Cop Dramas Worth Streaming On Netflix
Also, the Streaming TV Corner makes its return
This week we you bring you a couple cop dramas worth diving into. The law enforcement movie or show can easily slip into dull cliche, but we have found shining (and underseen) examples of the genre streaming now.
Also, we are hitting that January dead period where there is a dearth of good new movies hitting theaters, so we have brought back the Streaming TV Corner this week. Read and enjoy.
Drew recommends…
End of Watch (streaming on Netflix)
I’m not sure I’ve seen a more convincing portrait of camaraderie between police officers than in 2012’s End of Watch. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena play cops in South Central Los Angeles. These characters are best buds, which makes their run-ins with the neighborhood’s violent gangs and drug cartels all the more harrowing. You so desperately want these two to grow old together.
So often we see stories of police corruption and misbehavior on our screens, which can certainly be vital, but it’s nice to see cops portrayed as a genuine force for good sometimes. Writer-director David Ayer grew up in South Central LA and knew many LAPD cops, and you can sense the high-key realism and easy chemistry between the officers in End of Watch. The documentary-style aesthetic adds to this as well. Gyllenhaal’s character is shooting footage for a film project, so we see the events of the movie through handheld cameras, as well as intimate dashboard and body cams. This effect heightens the intensity of many scenes to almost unbearable levels. If you can handle this kind of visceral violence, it’s a gripping ride.
Ayer’s documentary conceit mostly works because of the charisma that Gyllenhaal and Pena provide. These two are perfectly matched as partners and their performances instantly make you believe in their friendship. We first see them interact during their routine day-to-day police work, which makes the more frantic drama of later scenes come alive in exhilarating fashion. As much as I love Gyllenhaal in just about everything (we did an entire episode on him), it’s Pena that surprised me the most. You’ve probably seen him pop up as a supporting part in movies like Ant-Man, Crash, or The Martian, but here he gets to really dig into a fully fleshed out co-lead character. It makes me think he should be given the opportunity more often.
End of Watch is no easy watch, especially when the camera is so up close and personal. But the kinship between these two cops drives the story, not the violence and danger. It’s a riveting portrayal of the challenges faced by so many officers of the law and the unbreakable bonds they form in the process.
Billy recommends…
Cop Car (streaming on Netflix)
Director Jon Watts is one of the strangest stories this decade. His feature debut is a movie called Clown. A sadistic bloodbath about a father trying to impress his son by buying a clown costume, but it turns out to be haunted. Then Cop Car, a simple story of two 10-year-old friends running away from home, but with a twist. They steal a cop car and it turns out the cop car belongs to a dirty cop who is a murderer. You know what these two harrowing tales got him? The Tom Holland Spider-Man movies!
Clown is still a mystery as to what Watts was thinking for his career, but Cop Car definitely showcases what the industry saw in this young director. The first scene opens up with two friends, Travis and Harrison. Travis being the instigator/leader and Harrison following in his influential footsteps. Their dialogue immediately harkens back to the confidence of two young children. One of the first lines of dialogue is, “how long do you think we have walked?” then Travis, our captain of the group, exclaims, “Probably 50 miles.” It is clear that they have been gone for around 30 minutes and that is a perfect tone setter to the events that will transpire.
Their naivety sets an unsettling tone for the audience because after they steal the cop car we realize the potential consequences of their actions, but they do not. As a kid I once put my hand on one of those hibachi grills at a Benihana-style restaurant. So much was fascinating about those stove tops. The sizzle of the oil, banging of the chef’s instruments, and the satisfied looks on the customers faces. Before my mom could even blink I was sprinting towards a hot hibachi grill and placing my full hand on top of it. Liken my experience to the kids in the movie. A cop car is powerful, mysterious, and fast. All of which is enticing until you are thrust into the driver's seat. This entire feeling is set up with no back story and for this simple premise it works well.
This style reminds me of how Free Fire worked so well for me. Bring in a few likable characters, set up the conflict, and then let them interact through increasingly dangerous scenarios. In this case, Travis and Harrison are the characters we like and Kevin Bacon (Sheriff Kretzer) is our conflict. Sadly, throughout this whole movie the acting is fairly subpar. Bacon is hamming it up every scene he is in and the kids are struggling through what is probably one of their first roles. As the tension ramps up it seems that the acting strengthens and that is why the last act is so powerful. The kids innocence finally wears off and the climax of their mistake comes to a head. The ending will for sure be polarizing for audiences and it did not quite land for me. Despite that, at 88 minutes long, there is enough here to enjoy. Particularly the kids who are so reminiscent of the curiosity that we used to have.
Streaming TV Corner
What we’re watching this week
Drew: The Outsider (streaming on HBO)
HBO’s The Outsider is the perfect type of show for this dark winter season we are in. This is a murder mystery with a supernatural element courtesy of author Stephen King. His recent novel is the basis for this creepy and intriguing miniseries about a man (played by Jason Bateman) implicated in a child murder. All of the physical DNA points to him, but then there turns out to be evidence that he was nowhere near the murder site at the time. What does law enforcement do with this unexplainable phenomenon? The Outsider is only three episodes in, so catch up before things start to get really good.
The Office Episode of the Week
Billy: “Golden Ticket” (Season 5, Episode 19)
We are back with this segment. The end of the year movies are always way too distracting to even think about The Office, but now that we are all back into the normal swing of things, it is time to come back to our favorite time-waster. In this one we get the childlike wonder of Michael Scott mixed with his horrible marketing skills. He slips 5 golden tickets into the paper shipments. This was inspired by the classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. What looks like an almost disaster turns into a great move. Originally, Dwight is supposed to take the fall for Michael, but in turn gets the praise. Michael then wants the credit back and the constant back-stabbing makes for a hilarious episode, while also having one of the best cold opens in The Office history.
Michael Scott: “KGB who--” [Dwight slaps Michael]
Dwight Schrute: [in "Russian" accent] “We Will Ask The Questions!”
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it along to a friend, share it on social, or shout it from the nearest mountaintop. We’d appreciate it.
If you’d like to read past newsletters, hit up our archive.