Morally Complex, Historically Important, but Short of Great
I liked it overall, but this had the potential to be a classic and falls short.
It started slow, taking around 30 minutes to take off when 10 would have been enough to reach the main story. That time could have gone to the antagonists, who aren’t properly fleshed out, and the middle has pacing issues that spoil immersion. With a tighter opening, we’d have spent more time understanding the people the leads are up against, and the story would have hit harder.
But it picks up an important part of history that deserves attention, and populates it with morally complex characters, which keeps it compelling.
I wasn’t initially convinced Mark Wahlberg was cast appropriately, but he grew on me as the film went on. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II does a good job too, and the two share good chemistry that carries the film through its uneven stretches.
7/10: Not a classic, but a worthwhile, thought-provoking watch with real substance beneath the genre trappings.
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