If you’re a fan of action-adventure heist movies, you may have already seen trailers for Play Dirty. The film, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video on Oct. 1, stars Mark Wahlberg, LaKeith Stanfield and Rosa Salazar as a gang of high-profile thieves looking to pull off a multi-billion dollar score. Along the way, the gang is antagonized by organized crime bosses, government officials, and even foreign heads of state, making their heist one of the largest in modern history. Play Dirty was written and directed by legendary filmmaker Shane Black – the mind behind such films as The Predator, The Nice Guys and Lethal Weapon. In his latest outing, Black manages to bring classic literary characters to life while showcasing some over-the-top gunfights, car chases and action set pieces.
If you’ve just finished watching Play Dirty on Prime and need a hand unpacking the high-octane plot, be sure to read ahead. We’ll outline the film’s characters, plot and thrilling conclusion, and see what we can learn about the future of the franchise. Be advised that there will be full spoilers for the movie ahead, so be sure to bookmark this page and return later if you haven’t finished watching just yet.
What book is ‘Play Dirty’ based on?
Play Dirty is based on the classic Parker novel series written by Donald E. Westlake under the pen name Richard Stark. The character has appeared in over 24 literary adventures spanning from 1962 through 2008, and has served as a major inspiration for Shane Black since the dawn of his career. Play Dirty is not specifically an adaptation of any one novel, though it does take inspiration and story beats from a variety of Parker adventures.
When asked about his obsession with Westlake’s works, Shane Black told Collider “There’s a kind of old-school sentiment, a feeling in the bones, that comes from when I read these books, I cut my teeth on this since I was literally nine, 10 years old, and this type of fiction, and the dance it represents between the author and the audience… It’s like a fine bourbon, this guy. He’s been writing for years. He died in 2008, and it’s a legacy that I get to be a part of. All these films that portrayed Parker in their various names, it’s our iteration of it.”
What happens in ‘Play Dirty’?
The narrative of Play Dirty opens on Mark Wahlberg’s Parker – a seasoned thief leading a band of burglars in a robbery of a racetrack count room. Together, Parker and his associates make off with millions in untraceable cash, though they are betrayed by their getaway driver, Zen.
Zen shoots the burglars, killing several of them, and makes off with the cash, leaving Parker with a major chip on his shoulder. Shortly thereafter, Parker reaches out to his associate and fellow thief, Grofield, who helps him track Zen down so they can exact revenge. When the duo catches up with Zen, however, they change their tune, as she explains how she used the money to finance a new heist worth billions of dollars. Zen explains that her country’s corrupt President De La Paz has uncovered a shipwreck with a lost treasure.
Apparently, De La Paz plans to unveil the treasure to the world during a UN council meeting, before selling it off for his own personal profit. Begrudgingly, Parker agrees to work together with his former driver in order to pay his friends’ widows with his share of the money. Zen and the gang begin recruiting a number of thieves and specialists to ensure the heist goes off without a hitch, and start growing closer as a trusting bond forms between them.
Unfortunately, a number of other interests have also made note of the sunken treasure, including organized criminals in New York and a paramilitary group from De La Paz’s own administration. To make matters worse, several elements of the heist go horribly awry, starting with one drunk burglar named Stan, who crashes the getaway truck and nearly destroys the transport train.
The heist of the century
Parker and his crew manage to just barely evade capture while making off with several massive shipping containers full of treasure. Unfortunately, when they break the locks and look inside, the crew learns that they have been outsmarted, as the treasure has been removed and replaced with rocks. They turn on Parker for a moment, blaming him for the double cross, until he reveals that there’s another treasure worth even more money being transported to New Jersey: The ship’s figurehead.
The gang quickly pivots and launches a new plan to snatch the figurehead, which is set to be sold to billionaire Phineas Paul. Parker kidnaps Phineas and learns where the figurehead is being stored, though the billionaire quickly alerts Lozini, the head of the local mob, to beat Parker to the punch.
Phineas and Lozini arrive at the holding facility just in time to see Parker’s men drive off with the figurehead. Lozini’s goons chase after them and manage to retrieve the idol before the crew can escape, though Phineas discovers that it’s actually just a replica. When he tells De La Paz that the original figurehead is missing, the warlord assumes Lozini’s crew has double-crossed him, causing a massive shootout between the mob and the foreign paramilitaries.
Lozini himself returns to the vault to investigate the figurehead’s disappearance, only to find that it’s still right where they left it. Parker emerges from the shadows, revealing that he was following Lozini to the real treasure all along, before killing him and making his escape.
How does ‘Play Dirty’ end?
Parker realizes that he can’t carry the figurehead out alone, though he refuses to leave it behind and let it fall into the wrong hands. Instead, he snatches the valuable jewels off the idol and blows the whole thing to smithereens with explosives, effectively eliminating any trace of his involvement in the heist.
De La Paz’s men and the mob take each other out, while Parker escapes under the cover of night. Some time later, Parker reveals to his crew that he was successful and splits the massive bounty of jewels with them. Zen offers to settle down and retire with Parker, but he flips the script on her and kills her, avenging his men from the racetrack heist. He then gives away all of his jewels to the families of his slain friends and returns to his simple life of crime alongside Grofield.
The story concludes in an open-ended fashion, meaning we could get the chance to see these characters again in the future. For now, Shane Black hasn’t said anything about a Play Dirty sequel, though it would make perfect sense considering the volumes of written material left to adapt. If fans are extremely receptive to this film, it could leave the studio with no choice but to continue the franchise, so be sure to share it with your friends if you’re starving for more high-octane heist adventures.
Is ‘Play Dirty’ worth watching?
If you’re familiar with Shane Black’s other films, you likely have some idea of what you’ll get from Play Dirty. This movie isn’t shattering any filmmaking barriers or paving the way for a new greatest franchise of all time, but it’s a perfectly serviceable action-adventure romp with some charismatic characters and humorous dialogue.
Critics seem to be split on the movie, leaving it with a middling Rotten Tomatoes score of just 46 percent at the time of this writing. At the end of the day, Play Dirty likely won’t be taking home any Academy Awards next year, but it will surely develop a following of hardcore action fans. The trailer does an excellent job of establishing the film’s tone and overall vibe, so be sure to take a temperature check by watching it before playing it at your next family movie night.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is considered Richard Stark’s best book?
Obviously, it’s impossible to nail down which of Richard Stark’s works are considered the best among his catalogue, since that’s a completely subjective opinion. Still, many fans agree that his 1962 debut, The Hunter, is one of his strongest works, as the novel introduces the Parker character and brings readers into the criminal underworld of New York. Other fans have highlighted follow-ups in the Parker series, such as The Outfit and The Score, as their favorite works.
Who is Zen in Play Dirty?
Zen is a former paramilitary leader turned criminal in Play Dirty, portrayed by Rosa Salazar. Before turning to heists to make her money, she was the head of a South American death squad. She is a highly complicated character, since her feelings toward Parker seem to be genuine at certain points in the film. She even saves his life at one point, despite letting one of her own high-ranking men die. Still, she is shown to have very few morals, in stark contrast to Parker’s stringent code of criminal ethics.
Where can I watch Play Dirty?
Play Dirty is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.