Written and directed by David Ayer
Starring Shia LaBeouf, George Lopez, Bobby Soto and Cinthya Carmona
Running Time: 1 hour and 28 minutes

by Liz Wiest

“Payback comes with interest” teases the intense block lettering of the first five seconds of The Tax Collector trailer. This latest crime thriller from director/screenwriter David Ayer (Training Day, Suicide Squad) propels the audience into the seedy underbelly of modern Los Angeles gang wars, with “tax collectors” David (Bobby Soto) and Creeper (Shia LaBeouf) at the forefront of the action. The pair of gangsters and unlikely best friends make their living as the eyes, ears and muscle for a mysterious mob boss referred to only as the “Wizard” and find themselves having to retaliate when his old rival, Conejo, resurfaces with a vengeance. However, while this payback sought from Conejo is the driving force of the film, it lacks any ability to ignite real “interest” from anyone.