Prime Video’s new action-thriller “Play Dirty” has a lot going for it. Directed by “Iron Man 3” filmmaker Shane Black, starring Mark Wahlberg and based on a best-selling series of novels, it’s easy to see this original being a success for the Amazon-owned streaming service. I won’t be surprised if it quickly ascends to the No. 1 spot in the platform’s top 10 most-watched list.
On the flipside, it’s definitely a movie that proves to be less than the sum of its solid parts, but with a narrative stuffed with double-crossing and an ambitious heist at its core, “Play Dirty” is an enjoyable mid-week distraction. I expect many subscribers will enjoy its entertaining hijinks, and in a year of underwhelming streaming flicks, that’s perhaps enough to be a success.
Even if “Play Dirty” doesn’t meet the heights of Shane Black’s previous efforts in this genre (The long desired follow-up to 2016’s “The Nice Guys”, this ain’t), it’s got a slick streak that’s enough to keep you hooked through its explosive finale, even if the middle portion drags. Here’s the full scoop on “Play Dirty.”
What is ‘Play Dirty’ about?
“Play Dirty” is the latest in a lengthy list of movies based on the “Parker” novel series by author Donald E. Westlake (written under the pseudonym Richard Stark). Previous actors who have brought the eponymous master criminal Parker to the screen include Robert Duvall, Mel Gibson and Jason Statham, but this time it’s Mark Wahlberg in the iconic role.
Opening on a bank robbery, Parker (Wahlberg) is betrayed by one of his crew members and left for dead (in a way that feels very reminiscent of the 2012 Bond film “Skyfall”). Seeking revenge on the double-crossing Zen (Rosa Salazar), he is convinced to spare her life when she offers him the chance to pull off an even more audacious heist with untold riches as the score.
Assembling a team, including LaKeith Stanfield’s Grofield (a fan-favorite figure from the Parker novels) and Keegan-Michael Key’s Ed Mackey, this heist puts Parker in direct conflict with a ruthless South American dictator, the New York mob and a powerful billionaire.
‘Play Dirty’ reviews — here’s what the critics say
“Play Dirty” only dropped on Prime Video today (Oct. 1), but reviews are already filtering through. The action-thriller currently holds a respectable 60% score on Rotten Tomatoes. This rating is by no means remarkable, but it’s quite the step up from Prime Video’s last tentpole action original, “The Pickup.” That Eddie Murphy vehicle earned a rather woerful 25% score.
“While this isn’t quite the stuff of vintage Black, it’s close enough that I wouldn’t mind seeing him crank another one out every two years for the next decade,” said IndieWire’s David Ehrlich. Meanwhile, William Bibbiani of TheWrap said, “The people who understand the assignment and did the homework are the real heroes,” but did note that “[Mark Wahlberg] is a comforting presence in a movie where his job was to intimidate.”
Benjamin Lee of The Guardian labeled “Play Dirty” a “blast” and a “breezy winner,” comparing the Prime Video original favorably to Wahlberg’s other recent efforts in this field, like “The Union” and “The Family Plan.” However, that’s a pretty low bar to clear, as those movies were real streaming stinkers. Frankly, “It’s better than ‘The Union’” is extremely faint praise.
On the less enthusiastic side of the scale was David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter, who said, “For almost the entire bloated two-hour run time, Black keeps his foot on the accelerator in the hope that audiences won’t notice the haphazard, barely logical plotting.”
Should you stream ‘Play Dirty’ on Prime Video?
Shane Black has great form in the action-thriller genre with “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” and “The Nice Guys,” so it’s a little disappointing that “Play Dirty” never reaches those heights. Nevertheless, it’s still a significant step up from his previous feature outing, 2018’s “The Predator,” which ranks as one of the most bewilderingly bad movies I’ve ever seen.
The seasonal holiday setting — now a Shane Black trademark — adds a pinch of novelty, because who doesn’t like their heist movies to be lit by Christmas lights? Plus, I’m just a sucker for an elaborate staged criminal plan in general. There’s something about watching a group plan a heist, execute it and adapt to unforeseen circumstances on the fly that never fails to delight, and “Play Dirty” certainly gets great mileage from this compelling story hook.
Wahlberg is the movie’s most recognizable star, but it’s LaKeith Stanfield who shines brightest. Black imbues “Play Dirty” with plenty of sharp humor (another of his trademarks), and Stanfield proves to be the most naturally charismatic of the crew. If anything, I’d love a sequel focused specifically on Stanfield’s Grofield, and considering some of the “Parker” novels have him as the protagonist, this wish may not be outside the realm of possibility.
The toughest pill to swallow is “Play Dirty’s” chunky two-hour runtime. Action moments and narrative-altering wrinkles are dished out at a constantly healthy pace, but the middle portion is prone to dragging, and a tighter execution could have helped in this regard. Nevertheless, “Play Dirty” does reward your patience with a final heist that entertainingly goes off the rails.
“Play Dirty’s” biggest crime might be that it’s not exactly memorable. It’s not a Prime Video movie that I see myself reflecting on, rewatching or recommending in the months to come. However, I felt my two hours in the company of Parker and pals were mostly well spent, and that’s certainly not a feeling that I’ve had with the majority of Prime’s movie output in 2025.
This new action-thriller from Shane Black is just the start of Prime Video’s slate this month. For a full rundown, here’s a guide to everything new on the service in October 2025. Or why not watch these three Prime Video action movies that you (probably) haven’t seen instead.
Watch “Play Dirty” on Prime Video now
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