So the general consensus of Triple 9 is that the performances were good, the action was decent, but the plot was confusing or too convoluted. The first two are fair assertions, but as for the last bit, well, that’s absolute nonsense. If one is a movie critic (many of whom don’t even sit through the entire movie) or a lazy movie goer, then yeah, it’s not too hard to believe the lack of understanding. The fact is Triple 9 was not, and is not now that hard to follow. It just wasn’t made for people who need things spelled out.
Triple 9 is actually not trying to do anything that complicated. There’s a crew of thieves, a few with military back rounds, and two who are actually crooked cops.
Triple 9 is actually not trying to do anything that complicated. There’s a crew of thieves, a few with military back rounds, and two who are actually crooked cops. The squad is pulling off heists at the behest of a Russian gangster whose wife has the leader’s son more at less at ransom, essentially forcing them into compliance. In comes a new cop, becoming the partner of one of the crew members, who they then plot to terminate in the hopes of buying time for their next heist. That’s pretty much it. Any other subplot within the storyline is just that. Barring anything else, Triple 9 follows a simplistic formula that makes for a solid crime thriller.
It’s true the acting is probably the main ingredient that makes the movie watchable. This shouldn’t be surprising, as the cast is stacked from head to toe. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Casey Affleck, Kate Winslet and Woody Harrelson are just the major names that make the cut. Each of them show up and show out, and even the actors with less screen time waste none of it. Norman Reedus is compelling in his limited appearance, as is Clifton Collins Jr. who plays one of the dirty cops. The most responsibility comes from Affleck, Chiwetel, and Mackie though. Their characters each have an objective that inevitably intertwines with one another, slowly building and setting the stage for an unexpected climactic result that makes the wait worth it in the end. John Hillcoat directs the crime story with Matt Cook penning the script, which is not as hard to follow as many have complained about. There are obvious homages to films like Heat, particularly in how each character tends to get their own story that contributes to the overall plot. Triple 9 is definitely its own thing though, taking that from previous films which works and implementing others that serve to compliment it further.
The bottom line is, Triple 9 has either been treated unfairly or has just not been given the credit it’s due. It’s a ‘love it or hate it’ type of movie, but to be honest, it was branded that way by the media and it probably never should have been. Everyone may be entitled to their opinion but when said opinions do not come off objectively, it’s important to call them out. It’s time to change the narrative on Triple 9.
