Gangster Squad

Gangster Squad is currently streaming in Australia on Amazon Prime Video and Stan, and its case-by-case structure never gets in the way of the bigger story. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. Its 6/10 TMDB score, built from 4,272 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Josh Brolin leads a cast that carries the story without ever feeling mechanical. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Amazon Prime Video.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Gangster Squad earns its spot. The plotting in Gangster Squad is tight enough that the twists feel earned rather than assembled. Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and — if he has his way — every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2013. What makes Gangster Squad hold up is that the resolution matters less than how the characters get there. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Crime and mystery fans will find exactly what they are after in Gangster Squad. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Josh Brolin carries scenes that would sink a lesser production. The resolution feels inevitable rather than arbitrary, which is rarer than it sounds.