A Review of ‘The 4 Points’: Cops and gangs go at each other in this fairly robust crime drama
A Los Angeles detective duo are drawn into a dangerous case involving friends and foes while investigating several gang-related murders.
‘The 4 Points’: Cops and gangs go at each other in this fairly robust crime drama
Cast: Dominique Marsell, Dustin Harnish, Ruben Pla, Dorien Wilson, Olga Aguilar, Adam Artea, Jeanine Harrington, Roger Razo, Shekinah Austria, Shawna Barbeau, Rodney Brewster, Omar Cook, Darrell M. Davie, Paul L. Davis, Jataun Gilbert, Jaime Gomez, Rolando Gonzalez, Paxton Kubitz, Anderson Lai, Chris Levine, Paul Logan, Aaron Lopez, Vincent Teixeira, Isaac Stackonis, Jonathan Sims
Critic’s Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5
Director: Raul Perez
Duration: 1 hour, 43 minutes
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller, Mystery
Language: English, Spanish
Release: 2025
What’s it about?
A Los Angeles detective duo are drawn into a dangerous case involving friends and foes while investigating several gang-related murders.
Review:
The 4 Points is a realistic portrayal of contemporary gang violence and police complicity that plagues downtown Los Angeles. Narrated with ambitious boldness, this convoluted crime drama is absorbing most of the time but descends into unnecessary sensationalism and melodrama. Still, the plot is well set up while presenting some intriguing themes. Will a couple of seasoned and honest cops be able to put an end to the ongoing carnage or will their tarnished pasts prove to be an impediment? Is the conflict only based on turf domination, drugs and blood money or are personal vendettas also at play? And to what extent does the line between Organised Crime and the Law get blurred?
The film opens with the tragic childhoods of two LA residents unbeknownst to each other– Dre and Shane. The egregious misdeeds and crime-related deaths of their parents turn these innocent boys into juvenile delinquents. But years later, Fate brings them (Dominique Marsell and Dustin Harnish) together as partners on the city’s police force. After several members of the dominant Hard Time Locos gang have been shot in the turbulent 4 Points area, LAPD Captain Al Hernandez (Ruben Pla) secretly tasks Dre and Shane to investigate. But even as they approach their old gang accomplices about the hit, no information is forthcoming. Then, when they are stalked and threatened by an unknown party, the duo shares their suspicions with the Capt. of a mole in their precinct. Earning the trust of possible witnesses becomes their modus operandi.
Next, the audience is introduced to a couple of errant detectives (Chris Levine and Vincent Teixeira) who appear to be setting up gang altercations and deliberately bumping off gang members. Meanwhile, Dre and Shane meet with a gangster named Cruzer (Roger Razo), who might prove to be a lead in the case. But during their rendezvous, secret gunmen open fire - resulting in the injury and hospitalisation of Shane. Now, with Dre left to crack the case alone, Capt. Hernadez contracts a former Special Service marine (Paul Logan) and a buddy to watch Dre’s back. Meanwhile, Dre interacts with a well-wisher philanthropist named Mr. Stephens (Dorien Wilson) and then gets a tip from his cousin Dyno about a hip-hop recording artist Chris AKA “King C” who might know about the killings. This, while a merciless mob kingpin named Chopper (Jaime Gomez) enters the fray.
The ensuing game of cat and mouse escalates with kidnappings, stand-offs, shoot-outs, murders and injuries involving persons on both sides of the Law. Director and co-writer Raul Perez tries to intersperse the mystery, suspense and violence with human stories of Dre and Shane’s relationship with their respective Better Halves (Olga Aguilar and Jeanine Harrington). But these interludes tend to bog down the film a tad. However, the revelation of a secret family history towards the film’s conclusion, along with shifting loyalties and double-crossings, makes the film’s pacing worthwhile. One is kept wondering whether Dre and Shane can count on the trust of old allies and whether the true culprits will be brought to justice.
Film buffs of the urban gang-related crime-drama genre might be reminded of mainstream classics like Colors (1988), LA Confidential (1997), Training Day (2001) and The Departed (2006) while watching this flick. However, inconsistent acting and some deficiency in story-telling might deprive The 4 Points a place alongside those movies. The cinematography and editing are moderately effective while the eclectic background music is oddly deployed at times - like when death metal embellishes an adolescents’ fistfight. But the film’s display of optimal game theory and the characters’ moral dilemmas in tense situations make for a complex and rewarding experience. If you want to arrive at a pretty compelling crime scene, The 4 Points is the place.
