Review of Narc (2002) by Wololooo — 01 Jul 2012

Narc outdid my every expectation - after reading the summary, I was in no way anticipating such a hugely original and deeply emotional thriller. It's dark, stylish and endlessly gritty. The acting is spot-on, and it's Ray Liotta's performance that really shone through, but every element is crafted with a huge amount of creative thought and technical expertise.

This is a phenomenal debut from writer/director Joe Canahan and though his successive films haven't lived up to the sheer brilliance that is Narc, it just goes to show what a hugely effective film it is incredible too.

The twists are mindblowing, as repeated flashbacks from different perspectives offer conflicting recounts of the murder. Liotta's character being "revealed" as the murderer would have been a great ending in itself, but to turn it back and finally see the truth blew me away.

The cinematography is stylized and very much reflective of the anxious narrative, and really added a subtle realism to the film. To summarize, Narc is possibly the most refreshing and effective crime thriller I've seen since Silence of the Lambs and one I'll gladly revisit.