Narc (2003) Synopsis:
Nick Tellis is a recovering drug addict. But staying clean is not so easy for this Detroit narcotics officer when the police department reinstates him in order to investigate an elusive 'narc' squad homicide. After a rookie cop is mysteriously killed in the line of duty, the police department teams Tellis up with the dead cop's partner--the volatile Lieutenant Henry Oak--to solve the murder. Soon the two of them find themselves crawling through the mean streets of Detroit. Their probative investigation leads them through filthy drug dens, crack houses, and alleyways to track the killer, but these all too familiar surroundings plague Tellis like a nightmare. As Tellis gets closer to revealing the truth behind the murder, he finds himself in jeopardy of losing his family, his dignity, and his life.
Narc (2003) Movie Review:
If you are looking for a gritty violent police crime drama then Narc just might be for you. Starring Jason Patric as suspended Detroit undercover narcotic officer Nick Tellis pushed into investigating a killing of another undercover drug cop who was gunned down while on duty.
He is teamed up with Henry Oak (Ray Liotta), the murdered officers partner and together they try and solve the case. Their personalities in the film are polar opposites. Henry is a short-tempered cop who bends all the rules and then some when it comes to police work while Nick is more by the book and much slower to anger.
As they shake down suspects and get closer to the truth, the seedy crime infested drug world they have to deal with takes them on a very twisted journey.
To tell their story, writer director Joe Carnahan uses a lot of jump cuts and quick cuts that at times mesmerize you but also irritate.
With intense performances especially from Liotta, Narc has a very dark and edgy feel to it but cant escape its typical cop gone bad routine you have seen many times before.
The slow pacing probably will have you twisting and turning in your seat as you wait for the action to take place.
It is not an uplifting film in any way and not for the faint at heart. If you expect lots of brutality and foul language, then you wont be disappointed in that department.
Filled with bleak and violent images that might give some of you nightmares, this movie does shock you at times. Narc has a certain unnerving quality to it that that pulls you in for brief moments of excitement that likely will grab you hard.
The film is pretty bleak with characters that are scarred to such an extent that perhaps only a miracle can heal them. It is the kind of film that plays it down and dirty in the way it presents the ugly interactions between the police and the criminal drug elements of society.
For you people who enjoy urban cop stories that are morbid and at times gruesome, Narc will rattle your cage a bit while not offering any new tricks along the way.
Our Rating: 
User Rating: 
Log in to rate this movie
Narc (2003) review written by: Gil Benzeevi
12th October, 2008 
