Story: After accidentally killing a woman while responding to a mistaken burglary call, a cop and his partner cover up the crime and flee with a million dollars. Chaos ensues as more bodies come by looking for the money.
Judgement: The crime drama begins with a cop, Will Shelly (Himesh Patel), moving to a small island town with his pregnant wife Paige (Lily James) for a quiet family life. He teams up with a stubborn and smart Terry (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who advises Will “not to kill anyone unless you have to” and spends the afternoon with his girlfriend while he is on duty. Will is forced to respond to a complaint himself when he accidentally kills a high society woman (Traci Lords) in her lavish home. Desperate to cover up the death, the two manipulate the crime scene for the chance to steal some loot for themselves. A number of the city’s residents, including a Colombian and an Irish hitman, are after the loot. In the bargain, everything goes haywire.
The film starts promisingly, with outrageous humor, and the story quickly jumps into a brutal but bizarre death. Then the story is full of crazy characters, insane situations and total chaos. Writer Mike Vukadinovich and director Potsy Ponciroli keep the viewer entertained and entertained with a fast-paced first half that is dark humor at its best. However, the tone soon shifts to more sinister and somber, with a few laughs thrown in. The pace is accelerated considerably and the storylines seem overly rushed when they do get going.
Initially intriguing, the premise quickly becomes familiar, with characters crossing paths as the bodies pile up. The screenplay isn’t entirely new, but the film has some of the craziest characterizations. The dead woman’s husband, seafood businessman Wallace (Blake Nelson) and his secretary Deborah (Nina Arianda), a dorky masseur, Keith (Simon Rex), the Colombian hitman (José María Yazpik), the Irishman (Jim Gaffigan) and even a minor characters like Bobette (Joey Lauren Adams) take the story to the next level.
It is Joseph Gordon-Levitt who sinks his teeth into his role. He has a nuanced character as an incredibly smart and loud cop who can be charming and subtle, but definitely lets you know he can’t be messed with. His on-screen chemistry with Himesh Patel brings a perfect comic timing that makes their unlikely partnership so believable. Lily James and Uzo Aduba as Captain Murphy, the only noble character, also deliver strong performances.
The story contains loopholes and takes several liberties. Despite the constant twists and turns, it is compelling at points. The neo-noir treatment of themes of greed, ambition, survival and sadness, along with the dark humor and characters, make it entertaining and worth a watch. The ending in particular will surprise you.