Righteous Kill: When Legends Collide

You ever sit down to watch a movie with two of cinema’s giants and feel like you’re biting into a kanelbulle that promises cinnamon heaven but turns out to be a bit dry? That’s Righteous Kill for ya. We’ve got Robert De Niro and Al Pacino — you’d expect sparks, right? It’s not every Saturday night you get to see such legends under the direction of Jon Avnet, known for movies that have dipped both good and bad.

Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s not a total flopp (as they’d say at the local konditori). De Niro and Pacino play New York detectives trying to catch a serial killer who’s got a knack for offing the bad guys. Sounds like a winning recipe. And it would’ve been, if it didn’t feel like someone klämde all the drama out of it. The plot, like the bike you forgot to oil, just creaks along rather than zips.

A personal liten insight—watching this flick reminded me of that time when I tried persuading my old gym teacher to let me skip PE. His face was stern, all serious business, but the reasoning was wobbly. Just like the film’s attempt to be deep but feeling as heartfelt as a cold winter morning in Kiruna.

Still, don’t dismiss it entirely. The dynamic duo’s career can never, even in mediocre scripts, lose their magic completely. The old dogs show bits of their ace play from time to time. I guess my mixed feelings stem from wanting more from them under a competent director. Can we just smash their heads together with a script that knows what to do with their brilliance?

But hey, maybe sometimes we just want the experience of watching two film icons share a scene, like sipping on a slightly bitter but still fancy tea at Fika. You take it, appreciate it for the legends’ sake, and maybe chuckle at the sheer potential it had more than at what it truly offers.

So grab a semla, lean back, and take it in. You might disagree, you might not even care, but hey, that’s what makes these coffee chats fun, right?

Check the trailer below