Jim Davis is an ex-Army Ranger who finds himself slipping back into his old life of petty crime after a job offer from the LAPD evaporates. His best friend is pressured by his girlfriend Sylvia to find a job, but Jim is more interested in hanging out and making cash from small heists, while trying to get a law enforcement job so he can marry his Mexican girlfriend.
Acting
Bale's Jim is a live wire of charm and menace.
Writing
Dialogue so natural it feels improvised, dangerously so.
Direction
Ayer turns LA into a pressure cooker with no release valve.
Director
David Ayer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Bale went full method, staying in Jim's chaotic headspace between takes and terrifying the crew. The 'vinegar' keyword refers to a real improvised scene where Jim drinks it straight.
Ayer based this on his own South Central experiences; it's essentially his autobiography of watching friends self-destruct post-service. The film bombed because audiences wanted Bale heroic, not horrifying.
US
