20 Movie Scenes That Are Totally Flawless
9. There Was A Firefight - The Boondock Saints (1999)
The Boondock Saints has acquired worthy cult status since its release, thanks in equal measure to its violent vigilante premise, the endless quotability of its core ensemble, and the perfectly over-the-top performance of Willem Dafoe as hardened FBI agent Paul Smecker.
At the very beginning of the film, Smecker is put on the case of two vigilante killers (Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flannery) who are on a mission from God to rid Boston of evil. To his dismay, Smecker is always one step behind the duo, a frustration that reaches its boiling point in the thriller's most iconic scene.
After the McMurphy brothers and their partner-in-crime Funny Man (David Della Rocco) take out a small gang, Smecker analyses the crime scene and recreates the murders to perfection, only to slowly lose his mind to the fact that he can't quite catch them.
Watching Dafoe go from calm and composed to dishevelled and beaten, conducting music he can't hear whilst shooting his gun in the air, is pure comedy gold that strikes a seamless balance between The Boondock Saints' ridiculous plot, gratuitous action beats and impressive wit.
(CW: Violence and very strong language).