stronger heist and characterization wanted

Frightening and enjoyable; stronger heist and characterization wanted

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:55Read transcript
  • Craig enjoyed the film’s frightening prison-survival logic and deep supporting cast. He relays his former police-lieutenant father’s view that the depicted housing after a fatal DUI was plausible; that remains a reported opinion rather than verified legal guidance. — Craig Horlbeck
  • Craig wants a better planned heist and clearer pre-prison characterization; a basketball scene could dramatize Jacob’s transformation, and cafeteria material is again missed. — Craig Horlbeck

More from the conversation

Current Rock Bottom Month follows Manchester by the Sea; fascinating films need not be comforting, and Shot Caller has long been planned.
Approx. transcript time · 00:01:56Read transcript
Cable discovery and later rewatching reveal a tightly structured prison thriller with overlapping timelines, familiar supporting actors and Coster-Waldau’s surprising transformation.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:40Read transcript
Prison stories invite survival hypotheticals and expose hierarchies, economies and ethics; Jacob’s financial ambition parallels gang advancement. The Mars Room is cited as another compelling prison story.
Approx. transcript time · 00:04:57Read transcript
Oz, Escape from Alcatraz, Papillon, The Great Escape, Jericho Mile, The Longest Yard, Brubaker, Midnight Express and Bad Boys formed early prison-story interests; Brubaker’s slow clap is remembered.
Approx. transcript time · 00:07:37Read transcript
Waugh’s Den of Thieves/Snitch connection and Mann-like nocturnal Los Angeles style are appreciated; Money and Neil McCauley are imagined as kindred lifelong criminals.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:43Read transcript
The sports Hall-of-Fame pyramid inspires a tiered prison-film hierarchy; the stated tier structure changes during its explanation.
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:05Read transcript
The prison pyramid places Shawshank first; Cool Hand Luke and Bad Boys second tier; Jericho Mile, Longest Yard and Shot Caller third; Blood In Blood Out, Brubaker, American History X and Escape from Alcatraz fourth; American Me, Midnight Express, Sleepers, Lock Up and The Hurricane fifth. Green Mile is excluded.
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:55Read transcript
A competing preference puts Cool Hand Luke first; American Me and Blood In Blood Out are praised, with Bronson and Starred Up nominated as additions. The Great Escape, Papillon and In the Name of the Father are raised.
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:55Read transcript
The Rock and Con Air are prison-adjacent rather than true prison films; sustained inmate/guard culture is required. Lock Up’s football scene is praised and Rounders gets an honorable mention for its prison card game.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:08Read transcript
Future Blood In Blood Out coverage should include Shea Serrano; his enthusiasm for Shot Caller is relayed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:56Read transcript
A childhood Alcatraz visit coincided with filming; the recollection of seeing Eastwood is explicitly uncertain and may have grown over time.
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:04Read transcript
Escape from Alcatraz remains compelling despite slowness; growing up near Eastern State Penitentiary and its later haunted attraction is recalled.
Approx. transcript time · 00:22:05Read transcript
Coster-Waldau’s unfamiliar name is proposed as limiting his stardom compared with a simpler screen name.
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:24Read transcript
Coster-Waldau’s soulful physical presence and performance are praised despite occasional accent traces; a future resurgence remains possible after Thrones and his 2017 crime films.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:07Read transcript
Holloway, Slattery, Hamm, Aaron Paul, Cranston and Gandolfini illustrate differing movie prospects after defining television roles; iconic success need not be surpassed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:24Read transcript
The AI exercise is called potentially sacrilegious and inspires jokes about asking fictional Money’s political opinions.
Approx. transcript time · 00:31:03Read transcript
Watching with a daughter reveals her unfamiliarity with prison sexual violence and questions about bystanders; the terror is a recurring genre theme.
Approx. transcript time · 00:40:37Read transcript
The desert cages inspire a joking Venice outdoor gym business.
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:09Read transcript
More Redwood backstory is desired; researching gang hierarchies inspires jokes about suspicious search histories.
Approx. transcript time · 01:06:07Read transcript
Only For Whom the Bell Tolls has been read cover to cover by the respondent, with sampling of others.
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:40Read transcript
Donovan is praised as a consistently welcome character actor and his career opportunities questioned.
Approx. transcript time · 01:17:55Read transcript
Handling razor blades inspires movie-shaving phobias and comparisons to Pacific Heights and Road House.
Approx. transcript time · 01:33:30Read transcript
A joking college-sports NIL system for gangs offers safer conditions and ramen; Money’s riot rescue is compared to a hard-hitting football safety.
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:22Read transcript
Future Netflix discovery could give Shot Caller a durable cult audience, compared with Rounders; Triple Frontier is anticipated.
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:36Read transcript
Prison podcasting, rereading the Beast’s books and Bill’s Podfather nickname become running jokes about useful inmate contributions.
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:46Read transcript
Streaming abundance can hide films that cable once repeatedly exposed; a joking prison-film channel recalls themed HBO channels and Oz.
Approx. transcript time · 01:44:12Read transcript
Craig Horlbeck receives the full production credit; Rock Bottom Month continues, followed by future live-show promotion and farewells.
Approx. transcript time · 01:45:37Read transcript