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"To protect the sheep, you gotta catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf" – A review of Training Day.

I love good thrillers, and Training Day is up there as one of the best. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and released in 2001 following its premier at the Venice Film Festival, Training Day is an edge-of-your-seat thriller full of extortion, betrayal and murder.

The film follows an idealist rookie police officer named Jake Hoyt, newly assigned to a narcotics unit, who is undergoing a 24-hour evaluation with detective Alonzo Harris in LA. The pair spend the day dealing with drug tycoons and violent thugs, but Hoyt starts to suspect that Harris has become corrupt in his role. When Harris murders a criminal named Roger, he tries to pin the crime on Hoyt, and the young cop must confront Harris himself to prove his innocence and uncover a tangled web of violence and lies.

The performances in Training Day are nothing short of remarkable, and Denzel Washington's Academy Award winning portrayal of Detective Alonzo Harris is a true standout. He comes across as authoritative, unpredictable and completely chilling, his larger-than-life character being truly scary and his god-complex being clear. Ethan Hawke, playing Officer Jake Hoyte, offers a subtle and minimalist performance in contrast, perfect for the character; his portrayal of deliberate, fake naivety balances Washington's acting perfectly, and the way the two work together is absolutely incredible.

You can't fault the atmosphere either; it feels gritty and dark, and like an authentic representation of the criminal underworld of LA. It's high stakes and tense, sure to keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat, which is helped by the pacing. It's fast paced and frantic, keeping Hoyt – and you, as the viewer – in the dark about Alonzo's intentions right until the end.

My only slight criticism of the film is the ending. I won't spoil it, and it's not that it's bad – it's very entertaining – but it is convoluted. Still, this is a film full of shocking twists and turns which are sure to keep you guessing right until the end. I really enjoyed it, and I would recommend Training Day to anyone who is a fan of crime thrillers.

Written by Tam Page