The Tax Collector
The Tax Collector

Movie spotlight

The Tax Collector

2020
Movie
95 min
English

David Cuevas is a family man who works as a gangland tax collector for high ranking Los Angeles gang members. He makes collections across the city with his partner Creeper making sure people pay up or will see retaliation. An old threat returns to Los Angeles that puts everything David loves in harm’s way.

Insights

IMDb5.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes30%
Metacritic41/100
Google Users47%
Director: David AyerGenres: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Plot Summary

A "tax collector" for a crime cartel, Cris, works with his partner, Keg, to collect debts in Los Angeles. Their dangerous profession is disrupted when an old rival of their boss returns, initiating a violent turf war. Cris finds himself fighting to protect his family and his own life as the conflict escalates, forcing him to confront his past and the brutal reality of his work.

Critical Reception

The Tax Collector received generally negative reviews from critics, who often found its plot convoluted and its violence gratuitous. While some acknowledged director David Ayer's signature gritty style, many felt the film lacked originality and compelling character development. Audience reception was also mixed, with some appreciating the action sequences and performances, particularly Shia LaBeouf's.

What Reviewers Say

  • Panned for its derivative plot and excessive violence.

  • Shia LaBeouf's performance was frequently cited as a highlight, though not enough to save the film.

  • Criticized for relying on familiar crime thriller tropes without fresh execution.

Google audience: Audience reviews indicate a mixed reception, with some appreciating the intense action and LaBeouf's committed performance. However, many found the story predictable and the level of violence to be overwhelming or gratuitous, leading to a significant portion of viewers expressing disappointment.

Fun Fact

Shia LaBeouf learned to speak Spanish for his role as "Creeper" and reportedly underwent significant physical transformation, including numerous tattoos that were intended to be permanent.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
tmdb28039023

tmdb28039023

The Tax Collector is the second-best David Ayer-directed film (the best remains End of Watch), but it's far from the best David Ayers-penned movie – though to be fair, that includes Training Day and Dark Blue, as well as the aforementioned ...

JPV852

JPV852

I like David Ayer. Based on interviews and his social media postings, seems like a cool guy. As a filmmaker, he's hit or miss ranging from some really solid action-thrillers like U-571, End of Watch and Fury to the poorly made flicks such a...