Spenser Confidential

2020 Netflix

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 51min

Action ~ Comedy ~ Drama

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Winston Duke, Alan Arkin, Iliza Shlesinger, Bokeem Woodbine, and Austin Post.

“Hawk, this is Spenser. Spenser, this is Hawk. You two are going to be roommates. Toilets are flushed at all times. Food is labelled. No fighting in the house, and if there’s going to be any drinking I instigate it. Now, I’d like you two to get to know each other.”

Spenser(Mark Wahlberg) is a Boston Police Sergeant being released from Prison for assaulting captain John Boylan. He had suspected Boylan of being involved in his friend Gloria Weisnewski’s murder. After doing five years he is released and his friend Henry Cimoli(Alan Arkin) picks him up and takes him to his house to stay for awhile. He immediately meets his new roommate “Hawk”(Winston Duke) who Henry is training to be a boxer.

The next day Captain Boylan is murdered and immediately Spenser becomes the prime suspect. Spenser becomes suspicious about the murder when an honest cop, Detective Terence Graham is found dead from an apparent suicide and looks like he was Boylan’s killer. Spenser, Henry and Hawk take it upon themselves to do some surveillance and investigating and as they do they uncover a conspiracy involving dirty cops, Trinitarios, Real Estate Development and Drugs.

I always try not to write any spoilers about how things happen or end in the movies I review so I won’t go any further in describing the rest of the story. It is full of action, plenty of comedy and lots of Drama. The relationship between Spenser and his (Ex)? girlfriend Cissy Davis(Iliza Shlesinger) is hilarious. Iliza Shlesinger is awesome as a “Southie” girl from south Boston. I love Winston Duke (who I just saw in The Fall Guy) as Hawk and the chemistry between Spenser, Hawk and Henry is contagious.

Spenser Confidential has a great soundtrack, opening up with Boston’s Foreplay/Long Time

in a kicking prison fight scene, and features plenty of other Boston specific Rock bands. The story was based on a novel called “Wonderland” by Ace Atkins. I love this movie. I’ve seen it probably half a dozen times and I’d watch it again. I guess that makes it one of my favorites.