Mark Wahlberg is back in action mode for the Prime Video release Play Dirty, but the thriller’s Rotten Tomatoes debut score indicates it is not impressing critics.
Amazon has a huge hit with Reacher, the bone-crunching show based on Lee Child’s popular book series, and the streamer may be hoping lightning will strike again with another action-heavy literary adaptation centered on an unconventional protagonist.
Written by Donald E. Westlake under the pseudonym Richard Stark, the “Parker” novels center on a professional thief who makes his living pulling off high-stakes crimes. The new movie Play Dirty from Amazon MGM Studios adapts the most recent of the books, published in 2008, the same year of its author’s death. It premieres on Prime Video October 1.
It’s yet to be seen if Play Dirty will launch a new Prime Video action franchise to rival Reacher, but indications are not positive so far, as the Wahlberg-led movie just debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with an underwhelming 55% fresh rating. Just 11 reviews have been compiled, so the film could still see an uptick.
What This Means For Play Dirty
Westlake’s Parker has made his way to the big screen before, most recently in 2013, when Jason Statham played the character in a film simply called Parker. Other notable “Parker”-based movies include Mel Gibson’s Payback, Gene Hackman’s The Split, and Lee Marvin’s Point Blank.
Wahlberg becomes the latest star to tackle playing Westlake’s master criminal, a man who lives under a very particular code, but only when it comes to his fellow thieves. Director Shane Black guides a strong cast that includes LaKeith Stanfield, Rosa Salazar, Tony Shalhoub, Keegan-Michael Key, Thomas Jane, and Gretchen Mol.
If early critical returns hold true, Play Dirty will prove a disappointing attempt at bringing Parker to the screen. Reviews knock the film for being too long at 125 minutes, while many cite a convoluted plot as a major issue. Director Black comes in for particularly harsh panning, as he’s blamed for the film being dull and without personality.
The more positive reviews praise Play Dirty for its humor, and give Stanfield high marks for a scene-stealing performance. Wahlberg’s own performance is garnering mixed reviews thus far, with some critics calling him detached and lacking in depth, while others call him a good fit for the material.
Our Take On Play Dirty’s Low Rotten Tomatoes Score
Play Dirty continues a negative trend for Wahlberg, whose Rotten Tomatoes scores have landed on the “rotten” side of the line with alarming consistency for quite a few years. Except for the well-reviewed Arthur the King in 2024, the star has put out 11 straight under-60% RT performers, dating back to 2020.
Play Dirty at 55% is actually the best performer among those 11, which is slightly good news, though still sad.It’s worth mentioning that Wahlberg’s films tend to do better in RT audience rating than critics’ score, and the same could ultimately hold true for Play Dirty. When it comes to professional reviews, Wahlberg’s latest looks like yet another dud.
- Release Date
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October 1, 2025
- Runtime
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125 Minutes
- Director
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Shane Black
- Writers
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Donald E. Westlake, Shane Black, Anthony Bagarozzi