When the United States justice system fails to properly punish those responsible for a brutal crime, Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) takes matters into his own hands. What begins as a straightforward quest for revenge quickly evolves into a carefully planned assault on the legal system itself, leaving prosecutor Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) struggling to keep up. Law Abiding Citizen is a compelling and thought-provoking film that still holds up perfectly in 2025. It’s worth noting that the movie is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Director: F. Gary Gray
Writers: Kurt Wimmer
Starring: Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Colm Meaney, Christian Stolte, Leslie Bibb, Regina Hall, Viola Davis

Directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Kurt Wimmer, Law Abiding Citizen was originally released to audiences in September 2009, almost sixteen years ago, to a surprisingly negative reaction. The review website Rotten Tomatoes reported that only 26% of their almost two-hundred critics, gave the film a positive review, with 74% providing a negative review. The average rating lingered at around four out of ten, with many quoting that there was too much “unnecessary violence” and “a story that defies reason”.

In regards to the story itself, many see Law Abiding Citizen as a simple tale of revenge, but at its core, the flick is more than just that. The story poses difficult questions about justice, punishment, and how far an individual will go when the system fails them and their family. What makes it especially engaging is how the filmmakers manage to shift the audience’s sympathies towards certain characters back and forth, throughout the one-hundred and nine-minute runtime. During certain moments you’ll find yourself siding with a character, and other times you’ll find yourself questioning everything they do.

Besides the engaging and at times morally divisive story, the cinematography was also a noteworthy aspect of the picture. Much of the film was shot on location in Philadelphia, adding a real sense of authenticity to the dark, gritty and uneasy undertones that the tale brought to the screen. A good mixture of Philadelphia’s streets, prisons, courtrooms, and even graveyards were utilised, creating the brutalist atmosphere.

Gerard Butler adopted the role of Clyde Shelton, commanding a large majority of screentime, with primary support coming from Jamie Foxx, portraying Nick Rice. The two roles were originally swapped, with Jamie Foxx playing Clyde Shelton and Gerard Butler to play Nick Rice, however, a change in production led to the pair swapping their originally intended roles. Other support came from the likes of Colm Meaney, Christian Stolte, Leslie Bibb and Regina Hall, portraying Detective Dunnigan, Clarence Darby, Sarah Lowell and Kelly Rice, respectively. There was even an appearance from Viola Davis, starring as the Mayor of Philadelphia.

All in all, Law Abiding Citizen is a complex, but mostly gripping thriller that challenges viewers with morally ambiguous choices throughout. Interestingly, in May 2022 it was announced that a standalone sequel film was in development – one to keep an eye out for in the future. As previously noted, Law Abiding Citizen is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

“That’s a hell of a fancy way to say that he kills people.”

Nick Rice – Law Abiding Citizen