The Shakedown – A Delightful South African Crime Comedy

From the first few minutes of watching The Shakedown, one can’t help but smile. Crime comedies are some of the most exciting films out there, countless audiences have grown up loving them and rooting for the bad guys, the reluctant heroes, the baffling femme fatales, the threatening hot female assassins, or even the ridiculously sadistic mob bosses. In the case of this film, the spirit of the Coen Brothers and Guy Ritchie is vividly present throughout, along with all the twists and turns and quirky comedic moments. While not a masterpiece by any means, this enjoyable action comedy serves its purpose over the course of 100-minute running time. That being said, what makes it stand out, outside of its enjoyable acting and Ari Kruger’s direction, is its unique South African vibe.

The Shakedown, a South African crime comedy, has all the elements of a successful offspring of this spectacular genre; compelling characters, morally ambiguous decisions, fast-paced editing, and witty dialogue. However, there is the uniqueness of another society, a different perspective on how a people handle crime, love, infidelity, and dysfunctional families. 

An affair gone wrong leads Justin Diamond (Beukes) to seek help from his rogue brother Dovi (Castis), but as the saying goes, things never go as well as they should. In this slapstick comedic crime piece, tensions arise, secrets unfold, and characters behave in the most random, unbelievable manners, only for the buildup to the climax to satisfy viewers from all backgrounds. This film is entertaining without losing the perfect structure of the plot or the piece-by-piece character arcs that culminate in an enjoyable film reminiscent of the classics of the 1990s. Comedy is a universal language that transcends time and space, when laughing at a particular situation or a line of dialogue, the act breaks down the cultural and geographical barriers. And Kruger’s film is no exception, aiming to garner appeal on a universal level while still staying true to its South African roots.

The Shakedown is fast paced, its characters are fleshed out and to top it all off, Beukes as Justin and Castis as Dovi, shine as two mismatched brothers at world’s end. The dynamic between Justin and Dovi lifts this film to even higher levels of entertainment, not to mention, the chemistry of Beukes and Castis will make it hard for audiences to take their eyes off them whenever they are on screen together. The script, co-written by Kruger and Daniel Zimbler, brims with details that enhance the story and adding to its vibrancy. It succeeds in crafting an inviting world that will excite audiences and pull them further into its story and characters, as they will find themselves eager to follow their lives. Meanwhile, Kruger and Zimbler’s world-building techniques are sensational and fun to watch, creating interesting subplots, even for the supporting characters, that they interweave within both protagonists’ storylines.

So what makes an enjoyable film stand out from a feel-good film that owes it to the genre it belongs to? Many things. As critics, there is often a struggle within the fine line between greatness and amicability. A good film may serve its purpose, without necessarily being a masterpiece or a rare work of art. While a good film may be the time of one’s life, it does not always require a high rating as it would suggest that it has accomplished the kind of feat that no other film has done, and that can be perceived as unfair to great works of art.

At the end of the day, The Shakedown is a funky, entertaining crime comedy that will is sure to draw in audiences from all over the world and leave them on the edge of their seats, just to watch the South African way of suspenseful filmmaking, without losing its tongue-in-cheek elements of not taking itself too seriously.

still courtesy of Prime Video

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Jaylan Salah Salman

linktr.ee/jaylansalman