Plot: Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves), a veteran member of the LAPD, is still mourning the loss of his wife and trying to navigate through a world that does not make much sense anymore. When evidence implicates him in the death of a fellow officer, Ludlow begins to question the loyalties of everyone around him.
After watching The Rip the other day, it reminded me that not enough people talk about another hugely entertaining action thriller about corrupt cops, Street Kings. The cast alone makes this a must watch including Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Chris Evans, Hugh Laurie, Jay Mohr, Naomie Harris and Terry Crews.
Directed by David Ayer (The Beekeeper/A Working Man), Street Kings is maybe Keanu Reeves’ best role in terms of performances. His disillusioned cop, Tom Ludlow is broken after the death of his wife, and he has spent his years as a cop doing things others wouldn’t dare. He is protected by his boss, Wander (Whitaker) and the rest of his unit but when Tom’s former partner is murdered, he wants justice and finds out that the corruption runs deep.
It’s a tale of redemption and David Ayer is so good at telling stories about morally questionable individuals. The script from James Ellroy, Kurt Wimmer and Jamie Moss is also sharp and believable with little in the way of levity which matches the tone.
This is gritty stuff and packed with unflinching violence while never going over the top. There are several shoot-outs and the final fight scene is satisfying and by the time the end credits roll you’ll be questioning the morality of anyone in power, which isn’t too much of a stretch these days. The chase sequence in South Central was actually shot there and as ever Keanu does all his own stunts too, proving he is one of the all-time great action stars.
Overall, Street Kings is more relevant than ever with corrupt people abusing power and not knowing who to trust. It has plenty of action with impressive shoot-outs, an awesome foot chase and a final fight scene to keep us action junkies happy too. This is maybe my favourite Keanu Reeves performance as Tom isn’t especially sympathetic at first and by the end you’re left wondering if there is such a thing as true justice…