Movie Review: ’21 Bridges’

Review by Monique Thompson

STARRING: Chadwick Boseman, Stephan James, Taylor Kitsch Sienna Miller, J.K. Simmons

After uncovering a massive conspiracy, an embattled NYPD detective joins a citywide manhunt for two young cop killers. As the night unfolds, he soon becomes unsure of who to pursue — and who’s in pursuit of him. When the search intensifies, authorities decide to take extreme measures by closing all of Manhattan’s 21 bridges to prevent the suspects from escaping.

I open this review with one word….A W E S O M E!

In 21 Bridges, Boseman portrays Andre, a trigger happy NYPD Detective who will stop at nothing to ensure criminals are brought to justice, dead or alive. While some cop/crime solving films can get a bit dry, 21 Bridges will grasp your attention from the opening scene where we see a young Andre attending his father’s funeral after he’s murdered while on duty as a cop.

Fast forward 19 years later to present day New York City, Andre is destined to find a couple of robbers who have caused a massive manhunt in the city, prompting the mayor to shut down all 21 bridges leading in and out of the city.

The main villains, Ray (Kitsche) and Michael (James) both portray strong supporting roles. Again, we see authenticity from James who shines as Michael, a young man that’s much more smarter than the criminal lifestyle he’s chosen to live. As the two men responsible for shutting down the city so to speak, their manhunt will uncover some major secrets that will leave Andre questioning whether or not everyone in the police department are who they appear to be.

From start to finish, backwards or forwards, 21 Bridges just made me get excited about seeing Boseman on the big screen again. Yes I get it, not too long ago we did see him in Avengers: Endgame but anytime Boseman isn’t in costume, it’s surely worth celebrating. The authenticity of his acting is exceptional and with his performance I wouldn’t be surprised if this warrants him another “super cop” role. 21 Bridges is a must see.