Now Showing: Five Boroughs

 

Five Boroughs

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Directors: Josh & Benny Safdie

Writers: Jimmy Ellis & John Malone

Cast: Jeremy Allen White, Toby Wallace, Anthony Ramos, Joey King, Adam Sandler, Brian Quinn, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Gabriel Macht, George Katt, Stephon Marbury

Plot: Cheers and chants can be heard outside of Yankee stadium. Marky (Toby Wallace) is out the front of the stadium, cigarette behind his ear, baggy shirt. He is trying to scalp tickets from last night’s game. He sells a man one of the tickets, only for him to come back angry a few moments later after being unable to use the ticket. Marky insists there are no refunds - all sales are final. The man charges at Marky, only to be interrupted by three large men who also have a problem with Marky. They tell him that The Boss wants to see him. Marky pretends to willingly surrender himself, but then quickly bolts into a crowd of people entering the stadium. He is stopped by Yankee Stadium security. With the three thugs and the one unhappy customer still on his tail, Marky bolts down the sidewalk, only to trip over a curb and knock himself unconscious when he crashes into a parked taxi cab headfirst. The three thugs pick Marky’s body up, put him into the trunk of their car and drive off.

Marky wakes up when he is splashed with a bucket of water. He is tied to a chair in a large warehouse. Seated in front of him is The Boss (Adam Sandler) himself. Marky is clearly terrified. Marky pleads with The Boss for just a little more time to get him back his money. He was working on a fool-proof business plan that surely would have earned the $5,000 he owes The Boss. The Boss asks his men to check Marky’s pockets for money, but they only find a few hundred dollars. The Boss tells Marky that he has an opportunity that will enable Marky to repay the debt, but he doesn’t trust Marky to do it alone. The Boss orders his men to retrieve Marky’s brother.

In his parents’ old rundown house, Ty (Jeremy Allen White) is making himself a cup of coffee when The Boss’ men kick down the front door. Ty recognizes them and says they could have just knocked. Ty asks what Marky got himself into this time. They tell Ty that The Boss would like to have a word with him about just that. Ty turns off the coffee maker and walks out of the house with The Boss’ men. One of the men hands Ty a bag to wear over the head, which he dutifully puts on, knowing the drill. Ty is taken to the warehouse where Marky is still tied to a chair. Ty calls Marky an idiot. Marky begins to argue with Ty before The Boss breaks up the squabble. The Boss tells them the deal: the two of them need to make five deliveries for him throughout NYC. If they successfully make all of the deliveries, Marky’s debt will be forgiven. Ty isn’t happy to be re-entering a life of criminal activity, but reluctantly agrees in order to help his brother. The Boss hands them a phone, telling them that they will be sent the delivery locations on it.

Marky and Ty are escorted out of the building. As the brothers continue their bickering, they look out and realize that they are in New Jersey. They look across the Hudson River back toward New York City. Marky jokes that he never would have guessed that the head of NYC’s drug trade would be based out of New Jersey. Ty and Marky ride the train back home in silence. They enter their house where their younger sister Abby (Joey King) has been waiting for them, worried. She asks where they’ve been. Ty simply says they have to do a job, but should be back by the next morning. The phone from The Boss goes off with a message revealing just an address. Ty and Marky leave the house and start walking toward the address, which is less than a mile away. Along the way, they run into their friend Carlos (Anthony Ramos). He pesters them about what they’re up to. Ty is stand-offish, not wanting to give any information, but Marky tells Carlos that they are on their way to a job. Carlos decides that he wants to tag along. Ty is unable to convince Carlos to leave, so simply gives up and begrudgingly allows Carlos to join them. When they get to the address, Ty and Marky are given a set of car keys. Carlos excitedly hops into the back of the car. Carlos finds several duffle bags in the car. He opens one to find it filled with packages of cocaine. Marky gets another message, this time an address in Staten Island for their first delivery.

Ty, Marky and Carlos drive the car to the first location in Staten Island to make the first delivery. They find that the address belongs to a large house next to a nature preserve. Marky comments that he didn’t know there were any nature preserves in New York City. Carlos chimes in that Staten Island isn’t really NYC. Ty tells them both to shut up as they pull into the driveway. As they get out of the car, they are gleefully greeted by the Staten Island customer, Stu (Brian Quinn). He invites them inside for the delivery, worried that his neighbors may be nosey. Marky and Carlos look around and can’t spot a single house nearby. Inside the house, Stu gives the guys a quick tour of his collection of pinball machines and Yankees memorabilia - including a signed Derek Jeter game ball from his final game - and offers them beers. Marky accepts a beer, but Ty objects. Ty tells Stu that he appreciates the hospitality, but they are on a tight schedule and don’t really have time to hang out. Stu is disappointed, but tells them they are welcome to come back anytime to play pinball, so long as they have some cocaine with them. Ty, Marky and Carlos complete the transaction with Stu and leave the house. As they get back into the car, Marky comments that their job may be easier and go better than expected if all of their customers are awesome like Stu. The phone then goes off with the next address, this time in Brooklyn.

Ty, Marky and Carlos then drive across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to Brooklyn where they find the next delivery is in the middle of a street basketball tournament. They stick out like a sore thumb in the crowd as they have trouble finding the buyer among all the bodies at the tournament. Marky and Carlos start asking around and are eventually grabbed and taken to meet the buyer, The Star (Stephon Marbury), underneath a set of bleachers. He warns them that it isn't a smart idea to go around and asking for the guy they are about to do a drug deal with. Ty apologizes for being so conspicuous. As they are making the deal, the tournament is shut down by the cops as the deal is going down. The three barely get away after making the delivery. They then get a call from The Boss who says he hears they almost got pinched. He tells them that to help motivate them to get the job done, he has had his men go and pick up their sister abby. The Boss reminds Ty and Marky that the deliveries need to be done that night in the correct order - if not, not only will their deal be off, but he'll also have no choice but to harm their sister. Frantic, Ty orders Marky and Carlos to get back in the car. They drive through the streets picking up speed. Ty tells Marky he really fucked up this time. After this is over, he has some serious thinking to do. Marky tells him he knows, they just need to get it done.

The next meeting is under the Queensborough bridge. The three of them walk towards five men. Queens (George Katt) steps out. He tells them that they are late. Ty apologises telling them they ran into a bit of trouble, but handled it. Queens smiles and reminds them that The Boss doesn’t like when his clients are unhappy. Marky tells him that if he wants it take it, they need to get to their next delivery. One of the goons takes Marky by the head, telling them they didn’t like his tone. Marky apologises repeatedly and Ty tells Queens that they want no trouble, they just want to do the deliveries. Ty pulls out the delivery and hands it over. Queens holds his hands up, not touching it, one of his associates comes in and takes it for him. Queens tells them he doesn’t like his hands dirty. He adds that he wants one of them to sample it. Marky smiles saying he’ll do it, however, Queens can tell he is an addict. Queens instead wants Ty to try it. Being clean and sober for almost a year now, Ty refuses and doesn't want to ruin his sobriety. Queens says he doesn’t care about his sobriety, if he wants a good word given to The Boss he will try the merchandise. Although unhappy, to save his sister, Ty takes the merchandise. After a few moments Queens smiles asking if that was so hard, he tells them they can all go now. Ty throws the keys to Carlos as he begins to feel the effects. Marky asks why he can’t drive, and Ty just gives him an angry look.

Ty, Marky and Carlos pull up to the next location, there is nowhere to park the car close to the meetup point. Ty and Marky hop out of the car while Carlos parks it. Ty and Marky ring a doorbell and wait outside. After a few moments they are let inside, not before Carlos comes panting after them. They ask him what happened, where did he park, he told them there was a spot just a few spots up, he just wanted to catch them before they got inside. The three of them walk in.

As they keep walking through the hallways, it gets darker and darker. They then hear a gunshot causing them to jump. A voice then calls out to them to come in. Marky opens a door and the three of them enter another room, a body is being pulled out of the area as Bronx (Jeff Daniel Phillips) tells his men to clean it up and to bring three clean seats out. Bronx smiles at the three telling them that they are just waiting on those chairs. He tells them to get comfortable but Ty tells him that they should really get going, they still have another delivery and are almost running behind on time. Bronx questions this but snaps his fingers, another man comes over and takes the product from their hands allowing them to leave. As they walk out the door Bronx yells out to them to say hi to The Boss. The three of them walk quickly on the street to reach the car. When they come upon where Carlos parked it, they freak out, the car isn’t there. Ty looks up and sees a Tow Zone sign. He hits Carlos across the head asking if he is serious, now their car is gone and more importantly their products are gone and they still have a delivery. The three of them reach in their pockets to find money. They only pull out two dollars, obviously not enough to get the car released. Marky asks what they do now. Ty is furious and says that they have to go steal it back.

At the impound lot, Carlos climbs the fence and finds the car while Marky and Ty serve as lookouts. Carlos speeds out, crashing through the gates. Carlos skids the car to a stop, and Ty and Marky get in. On the way to the next delivery in Manhattan, Carlos asks that they let him out early as he has had enough excitement for one night. They oblige. Carlos gets out of the car. Ty and Marky look at the clock and speed toward Manhattan. The address leads them to a high rise penthouse. They are greeted by the very dapper customer, Manhattan (Gabriel Macht).

He comments that Marky and Ty look like shit. Manhattan looks into the bag they gave him and comments that they are short - only half of the shipment is in the bag. Ty and Marky look at each other and both realize that Carlos has screwed them. Ty assures Manhattan that he knows what happened and can get the rest if he gives them just a little time.

The Boss receives a phone call from Manhattan informing him that Ty and Marky did not have the complete package. The Boss hangs up the phone and turns to Abby, who is sitting tied up before him, very much like her brother Marky not too long ago. The Boss asks Abby what she thinks he should do about this. She suggests he stop his men from selling Marky drugs going forward, that way he can’t build up a debt again. The Boss laughs, asking Abby if addiction runs in her family since Ty and Marky have both been in his debt at one time or another. Abby spits at The Boss, who wipes the spit with his hand, then licks it to taste. The Boss then says that he doesn’t have to figure out what to do with her brothers yet, but he’s starting to think of some ideas on what to do to her if they fail in their task.

Marky and Ty speed back home, this time with Marky driving wildly behind the wheel. They pull up in front of Carlos’ mom’s house, but she insists she hasn’t seen him. Marky has an idea and drives them to an alleyway where they find Carlos getting ready to sell the cocaine he stole from the package. Ty asks for it back, but Carlos bolts. Marky and Ty both chase after Carlos, finally tackling him in the middle of the street. Carlos gives up eventually, but Ty loses his temper and punches Carlos several times more than needed. Ty and Marky collect the cocaine and rush back to Manhattan’s penthouse.

After the deal with Manhattan is completed, Ty and Marky drive across the George Washington Bridge, taking them over the Hudson River and into New Jersey. They head to The Boss’ warehouse to get Abby. The Boss reveals that he has no plans of honoring the deal he made with them as Marky would easily owe another grand of interest on the debt. Marky then reaches into his pocket and pulls out Stu’s signed Derek Jeter game ball. He tosses it at The Boss, hitting him in the stomach. Marky says that the ball, stolen from Stu’s Staten Island house, is easily worth several thousand dollars, so now they should be more than squared up. Leaving the warehouse, Ty, Marky and Abby board the train back toward New York together. Marky comments that he owes Stu an apology for stealing the ball as it is the first time he feels bad about stealing from someone. Abby says there might be hope for Marky to clean up his act after all.