The Last Days of American Crime – Netflix Review (2/5)

THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME is a new Netflix sci-fi action-thriller based on a graphic novel. It could have been a campy or gritty sci-fi movie. Instead, this Netflix movie is one big cliché and runs way too long. Read more in our The Last Days of American Crime review here!

The Last Days of American Crime is a new Netflix action-thriller with a dystopian sci-fi plot. It’s based on a graphic novel and while the core topic sounds very intriguing, the movie just is not.

Also, at almost 2½ hours it runs too long. Way too long. This movie should not be more than 90-minutes of action entertainment.

Continue reading our full The Last Days of American Crime review below.

What decade was this made in?

The Last Days of American Crime is basically part erotic thriller and part cliché-filled action movie. Both elements play out like something straight out of a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie from the 1990s.

You know, the kind that is not tongue-in-cheek, but rather wants you to really believe the brooding hero is just… well, a brooding hero. Without much of a backstory, of course.

I guess that’s all part of the mystery. And honestly, I could not care less.

Especially since the brooding hero and “the girl” are smashing up against the wall of a dirty public bathroom within minutes of meeting one another. It’s not sexy or fun in any way.

The girl is (of course) absolutely brilliant, but still, she’s forced to use her body and looks to get anywhere. I mean, to a grotesque degree that just makes you roll your eyes and sigh out loud. They could have at least given her some cool moments that weren’t all about making the so-called hero look good.

Also, I haven’t encountered such muddied accents and dialects in a long time. They are all over the place and it’s just grotesque and distracting.

Actually, I should mention that “the girl” (the character’s name is Shelby) is portrayed by Anna Brewster, who is British but manages to pull off a stellar American accent. While Anna Brewster does what she can, her character is just not interesting really. And the lines, she has to say, are truly cringe-worthy!

Michael Pitt always delivers

If The Last Days of American Crime could have had a charming lead character, then it would have helped. A little bit anyway. Honestly, while I do like Edgar Ramírez (Deliver Us from Evil), I feel like he’s playing the same character over and over again now. He’s better than that and I really hope we get to see this soon.

The only redeeming thing about The Last Days of American Crime is the way Michael Pitt plays his role. Because it does actually seem like he’s trying to take it to the edge and have fun with the plot.

Michael Pitt has always managed to choose the “off”-characters that do unexpected stuff throughout. In The Last Days of American Crime, he’s an entitled and spoiled rich kid that wants to make a name for himself. And he’s very vocal and open about this being his main objective. It’s like the adult version of his character from Funny Games (2007) almost.

Also, the absolute highlight of this movie is when Kevin (Michael Pitt) shares a few scenes with his sister Connie. The chemistry and craziness of their interaction are perfect. I’d rather watch an entire TV series with these two characters than sit through the mess of this one movie again.

What Sharlto Copley is doing in this movie is beyond me? I loved Sharlto Copley in District 9 (2009) and he has certainly made interesting movies since. Good and bad. This is definitely not a good one! Also, it’s a tiny role that never really makes much sense. In fact, he’s literally off-screen for what feels like an hour in the middle of this very long and drawn-out movie.

Watch The Last Days of American Crime on Netflix now!

The Last Days of American Crime is directed by Olivier Megaton and based on his past films I expected a fast-paced action movie with a simple, but tight, plot. Olivier Megaton is a French director who previously directed the movies Taken 2 and Taken 3 starring Liam Neeson. Also, he directed Transporter 3 starring Jason Statham. All solid action movies with tiny plots that work!

The script and story are by Karl Gajdusek (based on the Radical Publishing graphic novel created by Greg Tocchini and Rick Remender). In the past, Karl Gajdusek has written on screenplays for movies such as Oblivion (2013) and the upcoming prequel The King’s Man (2020).

I don’t really know what to say except this: The Last Days of American Crime looks good on paper and the plot sounds intriguing, but the movie just does not work.

Also, skip the trailer since it’s chock-full of huge spoilers. It also leads you to believe that you’ll be watching an intense action movie rather than a slow-burn erotic thriller inspired by the 1990s… without the fun and campiness!

The Last Days of American Crime is out on Netflix worldwide from June 5, 2020.

Details

Director: Olivier Megaton
Writer: Karl Gajdusek
Stars: Edgar Ramírez, Anna Brewster, Michael Pitt, Sharlto Copley, Daniel Fox