Netflix’s The Last Days of American Crime – A Half-Baked Wannabe Heist Film

The Last Days of American Crime, Netflix’s newest original film, is one of the worst films of 2020…and that’s saying something after having seen Bloodshot.

Typically, I would try and save that bold of a statement further down in the review but for the sake of those possibly reading this, this absolutely had to be done. The Last Days of American Crime follows Graham Bricke (Ramirez), a successful thief whose life takes a major downturn after his brother is killed in prison. While his personal life is changing, his professional life is also altered by an experimental government program that attempts to prevent crime by broadcasting a signal that prevents anyone from committing unlawful acts. Days before this signal is set to begin its broadcast, a wannabe gangster, Kevin Cash (Pitt), alongside his girlfriend, Shelby (Brewster), approaches Bricke for a huge score as they flee to Canada. Of course, Bricke takes the job and asserts his talents towards stealing billions, but this is where the plot ceases resembling anything like a heist film…or any film for that matter.

Within its early minutes, The Last Days of American Crime quickly becomes banal as it fails to draw in the viewer and keep them interested in the characters, plot or any other aspect of the movie. Bricke’s central motivation for discovering his brother’s murderer falls by the wayside as Kevin’s infusion into the plot overshadows anything emotionally that might keep the audience’s interest. This continues well into the second act which by that time the film appears to find it more convenient to oscillate between the robbery, the revenge element, and the government’s broadcast at a breakneck pace which results in a convoluted mess disguised as an action thriller. Many times there are pointless scenes occupied by useless dialogue that do nothing to progress the story or its characters. Meanwhile, the action sequences are entertaining but they’re not enough to help the overall product.

Out of the 2.5 hout running time of The Last Days of American Crime, only about 30 minutes proved worthy of viewing. The Last Days of American Crime punches far above its weight class without putting in any of the real work within the script that could’ve helped it achieve a better outcome. At no point is it worth enduring for the sake of a couple of scenes that are done well because it will only leave you wanting something better. If mindless action bereft of a plot is something you find yourself desiring, then look no further than literally anything else…yes, even Bloodshot.

still courtesy of Netflix

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