I am not going to start this review by giving a full description of poliziotteschi movies, aka Eurocrime flicks from a certain “golden age” of Italian exploitation cinema, but that’s mainly because I have waited far too long to fully explore the movies myself. I have seen two others, I think, and the very enjoyable documentary that celebrates them, but it has long been a blind spot in my cinema knowledge. Once again, there are only so many hours in each day, it can be tough to fit in viewings of everything you want to see. Especially when you want to see everything.
Here are a few things I expected though, and The Heroin Busters delivered. I wanted tough cops who would damn the rule book to hell while pursuing bad guys. I wanted some moments that felt enjoyably random, most probably featuring sex or violence. I wanted stuntwork that puts actors in the kind of peril that would never be covered by insurance in any mainstream movie. And I wanted a ruggedly handsome lead who could be an angel or a bastard, depending on what approach he thought might get the best results.
In an attempt to get to the top of the drug dealer tree and shake some very bad apples into prison, one determined cop (played by David Hemmings) ends up working an operation that has an undercover agent (Fabio Testi) convincingly portraying someone who wants to start moving up the criminal food chain. That’s all you need to know, and that is all groundwork being laid for a third act that is essentially a 20/30-minute chase sequence.
I have seen other films from director Enzo G. Castellari, who also wrote the script with Massimo De Rita, but nothing in this vein, and I am pleased I made time for this one in my recent viewing schedule. It is exactly what I wanted it to be, and builds from a fairly steady and normal opening act towards a finale stuffed full of great moments, with the stuntwork planned around various locations and vehicles.
Hemmings is gruff and determined, seemingly enjoying himself in a role that gives him less screentime without diminishing his presence, and Testi emanates the kind of cool charisma that assures you of his star status from his earliest scenes. He’s superb in the main role, and ends up involved in some entertainingly danger-filled moments (and I don’t just mean his character, he was definitely asked to take some risks for some of the key sequences). Joshua Sinclair is a fun villain, but there are also a few other supporting players who are very effective when it comes to filling out the “rogue’s gallery” of addicts, henchmen, and drug dealers.
Music from Goblin is another plus, although whether they even bothered about matching the audio to the visuals is something I wouldn’t like to bet money on, and you also have the usual selection of fashions and cool affectations from 1970s Italy, which helps to keep things entertaining throughout the relatively slow first half of the film.
I am just going to assume that this isn’t the best film of this kind, mainly because of the time it takes to get to the most rewarding scenes, but you could do a hell of a lot worse if, like me, you are just starting to dip your toes into those poliziotteschi waters. I had a blast with it, and I already want to give it a rewatch.
8/10
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