A master criminal settles some old scores while making some new enemies in Play Dirty, the latest adaptation of Donald E. Westlake‘s Parker series now streaming worldwide on Prime Video. This new take led by Mark Wahlberg doesn’t hit as hard as previous adaptations like Point Blank (with Lee Marvin) or Payback (with Mel Gibson), but it’s a step up from 2013’s Jason Statham-led Parker, and a rousing return to form for director Shane Black, who keeps things fast, loose, and often quite funny without losing the source’s hard edge.
Like almost all of Black’s films, Play Dirty is set during Christmas, which combines with the film’s New York City setting (largely played by locations in New South Wales, Australia) to give the movie a thoroughly attractive atmosphere. Despite the modern setting and comedic leanings, the film’s elegant sets feature an abundance of vintage cars on rain-drenched city streets illuminated by neon lights. Call it a soft-boiled noir.
Wahlberg’s Parker feels a lot more light-hearted in the lead than previous incarnations, but the surrounding story stays true to Westlake’s original creation. In the film’s opening scene, his crew pull off a smash-and-grab racetrack heist that culminates in cars colliding with horses and jockeys. But before they can split up the haul, Zen (Rosa Salazar) violently turns on them, killing everyone and making off with the cash while leaving Parker floating down an icy river with a gunshot in the gut.
Parker’s good friend Philly Webb (Thomas Jane) was among those killed by Zen, and as Philly recruited her in the first place, Parker pays a visit to his widow (Gretchen Mol) to see if he can track her down. He eventually does, but before he can enact the revenge he promised Philly’s widow, Zen tells him why she ripped him off: she needed the racetrack score as seed money for an even bigger haul: the sunken treasure stolen off the coast of her country by a corrupt president.
The treasure—which includes the Lady of Arintero, a towering masthead from the front of the sunken ship—is about to be displayed at the premises of the United Nations. The corrupt president has hired local mafia The Outfit, represented by Lozini (Tony Shalhoub) and underling Kincaid (Nat Wolff), to steal the treasure before it goes on display, but Zen and revolutionary Colonel Ortiz (Hemky Madera) plan to steal it first—for the benefit of their country.
The Parker of old would have no patience for this tomfoolery and would execute Zen on the spot, but Wahlberg’s iteration forms an uneasy alliance to make bank—and get revenge on The Outfit in the process. With the help of amateur theater owner Grofeld (LaKeith Stanfield), husband-and-wife thieves Ed (Keegan-Michael Key) and Brenda Mackey (Claire Lovering), and getaway driver Stan Devers (Chai Hansen), Parker plans to derail an elevated train in the middle of the city and rob the treasure from the robbers.
The train heist is Play Dirty‘s action highlight: the thieves cleverly plot everything out in advance, but are thrown for a loop when The Outfit moves up their operations by a day, and must scramble around the city nursing hangovers to pull off their intended plan. Black stages the sequence with explosive flair; only some sketchy visual effects during the derailment keep it from making a full impact.
But there are more twists and turns in the screenplay, by Black, Chuck Mondry and Anthony Bagarozzi, which isn’t based on a specific Parker novel but captures some of the same beats as The Hunter, which served as the basis for Point Blank and Payback. It’s a little disconcerting to see Play Dirty play out as a lighter, goofier version of the aforementioned, but Black doesn’t lose sight of his source by the finale. Wahlberg is serviceable in the lead, though the supporting players—especially Stanfield, Key, and Wolff—do a lot of the heavy comedic lifting.
Play Dirty doesn’t quite match the comic elegance of Black’s The Nice Guys or Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, but it’s an agreeable return to form after his previous feature, 2018’s overcooked The Predator. As far as these kinds of direct-to-streaming action-adventure-comedy films go, it’s also a step above Guy Ritchie’s Fountain of Youth or Wahlberg’s previous attempt at adapting a classic crime novel character, Spenser Confidential.
While Play Dirty doesn’t match the grit of earlier Parker adaptations or comic action of Black’s best work, it remains a well-crafted, fast-paced action-comedy with clever set pieces, stylish direction, and strong supporting performances. Fans of Black’s distinctive vision will find plenty to like here, and while the story often stretches credulity, it remains a thoroughly enjoyable ride throughout.
