Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
Two corrupt cops in New Mexico set out to blackmail and frame every criminal unfortunate enough to cross their path. Things take a sinister turn, however, when they try to intimidate someone who is more dangerous than they are. Or is he?
War on Everyone is a quirky, irreverent buddy-cop comedy from John Michael McDonagh that leans heavily on sharp, darkly comic dialogue and the chemistry between Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Peña. The acting carries much of the film's charm, with both leads delivering enjoyably off-kilter performances. The premise has novelty in its unapologetically amoral protagonist framing, reminiscent of McDonagh's earlier work but with an American pulp sensibility. However, the plot meanders without much narrative discipline, failing to build coherent momentum, and the third-act confrontation with the antagonist feels underdeveloped and anticlimactic. Cinematography is functional but unremarkable, not capitalizing on the New Mexico setting in any distinctive way. The ending dissatisfies by not resolving its tonal ambitions.