Violence Without Real Stakes

MOVIE REVIEW
A Gangster's Life
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Genre: Crime, Comedy
Year Released: 2026
Runtime: 1h 33m
Director(s): Zak Fenning
Writer(s): Roy Rivett
Cast: Tony Cook, Jonny Weldon, Rina Lipa, Tomi May, Christina Gkioka, Bradley Turner
Where to Watch: on digital January 19, 2026

RAVING REVIEW: What happens when a crime film is more in love with the idea of danger than the consequences that are supposed to come with it? A GANGSTER’S LIFE wants to kick the door open with confidence. From the first moments, it makes its intentions obvious, leaning hard into the image of the modern British gangster film, the kind that thrives on penetrating dialogue, fast cuts, and characters who believe they are far cleverer than they actually are. The problem is that confidence alone doesn’t equate to authority, and this film often mistakes surface-level ‘cool’ for actual control over tone, story, and consequences.

A love of the genre is clear in Zak Fenning’s feature directorial debut. That affection is visible in the way scenes are staged, in the cadence of the banter, and in the film’s eagerness to remind viewers of the crime movies that shaped it. Unfortunately, that balancing act rarely holds. Instead of carving out its own personality, A GANGSTER’S LIFE frequently settles for imitation, borrowing the language of other films without understanding why those choices worked in the first place.

The story centers on two low-level scammers who stumble into trouble far beyond their depth. On paper, that has some potential. Crime stories thrive when arrogance meets reality, when small players are crushed under systems they never fully grasp. Here, though, the escalation feels rushed and oddly weightless. Threats are introduced, but they don’t linger. Violence exists, but it rarely lands with emotional impact. Even when lives supposedly hang in the balance, the film struggles to convince you that real consequences are coming.

Tony Cook and Jonny Weldon do what they can with the material. There’s a natural contrast between their characters that suggests a deeper dynamic than what ultimately appears on screen. Their chemistry carries several scenes, especially when the script allows them to bounce off one another rather than forcing them into genre clichés. You can sense a better, leaner film trying to emerge whenever their performances are allowed to breathe. Unfortunately, those moments are often undercut by pacing choices that prioritize movement over meaning.

Rina Lipa’s feature debut is one of the film’s more interesting elements, not because it reinvents the genre, but because she brings a presence that feels less performative than many of the surrounding characters. Her role is written as dangerous and intimidating, but she avoids leaning entirely into caricature. That restraint helps, even if the film doesn’t always know what to do with her beyond positioning her as another piece of the criminal chessboard. There’s promise here, but the script never digs deep enough to turn that promise into something memorable.

Tomi May’s gangster figure is emblematic of the film’s larger issues. He’s introduced as vicious and unpredictable, yet the film repeatedly softens him by refusing to follow through on the danger it implies. This is where A GANGSTER’S LIFE falters most. It wants the aesthetics of menace without the discomfort. Characters threaten and sneer, but the narrative keeps pulling back just before anything truly unsettling can happen. As a result, the criminal world on display feels more theatrical than threatening.

Fenning’s background as a cinematographer is evident in the framing and lighting choices, and there’s a clear desire to make the film look polished. That, however, becomes a double-edged sword. Everything looks controlled, but very little feels raw. Crime films benefit from friction, from moments that feel ugly or unplanned. Here, even chaos feels rehearsed. The humor also struggles to find its footing. Much of the humor relies on familiarity, expecting recognition to do the work rather than crafting genuinely surprising moments. When the comedy does work, it’s usually because of delivery rather than writing.

What ultimately holds A GANGSTER’S LIFE back is its reluctance to commit. It doesn’t fully embrace darkness, nor does it push its comedy far enough to compensate. It wants to be breezy and brutal at the same time, but it rarely allows either side to dominate. That middle-ground approach leaves the film feeling strangely hollow, like a highlight reel stitched together without the connective tissue that gives a story weight.

As a debut, it shows confidence and an understanding of genre language. There’s talent behind the camera and flashes of potential in front of it. But potential isn’t enough. Crime films live and die by tension, by the sense that mistakes matter and violence carries a cost. Here, everything feels too safe, too rehearsed, too eager to remind you of other movies rather than trusting itself.

A GANGSTER’S LIFE isn’t without entertainment value. It moves quickly, looks nice, and occasionally offers a spark of personality. But it never digs deep enough to justify its ambitions. What’s left is a film that wants to be cool more than it wants to be honest, and that choice ultimately limits its impact.

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[photo courtesy of MIRACLE MEDIA]

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