Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Tom Ludlow is a disillusioned L.A. Police Officer, rarely playing by the rules and haunted by the death of his wife. When evidence implicates him in the execution of a fellow officer, he is forced to go up against the cop culture he's been a part of his entire career, ultimately leading him to question the loyalties of everyone around him.
Street Kings is a serviceable but derivative neo-noir cop thriller that hits familiar beats without much distinction. Keanu Reeves anchors the film adequately and Forest Whitaker is reliably strong, but the acting overall is uneven. The plot of a dirty-cop-goes-rogue investigating corruption is well-trodden territory, executed competently but without surprise. Cinematography is workmanlike LA noir without memorable visual identity. The ending resolves predictably with little emotional payoff, and the film offers little that hasn't been seen in superior entries like Training Day or Dark Blue.