Although much in the same vein as Serpico or LA Confidential, this film from writer/director Joe Carnahan (Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane) overplays its dramatic twists. Jason Patric stars as Tellis, an undercover narc trying to redeem his reputation and clean up the Detroit police department. Discharged after shooting a pregnant woman, he gets reinstated because the higher-ups think his street knowledge can spark a dead-end investigation and bring in a cop killer. Tellis gets paired with the deceased officer’s psychologically unstable former partner (Ray Liotta), and from there the shit gets deep and hits the fan.

Narc is gritty enough, but it takes on too many windmills and throws in too many red herrings, add-ons no doubt to what was originally a short subject by Carnahan. The circumlocution is meant to sustain intrigue; instead it sacrifices plausibility. Which is too bad, because Liotta, Patric, and Busta Rhymes as a petty hood dig deep and render their desperados with power and empathy. (105 minutes)