Greedy People is a sporadic and uneven crime/thriller/comedy that wants you to think about a Coen Brothers film while you watch it. Not as good as most of their oeuvre, but certainly playing in the same crime comedy ballpark.

The film begins with a cop’s first day on the job in a small town. Before you can say oops, someone is accidentally murdered and a whole basketful of money is found. Too many people know about the cash and soon shady characters are lurking about. And then bullets fly.

I enjoyed the first act of this film where we get a lot of fun character work between stars Himesh Patel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Other townsfolk are introduced and each a character with their own sense of humor, quirks, and weirdness.

And I was pretty much into the film… until I wasn’t. Eventually it takes one too many turns and I began to lose interest. And since it’s a crime comedy, the comedy eventually ebbs so we can have murder after murder. Some of which was genuinely suspenseful, other bits less so. The film also didn’t end at its natural conclusion and insisted on extending itself for a couple more scenes plus a VERY Coen-esque narration at the end.

There’s some decent stuff in this film and if it sounds interesting or fun, maybe check it out. Also maybe check it out if you are Jonesing for some Coen Brothers adjacent material… not as good as their work but in that ballpark.

Score: 77