Tom Hardy stars as a bartender who finds himself entangled in a robbery investigation that digs deeper into his history than he’d like, in this bleak, tense noir. James Gandolfini’s final film is an entertaining, smart drama about the underground crime world of Brooklyn bars, and the script is smart.

It’s a slow-burning story of greed, control, and moral ambiguity, and is compelling throughout. But by the end, The Drop brings nothing particularly original to the crime thriller genre, despite another outstanding performance from Tom Hardy.

The Drop is rated R for language and brief violence.

© Matt Tory, 2014.