It’s time to rob the robbers as action star and Academy Award-winner Mark Wahlberg is at the center of a throwback crime caper that’s quickly found success on streaming. Wahlberg, best known for the likes of Transformers franchise, Uncharted, Patriots Day, Ted, and more, steps into an iconic literary role previously played by Mel Gibson and Jason Statham for what’s already proving to be a popular crime thriller.
Alongside Mark Wahlberg, Play Dirty is based on the “Parker” book series by Donald E. Westlake, aka Richard Stark, and finds Wahlberg in the lead as the titular professional thief. Play Dirty boasts an all-star cast that includes Rosa Salazar, Tony Shalhoub, Keegan-Michael Key, Nat Wolff, Chukwudi Iwuji and Thomas Jane, with LaKeith Stanfield starring as Grofield, a character that will be familiar to fans of the “Parker” novels.
Directed by Iron Man 3 and The Nice Guys filmmaker Shane Black, who has also penned the script alongside Charles Mondry and Anthony Bagarozzi, Play Dirty has now taken the #1 spot on 
Prime Video just two days after making its debut and beating the likes of Jason Statham’s A Working Man, the action comedy Love Hurts, and the lesser-known action flick, Burner. You can check out the official synopsis for Play Dirty below…
“An expert thief rolls out the biggest heist of his life in Play Dirty, an action-packed thriller from director Shane Black. Parker (Mark Wahlberg), along with Grofield (LaKeith Stanfield), Zen (Rosa Salazar) and a skilled crew, stumble onto a score that pits them against the New York mob in this gritty, clever caper.”
‘Play Dirty’ Has Critics & Audiences in Agreement…
While it has found popularity at a rapid pace, Play Dirty has proven to be deeply divisive among both critics and audiences alike. The action-packed crime thriller now stands at 53% on both the Tomatometer and Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes, with both groups in rare agreement about the quality of the Prime Video effort.
On the positive side of the divide, Owen Gleiberman of Variety concluded, “An action-comedy throwback powered by enough casual violence to inspire more grins than groans. Black, as a director, has made this retro action power cheese his brand, not always successfully. But in this case he reminds you of why he’s good at it.” However, on the negative side of things, ScreenRant’s Mae Abdulbaki gave Play Dirty just 4/10, saying, “Play Dirty would have been a wildly more fascinating ride if it weren’t so messy and drawn-out.”
Following Play Dirty, Mark Wahlberg has several major projects currently in the pipeline. The actor and action star alongside Paul Walter Hauser in director Peter Farrelly’s Balls Up, as well as reuniting with Michelle Monaghan for action-comedy sequel The Family Plan 2, joining forces with Aquaman star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the crime thriller By Any Means, and starring alongside Vera Farmiga in the sports comedy Weekend Warriors.
- Release Date
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October 1, 2025
- Runtime
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125 Minutes
- Writers
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Donald E. Westlake, Shane Black, Anthony Bagarozzi