21 Bridges (2019)

21 Bridges is a solid cat and mouse action thriller with a strong cast, a fun premise, and a satisfying run. While the film likely won't throw you for any loops as its story is rather predictable, the route to get there is entertaining and fun. For an average time at the movies, 21 Bridges manages to be pretty good.

Interestingly the movie's title, referring to the gimmick introduced in the trailer, has very little to do with the story. Yes the NYPD close off Manhattan while they search for the criminals but the film does little to nothing with that for something that is such a big part of the promotional material and is the name of the frickin movie for crying out loud. As the story went on I kept waiting for that plot point to be relevant and it never got there.

Instead the film skims the surface of some rather of the moment social issues and ends up falling in line with some pretty well trod cop movie cliches. But the film's cast are all strong making the story a fun watch as they get into their roles. Stephen James and Sienna Miller in support roles are both are extremely gorgeous and both are just as talented, but it is Chadwick Boseman and J.K. Simmons who light up the cinema with their chemistry and screen presence.

So 21 Bridges is a solid popcorn film. Could it have been more? Likely. There is potential in this plot to make a deeper dive into the issues the film raises. There was a small part of me that wished it had reached a little higher. But in the end, I was entertained and wasn't disappointed.

21 Bridges
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Sienna Miller, Stephen James, J.K. Simmons, Tayler Kistch, Keith David
Director: Brian Kirk
Writers: Adam Mervis, Matthew Michael Carnahan