Movie review: Spenser Confidential

For my first Netflix movie review, we’ll be taking a look at their cop drama Spenser Confidential.

The story focuses on Spenser (Mark Wahlberg), an ex-cop and ex-con who, upon being released from prison, finds himself drawn into the investigation surrounding the deaths of two Boston police officers.
Joined by his new roommate, an MMA fighter named Hawk (Winston Duke), Spenser resolves to uncover the truth, even if that makes him a target for gang members and dirty cops alike.
On its own, this was a fairly enjoyable film.
Wahlberg was entertaining in the lead role, balancing sass with a strong moral code that made him easy to cheer for.
The dialogue was coarse, but in a way that I personally found quite funny.
The main investigation plot of the movie was pretty good, even if there were moments where the story could have been compacted and not left to drift. It also didn’t need to be as long as it was.
Interestingly, this film is actually taken from a series of detective novels by Robert B. Parker and Ace Atkins that was first released in 1973.
To this day, new books in the series are being published.
Instead of being an adaptation, though, all this film does is take the names of the books’ characters and completely changes them and not always for the better.
A cursory glance at Spenser and Hawk’s friendship in the books looks to be more interesting than what was given to us in the film.
Not only that, but Spenser Confidential promotes itself as an action-comedy, which, while there are a few funny moments, it’s too serious and brutal most of the time to be considered a comedy.
Overall, this is a decent enough action flick if disappointing in terms of wasted potential.

TWO AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE

OUT NOW ON NETFLIX

RATED MA15+

RUNNING TIME: 111 MINUTES