Righteous Kill

Righteous Kill is a buddy-cop flick, turned on its head. Instead of two polar opposites being stuck together to bicker and pull pranks on each other, these guys are very similar, best friends, and veteran New York detectives. Then a serial killer goes and mucks everything up. As the film progresses, we learn more and more, and it’s in the telling that this film differentiates itself from other police dramas. Director John Avnet lays out each scene with calculated precision. Things heat up, fingers get pointed and, inevitably, people get shot. Because, as they say, “Most people respect the badge; everybody respects the gun.” DeNiro and Pacino play beautifully off one another, and John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg, as the younger cops, also work well together, and hold their own alongside the big dogs. Righteous Kill plays out like a game of chess. Each move is meticulous, and although some may be deemed predictable, they all lead up to a satisfying checkmate. And DeNiro is definitely still a badass.