The Shakedown Review: A Crime Comedy That Struggles To Find Its Spark…

The Shakedown is a Cape Town-based crime comedy about a medical aid broker whose affair with his mistress is at risk of being exposed, threatening his carefully crafted reputation. Desperate to keep his secret safe, he turns to his criminally inclined brother for help. The film, written by Ari Kruger and Daniel Zimbler and directed by Kruger, is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime.

Plot

The Shakedown follows the story of Justin Diamond, a father of two and a seemingly successful broker in the Bloom Prime Program, where participants earn points for engaging in physical activities. To the outside world, Justin is the ‘golden boy‘—a family man with a perfect life. However, beneath the surface, he is entangled in an affair with Marika, which he desperately tries to keep under wraps.

The plot thickens when Justin’s estranged older brother Dovi unexpectedly shows up on his daughter Rya’s birthday. Dovi, a notorious crook and leader of the Blue Beanie gang, has a history of shady dealings that Justin has worked hard to avoid to protect his image. Meanwhile, Marika, eager to expose their affair, strikes a deal with Justin, demanding 1 million rand to stay silent.

To maintain his facade, Justin uses money aside for his children’s future to pay off Marika. However, he soon realises that money alone won’t keep her quiet, so he turns to Dovi for help. Dovi, warning that getting involved in his dangerous world will come at a price, sends his gang, the Beanie Boys, to intimidate Marika. Unfortunately, a case of mistaken identity results in the shooting of Cindy, a woman who turns out to be the daughter of Worsie Ferreira, the head of a powerful gang. Ferreira, outraged by the death of his daughter, vows revenge.

Plagued by guilt, Justin seeks spiritual redemption and donates the money meant for Marika to the local shul. However, when he later learns that Cindy isn’t Marika, Justin attempts to retrieve the money from the rabbi, only to find that part of it has already been gambled away. In the ensuing chaos, Henko, one of Worsie’s men, hijacks them, but Justin ends up shooting Henko in self-defence.

As the tension escalates, Justin files a restraining order against Marika, only for an incriminating video of their affair to leak. Meanwhile, Justin’s mother reveals a long-buried family secret about Dovi’s past, including the incident that led to his previous arrest.

Just when it seems like the dust has settled, Henko—who survived the gunshot—returns, seeking revenge, adding another layer of danger to Justin’s already chaotic life. The film ends on a cliffhanger, leaving the fate of Dovi and Justin totally different from how it began.

Cast

The performances in The Shakedown were largely unremarkable. Beukes played Justin, while Emmanuel Castis portrayed Dovi. Julia Anastasopoulos took on the role of Natalie, and Berenice Barbier played Marika. Other notable actors included Shani Sacks, Milton Schorr, and others.

Language

While predominantly in English, The Shakedown occasionally incorporates Yiddish, adding a unique flavour to the dialogue.

Summary

The Shakedown struggles to deliver on its crime-comedy premise, failing to fully embrace either genre. The film’s portrayal of the crime elements, especially Cindy’s death, feels underdeveloped and anticlimactic. The reveal that her death was faked is handled poorly, and the final scene—where Justin tries to pitch to Worsie—lacks the emotional weight it should have carried.

The antagonist, Henko, is portrayed as nearly indestructible, but his repeated near-death experiences seem more like an attempt at comic relief than genuine tension. Meanwhile, Natalie’s subplot, which ends up in Henko’s bizarre attempt to kill her sex doll, feels largely unnecessary, adding little to the overall story.

In the end, The Shakedown fails to strike the balance between crime and comedy, leaving audiences with an underwhelming experience.