A movie that tries but doesn’t fully succeed, 21 Bridges both compliments and condemns our police simultaneously. On one side, the movieʻs hero, a ruthless homicide detective Andre Davis, is close to what some would call a “perp whisperer”. On the other hand, Davis manages to kill almost one criminal every case, or even month. He also shows no remorse for these kills on the job, as “they all deserved their fates”.

Davis’s abilities would be tested when a city-wide conspiracy unfolds. After a botched cocaine heist went south, the perpetrators make their escape by shooting and killing eight police officers. Davis calls for action accordingly by ordering a blockade of Manhattan, and he and his co-workers in blue only have one night to find these criminals before the city collapses. 

The film’s later stages promote the ideas of a police force riddled with corrupt cops,  placing Davis in the position of being the only “good cop” left. Although this movie entails the former events needed to derive a good film, the events that take place later in the movie are made in an attempt to create an abundance of tension by moving very fast. Also, the righteous profile that is taken on by Detective Davis comes to limit his potential to be a stronger character. Overall, this movie proves well with its many action-packed scenes but fails at times to deliver on what the creators had hoped for.