Cult Thriller "Bad Lieutenant" to Become a Franchise

When it comes to movies with corrupt cops, the thriller "Bad Lieutenant" with Harvey Keitel is undoubtedly one of the best. 33 years after its release, a new version is now being planned – in the form of a major franchise!

Back in 2021, independent film producer Edward R. Pressman, who has already promoted Hollywood greats such as Brian De Palma and Oliver Stone, already announced that he was planning "Bad Lieutenant" remakes from all over the world. Deals had already been made for adaptations in the UK, Italy, South Korea, Argentina and Germany. However, Pressman passed away in 2023 and the plans were put on ice for a while.

As Deadline now reports, his son Sam Pressman is now pursuing this idea – with a first reinterpretation that marks the start of the franchise: "Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo". In collaboration with Oscar-winner Jeremy Thomas and the successful indie studio NEON, the project is being realized with high creative aspirations.

The director is none other than Takashi Miike. The Japanese cult director is known for his uncompromising, stylistically idiosyncratic movies such as "Audition" and "13 Assassins". The lead role will be played by Japanese star Shun Oguri, who has already collaborated with Miike on multiple occasions and also has international experience, such as his appearance in "Godzilla vs. Kong". He is supported by Lily James and professional wrestler Liv Morgan, who plays a kidnapped politician's daughter.

In terms of plot, the new version remains true to the central theme: a morally bankrupt policeman finances his gambling addiction with bribe money until an FBI agent turns up in Tokyo to investigate the disappearance of the daughter of a prominent family. A killer from the yakuza seems to be tracking their movements – the situation escalates. Filming began in May and a release is expected in 2026. It remains to be seen which other international versions will follow.

Corruption on Duty: Why Movies about Corrupt Cops are so Fascinating

Films about corrupt police officers have held an unbroken fascination for audiences for decades. They don't show the classic hero in uniform, but rather torn characters teetering between power, greed, guilt and despair. In doing so, they not only reflect a darker side of the police force, but also raise fundamental questions about morality, responsibility and trust in state authorities.

Between Law and Lawlessness

The appeal of movies with corrupt cops lies above all in the ambivalence of their characters. Such characters epitomize the paradox: they are part of a system that is supposed to provide law and order – yet they break these very rules. Whether out of self-interest, cynicism or pure desperation: their actions make them exciting, often tragic figures. The audience is thus involved in a moral conflict that goes far beyond simple good and evil stories.

A prime example is "Training Day" (2001) by Antoine Fuqua. Denzel Washington plays the charismatic but ruthless narcotics agent Alonzo Harris, who introduces his new partner (Ethan Hawke) to the darker side of police work. Washington's Oscar-winning performance shows a man who has long since stopped distinguishing between right and wrong – and who abuses the power of the badge for personal gain. "Training Day" is a grim reflection of a police system in which law and justice are not always the same thing.

Classics of the Genre

One of the most influential movies about a corrupt cop is "Serpico" (1973) with Al Pacino in the leading role. Based on true events, the film tells the story of an honest New York police officer, Frank Serpico, who fights against a deeply rotten system of silence, bribery and violence. In contrast to most movies of this genre, "Serpico" is not a corrupt cop, but the moral counterpart – but it is precisely through his resistance that his story shows how omnipresent and dangerous corruption within the police force can be.

"L.A. Confidential" (1997) also focuses intensively on this topic. In this award-winning neo-noir thriller, several police officers become entangled in a world of intrigue, violence and abuse of power in 1950s Los Angeles. The film combines classic noir elements with a nuanced portrayal of characters who vacillate between career ambitions, corruption and remorse. It is precisely this complexity that makes movies about corrupt cops so impactful – they show how easily the line between duty and crime can be crossed.

Radical and Discomforting

Another milestone of the genre is, of course, "Bad Lieutenant" (1992) by Abel Ferrara. Harvey Keitel plays a completely wrecked police officer who is hooked on drugs, addicted to sex and deeply corrupt – but still seeks redemption in a bizarre way. The movie is radical in its depiction of moral decay, disturbingly honest and not for the faint-hearted. The reinterpretation "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans" (2009) by Werner Herzog, in which Nicolas Cage plays the lead role, addresses the topic in a different way: more surreal, but just as uncompromising.

Why these Movies are Important

Movies about corrupt police officers are not only great entertainment, they are also socially relevant. They bring topics to the screen that are often ignored or sugarcoated: abuse of power, institutional violence, racism, and systemic flaws in the legal system. In times of police violence and growing public criticism of law enforcement agencies, for example through the Black Lives Matter movement in the USA, these movies gain a new, political relevance.

For this very reason, these films are also very important outside of Hollywood. The French thriller "Polisse" (2011) and the German film "Crime Scene: Born In Grief " (2014) show that the theme is also being explored in other countries. Whether through realistic dramas or stylized genre pieces – the message remains: where power exists without control, abuse is never far away. In 2019, the French film "Les Misérables" was released, which also met with a positive response from audiences.

Conclusion

Films about corrupt cops expose us to the depths of a profession that many people (have to) blindly trust. They are discomforting, often gloomy, but also essential. After all, they challenge the audience to ask moral questions – about guilt, responsibility and the nature of justice. And they show: sometimes, the worst enemy of the law is the one who is supposed to protect it.