Netflix Is Breathing New Life Into A 2008 Keanu Reeves Crime Thriller
Hollywood history is full of interesting little mysteries. Like, how could the man responsible for directing the excellent "End of Watch" and writing the unimpeachable classic that is "Training Day" also be responsible for "Suicide Squad" and the embarrassment that was "Bright"? At least in the case of David Ayer's debut DC effort, we know studio meddling was largely to blame. But "Bright?" A hard boiled LA crime odyssey with orcs and fairies? Had anyone been asking for that combo?
Anyway, the point is that, if you only knew about these four movies, you might be under the impression Ayer has just two settings: he's either firing on all cylinders or misfiring entirely. But you'd be mistaken. Lurking between the zenith that was "Training Day" and the nadir that was "Bright," there's "Street Kings," a 2008 crime thriller which Ayer directed from a script by the master of LA noir fiction, James Ellroy. Sounds like a perfect pairing, no? Well, perfect isn't quite the descriptor, but neither is "an absolute mess," as RogerEbert.com called "Bright" (OK, no more "Bright" bashing).
This lesser known Keanu Reeves-led effort debuted to mostly dismissive reviews and a $12 million domestic opening, going on to make $66 million worldwide on a $20 million budget. Then, it was pretty much forgotten. But in the wake of Reeves' resurgence as a global megastar, we here at /Film have made the case for rewatching "Street Kings." And according to FlixPatrol, which aggregates data from Netflix's global services, that's exactly what most of the world is doing right now.
Return of the (Street) King
In "Street Kings," Keanu Reeves plays jaded bad boy cop Tom Ludlow. This LAPD detective is about as hard-edged as they come (at least he would be if it wasn't for Reeves' inherent likable placidity). From the off, he's kicking down doors and wasting entire gangs in gratuitous action set pieces that border on comedy in their fetishization of violent death. Ludlow isn't entirely reprehensible, however. He possesses enough redeeming qualities that audiences can root for him as he unwittingly discovers just how corrupt the LAPD can get (it's a lot, it's very corrupt).
And it appears everyone outside of the U.S. has been doing just that, rooting for Reeves' tortured LA cop as he navigates the criminal underworld and fends off an internal affairs investigation. According to FlixPatrol, "Street Kings" was the third most watched movie globally for August 24, 2023, and enjoyed particular popularity on South America's west coast, where it was the number one most watched film in Chile and Peru.
It might be sitting at just 37% on Rotten Tomatoes, but David Ayer and James Ellroy's collaboration certainly seems to have proven a hit with streaming audiences. But then, notorious flop "The Snowman" also experienced a similar revival when it hit Netflix earlier this year. Still, "Street Kings" is no "Snowman." Ayer's direction might be overwrought at times, but the film is at least consistently entertaining, with some decent twists that you'll probably see coming but which at least keep you watching to see if you were right.
An early-2000s curio worth a revisit
In years to come, those of us in the U.S. won't be able to claim we were part of the great "Street Kings" revival of 2023. Not only is the film unavailable on Netflix U.S., it's not available to stream anywhere stateside. That means U.S. viewers have to fork up to rent the movie, in what is for me yet another "how do none of the 200 streaming services I'm paying for have this film" moment.
With that said, it's probably worth the $3.99 to revisit this forgotten Keanu Reeves thriller. Aside from a decent cast that includes Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, and for some reason rappers The Game and Common, "Street Kings" captures Reeves at an interesting time in his career. In 2013, he would star in box office disaster "47 Ronin," only to once again reascend to megastar status with 2014's "John Wick" and its subsequent sequels. But in 2008, he was in a post-"Matrix" pre-"John Wick" no man's land, and "Street Kings" is about as good as you'll get from him during that time.
It's not, however, as good as you'll get from David Ayer. But it's an intriguing entry in the filmmaker's canon — one which wouldn't have been completely out of place alongside Netflix films of recent years like "Extraction" or "The Gray Man." The difference is that Ayer's dynamic direction and experience of life on LA's streets lend "Street Kings" an edge that the current wave of streaming movies which so effortlessly escape your cortex as soon as you've watched them don't possess. So if you're in the mood for a kinda pretty good Ayer movie, why not take a cue from Chile and Peru in revisiting this otherwise overlooked curio. Or, just rewatch "Training Day."