Bad Boys for Life
2020 · Directed by Bilall Fallah, Adil El Arbi
Original language: English
- thriller
- action
- crime
The story
Marcus and Mike are forced to confront new threats, career changes, and midlife crises as they join the newly created elite team AMMO of the Miami police department to take down the ruthless Armando Armas, the vicious leader of a Miami drug cartel.
What it’s like
Saturated Miami daylight and night neon, the city rendered in hot oranges, teal and glossy chrome, with the camera swooping through the streets on drones, whip-pans and fast handheld chases. Sound leans on thudding hip-hop beats, pounding synth-heavy score, squealing tyres and gunfire mixed loud. The vibe is loud, brash and buddy-comedy playful, with a sun-drenched, slightly nostalgic 90s-action energy about aging cops who still act like they're twenty-five. It suits a Friday night with friends, a loud and lighthearted comfort watch, or a long-haul flight where you want something kinetic. Pacing is brisk and relentless, with banter between scenes and set pieces stacked close together. The emotional register is goofy, warm and bromantic, following two middle-aged partners wrestling with career change and mortality while still bickering like brothers. Violence is frequent and bloody, with many shootings, car crashes, and sudden deaths, plus some crude language and a few sexual jokes; it is never lingering or fearful in tone. For people who want high-octane spectacle and cheerful bickering rather than anything gentle or quiet.
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