A very tense heist thriller movie is on TV tonight

"A lurid, blood-soaked B-movie with an A-list cast."

The film is about a gang of criminals (Aaron Paul, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Norman Reedus) and corrupt cops (Anthony Mackie, Clifton Collins Jr.) in Atlanta who are threatened by the mafia (represented by Kate Winslet) into taking part in a dangerous heist.

As part of their efforts to complete the job successfully, the gang plan a Triple 9 scenario - meaning they will murder a cop named Chris (Casey Affleck) at a separate location in order to distract the police from their robbery.

In the run-up to the heist, meanwhile, Chris' sergeant uncle (Woody Harrelson) starts investigating the thieves.

Directed by John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road) and also starring Gal Gadot and Michael K. Williams, Triple 9 received mixed reviews from critics and was a bit of a box office disappointment upon release.

That said, we'd argue that it boasts great performances, a tense and twisty screenplay, along with enough grit and visceral action set-pieces to appeal to fans of other similar-in-tone heist films like Den of Thieves or Heat.

You can read a sample of some positive reviews for Triple 9 right here:

AV Club: "Triple 9 is like a David Ayer film on steroids, which is to say it's like Training Day if most of the characters were as morally compromised as Denzel Washington's."

Chicago Sun-Times: "If you're in the right frame of mind for a lurid, blood-soaked B-movie with an A-list cast, Triple 9 is just the ticket."

Rolling Stone: "Triple 9 is no Reservoir Dogs, but it is a twisty, terrific ride. And Kate Winslet has a blast with the Russian accent, the wig, the attitude."

San Jose Mercury News: "There are a lot of great actors here and surprisingly good action scenes and a tense ending, all of which make Triple 9 one of the more enjoyable urban crime dramas in recent memory."

Triple 9 is airing at 9pm on Legend tonight in Ireland and the UK. It is also available to watch on Paramount+ and Showtime in the US.

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