Bent Cops

Life as a cop in the movies is hard; you tour the sewers for low pay, dealing with the worst of the worst, all the while risking your life for people who hate your guts. So what do you do? You go corrupt, bent, and break all the moral ideals you swore to up hold and protect.

Modern movies portray bent cops as a dime a dozen, a growing breed of hard boiled, masculine men making their own money in their own way, whether it be through kick backs, frame-ups, shakedowns or the standard rough and tough tactics, the police have been slandered and mixed together with the crooks and criminals they were supposed to lock up. So why does Hollywood and the modern audience enjoy tainting and de glamorizing the high standards the police are supposed to set? Why do we love to watch dirty cops in play?



Here are my top 4 modern corrupt cop films.

1. LA Confidential (1997): Disgracefully passed over for the Best Picture Oscar, which was eventually given to James Cameron’s Titanic, Curtis Hanson’s direction along with Brian Helgeland script highlights the knee deep, violent corruption within an LA Police precinct. From migrant beatings, to control of the LA drug trade, Confidential’s main asset is its great style and dark substance, which is shielded with the authorities blue line of secrecy.




Why it’s great: It introduced the American audience to a pair of Aussie actors in Russell ‘Gladiator’ Crowe and Guy ‘Memento’ Pearce.

2. Narc (2002): Coming a year after the successful Training Day starring Denzel Washington, Joe Carnahan’s unknown masterpiece failed commercially at the box office, but received rave reviews from film critics around the world. Lauded for its grittiness that kept audiences horrifyingly hooked, the film mid way through production was picked up by producing partners Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner who helped the film receive more lime light and publicity. The performances are tremendous especially from Ray Liotta, who piled on the weight to play Henry Oak, a wild police detective who will stop at nothing to avenge his partner’s death.


Why it’s great: It simply has one of the best opening handheld chase scenes I have ever witnessed, utterly nerve wrenching.

3. Training Day (2001): Cue the bad boy car with high rolling suspension cruising down the most dangerous part of LA. Its driver is detective Alonzo Harris, a tough, street wise veteran showing rookie cop Ethan Hawke the mean streets of LA. Harris is no ordinary cop; he’s a street hood with a badge, desperate to find a big pay day to save his life from Russian mobsters.


Why it’s great: Denzel’s Academy Award winning performance and a speech that utters the line, “King Kong ant got shit on me”.

Dark Blue: Set in Los Angeles during the Rodney King riots, and penned by Training Day writer David Ayer, Dark Blue is the story of Eldon Perry, a gun slinging cop who controls the streets with brutality and excessive force. Racial tension in the police force is the main theme within the film, with Kurt Russell, Brendan Gleeson and Ving Rhames giving powerhouse performances.


Why it’s great: The final sky view shot of LA burning.