Cedar Park Entertainment
Cross Creek Pictures
Kodiak Pictures
Not part of a collection.
The Tax Collector
Payback comes with interest.
David Cuevas is a family man who works as a gangland tax collector for high ranking Los Angeles gang members. He makes collections across the city with his partner Creeper making sure people pay up or will see retaliation. An old threat returns to Los Angeles that puts everything David loves in harm’s way.
- Original title
- The Tax Collector
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- $30,000,000
- Revenue
- $942,666
tmdb28039023
Aug 30, 2022 · via TMDB
The Tax Collector is the second-best David Ayer-directed film (the best remains End of Watch), but it's far from the best David Ayers-penned movie – though to be fair, that includes Training Day and Dark Blue, as well as the aforementioned End of Watch. The script can be nicely subtle, especially when it comes to the character of Creeper (Shia LaBeouf putting his natural weirdness to good use); he's always impeccably dressed in a suit and tie, but his cauliflower ears are a dead giveaway – here's someone who can take punishment as well as dish it out. This is great stuff, but at some point you gotta put your money where your mouth is, and that's where the character shortchange us. Much is made of how Creeper has maimed, tortured, and murdered hundreds of people, but in the course of the film he only fires his gun once, and then in self-defense; on the other hand, he's given a martyr's death, but I'm not sure whether we're supposed to feel bad for him or not. If all that's said of him is true, he has it coming to him; if not, we've been fed a line of bullsh*t. Having said that, the script can also be painfully unsubtle, in particular when it's trying to convince us that the protagonist, David Cuevas (Bobby Soto), is a Killer with a Heart of Gold (talk about a crock of sh*t) – a family man who prays before every meal and advises Creeper to accept Christ in his heart, as opposed to antagonist Conejo (José Martín), who engages in human sacrifices and voodoo rituals. That's pretty black-and-white, when it should be shades-of-gray; in other words, The Tax Collector's problem is that it insists on splitting its characters into 'bad guys' and 'good guys' when 'bad guys' and 'worse guys' would be a more accurate division.
JPV852
Oct 5, 2020 · via TMDB
I like David Ayer. Based on interviews and his social media postings, seems like a cool guy. As a filmmaker, he's hit or miss ranging from some really solid action-thrillers like U-571, End of Watch and Fury to the poorly made flicks such as Sabotage (though has its moments) and Suicide Squad (which I've soured on over the years). His latest, the second one straight-to-streaming following Bright, is The Tax Collector, seemingly aspiring to be some sort of modern day Godfather. The editing here is rather bad, acting was mixed with Shia LaBeouf shining brightest to the point I wish the movie was about his character while Bobby Soto has some okay scenes but in the lead, never quite works. And the writing, also by Ayer, was shoddy (shows Training Day was all about Washington's performance than the story or dialogue). I wanted to really like this film. It had potential and starts off well enough, but after meandering for the first hour or so, doesn't really get off the ground once a story actually kicks in. By the end, despite trying to have some emotional scenes, and a finale that was supposed to be kick ass, never could rebound from all of the other shortcomings. **2.5/5**
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
AMC+ Amazon Channel
AMC+ Roku Premium Channel
YouTube TV
Philo
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Bobby Soto
David Cuervas
Cinthya Carmona
Alexis
George López
Uncle Louis
Elpidia Carrillo
Janet
Shia LaBeouf
Creeper
Lana Parrilla
Favi
Chelsea Rendon
Lupe
Cheyenne Rae Hernandez
Gata
Noemi Gonzalez
Delia
Gabriela Flores
Jazmin
Rene Moran
Victor
Cle Sloan
Bone
Lee Coc
Necio
Randy Gonzalez
Pete
Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez
Rachel
Quinn Early
Psycho
Jay Reeves
Peanut
Brendan Schaub
Negro
Juan Carlos Cantu
Tough Father
Steve Louis Villegas
Triggs
Valentina Latyna Plascencia
Latina
Paola Paulin
La Chiquis
Jimmy Smits
The Wizard
Noel Gugliemi
Snoopy
Aaliyah Lopez
Casey
Jose Conejo Martin
Conejo
Nayeli Esparza
Victim (uncredited)
Andrew Menzies
Production Design
Salvatore Totino
Director of Photography
Kelli Jones
Costume Design
Christopher Allen Nelson
Makeup Effects Designer
Robert Alonzo
Stunt Coordinator
Christopher M. Campos
Stunts
Jose Vasquez
Stunts
Mario Pérez
Stunts
Nick Hermz
Stunts
David Ayer
Director
Yvan Lucas
Digital Intermediate Colorist
Geoffrey O'Brien
Editor
Mary Vernieu
Casting
Raylin Sabo
Casting Associate
Chris Long
Producer
Gabe Hilfer
Music Supervisor
Lisa Pinero
Sound
Marcus Taormina
Visual Effects Supervisor
David Ayer
Screenplay
The Wash
Onyx
Training Day
Mrs. R's Daughter
Sicario
American Me
Minor Mishaps
Hyenas
Highlander: The Search for Vengeance
The Driver
Rush Hour
Pieta
Dear Stranger
Payback
Moonstruck
Brighton Rock
Big Stan
Showdown in Little Tokyo
Rapid Fire
Days of Thunder
The Perfection
Game of Death
The Spy Who Dumped Me
Olivier, Olivier
Red
Nick of Time
Miss Arizona
Ulkuthu
Bandidas
Cazador De Asesinos
The Waltons' Homecoming
Righteous Kill
Savate
Angel's Leap
The Revengers' Comedies
Asher
Tortured
Deuces Wild
Ask the Dust
Wolfhound of the Grey Dog Clan
Trapping
Street Asylum
Freelancers
Terror in the Shadows
Kaalai
Highlander: The Source
Revolution
Gangster
Be a Wicked Woman
Killer Clown
Rekindle
Western Avenue
Steel Vengeance: Moe Unleashed
Letters from a Father
Untitled Zack Snyder LAPD Film
Young Lust
Love and Justice
The Frozen Sea
Story of the Vulture Conqueror
Bird
Thieves Highway
End of Watch
El padrino: The Latin Godfather
The Enforcer
The Substitute
Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema
Al Capone
Rambo: Last Blood
Close Range
War
Rapid Fire
Rise of the Footsoldier 3
Rise of the Footsoldier
State Property
6 Bullets
Death Wish II
Double Impact
Fast Charlie
Violent Ends
A Man Apart
Detective Knight: Rogue
10th & Wolf
S.W.A.T.: Under Siege
Code of Silence
Aug 7, 2020
