The Tax Collector (2020)
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A dedicated family man and his violent partner must navigate a brutal underworld of gang warfare and cartel threats to save their loved ones.
The story
In Los Angeles, David Cuevas and his partner Creeper serve as 'tax collectors' for a powerful crime lord named Wizard, who operates from prison. While David balances his criminal duties with his life as a devoted family man, their business is upended by a ruthless rival gang leader named Conejo. After a series of violent encounters and a brutal attack on David's shop that captures Creeper, David is forced to go on the run. He must navigate a dangerous landscape of kidnappings and threats to rescue his children and protect his family from the escalating violence of the cartel.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
David Cuevas and his partner Creeper are enforcers for Wizard, a crime lord running a criminal enterprise from prison. They collect 'taxes' from local gangs in Los Angeles. While David manages his family life and an auto electronics store, they encounter various obstacles, including a gangster skimming money for his daughter's leukemia treatment. The situation escalates when they meet Conejo, a ruthless rival who has retreated from Wizard's territory. Conejo eventually attacks David's shop, killing David's men and capturing Creeper, who is subsequently tortured and killed. David discovers his wife, Alexis, has been murdered and his children kidnapped by Conejo. David teams up with Bone, the shot caller of the Bloods, to raid a drug house and find the children. After sparing Conejo's grandmother, David tracks Conejo to his hideout. In a final confrontation, David uses his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training to overpower and kill Conejo. Afterward, David learns that Wizard is actually his father, but he chooses to walk away from the criminal life.
- First release year
- 2020
- Runtime (minutes)
- 95
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Ayer
- Writers
- David Ayer · writer
- Cast and characters
- Bobby Soto · David Cuevas; Shia LaBeouf · Creeper; Cinthya Carmona · Alexis Cuevas; George Lopez · Uncle Louis; Jay Reeves · Peanut; Lana Parrilla · Favi; Chelsea Rendon · Lupe; Cheyenne Hernandez · Gata
- Genres
- action; thriller; crime
- Themes
- Family loyalty; Crime and violence; Fatherhood
- Tone and mood
- Dreadful; Violent
- Premise and plot tags
- Action; Crime; Thriller; Gangster; Cartel
- Content notes
- Violence
- Reception
- The film was panned by critics and was a box office bomb, though it saw significant success on various VOD platforms.
- Production trivia
- Shia LaBeouf got his entire chest tattooed for his role.; The film was the third to ever top both VOD charts and the box office in the same weekend.; The film held its premiere at the Vineland Drive-In theatre due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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