The Drop (2014)

The Drop highlights the criminal underworld of of Brooklyn, New York. Local gangster use covert schemes of funneling cash - "money drops" - in through seedy Brooklyn bars. After a robbery gone bad, local bartenders Bob (Tom Hardy) and Cousin Marv (James Galdolfini) find themselves entwined in an investigation that digs deep into the neighborhood's past and tries to uncover the truth of what's really going on.

The Drop is a bit of a slow burner, focusing on these characters and their motivations first and foremost. Once again, Tom Hardy proves why he is considered one of the better up and coming actors of today. With a more subdued role, he shows he has the range to take on anything. He's quickly moving up my list of favorite actors. Sadly, this is the last time we'll get to see the great James Gandolfini act again. Like always, he owns the screen and delivers another intense performance.

Written by famed crime novelist Dennis Lehane, The Drop has many similarities to some of his previous work (Shutter Island, Gone Baby Gone, Mystic River). He knows this genre well. Like many of his previous leads, Bob is another mysterious character living in a dark world.

Lehane shows he can handle a screenplay and I can't wait to see what else he has up his sleeve in the future. 

One of the highlights of the film is the atmosphere a The entire film vibrates with tension and suspense as we get deeper and deeper into these characters. We feel their desperation and their fears with every beat.

This is the type of film that is usually right up my alley.  While the atmosphere, mood, and direction are top notch, I felt the story was lacking. The plot and characters work great, but there could have been a little more build up and a little more detail.


Lehane adapted The Drop from his own short story "Animal Rescue." He took the premise and expanded it to a full feature length film. That may explain why some aspects of the story was lacking for me.

Still, The Drop is a fascinating character study centered around the world of the mob. The thin story is the only thing preventing it from being recognized as one of the best films of the year. Overall, it's still a great genre film.

(7.5/10)