59 - The Tax Collector: Ride or Die Till The Wheels Fall Off (Patreon)

Love. Honour. Loyalty. Family. 

These are the central tenets of David, played by Bobby Soto, and also the didactic opening titles of David Ayer's latest film, The Tax Collector. David and Creeper, played by the magnificent Shia LaBeouf, are tax collectors: middle managers for The Wizard who collect tithes from over forty street gangs in L.A.. When the balance of power in the city shifts, David must make hard choices and question his loyalities in the face of overwhelming odds. 

With a 22 Metascore and a seemingly "toxic" filmmaker at the helm, much of the criticism of this film comes from its depiction of Latinx characters and women. Are those critiques warranted? Do those simple good/bad representational critiques driving film criticism mean anything materially, or reflect how mainstream audiences view the film? And finally, is this movie good? I would say yes. 

Links:

Common Sense Media 

Mr. Criminal article | Variety 

Bobby Soto interview | LATV