Movie · 2020 · Comedy, Action, Thriller · 1h 50m · R · English
Curator score: 0.8/10 (108.1K ratings)
The law has limits. They don't.
Overview
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.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.8/10
IMDb: 6.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 35%
Metacritic: 49
TMDB: 6.5/10
Director
Peter Berg
Production
Film 44, Original Film, Closest to the Hole Productions, Leverage Entertainment
Cast
Mark Wahlberg, Winston Duke, Alan Arkin, Iliza Shlesinger, Michael Gaston, Bokeem Woodbine, Marc Maron, James DuMont, Post Malone, Colleen Camp, Hope Olaidé Wilson, Kip Weeks, Brandon Scales, Ayana Brown, Dustin Tucker, Josh Cronin, Alfred Briere, Rebecca Gibel, Alexandra Vino, Patty Ross
Where to watch
Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A thin, noisy cop-conspiracy action-comedy that leans on Boston swagger and buddy-movie banter but never earns its mystery, laughs, or stakes. The cast has charisma on paper, yet the film feels generic, overexplained, and oddly inert for something built around constant motion.
Best for
Viewers who want an undemanding streaming action movie
Fans of loose buddy-cop chemistry over plot logic
People in the mood for a low-stakes, mildly goofy crime caper
Skip if
You want a sharp detective story or credible thriller tension
You’re sensitive to lazy plotting and obvious franchise setup
You prefer action films with stronger style, wit, or momentum
Overview
Spenser Confidential is the kind of movie that seems assembled from familiar parts before anyone asked whether the parts fit together. It has a gruff ex-cop, a tough sidekick, a corruption plot, and a steady stream of quips, but the result is more mechanical than entertaining. The mystery is perfunctory, the humor is broad, and the action rarely rises above serviceable.
Worth noting
What keeps it from total collapse is the chemistry between the leads, which gives the film a little bounce even when the script doesn’t. There are flashes of a better, scrappier movie hiding inside it, especially when it leans into odd-couple banter and Boston-specific attitude. But those flashes are brief, and the film keeps retreating into generic streaming-thriller routine.
Bottom line
As a piece of commercial entertainment, it’s forgettable rather than offensive: competent enough to finish, too bland to recommend. If you want a slick cop movie with real personality, there are far stronger options. If you just need background noise with occasional punches and jokes, this will do in a pinch.
Top Letterboxd reviews
BeHaind (2★) · 381 likes
Netflix: „Hey Peter, wir brauchen nen Cop Krimi nach Schema F, aber mit Mark Wahlberg, der wie üblich alle anbrüllt und dann halt so lustige Sachen sagt. Sein übliches Ego-Theater, du weißt schon.“
Peter Berg: „Öhm...“
Netflix: „Ja ganz easy, nix Besonderes..der Plot kann so banal sein, dass sich selbst die Drehbuchautoren von „Law & Order“ richtig talentiert dagegen fühlen würden. Mit ner Verschwörung, die so idiotisch ist, dass sie gleichzeitig hohl und trotzdem wirr ist.“
Peter: „Naja also..“
Netflix: „Und… more
davidehrlich (1★) · 318 likes
A far cry from the previous four movies that Mark Wahlberg and director Peter Berg have made together (the two men Voltron-ing into a single creative entity that will henceforth be referred to as “WahlBerg”), the hilariously titled “Spenser Confidential” is a high-testosterone action thriller about a red-blooded, blue-collared, perpetually open-mouthed American patriot who decides to take matters into his own hands when some bad guys besmirch the good name of these United States. Just kidding — the only significant… more A far cry from the previous four movies that Mark Wahlberg and director Peter Berg have made together (the two men Voltron-ing into a single creative entity that will henceforth be referred to as “WahlBerg”), the hilariously titled “Spenser Confidential” is a high-testosterone action thriller about a red-blooded, blue-collared, perpetually open-mouthed American patriot who decides to take matters into his own hands when some bad guys besmirch the good name of these United States. Just kidding — the only significant… more
matt lynch (1★) · 307 likes
Absolutely the laziest, cheapest-looking, most ineffectual backdoor TV pilot disguised as a franchise starter since JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT.
Chris Cabin (1.5★) · 282 likes
Watching Winston Duke play second fiddle to Wahlberg is like watching Hendrix play keyboards in Nickelback.
@Mr. Like🔥🔥🔥 (1.5★) · 243 likes
Rotten Tomatoes: 39%Metacritic Metascore: 48
32/100
2020 Ranked
Hawk: "Hawk is the name of the guy with the shotgun. Spenser does your taxes."
I present to you episode 5 of Wahl-Berg's Greatest Hits! Minus the greatest hits part.
What started off as a very potent one-two punch in Hollywood with hits like 'Lone Survivor', 'Deepwater Horizon', and even 'Patriots Day' has only continued to spiral downward following 'Mile 22' and now this.
I have never even heard of the… more