US EditionPrime Video’s New Action-Thriller Movie with Mark Wahlberg Is Now Streaming — and It’s an Explosive Heist Adventure
Play Dirty, a heist film starring Mark Wahlberg, struggles with poor visual effects and formulaic script despite Shane Black’s signature witty dialogue and an ensemble cast.
- On October 1, Play Dirty releases exclusively on Prime Video, with critics calling it a generic, formulaic heist despite Shane Black's signature style.
- Work on the project reportedly began in 2022; Shane Black directed and co-wrote with Charles Mondry and Anthony Bagarozzi, while Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey remain attached as executive producers.
- Technical flaws—especially digital backgrounds—undermine key action moments, with Amazon MGM’s poorly rendered CGI and explosions distracting in the New Year's Eve finale staged in Times Square and filmed on an Australian shoot.
- Holding about a 60% Rotten Tomatoes score, critical response is mixed after the review embargo lifted despite an apparent $2 million marketing budget limiting audience awareness.
- At 125 minutes, Play Dirty fits Shane Black's holiday-set film tradition, with LaKeith Stanfield standing out while Mark Wahlberg's recent roles over the past year lessen novelty.
18 Articles
18 Articles
‘Play Dirty’ Director Shane Black on the Key to Managing A-Listers Like Mark Wahlberg, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robert Downey Jr.: ‘It’s Lightning in a Bottle’
Shane Black’s name is synonymous with some of the most macho movies ever made, including “Lethal Weapon,” “Predator” and “The Last Boy Scout.” His newest film, “Play Dirty,” now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is no exception. A contemporary interpretation of Donald E. Westlake’s classic “Parker” novels about a high-stakes robber, the film stars Mark […]
The Twistiest Crime Thriller Of The Year Has Been A Long Time In the Making
James Devaney/GC Images/Getty ImagesEver since Shane Black was young, he wanted to make a Parker movie. You can imagine that would be the introduction of the movie about Shane Black’s life, told in the heightened-noir style of the director behind Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys. But it really was his whole childhood, at least, according to Black.“Donald Westlake was a fixture in my library. And I was a weird, stupid, nerdy kid. I read a bo…
Mark Wahlberg Says His Kids ‘Love Making Fun of Me’ and Tease Him About This One Thing
The actor, now starring in the heist thriller 'Play Dirty,' opens up in the new issue of PEOPLEKristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Mark Wahlberg, wife Rhea Durham and their kids Brendan, Michael, Ella and Grace in NYC on Sept. 24.NEED TO KNOWMark Wahlberg tells PEOPLE that his kids "love making fun of me" and zero in on his Boston accent: "They imitate me"The Play Dirty star recently had a family outing when he, his wife Rhea Durham, and all fou…
‘Play Dirty’ Movie Review: Shane Black’s Trademark Sharpness Feels Lost in This Generic Mark Wahlberg Heist Thriller (LatestLY Exclusive) | 🎥 LatestLY
Shane Black’s Play Dirty, starring Mark Wahlberg, Lakeith Stanfield and Rosa Salazar, promised a gritty heist thriller but delivers formulaic plotting and flat characters instead. Despite an ensemble cast and flashes of Black’s dark humour, this adaptation of Donald E. Westlake’s Parker novels fails to ignite. 🎥 ‘Play Dirty’ Movie Review: Shane Black’s Trademark Sharpness Feels Lost in This Generic Mark Wahlberg Heist Thriller (LatestLY Exclusi…
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