Mark Wahlberg's R-Rated "Action-Packed" & "Amazing" Thriller Continues to Succeed on Streaming Actorsvaultpro

Mark Wahlberg has been a staple in Hollywood for more than 30 years now, and is easily one of the hardest working actors around these days. He’s been in 12 movies so far this decade, with another four on the way. His perseverance is clearly paying off, too, as one of his more recent action thrillers continues to be a success on streaming more than a month after its debut.

Titled Play Dirty, the Amazon MGM Studios production hit Prime Video on October 1, 2025, and it’s remained in the Top 10 ever since. It’s currently the eighth most popular movie on the streamer, sandwiched in between the Blumhouse horror film The Woman in the Yard, and the James Bond thriller No Time to Die. Written and directed by Shane Black and based on the Parker book series by Donald E. Westlake, Play Dirty sees Wahlberg as a professional thief looking to make his biggest heist yet. The official synopsis reads:

“An expert thief rolls out the biggest heist of his life in Play Dirty, an action-packed thriller from director Shane Black. Parker (Wahlberg), along with Grofield (LaKeith Stanfield), Zen (Rosa Salazar) and a skilled crew, stumble onto a score that pits them against the New York mob in this gritty, clever caper.”

Following the tried and true formula that many heist movies before have perfected, Play Dirty is elevated thanks to the direction and writing of Black, who is no stranger to creating witty action thrillers. He is, after all, the man who penned such hits as Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout, and directed favorites like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys. Though we’re not sure if we can ever forgive him for 2018’s The Predator, but that’s neither here nor there.

‘Play Dirty’ Divided Fans and Critics

Mark Wahlberg and LaKeith Stanfield in Play Dirty

Prime Video

All that being said, Play Dirty is still one of those movies that divided fans and critics nearly right down the middle. It holds just a 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from pundits, while its audience score isn’t much better at 42%. Some felt there was just too much going on in the heist thriller for it to make sense, while others fell in love with the film’s humor, action, and unexpected twists.

Is Play Dirty the perfect movie? Obviously not, but it is a fun popcorn flick that will allow you to turn your brain off for a couple of hours and escape from reality. Wahlberg and Stanfield are great in this one, and the appearance of favorites Thomas Jane and Tony Shalhoub is a pleasant surprise.

It won’t win any awards, but it’s not one of those movies that’s designed to do so. Play Dirty knows what it is, and plays to its strengths to deliver some fun banter, great action, and enough thrills to keep you engaged on a Saturday afternoon. You can stream it now on Prime Video, and look for Wahlberg to appear next in the action comedy sequel The Family Plan 2, which is slated to hit Apple TV+ on November 21, 2025.