Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo Square Off in One of the Most Violent Assassin Thrillers Ever Made

Gerard Butler has been king of the action movie realm for quite some time, but that doesn’t mean he can’t share the title. Since the actor’s breakout success in Zack Snyder’s 300, Butler has become somewhat of a beloved fixture in the high-octane genre of film. His real gift, however, is with comedy, as evidenced by Guy Ritchie’s woefully underappreciated film, RocknRolla.

Luckily, he has a chance to do it again in the 2021 film, Copshop. The movie takes place entirely at a police station where three characters find themselves in each other’s crosshairs. Butler is joined by fellow icon Frank Grillo, who gained appreciation in the genre for The Purge films. Copshop unifies the two actors who do well with humor in the action-packed team-up.

‘Copshop’ is a Delightful Throwback

The B-movie genre has its place in pop culture, but there is something to be said about a high-concept action movie with style. Copshop premiered in 2021 with little fanfare, but it is finally getting its due. The film pairs two action stars together who appear to be having the time of their lives. Frank Grillo stars as Teddy Murretto, a con artist who knows his ticket is about to be punched. In a desperate attempt to escape his fate, he punches rookie cop, Valerie Young (Alexis Louder), so he can be deliberately thrown in jail.

He isn’t the only one with this inspired idea. Hitman Bob Viddick (Gerard Butler) is close on his tail and gets thrown in the jail cell opposite him under the pretense of drunk driving. So begins the battle of wits as Teddy tries to bargain for the lives of his ex and his son, who Bob assures him will be killed if he doesn’t comply. Copshop moves at a breakneck pace to get to the conclusion with a runtime in under two hours.

This runtime ensures that no one is around chewing the fat, but instead gets right to the point. Copshop moves confidently from one scene to another, never wasting any time. This adds to the enjoyment of the film, keeping viewers engaged the whole way through. It also has the style of a '60s throwback in a film that doesn’t put constraints on any of the characters. Teddy and Bob are allowed to be as brutal as possible because they live on the fringes of the law.

Even the rookie, Valerie, doesn’t hesitate to wield her power. Her love of her single-action revolver is more than vanity. It’s something that she’s good at. When she, Teddy, and Bob are all stuck in the same place with no escape routes, the bullets start to really fly. Copshop doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is exactly what movie-goers need right now. The film doesn’t require any outside effort on the part of the viewer. They can just sit back and enjoy the escapist entertainment that the movie provides. It doles out humor and high-stakes action in equal measure, which helps explain why the film is among Netflix’s most-watched films.

Release Date September 9, 2021

Runtime 108 minutes

Director Joe Carnahan

Writers Joe Carnahan, Kurt McLeod, Mark Williams

Producers Frank Grillo, Gerard Butler, Tai Duncan, Alan Siegel, Warren T. Goz, Mark Williams, James Masciello, Eric Gold, Joe Carnahan