Kyle (Liam Hemsworth) and Swin (Clark Duke) are drug runners working for a boss they have never met face to face. All they know about their boss is that he (or she) goes by the nickname of “Frog”. Whoever Frog is, it’s quite apparent they have several strict rules which should never be messed with or ignored. Not only that, Frog has many people who are working under them as drug runners like Kyle and Swin. As the film opens up, audiences who watch this film will have two critical questions. Who is Frog? And which characters can be trusted?

While Kyle and Swin obey the rules and carry out requests from Frog, they naturally have desires to one day move up in the world or take life to the next level. But unfortunately for Kyle and Swin, their world is turned upside down when a drug deal goes unexpectedly wrong. Kyle and Swin understand that the consequences can be deadly unless they can work out something else before Frog discovers the truth and serves out the severe consequences.

For those who are not aware, this film is a directional debut by Clarke Duke. Clark Duke not only serves as the film’s director but he’s also credited as the film writer. But wait, there’s more! Clark Duke is paired up next to Liam Hemsworth as a fellow actor in this film (Swin). It’s quite an impressive workload for this feature debut. Speaking of actors, this film also includes John Malkovich, Michael Kenneth Williams & Vince Vaughn. I truly enjoyed seeing actor Vince Vaughn in this crime story. His presence was extremely pleasing.

The style and pacing of this film does feel familiar. Many characters are introduced during the first act, and the fact Frog is kept as a mysterious character make it clear that the film is trying to hook its audience with a few mysteries. What may seem slightly confusing at first does thankfully pay off in the long run. The film gives plenty of screen time to the many different characters. It even provides some backstories for some of them which was also a pleasant surprise and critical for character developments. The film is divided into chapters with a title for each chapter- something which also feels familiar as it is something director Quentin Tarantino would have done.

As for negatives, I do sadly have a couple of elements to share with my readers. Most issues I have with this film relate to filming issues. Some shots in this film (particularly around the first act) appear quite blurry. Another problem in regards to filming was the error of reflections which showed a cameraman and crew in Liam Hemsworth’s sunglasses. While these seem like minor issues, they were distracting as an audience member. As this is a directional debut I assume this is something the director will improve in future. As the leading man, Liam Hemsworth’s character felt slightly uninteresting at times and somewhat monotone to me.

Overall, The Crime Boss delivers what I feel is an exciting story which takes some effort to get in motion. As a directional debut, there is something refreshingly different about this film, and I think the director was quite passionate about crime stories. The performance by Vince Vaughan was also a highlight as the funny man proves yet again that he can provide a gripping performance. Those who are seeking a “Quentin Tarantino” type crime film should most certainly take note and seek this film out.

4.9/10

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Review Written by Peter Walkden