Spenser Confidential (2020)

Spenser Confidential is the kind of movie that wins you over by refusing to pretend it’s anything other than a good-time, Boston-flavored action-comedy with a mischievous grin. Peter Berg keeps the pace brisk and the tone irreverent, letting Mark Wahlberg’s scrappy, half-wiseguy detective energy bounce beautifully off Winston Duke’s cool, formidable presence and Alan Arkin’s lived-in charm. The mystery gives the punches and wisecracks somewhere to land, but the real pleasure is the cast chemistry and the movie’s confidence in being breezy, funny, and satisfyingly rough around the edges. If you’re looking for a deep, twisty thriller, this may feel light—but if you want an entertaining, undemanding ride with attitude, it delivers.

Spenser Confidential is clearly trying to be a rough-and-ready Boston buddy-cop romp with a side of conspiracy thriller, anchored by Mark Wahlberg’s familiar tough-guy charm and Winston Duke’s likable presence. The problem is it feels like a warmed-over cable movie: the mystery is predictable, the tone wobbles between grim violence and jokey banter, and the comedy rarely lands hard enough to justify calling it a comedy. If you’re hoping for a sharp, clever whodunit or a fresh spin on the genre, this will likely feel dated and on autopilot. Still, if you just want undemanding fights, some Boston attitude, and a couple of enjoyable character moments, it’s passable background entertainment.