David Ayer‘s new film, The Tax Collector, stars Shia LaBeouf and Bobby Soto who play collectors for a gang lord who takes a cut of every illicit gang transaction in South Central.
LaBeouf famously had his entire torso tattooed for the role, though there’s some question about how much of the tattoo (which pays tribute to his parents) is real and how much was temporary.
In a year of limited film releases, The Tax Collector is one of the worst-reviewed movies of the year.
Here is a sampling of the reviews
The New York Times: The movie is “bloody, barely coherent and about as fun as having your face dragged across asphalt from a moving SUV.”
The Los Angeles Times: “One of the most atrocious viewing experiences of the year, The Tax Collector relies on a trite visual language built on obvious flashbacks and bland imagery that match the unimaginatively dreadful writing where every Latino in sight is a gangster.”
IndieWire: The film is “a slog of vulgar threats and violent outbursts,” adding that it trades “substance for anger until the credits bring some measure of peace.”
Thrillist: “At various points, Ayer uses a cross-cutting editing technique that renders scenes almost incoherent, plugging intrusive flashbacks into moments that don't necessarily need them. As the body count rises, confusion sets in.”
Variety: “Bloody, barely coherent and about as fun as having your face dragged across asphalt from a moving SUV.”
The Wrap: “It trots out a lot of posturing and a lot of gang-movie clichés but flails instead of giving us much reason to care.”
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