Den of Thieves takes you on a testosterone-fuelled journey in a “cops vs. robbers” setup. The journey is gritty, sweaty, muscley, loud, full of bullets and bravado, but most importantly, it clearly marks two dominant territories: Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber), the relentless robber, and Detective Nick O’Brien (Gerard Butler), the determined police officer.It’s your regular action movie premise. You know how it goes. And even if there is a wiggle room, you can always rely on the timeless logic: the character played by the bigger star usually wins.The movie exploits this lax attitude and your confidence in the narrative tropes. During the final showdown, Merrimen is fatally shot, and Nick is inching closer to victory. You think everything has happened as you expected.And suddenly, it begins to unfurl again. This time, it quietly rearranges the power structure that you relied on until now. And, after the newly emerged truth is revealed, the story doesn’t remain the same.This is a classic example of a character pulling strings from the shadows. We explore this further, find out who that “man in the shadows” is, and how he manages to outplay the elite law enforcement unit.The Great DeceptionWhat You SeeMerrimen learns that Donnie Wilson (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), his getaway driver and a bartender, has been compromised as a police informant. He changes the plan and leads Nick to believe the next target is a bank in Pico Rivera. Merrimen stages a real, violent robbery with hostages, ransom demands, and negotiations, drawing a heavy...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Friday, 23 January