Written and directed by Joe Carnahan, Narc is a low-budget indie about the gritty reality of a narcotics officer.
The neo-noir crime thriller stars Jason Patric and Ray Liotta (who also co-produced).
The opening is flashback (a common opening device) to an event 18 months prior that got the protagonist fired.
The movie begins with a handheld foot chase through a poor, low-income housing, with lighting that’s subdued and subtle.
There is no music score, just sounds of breathing, footsteps, screaming, and gunshots.
The plot revolves around the efforts of two police detectives in search of the murderer of an undercover police officer. During the investigation, they engage in unethical behavior and uncover dark secrets that challenge their fragile relationship.
As noted, undercover narcotics officer Nick Tellis chases a drug dealer through the streets of Detroit. Tellis shoots and kills the dealer when he holds a child hostage, but a stray bullet hits the child’s pregnant mother, causing her miscarriage.
Eighteen months later, Tellis is tasked with investigating the murder of undercover officer Michael Calvess. Tellis reluctantly agrees to take the case, provided that he will get a desk job if he secures a conviction, and that he is partnered with Detective Henry Oak, whom Tellis has read about in the Calvess case file.
The police chief accepts Tellis’ conditions, but warns him about Oak’s instability.
Narc (2002): Writer-Director Joe Carnahan’s Neo-Noir Crime Thriller, Starring Jason Patric and Ray Liotta–Great Opening Scenes
Narc (2002)
The opening is flashback (a common opening device) to an event 18 months prior that got the protagonist fired.
The movie begins with a handheld foot chase through a poor, low-income housing, with lighting that’s subdued and subtle.
There is no music score, just sounds of breathing, footsteps, screaming, and gunshots.
The plot revolves around the efforts of two police detectives in search of the murderer of an undercover police officer. During the investigation, they engage in unethical behavior and uncover dark secrets that challenge their fragile relationship.
As noted, undercover narcotics officer Nick Tellis chases a drug dealer through the streets of Detroit. Tellis shoots and kills the dealer when he holds a child hostage, but a stray bullet hits the child’s pregnant mother, causing her miscarriage.
Eighteen months later, Tellis is tasked with investigating the murder of undercover officer Michael Calvess. Tellis reluctantly agrees to take the case, provided that he will get a desk job if he secures a conviction, and that he is partnered with Detective Henry Oak, whom Tellis has read about in the Calvess case file.
The police chief accepts Tellis’ conditions, but warns him about Oak’s instability.