Tony Johnson

Tony Johnson’s “Laws of Man” (2024) throws you into a world where nobody’s really a hero—just regular folks trying (and mostly failing) to play by their own rules. The story cracks open with Marcus, a burnt-out lawyer who’s basically allergic to integrity, but still somehow winds up defending this kid who’s tangled up in a scandal way bigger than himself. Corruption? Oh, it’s everywhere. From the city’s smug politicians to cops who’d sell their soul for a free lunch, everyone’s playing dirty. Marcus stumbles through this legal labyrinth, getting in deeper with every half-truth he tells and every corner he cuts. You get these moments where you almost root for him, then he screws it up again, and you’re like, “Dude, really?” There’s tension buzzing through every scene, especially when the kid he’s supposed to help starts questioning if Marcus is just another cog in the machine. All the while, the city’s basically a character of its own—grimy, relentless, full of people hustling to survive. The film doesn’t shy away from the ugly stuff: betrayal, desperation, even a bit of dark humor to keep things from getting too heavy. And, man, the ending? Let’s just say, it doesn’t tie everything up in a neat little bow. You walk away feeling like you just got gut-punched, in a good way. "Laws of Man" isn’t about justice. It’s about what you do when justice is nowhere to be found.