Review of Triple 9 (2016) by Jordan S — 05 Mar 2016

February is normally a dumping ground for a studio' unwanted and terrible films and this February has already gifted us with How to Be Single, and Gods of Eygpt, but Triple 9 is something of a surprise in that it's actually really good.

Triple 9 follows a group of robbers, an ex military personnel (Chiwetel Ejiofor), two dirty cops (Anthony Mackie, Clifton Collins Jr), a getaway driver (Norman Reedus), and his brother (Aaron Paul), who must complete a complex job for a Russian Mobster (Kate Winslet). They decide the best way to do this to kill an officer (in police code a triple 9), and they find one in Chris Allen (Casey Affleck), an overly ambitious cop asking too many questions.

Triple 9 much like John Hilcoat's previous film Lawless, is nasty, exceptionally violent and enormously entertaining. Here Hillcoat is channeling Michael Mann to spectacular effect, delivering a number of impressive set pieces including a fantastic scene in which the robber's getaway is botched by exploding dye packets. That's not to say Triple doesn't have it's flaws, it's plot is riddled with holes, and it's never clear how much time has passed between scenes. Still for audiences looking for a tense and deliciously nasty thriller, will find them selves well served by Triple 9.