Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
U.S. government agent Scott is assigned to rescue the daughter of a high-ranking government official. As willing as he is to bend the rules to get things done, though, Scott is shocked to find that others are willing to go even further to protect a political career.
David Mamet's Spartan is a tight, elliptical thriller with a characteristically sharp and distinctive Mamet screenplay — terse dialogue, labyrinthine plotting, and a morally corrosive view of power and loyalty that elevates it well above genre convention. Val Kilmer delivers a laconic, commanding performance, and the supporting cast is solid. Cinematography is functional and competent but unremarkable for the genre. Novelty is above average given Mamet's unmistakable voice and the film's cynical, puzzle-box structure, though it operates within established espionage thriller territory. The ending is satisfying and tonally consistent with the film's bleak worldview but not startling. Plot is the genuine standout — intricate, surprising, and thematically rich.