THE HEARTLESS

An ex-cop struggles to raise his rebellious teen daughter but knows no limits when it comes to protecting her.

Former LA County deputy Bruno Johnson (The Reckless, 2019, etc.), now working as a bailiff, gets a distressed call from his 15-year-old daughter, Olivia, during the murder trial of psycho killer Louis Borkow. A frightened Olivia reports that she and her boyfriend, Derek Sams, are in a house with a bunch of armed people—she's not sure exactly where—and they're threatening to kill Derek. After Bruno rescues her, she reverts to rebelliousness and passionately defends Derek. Bruno’s girlfriend, deputy district attorney Nicky Rivers, tries to warn him against taking too harsh an approach with his daughter. Meanwhile, Borkow, bent on revenge against his own lawyer, Gloria Bleeker, engineers a daring prison escape, with henchwoman Lizzette adding muscle. Once Olivia’s safely home, Bruno tracks down Derek, grabs him and puts him on a bus home, hoping his father will drive some sense into the boy. Then Bruno’s called abruptly to the courthouse, where Judge Connors plays a tape in which Borkow agrees to kidnap Olivia in payment of a substantial debt to “dem boys on Pearl.” One of his flunkies comes to warn Borkow that unstoppable Bruno is after him, but the escaped con is unimpressed. Olivia, meanwhile, has taken refuge with Nicky, who manages to negotiate a temporary peace between the remorseful father and his daughter. Olivia tearfully adds that Derek is missing; can Bruno find him? The news of Gloria’s murder just adds one more item to Bruno’s to-do list.

Blunt and compelling, Putnam’s seventh franchise installment makes up in pace and punch what it lacks in finesse.