Bryan Cranston hops to the other side of the drug war in The Infiltrator, portraying a real-life U.S. Customs official working undercover to take down Pablo Escobar’s cartel. With partners played by John Leguizamo and Diane Kruger, their plan is to follow the money, so expect more moving chess pieces than big action scenes.
The danger of being found out will be a constant source of tension, but there’s also fun to be had with all the excess they are surrounded by. It’s a lot for Cranston and all the other actors to chew on, and the ‘80s setting will let them do it all with awesome mustaches and eye-popping wardrobes.
The world around Pablo Escobar is ripe with stories, which is probably inevitable when you lead one of the most profitable crime organizations ever. Still, we’re in a bit of an Escobar renaissance at the moment, with multiple projects about the man’s escapades being released including this film, Escobar: Paradise Lost, the Netflix series Narcos, and even a project stuck in development hell with Leguizamo set to star as the cartel leader. Perhaps it’s a Breaking Bad effect, or maybe people just love their flashy bad boys.
Either way, The Infiltrator doesn’t look like it’s trying to break the mold. The trailer shows a parade of scenarios that will be familiar to anyone who enjoys crime thrillers, and director Brad Furman has built his career on solid movies like this. The slow-burn tension should be nice counter-programming to big summer action, and Cranston will bring his loyal followers. This could easily be a sleeper hit if it finds its footing in theaters.
The Infiltrator is directed by Brad Furman and stars Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, and Diane Kruger. It will be released in the U.S. on July 13th, 2016 and in the U.K. on September 16th, 2016. For international release dates, click here.
How do you think The Infiltrator will stack up against similar projects? Let us know in the comments!
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