Related Film · British gangster canon

Layer Cake

"Welcome to the layer cake, son."

Released: 30 September 2004
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Runtime: 105 mins

Connection to Rise of the Footsoldier

Matthew Vaughn's directorial debut, Daniel Craig pre-Bond as an unnamed cocaine dealer. Jamie Foreman (Sam in ROTF 3) and Tamer Hassan (Colonel Sullivan in ROTF Ibiza) both feature. Same Britflick gangland aesthetic as ROTF.

About

Matthew Vaughn’s directorial debut after producing the Ritchie films. Daniel Craig, in his pre-Bond breakthrough role, plays an unnamed mid-level cocaine dealer trying to get out of the game with one last deal.

Cast crossovers with ROTF

Jamie Foreman appears. Plays Sam in Rise of the Footsoldier 3: The Pat Tate Story and Rise of the Footsoldier 4: Marbella.
Tamer Hassan appears. Plays Colonel Sullivan in Rise of the Footsoldier: Ibiza (2025).
Geoff Bell appears. Plays Jonny Knight in Rise of the Footsoldier: Vengeance.

How it relates

The slicker, more arthouse end of the British gangster spectrum. Same casting pool, same underworld setting, different visual register. Layer Cake is what you put on after Rise of the Footsoldier to come down from it.