Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Spenser, a former Boston patrolman who just got out from prison, teams up with Hawk, an aspiring fighter, to unravel the truth behind the death of two police officers.
Spenser Confidential is a fairly by-the-numbers buddy action-comedy that follows a well-worn formula: ex-cop out of prison, police corruption conspiracy, mismatched duo. The plot hits predictable beats without much surprise, and the Boston setting feels more cosmetic than genuinely evocative. Wahlberg and Winston Duke have decent chemistry which elevates the acting above the material, but the cinematography is flat and functional Netflix-level work with no distinctive visual identity. The film offers little novelty beyond its cast pairing — the police corruption thriller has been done countless times with more complexity. The ending resolves things neatly and without much tension or consequence, typical of the genre.