Snitch (2013)

A father goes undercover for the DEA in order to free his son who was imprisoned after being set up in drug deal.

Director:

Ric Roman Waugh

Writers:

Justin Haythe, Ric Roman Waugh

Stars:

Dwayne Johnson, Jon Bernthal, Susan Sarandon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dwayne Johnson	...	John Matthews
Barry Pepper	...	Agent Cooper
Jon Bernthal	...	Daniel James
Susan Sarandon	...	Joanne Keeghan
Michael Kenneth Williams	...	Malik (as Michael K. Williams)
Rafi Gavron	...	Jason Collins
Melina Kanakaredes	...	Sylvie Collins
Nadine Velazquez	...	Analisa
Benjamin Bratt	...	Juan Carlos 'El Topo' Pintera
Lela Loren	...	Vanessa
JD Pardo	...	Benicio
David Harbour	...	Jay Price
Harold Perrineau	...	Jeffrey Steele
Kyara Campos	...	Isabelle Matthews
James Allen McCune	...	Craig

Storyline

Construction company owner John Matthews learns that his estranged son, Jason, has been arrested for drug trafficking. Facing an unjust prison sentence for a first time offender courtesy of mandatory minimum sentence laws, Jason has nothing to offer for leniency in good conscience. Desperately, John convinces the DEA and the opportunistic DA Joanne Keeghan to let him go undercover to help make arrests big enough to free his son in return. With the unwitting help of an ex-con employee, John enters the narcotics underworld where every move could be his last in an operation that will demand all his resources, wits and courage to survive.

---

Plot Keywords:

gangster | interracial marriage | wiretap | car crash | ex husband ex wife relationship | 

---

Taglines:

How far would you go to save your son?

---

Genres:

Drama | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for drug content and sequences of violence

Details

Official Sites:

Summit Entertainment [us]

Country:

USA United Arab Emirates

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

22 February 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cinkaroš

Filming Locations:

Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$13,167,607 (USA) (22 February 2013)

Gross:

$42,825,345 (USA) (17 May 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Summit Entertainment, Exclusive Media Group, Participant Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Frontline: Snitch (1999)

---

Soundtracks

"No Eres Buena"
Performed by Los Texas Wranglers
Written by Julian L. Fernandez
Courtesy of Frog Music Licensing LLC

User Reviews

Johnson's Acting Steals the Show

Snitch (2013)

*** (out of 4)

Surprisenly effective drama about a father (Dwayne Johnson) who agrees to go undercover after his son is arrested in a drug bust, which could cost him at least ten years in prison. The father goes undercover to bring down a Mexican drug lord and soon finds himself in over his head. SNITCH was based around actual events, although I'm guessing a lot of stuff was either left out or just blended together to get this story. With that said, those expecting a non-stop action picture like the trailers made this out to be might be disappointed because for the most part this is a straight drama. The action doesn't come into play until the very end of the picture but this certainly isn't a negative thing. The best thing going for the film is actually the performance of Johnson who turns in the best work of his career. What really shocked me was how believable he was in the role of a blue collar father who will stop at nothing to protect the son who really doesn't care for him. I really thought Johnson stole the picture with his acting because the screenplay really gives him quite a bit to play. Not only does his not play your typical action hero, he manages to make you believe that he's this scared guy who finds himself in over his head but at the same time he knows he must do what he has to to protect his son. The supporting cast is also extremely good with Susan Sarandon turning in a nice performance as a woman making the deals with the father. Jon Bernthal offers up a sensitive and believable performance as a father who gets dragged into the mess and the underrated Barry Pepper is extremely good in his role as an agent. Michael Kenneth Williams also delivers a good performance as a drug dealer. The film is pretty laid back for the most part and I thought this was an interesting approach by director Ric Roman Waugh who proves he can handle telling a story and casually building up the suspense. There are certainly some flaws with the story including it being way too easy for this father to get close to a major cartel but this isn't bad enough to where it kills the film. SNITCH is a pretty good drama that manages to grab your attention and really bring you close to this father character. A lot of credit goes to Johnson.