'The Narrows' review

Kevin Zegers (Credit: Cinedigm)

To finance photography school, Mike (Kevin Zegers) does deliveries for Brooklyn tough guys with mob connections and very limited senses of humor. Meanwhile, Mike puts off marriage with his girlfriend, Gina (Monica Keena), romances a fellow photography student (Sophia Bush) and helps out his dad (Vincent D'Onofrio).

The buzz: Sounds pretty generic, though some inspired casting finds Eddie Cahill ("Miracle," "Friends") playing Nicky Shades, a former football star who joined the army after 9/11 and teams up with Mike after returning home. Maybe "The Narrows" has authentic grit, or maybe it's just the same old thing.

The verdict: Both perfectly fine and nothing special, the well-acted movie coasts but never rises. The Black Keys-heavy soundtrack and an unglamorous look at day-to-day mob operations lend some edge, as does a cool yet detached performance from Cahill that suggests what Josh Hartnett could achieve if he had any degree of intensity. But ideas about post-9/11 attitudes and Mike's internal conflict never develop, and there's only so much mileage you can get out of the proper local pronunciation of "nay-buh-hood."

Did you know? Gina tells Mike that she promises to quit smoking—the day he proposes to her. You decide what's more hazardous to your health: cigarettes or a bad marriage.

Add a comment