Bad Detectives movie review 2021

MOVIE TITLE: Bad Detectives

Mutiny Pictures releases this indie thriller on digital platforms on June 22, 2021

RATING: R

LENGTH: 72 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

Called to mourn the passing of their beloved detective grandfathers, Nic O’Connell and Ping Liu soon discover that their deaths were calculated murders. Despite their mutual animosity, the granddaughters enter an uneasy partnership to solve the case. Nic and Ping partake in a twisted game with “Old Timers”, dodgy lawyers, corrupt politicians, shifty homicide detectives, capricious antique dealers, and an infamous Chinese Gang. As they unravel the truth, Nic and Ping find themselves in deadlier terrain.

The low-budget film was written by Chris Johnson and directed by first-time filmmaker Presley Paras.

THINGS I LIKED:

Although the film looks and feels very amateurish, I’m always happy to support filmmakers on their first attempt. They made some mistakes, yet they actually made a movie, something I admit I’ve never done!
I had never seen Dralla Aierken or Freya Tingley in anything before, so I’m interested to see what else they can do.
Fun fact: Back in 2018 when production began for this movie, it was being called, “Year of the Detectives”. “Bad Detectives” is such a better name, don’t you think?
Cute ending.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

The opening scene is just silly and bad. I kept thinking it would be a foreshadowing of things to come in the movie, but nothing really came of it, really.
The camera lingers way too long on people and objects in many scenes.
We’re never told why the two main females hate each other so much, just that they do. Understanding more about their background might help us to care more about them in the story.
A lot of the acting is really bad with cliched characters.
The only actor I recognized in the cast was Jim Meskimen. I’ve always liked him and he does a great job in his role in this film.
Some of the lighting is really dark in scenes, dark enough that you can’t really see the actors’ faces. The color palette changes during the film from dusty, dark, and faded to realistic, bright, and modern.
Some of the musical choices seemed odd.
The resolution of the crime mystery didn’t pack an emotional punch as it should have.
Holly Martins, played by Caylee Cowan, looked like she came straight out of a Film Noir, complete with fish-net stockings, and didn’t fit this movie at all.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be extremely bored. So will some adults.
Violence
You see blood splatters and dead bodies
Profanity, crude phrases, and F-bombs usually out of the potty mouth of Freya Tingley.
Alcohol and smoking

THEMES:

Family
Loyalty
Betrayal
Trust
Greed
Power

FUNNY LINES:

“Ladies, I’m an attorney, not a psychologist.” – Mr. Strathmore (Jim Meskimen)
“You two uploaded a couple of videos on YouTube and now you’re detectives.” – Detective Weezul (Paul Rae)

INTERESTING LINES:

“I need a drink.” – Ping Liu (Dralla Aierken) Whenever the girls get frustrated, they reach for alcohol, which is unfortunate for young girls who might watch this movie looking to them for role models.
“Greed is my thing.” – Tony Chow (Steven Chan)
“What is justice without vengeance?” – Mr. Huang (Alvin Ing)