MovieWeb - Play Dirty Review

A corrupt cop who needs to find a way out. A crime boss who needs all of his competition eliminated. Any story focusing on these two characters sounds like something we’ve watched a thousand times. But sometimes, a surprising work comes along that refreshes our cinematic minds. A new action movie, Play Dirty, which was recently released on Tubi, does just that. Through the combined star power of Theo Rossi (The Penguin, Sons of Anarchy) and Ron Perlman (The Instigators, Absolution), director Tom DeNucci and the rest of the crew on this film achieve this feat.

The entirety of Play Dirty takes place during one night. That’s all that this film needs, really. After a scene in which Rossi’s Frank Grady is interrogated by Internal Affairs (with Rossi showcasing his acting skills through the close-up shots), he receives a call from his old friend that the force plans on taking him down on corruption charges the following morning. Grady is then in a race against time to leave town. Before doing so, he visits his crime boss (Perlman’s Murray) and solemnly requests the million dollars accumulated by working for him over time. This tense character foil between the two experienced actors is one of Play Dirty’s best aspects.

'Play Dirty' Is a Hidden Gem

Actor Theo Rossi certainly knows how to display a wide range of emotions in a small amount of time. On the other hand, Perlman knows how to throw everything right back, but with a cold and calculated twist. His character’s violent actions and hot-headed dialogue come naturally because Perlman has been in countless villain roles, most notably Nicola the Woodcutter in Bunraku and another crime boss in Liam Neeson’s recent flick, Absolution.

Rossi’s previous works, like 2022’s Emily the Criminal and 2019’s Vault, show that the actor can handle morally complex roles. That same virtue is proven once more in this movie. Frank Grady may be a bad man by definition, but his current goals of running away with Terese Celeste’s Sydney and away from his once-mentor, Murray, are admirable to anybody watching. Because of this constant conflict, Rossi conveys this kind of spirit, tearing through his eyes. No matter his actions, you hope that he succeeds. With these two names at the helm, Play Dirty makes the audience care.

Watching Grady eliminate those on Murray’s hit list becomes even more expressive with the accompanying musical score. An '80s-inspired techno-synthwave carries the main character to his next destination during the transition scenes. This choice of music, along with the wide shot of the city at night, almost feels like a fantastic homage to Miami Vice.

The cinematography (done by Marcus Friedlander) also brings forth this same kind of cinematic vibe with surprising but astonishing camera angles and a stylistic blue hue. There’s one sequence towards the end which has Grady in a very tense situation, ready to kill, and the rain is pounding down just behind him. The color palette has a similar effect, signifying different locations and what possibly awaits our potentially doomed gunman.

'Play Dirty' Fuses Action-Oriented Subgenres

The minds behind the camera also do their best with what they have to make this more than just an action movie. Figueiredo’s choices in music not only have you naturally invested in what could be Grady’s last and most dangerous mission, but the unique score also helps this title stand out from others in this genre. Action films have always been a dime a dozen, but between the main protagonist and antagonist being a pair that works off each other so well, and small editing choices that consistently accentuate the story’s narrative, this title should not be missed. Believe it or not, Play Dirty does indeed play dirty at points.

Whether this was genuinely a part of the script during the writing process or just a poke at all the competition out there, the places Grady has to go to fulfill Murray’s kill list are all microcosms of other subgenres. He has to steal from a drug house in a run-down African-American neighborhood, confront an obnoxious mafioso head and his family, and then deal with cult-like bikers in their own clubhouse (along the lines of their Sons of Anarchy series). Grady takes each one in stride, letting the viewer believe he has everything under control and will get his freedom tonight. Fate seems to have different plans in mind for him, though. With a runtime of less than 90 minutes, Play Dirty can currently be streamed for free on Tubi.