Sheriff: Narko Integriti is a Malaysian Malay-language film directed by Syafiq Yusof based on the initial story by his father, Yusof Haslam. It was released in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore cinemas on 18 April 2024.
Yes, it was another film focusing on special forces that’s been trending in Malaysia as of late. This one focuses specifically on the Royal Malaysian Police. However, there was enough play and twists in the plots that kept the film refreshing.
Before we delve deeper, no, we don’t call our local cops as Sheriffs. Instead, the titular sheriff here refers to the main character’s name.
So, what’s the film about?
WARNING: Reviews might contain spoiler
This film focuses on Sherifuddin Hussein, an officer from the Integrity Department who caught other corrupt police. In his latest assignment, he was sent to the Narcotics Department to solve the ‘Meth Killer’ case. Meanwhile, Nazri, a policeman member from the Narcotics Department feels like the problem of Tony Ifrit’s meth drug syndicate is getting worse and often escapes the grip of the law when going through the judgment process. Nazri decided to take matters into his own hands.
From the trailer that was released a few months ago, we are introduced to two characters: Sherifuddin Hussein or Sherif played by Zul Ariffin and Nazri, a cop played by Syafiq Kyle.
The trailer does a great job of conveying the general storyline of a police hunter investigating other police while busting the villain, Tony Ifrit, played by Aaron Aziz. It also teases a deeper storyline with twists and mind games, which further intrigues the audience.
Going into Sheriff: Narko Integriti, I had seen Zhaf Vlogs’ reviews of the film and he gave a great raving praise. Zhaf also claimed that the film has exceeded the level of Syafiq’s Yusof previous police blockbuster, Polis Evo 3 with a quality that could achieve Hollywood-level acclaim.
So, yeah, I was super hyped with sky-high expectations.
What I like about the film is largely centered around the plot which was engaging and multi-layered which we don’t often get from Malaysian action-thriller films. There are enough twists, suspense, neat choreography, and action sequences to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The acting was believable with great casts all around.
I would like to single out the character, Nazri played by Syafiq Kyle. Nazri is a smart, analytical but conflicted character with only a few lines of dialog which makes facial expressions and body language all the more important to convey the state of the character. I think Syafiq Kyle was spot on in the delivery and it was well-written which keeps me invested in the character development as well as shedding a single manly tear towards the end.
Supporting characters were adequately fleshed out either to serve as double-spy, plot devices, and comic relief.
There are just a few dislikes about the film, one is surrounding the main character, Sheriff. I found the character too superhuman. I mean, he’s able to survive a motorcycle crash and another side-impact crash with a lorry without any noticeable drawbacks. I’m sure one or two flaws can make the character believable and relatable.
Meanwhile, the villain, Tony Ifrit, is your typical baddie. He is purely evil and will do anything to expand his empire. However, this is understandable since the mind games are focused within the Narcotics Department rather than against the villain.
There are also a few points that I think were left unexplained such as Daus’ relationships to Nazri and his relations to the whole “perjuangan”.
In conclusion, I think Sheriff: Narko Integriti sets a new benchmark within the special forces action genre. The plots, acting, car chase, fighting and character development deserve huge applause. Kudos to Syafiq Yusof, Skop Production, and Astro Studios!
If you are a casual movie-goer who enjoys intriguing action films, I think Sheriff: Narko Integriti won’t disappoint.
