John Hillcoat, whose work we have adored — from The Road, The Proposition to Lawless — is back exploring the dark side of human nature with his latest, Triple 9. It is a story of a lot of dirty and a couple clean cops who are hot on their tail.
The ensemble cast is the thing that sells this film. Screenwriter Matt Cook’s taut tale has attracted what is easily the best ensemble of this year that is hardly began. Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie (Captain America: Civil War), Aaron Paul, Gal Gadot (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), Norman Reedus, Clifton Collins, Jr., Teresa Palmer and none other than Oscar nominee (and previous Oscar winner) Kate Winslet round out the cast with only Affleck and Harrelson playing the only thing close to redeemable characters.
That’s what actually makes Triple 9 such a joy to watch. This is the underworld we’re firmly in and Hillcoat has painted a picture of a crew who embark on various robberies, yet we don’t know why they would take such risk. Mackie, Mackie, Ejiofor, Paul and Reedus are all law enforcement of some variety or related to it and they have no problem breaking the law, that much is established in the film’s opening moments. How far they will go and why they are pushed to embark on pushing the envelope is explained by how they are being manhandled by the Russian mob and Winslet’s ruthless boss.
It is a delicious role for Winslet and a side of her we’ve never seen. She has Ejiofor on a leash, and the reason will hit close to home for many — family. Yet, as we said, this crew he’s assembled has no problem with the law bending they do for profit. The issue is this “one last job” (a trope used quite frequently in storytelling) is ultra-dangerous, but they believe they have hatched a plan that will ensure their success.
That’s where the title of the film comes into play. Triple 9 (aka 999) is the Atlanta police code for “officer down.” They are going to shot to kill a fellow cop, send the entire force to that locale looking for the cop killer and to aid the downed police officer. Meanwhile, they’ll hit the target and get away scot-free. The question of which cop will get the bullet brings this drama full circle with our good cop/bad cop ensemble and that is where the emotional pull strings will be yanked.
The small issue with Triple 9 is it tries so hard to be original in a subgenre that is anything but. It sadly falls under the weight of its own storyline, which in turn becomes a bit stereotypical for a film of this type. It is trying to be Michael Mann’s Heat, when by the film’s conclusion, it is much more of a generic bad cops crime caper.
What makes it overtly enjoyable, though, is its top-notch cast. We would watch this ensemble do anything and they chew the scenery (in the best of ways) with the script, the action and the drama. Winslet, in particular, is outstanding. Her Russian moll is not someone to be messed with and she crafts a character that has you believing her words, when you know darn well that she will turn on you in an instant.
Also riveting is Affleck. He was the best thing about The Finest Hours and he is also one of the best things about Triple 9.
Grade: B