Netflix Summary:
While checking out the apartment of his missing friend Nick Fisher, a drifter is mistaken for Nick by thugs and forced to participate in a murder.
FYA Summary:
An unsuspecting guy gets sucked into the sordid affairs of two New York City crime families, thanks to his friend’s gambling problem.
Familiar Faces:
Sam Jaegar as Nick Fisher
You played your part as the patsy well, Sam. But you really look nothing like Josh Hartnett.
Bruce Willis as Smith
I love watching Bruce play understated roles, and Bruce plays the Smith character so low-key. You really have to pay attention to what he says and does or you’ll miss it all. Smith’s the kind of guy that you’d swear is the most upstanding of citizens even past the point he pulls the trigger.
Josh Hartnett as Slevin Kelevra
Josh spends his first few scenes in this movie wearing only a towel, and a low-slung one at that. All of a sudden I’m reminded of why he was so high up on my celeb crush list back in the early aughts. (And how TERRIBLE his hair always was.)
Lucy Liu as Lindsey
Lindsey is delightfully ditsy, which is a definite juxtaposition to Joan Watson from Elementary, which is the character I’m most used to seeing Lucy play.
Dorian Missick as Elvis and Mykelti Williamson as Sloe
Elvis and Sloe are The Boss’ lackeys, and Dorian and Mykelti play those roles to a T. There’s nothing really unusual about Elvis’ character, but for Sloe: imagine if Bubba from Forrest Gump was a whole lot meaner and more prone to violence.
Morgan Freeman as The Boss
Morgan Freeman doesn’t play God in this movie, but The Boss is sort of god-like in a sense— he’s a mob boss who plays fast and loose with people’s lives and business. It’s fun seeing Morgan in a more villainous role, and hearing curse words said in that velvety voice.
Corey Stoll as Saul
Saul’s a lackey for the Rabbi, and is much like Doran’s Elvis in that there isn’t much to say about the role other than Corey plays it well.
Sir Ben Kingsley as The Rabbi
I feel like I’ve more frequently seen Sir Ben as a villain than I’ve seen Morgan, but watching him put on such an act never really gets old. He always goes above and beyond in these sorts of roles, and very few actors can toe such a line without it getting ridiculous, and not in a good way.
Stanley Tucci as Brikowski and Peter Outerbridge as Dombrowski
Peter and Stanley play cops, and work as a team to try and foil all of the people who are doing nefarious deeds in this film. Stanley’s obviously the standout, as he pretty much always is, regardless of the role.
Couch-Sharing Capability: Adults Only
Bring a crime movie, Lucky Number Slevin includes a lot of death and abuse. (There are also a couple of semi-explicit sex scenes.) It’s not a movie for anyone squeamish about blood or bad language. It’s not overly graphic or obscene, but it’s definitely not a good movie to watch with kids in the vicinity. Additionally, kids probably wouldn’t understand a lot of what happens in the movie, as it’s a bit hard to follow (purposefully; it adds to the story) at times.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Something to Sip
Lucky Number Slevin is a twisty, turny movie filled with unexpected moments. It’s the kind of movie that asks you to pay attention from the very first moments, and if you look away for more than a minute, you might miss something important. I wouldn’t suggest using this movie as a time to get sloshed, but I do feel like crime thrillers go well paired with something a little harder, something that gangsters might drink and/or offer the people they’re threatening to “send to the fishes.” So take that advice as you will.
Use of Your Netflix Subscription: Excellent
The first time I watched this movie, I had few expectations—and was blown away by how crazy it was. Although I remembered most of what happened, upon watching it again for this post I still really enjoyed the many twists and turns. It’s a fast-paced, violent, smart movie that anyone who likes crime thrillers, particularly the quirky kind, should see.
