Triple 9

UK Release Date: 19th February 2016

A gang of criminals and corrupt cops plan the murder of a police officer in order to pull off their biggest heist yet across town (www.imdb.com).

Director: John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road, Lawless)

Starring: Teresa Palmer, Kate Winslet, Gal Gadot, Norman Reedus, Aaron Paul, Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Clifton Collins Jr. 

Triple 9 is one slick, cool film, and quite frankly a surprise to watch. Five guys: two crooked cops (Anthony Mackie, Clifton Collins Jr.) and three crooks (Norman Reedus, Aaron Paul, Chiwetel Ejiofor) complete a audacious heist, obtaining valuables for a Russian mobster (Winslet). This mobster kills one of them and leaves the others sweating. She's not done with them. One more heist and she may let them off her leash. The only way the remaining law breakers can achieve this heist is by killing a cop; calling a Triple 9 ('officer down') so every cop in one jurisdiction heads to a single destination, and give them plenty of time to finish their business. 

Now it's neither immediate or ambiguous how this movie plays out. The A-List cast and their parallel storylines intertwine to make one hugely complex (but compelling) story. Woody Harrelson is the lead investigator. His son, Casey Affleck, is at the centre of it all. He's not liked much by his peers, ruffling feathers by sticking entirely by the book. Heading up the criminal activities is Chiwetel Ejiofor. Personal issues with the mob boss lands his fellow compatriots in trouble, which includes an unstable Aaron Paul. 

The acting cannot be faulted. We're given no time for breathers as powerful scene follows even more powerful scene. Winslet's accent is a tad ropey, but it's very prestigious seeing a female character pull all the strings. Triple 9 had me fully gripped from its opening heist. 

4.5/5