Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
The true story of pilot Barry Seal, who transported contraband for the CIA and the Medellin cartel in the 1980s.
Tom Cruise delivers a charismatic, energetic performance that elevates the material considerably. The story of Barry Seal is inherently compelling and the film moves at a brisk pace, but the narrative stays fairly surface-level, never digging deep into the moral complexities of its subject. Cinematography is functional and period-appropriate but unremarkable. The ending, constrained by true events, feels abrupt and unsatisfying dramatically, robbing the film of a more resonant conclusion. Novelty is moderate — the tone blends Goodfellas-style rise-and-fall with screwball comedy in a somewhat fresh way, but the overall template is familiar.