Freelancers

A 2012 American crime action film directed by Jessy Terrero and written by L. Philippe Casseus, "Freelancers" follows Jonas "Malo" Maldonado (50 Cent), the son of a slain NYPD officer, who enrolls in the police academy with his two best friends. Upon graduation, he is taken under the wing of his father's former partner, Captain Joe Sarcone (Robert De Niro), and joins the Street Vice Crime Task Force. Malo soon discovers that Sarcone and his team are corrupt cops involved in criminal activities. Learning from the District Attorney's office that Sarcone murdered his father for turning state's evidence, Malo seeks revenge by framing Sarcone for a theft from mob boss Gabriel Baez (Pedro Armendáriz Jr.). To prove his loyalty to Baez, Malo reluctantly kills one of his friends and, with Baez's help, eliminates the corrupt officers responsible for his father's death. In the end, the DEA approaches Malo, urging him not to take Sarcone's place as Baez's right-hand man, leaving him to contemplate his future. The film also stars Forest Whitaker as Lieutenant Dennis Lureu, Dana Delany as Lydia Vecchio, Vinnie Jones as Sully, and Malcolm Goodwin as A.D. Valburn. Despite a budget of $13.5 million, the film grossed only $456,350 and received predominantly negative reviews for its predictable plot and lackluster execution.