Harvey Keitel is the Bad Lieutenant. Bleak but brilliant.

Okay, okay, so I finally got around to watching Abel Ferrara's "Bad Lieutenant" (1992). I know, I know, I'm late to the party! But wow. Just...wow. I mean, Harvey Keitel is absolutely terrifying and mesmerizing all at once. I've seen him in so many roles, but this is something else. The sheer desperation and moral decay he embodies is just gut-wrenching. You can smell the sweat, the booze, the shame emanating from the screen. And the scene in the church? When he's basically begging Jesus for forgiveness while simultaneously plotting his next score? Chills. Honest to god, chills. I know some people find it too nihilistic, too exploitative with the rape plotline, but I think Ferrara is trying to show us something really ugly about human nature. How easily we can rationalize our worst behavior. How quickly we can fall apart. The whole thing is just a descent into hell, fueled by addiction and self-loathing. Plus, the grimy, gritty New York City landscape of the early 90s is a character in itself. You almost feel like you need a shower after watching it, it's that intense. I'm not gonna lie, it is a tough watch and not for the faint of heart. It's definitely not something you'd put on for a lighthearted Friday night movie night, haha. But I think it's a really powerful film, even if it is deeply disturbing; I can see why it's so talked about. Keitel's performance is some of the best acting I've EVER seen, definitely worth checking out for that alone. It makes you think, feel, and question things, which is all you can ask of a good film, right?