I am a sucker for film noir and neo-noir. The stories are compelling and the cinematography is visually striking, so I very much looked forward to reviewing Bad Detectives. There are charming moments, but these few moments could not propel the film beyond its struggles with confusing story elements and lack of character connection.  

Bad Detectives takes on a very neo-noir vibe. Nic O’Connell (Freya Tingley) and Ping Liu (Dralla Aierken) have been reunited to mourn their grandfathers, who were both friends and detectives. Forced to reconcile their difficult history, the pair go on the hunt to solve the mystery behind their grandfathers’ murder. As they inch towards truth, the new detective duo comes across a myriad of adversaries determined to end their short stint as private eyes.  

The protagonists with complicated pasts and dark visuals, bring the noir genre to life. The film concludes with a very classic film noir ending, however, it feels out of place in such a modern tale. Much of this movie takes on a “square peg round hole” vibe and many elements (which are independently awesome) are confusing when combined together. 

Some plot points felt half-baked and the entire story’s connectedness was murky. From the mysteriously forced foreclosure to the “shadow emperor” crime boss, to the unscrupulous art dealer, shady politicians, and mysterious Guanyin statue. There were so many story ideas thrown at the wall and unfortunately, most of them don’t stick. 

Nic and Ping’s introduction felt forced. The idea was solid, there was nothing organic about the execution. These characters and their relationship don’t ever seem to grow. There is no deeper exploration into Ping and Nicole’s troubled backgrounds and why there is so much tension between them. Without some obvious progression, audiences are left feeling unconnected to the characters and their journey. 

The chemistry between Ping and Nic is stiff at first (and this has nothing to do with the strained nature of their relationship). As they fall into their characters things get a little more comfortable, but there is still always an atmosphere of distance that prevents the two heroines from convincing audiences that they have a long and close history. 

Bad Detectives would make a great mini-series. Shorter episodes that can focus on the adventures of Ping and Nic as they step into the roles their grandfathers laid out for them would be such a fun watch. As a feature film, it managed to have too much and too little at the same time. 

This film features some spectacular lighting choices Neon reflections and dark shading a la classic film noir was a visual delight. That being said, some moments were so dark that seeing the characters (and their reactions) became difficult and really took away from the impact of the scene unfolding. 

Overall, I like the story of Bad Detectives. Two girls with a tumultuous past are forced to solve the murder of their grandfathers and stumble into a buddy cop/detective duo deal…that is a breeding ground for some funny banter, awesome action sequences, and epic one-liners. However, Bad Detectives couldn’t quite stick the landing, despite the film’s promise. 

4 out of 10