A drug lord arrives in New Orleans to give dealers a new drug that can give you exceptional powers for five minutes. The police is trying to fight it off and getting it under control but people in high places are blocking any legal actions. Police officer Frank Shaver got bullet proof powers and is willing to do what it takes to rid New Orleans of the drug even taking it. But taking the drug is not allowed in the police and he gets suspended. Meanwhile ex-military Art Reilly is hunting down dealers to get to the top and get revenge.
This is a different kind of superhero movie as it is not about one or two person who are given exceptional powers. Everyone can be exceptional. Everyone can be a hero, all they have to do is take a drug and use their powers for good. This raises the question of what makes a hero. It also raises the question of what would you do if you could get powers from a pill. It is an interesting beginning of a new universe that could tell many exciting stories. But I would rather see this as a stand alone movie as it opens for these interesting questions. I would like this movie to inspire conversations about what kind of powers they think a pill could unlock in them. Or what they would do with five minutes of power. Or if they believe they could be a hero with a pill like this then what prevents them from being a hero without the pill. I find the message of the movie to be much more powerful if the universe is left open and unexplored.
Both Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jamie Foxx does some great acting and is really driving the movie with their skills. Dominique Fishback is also showing why she could become a great actress though the role as "young innocent school girl getting mixed into some weird shit" is sort of restricting. It is a great story with many layers societal comments. It seems like they really thought it through and considered what they wanted to do. They also show great restrain with the CGI effects as they could easily have thrown in a giant war with people popping pills and throwing powers everywhere. But they did not. They only have few heavy CGI scenes. And these scenes have been done to excellence.
It is a fantastic movie. Very beautiful and clean art style. I would certainly recommend it and watch it again. There is just one thing (it is a timing thing) with all the stories brought to light during the BLM movement about police brutality and excessive force, it has become harder for me to watch movies and series about cops without questioning if they are part of the problem. And this is a movie glorifying a cop getting suspended for taking a drug and then going rouge to take down a criminal organisation while using excessive force and killing people. And so what if they are bad guys, they still deserve to be taken in alive and given a fair trial. I am going to give it four and a half star out of five. I was discussing with myself if I should give it only four stars but I give the half star extra hoping that I will enjoy rewatching it more than once.
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