The Drop (film)

Bobby Saginowsky (Tom Hardy) is a bartender at a neighborhood bar in Brooklyn. Marvin Stipler (James Gandolfini) ceded ownership of the bar years earlier to Chechen mobsters and now operates it with Bobby as a 'drop' for illegal takings. Marv ridicules Bobby and some patrons for commemorating the 10th anniversary of the murder of a man named Richie Whelan.

On his way home, Bobby finds a battered pit bull pup abandoned in a household garbage can. While rescuing it, he meets Nadia (Noomi Rapace), a resident of the house. Bobby leaves the dog in her care until he can decide whether to adopt him.

When the bar is robbed by two masked gunmen, Marv is annoyed that Bobby told investigating Detective Torres (John Ortiz) about one of the gunmen wearing a broken watch. Torres has seen Bobby before at the church they have both attended regularly for some time. He is intrigued by Bobby's reluctance to take Holy Communion. Chechen thug Chovka (Michael Aronov) later threatens Marv and Bob and tells them that they must make up for the stolen money. Marv later meets with one of the perpetrators, Fitz (James Frecheville), revealing that he orchestrated the robbery. A later discussion between Marv and his sister, Dottie (Ann Dowd), reveals Marv’s motive is to continue payments for his father’s life support.

Bobby decides to keep the dog and names him Rocco, all the while bonding with Nadia, who agrees to care for the dog whenever Bobby tends to the bar. Nadia has scars on her neck that she reveals are self-inflicted from when she used to have a drug problem. While walking Rocco in a park a man, Eric Deeds (Matthias Schoenaerts), approaches Bob and comments about Rocco. Deeds later appears at Bobby's house and provides proof that he is the actual owner and admits to beating and abandoning him. He demands Rocco be returned before he raises the matter with the police.

Later, Bobby and Marv find a bag at the bar, containing a severed arm with a broken watch together with the stolen money. Bobby is unnerved when Deeds appears in the bar and reveals he is friends with Nadia. Marv informs Bobby that Deeds is a dangerous thug who claims to have killed Richie Whelan. When Bobby confronts Nadia, she admits that she and Deeds used to date. Bobby and Marv return the money to the Chechens, who in turn inform them that the bar will be the drop site for the night of the Super Bowl.

Marv tries to convince Fitz to rob the bar again on the night of the Super Bowl. When Fitz refuses because he is scared, Marv kills him. Marv then recruits Deeds to rob the bar. Bobby is later confronted by Deeds, who demands $10,000 or else he will take Rocco, starve him, and then beat him again. When Marv informs Bobby that he will be calling in sick on the day of the Super Bowl, Bobby becomes suspicious and warns him to not do something desperate "that we can't clean up this time". On Super Bowl night, with Rocco in tow, Bobby takes $10,000 hidden in his basement and hides it behind the bar counter, with a pistol.

Deeds breaks into Nadia's home and forces her to go to the bar with him to watch the Super Bowl. Elsewhere, Marv lines his car trunk with plastic before parking and waiting near the bar, watching various mobsters drop off money throughout the night.

Eventually the bar clears except for Deeds and Nadia. Deeds refuses Bobby's offer of $10,000 for Rocco, then threatens to kill Nadia if he does not open the time lock safe during the window available at 2 a.m. While they wait, Bobby tells a story about Marv when he was a loan shark and how he used to skim off the Chechens. Bobby once killed a customer who had hit a huge casino jackpot, using the money to replace Marv's thefts from the Chechens, and Bobby disposed of the body in his heating oil tank with lye and laundry detergent. He reveals to Deeds and Nadia that the victim was Richie Whelan, whom Deeds has always taken credit for killing. Bobby then draws his gun and shoots Deeds in the neck and then in the face at point-blank range. When a terrified Nadia asks if she can leave, Bobby explains that although things go on all around him, he is not a part of it.

The Chechens dispose of Deeds' body and collect the money from the drop. Chovka indicates to Bobby that he was aware of Marv's deceit, and Marv is shot to death in his car while waiting near the bar. Chovka accepts that Bobby played no part in the robbery and provides him ownership of the bar as a reward. In a voice-over, internal monologue, Bobby reflects on his feelings of remorse for the murder of Whelan and his fear and sadness that his sins have doomed him to eternal loneliness.

Det. Torres visits Bobby at the bar to offer condolences over Marv's death, which Bob attributes to a carjacking gone wrong, while Torres believes it to be an execution. Torres asks Bobby if he has seen Deeds as he has been reported missing and was last seen at the bar, just as Whelan had been years earlier. Torres tells Bobby of the tie between Deeds and Whelan in that Deeds always took credit for Whelan's death, but was in a psychiatric ward the night Whelan went missing. Torres then insinuates that Bobby is responsible for both Deeds' and Whelan's disappearance by saying "No one ever sees you coming, do they, Bob?"

Later, Bobby visits Nadia and, while acknowledging her departure was interpreted as her staying away, asks her if she wants to see him again. Nadia offers to take a walk with him and Rocco and goes to get her coat, while Bobby and Rocco wait outside. After a few moments of apprehensive silence, Bobby hears the door jingle and shows a small smile as footsteps approach from off-screen.

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