I've read several mentions of William Friedkin with regard to "Narc" and I concur, his fingerprints are all over this movie. I kept thinking of "French Connection" and "To Live and Die in L. A." all throughout the running time.
"Narc" isn't gritty, it is downright bleak. Even if they hadn't shot this in snowy Detroit, it'd still feel cold as hell. As a police procedural, it's pretty standard (the thin line between cop and criminal, etc.) and you settle in thinking you seen this all before . . . And then here comes the twisty third act, redefining the whole story, and you're just left there at the end, trying to get your bearings. There's no gloss here, and while it's not a movie I can watch everyday, my eyes were glued to the very end.
"Narc" isn't gritty, it is downright bleak. Even if they hadn't shot this in snowy Detroit, it'd still feel cold as hell. As a police procedural, it's pretty standard (the thin line between cop and criminal, etc.) and you settle in thinking you seen this all before . . . And then here comes the twisty third act, redefining the whole story, and you're just left there at the end, trying to get your bearings. There's no gloss here, and while it's not a movie I can watch everyday, my eyes were glued to the very end.