It is obvious that the Icelandic director (Hannes Halldórsson) and the two main stars (Egill Einarsson, Auðunn Blöndal) who also were co-writers, are huge fans of the action movie genre. The biggest source of fun in the satire Cop Secret is to play action movie Bingo as all of the tropes of Hollywood’s biggest cash cow are meticulously played out.
It opens with a set-piece car chase with screeching tires, throbbing background music, big crashes, and square-jawed policemen breaking all the rules. However, set in Reykjavik, Iceland that has a population half the size of Boise, Idaho it immediately becomes clear that while the ambition is pure Hollywood this not so throbbing metropolis is more awkwardly provincial.
Though the satire is deliberate the first giggle stems from something more accidental. The rugged police officer (Blöndal), with a drinking problem and a bad domestic life, is called Bussi. This may be a common name in Iceland but most of our audience will not need to grab the urban dictionary to understand why it made us smirk. Especially as the heart of this Cop Secret is that the big tough, supposedly heterosexual guy is falling in love with his main police rival and new partner, the ex-model, pansexual hunk Hörður (Einarsson)
The characters are instantly recognizable. There is the grumpy police chief, the psychopathic bad guy, the nerdy fashion-free hacker, and the treacherous good cop turned bad who has to redeem himself at the end. The storyline is centred around a hidden bomb that is being used as a diversion while a historic heist is being carried out. Set piece fight scenes show key characters can get shot without it impacting their gymnastic ability to vanquish their foes. And, always remember, if you don’t double-tap the baddies then they are guaranteed to resurrect when your back is turned.
While the satire is comprehensive rather than comic, this movie makes a virtue out of checking all the boxes. If you want the predictable familiarity of an action movie but with the benefit of a gay twist between the two hot heroes, then settle in with your bingo card and play along. Is there a Hollywood happy ending? You can bet your Hollywood ass.
Review by ANDREW HEBDENQueerguru Contributing Editor ANDREW HEBDEN is a MEDIA & CULTURAL STUDIES graduate spending his career between London, Beijing, and NYC as an expert in media and social trends. As part of the expanding minimalist FIRE movement, he recently returned to the UK and lives in Soho. He devotes as much time as possible to the movies, theatre, and the gym. His favorite thing is to try something (anything) new every day.
