Enemies of the Law: A Cop Movie That Resolves Itself

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you are the kind of person who likes watching old crime B-movies because you enjoy the specific, clunky charm of the era, you might get a kick out of Enemies of the Law. If you need a plot that makes sense or characters that behave like human beings, stay far away.

It’s a breezy watch, mostly because it doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. It feels a bit like The White Sheep in its simplicity, but with way more cigars and bad attitudes.

The Undercover Gig

Florence Vinton is supposed to be this tough-as-nails undercover cop. She spends a lot of the movie lurking around, looking worried, and waiting for things to happen. Honestly, for a lady cop in a spot like this, she spends an awful lot of time just watching the guys talk.

The gangsters, Swan and Marsh, are played with that aggressive, over-the-top posturing that was so popular back then. They glare at each other like they’re trying to burn holes in their suits. It gets old fast, but it’s kind of funny if you don't take it seriously.

That Ending

So, the whole thing is building up to this big moment where Florence is about to get caught or killed. You expect some clever trick or a heroic rescue. Nope.

Instead, the writers just sort of gave up. Swan and Marsh have a standoff and blast each other into the dirt. It’s like the movie ran out of film and just decided to end the conflict in the most boring way possible. Poof. Everyone is dead. Good job, team.

• The lighting in the backroom scenes is surprisingly murky.
• I’m pretty sure one of the extras in the background is just reading a newspaper during the climax.
• The dialogue is mostly shouting.
• I think I’ve seen better shootouts in The Ghost That Never Returns, which at least had some actual mood to it.

Is this high art? No way. It’s a scrappy little movie that stumbles into its own finale. It reminds me of At Bay in how it treats its lead, though here the lead is mostly just a witness to her own movie's resolution. It’s not great, but it’s definitely something you watch once and wonder, "Did that really just happen?" 🕵️‍♂️