Review of Pusher III (2005) by Daniel P — 13 Sep 2008

Pusher III is strong stuff indeed, and a great deal more successful than Pusher II, whilst still not nearly as effective as the first film. Concentrating on drug lord Milo, who was a secondary character in the first films, his is a gripping story that takes place over the course of one day.

Now aged and seemingly out of touch with the world, he's becoming a laughing stock with his 'pushers' and battling with his own addiction, whilst trying to ensure his (extremely spoilt) daughter's 25th birthday party is a big success.

When a deal goes pear-shaped, Milo has to simultaneously 'help out' two would-be sex-slave traders and keep his daughter happy. I can't decide if this is a good film or not - it's certainly gripping, very well filmed and features an excellent lead performance from Zlatko Buric as the deluded Milo; it feels like he's gradually decaying with each passing minute.

The shocking, genuinely sickening final act of violence is jolting and seems to reinforce the point that a criminal underworld rewards in the loss of soul, the loss of self. Not for the faint-hearted.