SPENSER CONFIDENTIAL Spoiler-Free Review; "Mark Wahlberg And Winston Duke Steal The Show"

SPENSER CONFIDENTIAL Spoiler-Free Review; "Mark Wahlberg And Winston Duke Steal The Show"

Spenser Confidential pairs up Mark Wahlberg (Uncharted) and Winston Duke (Black Panther) for a fun crime caper from director Peter Berg, but is it work taking the time to check out? Here's our verdict...

Review Opinion
By JoshWilding - Mar 06, 2020 05:03 AM EST
Filed Under: Netflix
Mark Wahlberg and director Peter Berg have previously worked together on Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, Patriots Day, and Mile 22, but they're making the leap from the big screen to the small one for new Netflix movie Spenser Confidential. Based loosely on the novel Wonderland by Ace Atkins, and using the names of characters created by Robert B. Parker in his series of novels about fictional private detective Spenser, this latest Wahlberg/Berg team-up is a fun opening chapter for what could be a successful new franchise.

Spenser is an ex-cop who is finally freed from prison after attempting to bust some dirty cops five years earlier. As he tries to piece his life back together, he meets Hawk (Winston Duke), and they team-up to uncover a conspiracy tied to the one that landed Spenser behind bars, all while trying to clear the name of an innocent man. If the premise sounds familiar, it's probably because it's one we've seen countless times in a multitude of films over the years, and while there's nothing here that will really stick with you from that overarching story, it's the performances from Wahlberg and Duke which help make the film something special. They have a lot of chemistry together, and the former is once again at his best while showing off his comedic chops. Duke, meanwhile, is an absolute badass, and Hawk is a character it's a lot of fun to spend time with (if anything, the film needed more of him). 

Alan Arkin, Iliza Shlesinger, and Bokeem Woodbine deliver strong supporting turns, but Marc Maron fails to make much of an impact in a forgettable supporting role. While Spenser Confidential is very much Wahlberg and Duke's film, it's disappointing that more time isn't spent fleshing out this supporting cast, but then again, that is what sequels are for!

Oh, and make no mistake about it, this movie is pretty much begging for a sequel by the time all is said and done. Honestly, you'll want to see one too, because there's definitely potential here for more stories, and while this first effort is a little rough around the edges, there's time for that to be smoothed out moving forward. Perhaps the biggest problem with Spenser Confidential is the fact it's never entirely sure what it wants to be; while it's billed as an "action-comedy," it jumps very drastically between the two tones. In one moment, Spenser is fighting off a dog in an undeniably hilarious brawl, but in the next, we're seeing a woman's corpse in the trunk of a car and spending time with a widow who just lost her husband. It feels like it's never entirely sure what it wants to be, and if a follow-up does happen, that's something Berg needs to figure out.

Still, if you're looking for something non-Disney related to watch at home this weekend as Onward is conjured into theaters, then you could do worse than Spenser Confidential. It's funny, action-packed, and boats two awesome performances from its leads, and definitely one of Netflix's better originals. 
 
A fun if somewhat forgettable ride, Mark Wahlberg and Winston Duke steal the show in Spencer Confidential, and we definitely wouldn't say no to getting to watch this duo solve more mysteries in the not too distant future. 

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SuperCat
SuperCat - 3/6/2020, 5:20 AM
"Mark Wahlberg And Winston Duke Steal The Show"

WakandaManAreU
WakandaManAreU - 3/6/2020, 5:32 AM
How do they steal the show when the movie is about them?
SuperCat
SuperCat - 3/6/2020, 5:38 AM
@WakandaManAreU - LOL.
QuietStorm
QuietStorm - 3/6/2020, 5:39 AM
@WakandaManAreU -
Origame
Origame - 3/6/2020, 6:12 AM
@WakandaManAreU - you can steal from yourself...right?
GhostDog
GhostDog - 3/6/2020, 6:01 AM
Sounds like something fun to watch on a quiet Sunday afternoon on the couch
Tpo81
Tpo81 - 3/6/2020, 6:03 AM
Never seen the 2 leads of a movie steal the show.Thats insane
jparr2
jparr2 - 3/6/2020, 6:24 AM
This was tried... in the 80s and early 90's

it was meh..

Chewtoy
Chewtoy - 3/6/2020, 6:50 AM
This seems to bear little to no relation to the novels or the prior adaptations, and dumbed down a lot.

On the other hand, Winston Duke might just be cool enough to take over from Avery Brooks.

GhostDog
GhostDog - 3/6/2020, 6:59 AM
@Chewtoy - Brooks has one of the coolest voices ever
bigdannymac
bigdannymac - 3/6/2020, 7:03 AM
No offense here ..

But how do the two leads of a movie steal the show? I understand wanting to highlight the performances of the leads or the chemistry .. but it's 'expected' that the lead or leads of a movie .. carry the movie.

Side characters or cameos, heck even scenery or the soundtrack can steal the show

Just thoughts for the next article 👍
SuperCat
SuperCat - 3/7/2020, 11:17 AM
I watched this last night. It's actually pretty good.
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