If you’re looking for a crime thriller that doesn't pull its punches or offer easy redemptions, Street Kings is waiting for you to hit play. Street Kings 2: Motor City (2011) - Why Does It Exist?
Keanu Reeves is often celebrated for his "Zen" likeability, but in Street Kings , he plays a hothead who has completely lost his way. Critics have noted that his performance is fascinating because he doesn't play Ludlow like a typical movie "bad cop"; he plays him with a creepy, gritting-his-teeth menace that feels totally authentic. Street Kings
Co-written by crime novelist James Ellroy ( L.A. Confidential ), the dialogue is sharp, cynical, and soaked in the atmosphere of a sun-drenched but rotten Los Angeles. If you’re looking for a crime thriller that
While its sequel, Street Kings 2: Motor City , was a straight-to-DVD release that lacked the original's bite, the first film stands as a solid entry in the Ayer "cop-verse". Critics have noted that his performance is fascinating
In the mid-2000s, the "corrupt cop" subgenre was at its peak. We had Training Day , The Shield , and The Departed . But tucked away in 2008 was a film that felt darker, grittier, and more nihilistic than the rest: .
Directed by David Ayer—the mastermind behind End of Watch and the writer of Training Day —the film takes us into the blackened soul of Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves). As we revisit this cult classic, it’s clear that while it didn’t "change the world" for some, it remains a fascinating study of moral decay. The Menace of Tom Ludlow