Raycevick's Recommendations: Payback (1999) (Patreon)

I'm all for mindfuck movies.

But sometimes, I also want something simple, digestible, and fun, which is exactly what Payback from 1999 is. This movie has been dubbed in some circles as the unofficial Max Payne movie, and it's easy to see why. Film noire narration, a character taking bullets like punches, and a serious situation that's displayed with tongue firmly in cheek.

While this film won't be providing anybody a two hour analysis piece, it is seriously refreshing to see criminal characters be true criminals; irredeemable assholes who view the world through their lines and nobody else's, including our """"""""hero""""""".

Be full warned, there's two versions of this film, the original 1999 theatrical cut, and the director's cut released in 2006 dubbed "Straight Up." This is a situation where the director was in the wrong, and the studio was in the right. The film is far too simple yet absurd to play it completely seriously from start to finish. The theatrical cut is much more fun and plays to the films strengths, that being its characters, tone, and determined nature of our main character.