Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
After failing to get into the police academy, Chris Potamitis settles for a security guard job with an armoured truck company. After he makes the mistake of mentioning the company's lax security to his best friend, He's unwittingly drawn into an elaborate scheme to rob the abundant amounts of cash being stored on their premises—resulting in the largest cash heist in U.S.history.
Empire State is a by-the-numbers true-crime heist drama that covers familiar territory without much distinction. The plot follows a predictable arc of a well-meaning protagonist dragged into crime by a reckless friend, with few surprises along the way. Acting from Liam Hemsworth and Michael Angarano is adequate but unremarkable, with Dwayne Johnson's detective role feeling underutilized. Cinematography is competent but generic, offering little visual flair beyond standard crime-drama aesthetics. The novelty is minimal — the 'largest cash heist' hook is interesting but the execution is formulaic, recycling tropes from countless similar films. The ending resolves predictably and without much dramatic weight, leaving little impression.