When looking at John Hillcoat’s small, but solid filmography, the words “bleak” and “violent” typically come to mind. Honestly, it’s hard to think of any other words that can adequately describe Hillcoat’s past directorial efforts like The Road or The Proposition, both of which deal with the astonishingly evil things people are capable of committing. In keeping with that brutal trend of showing the absolute worst aspects of humanity, the first official trailer for Hillcoat’s next film, Triple 9 (a film that shows the absolute worst aspects of humanity), has been released online. Along with tackling the subject of urban crime and police corruption, Triple 9 stars Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Gal Gadot, Norman Reedus, Teresa Palmer and a very intimidating Kate Winslet.
In Triple 9, a crew of dirty cops is blackmailed by the Russian mob to execute a virtually impossible heist, and the only way to pull it off is to manufacture a 999, a police code for “officer down.” Their plan is turned upside down when the unsuspecting rookie, Chris Allen (Affleck), foils the attack, triggering a breakneck action-packed finale tangled with double-crosses, greed and revenge.
Being red-band, the trailer features a number of particularly violent images, including one scene that shows several decapitated heads lined up across the hood of a cop car. This, along with a child’s eerie reciting of “This Little Pig,” pretty much encapsulates just how disturbing and down-right dirty Triple 9 is prepared to get. We’re also briefly introduced to the cast, though much of the focus is placed firmly on Harrelson and Affleck, with Harrelson playing the grizzled veteran and Affleck as the young, naïve new recruit. Though the trailer exceptionally showcases Triple 9’s atmosphere and viciousness, it’s hard not to shake the feeling that the film is retreading familiar ground often seen in many crime and police corruption tales. “Bad cops conspiring against the good cop” is an all-too-familiar story we’ve seen countless times in hundreds of movies, books and comics. Despite this, it’s hard not to be at least interested in what Hillcoat is offering, especially with so many talented people involved
Triple 9 makes its way to theaters February 19, 2016.
