Narc

2002 Action/Adventure

Suspended from the police force following an undercover drug bust gone horribly awry, Detroit undercover narcotics officer Nick Tellis (Jason Patric) is reluctantly goaded back into active duty in hopes that he can help to crack the case of a slain fellow officer. Promised reinstatement in the force in exchange for his efforts, Tellis is paired with the victim's volatile ex-partner Henry Oak (Ray Liotta) and soon begins to actively seek the killer in an increasingly complex case. A recent father whose wife fears for her husband's safety and begs him not to take back to the dangerous streets, Tellis struggles with his conscience as he navigates a twisting road of half-realized truths, shifting loyalties and questionable agendas. With every step closer to Tellis gets to solving the troubling murder, he grows farther away from his wife and newborn son, and edges ever closer to a resolution so complicated that it threatens to devour his soul and shatter every preconceived difference he has ever made between cop and criminal. more..

Director: Joe Carnahan

Starring: Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Chi McBride, Busta Rhymes, Richard Chevolleau

Reviews

  • Narc is as cop movie as a cop movie can be.

    Lisa Schwarzbaum - Entertainment Weekly

    26 April 2013

  • The investigation itself must remain undescribed here. But its ending is a neat and ironic exercise in poetic justice.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    26 April 2013

  • A no-bull throwback to 1970s action films. It zips along with B-movie verve while adding the rich details and go-for-broke acting that heralds something special.

    Peter Travers - Rolling Stone

    26 April 2013

  • This may be the most uncompromisingly raw police drama since "Across 110th Street," starring Anthony Quinn and Yaphet Kotto.

    Mike Clark - USA Today

    26 April 2013

  • With such skilled filmmaking and committed acting on display, Narc is far more a score than a bust.

    Mark Caro - The Chicago Tribune

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Best Casting for Feature Film, Independent

    Casting Society of America (2003)

     
  • Joe Carnahan

    Cognac Festival du Film Policier (2002)

  • Best Independent

    Golden Trailer Awards (2002)

     
  • Best Cinematography

    Independent Spirit Awards (2003)

     
  • Best Actor in a Supporting Role

    Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards (2003)