Filmed with visual panache, Eran Creevy’s Welcome to the Punch gives London a cold, austere blue hue, helping depict a complicated, crime-filled world. Our lead is officer Max Lewinsky (James McAvoy), a man who is haunted by a mistake made in his past. Nearly catching notorious criminal Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong), instead, he finds himself with a bullet in his leg and then reprimanded for disobeying orders.
Now a shell of his former self, he has lost the fire that once drove him, trudging through life in a haze of pain and apathy. Paired with a partner, Sarah Hawks (Andrea Riseborough), who has the drive that he once had, she is constantly fighting his indifference.
Learning that Sternwood’s son Ruan (Elyes Gabel) has been involved in a number of shady dealings, the police find the young man with a gunshot wound in his gut. Getting a message off to his father before his arrest, the officers trace the call – tracking the elusive man to Iceland. Trying to nab him, they fail miserably, which allows Sternwood to sneak back into England to discover who shot his son.
Going against DCI Nathan Bartnick (Daniel Mays), Commander Thomas Geiger (David Morrissey – The Governor from The Walking Dead) places Lewinsky and Hawks in charge of guarding Ruan in the hospital (as they believe Sternwood will try to sneak in to see his son). This chance at redemption enlivens the man, as he sees it as an opportunity to fix past mistakes.
Upon his return, Sternwood immediately reaches out to former friend Roy Edwards (Peter Mullan), a man well connected to the criminal underworld. Together, they attempt to unearth the mysterious secret behind who shot his son.
After a number of twists and turns, Lewinsky and Sternwood find themselves being pinned by gunfire in a nightclub (they were led there for wholly different reasons). Finding himself in dire straights, the only reason the copper escapes is thanks to the man who shot him all those years ago.
Discovering that he has been framed by an unknown entity, Lewinsky has nowhere else to turn except to team up with Sternwood (making for a shaky and utterly unlikely duo). Trying to unearth the deep-seated conspiracy, the two track down a former soldier named Dean Warns (Johnny Harris) – who may be connected to the mystery in some way. Will Lewinsky and Sternwood be able to work together to learn who is behind the sordid actions, or will they fail as partners, letting past differences rip them apart?
Featuring superb action set pieces, a solid yet somewhat conventional story, superb acting and touches of humour, Welcome to the Punch is an engaging flick. Keep an eye out for three scenes – the nightclub sequence mentioned above, as well as one featuring an unassuming Nanny, and the final climactic shootout. Creevy uses striking angles, interesting visuals and clever shots to concoct some mightily impressive violent encounters. So, check out this arresting action drama and introduce yourself to this movie that most definitely packs a punch.