When a car bomb explodes on the American side of the U.S./Mexico border, Mexican drug enforcement agent Miguel Vargas begins his investigation, along with American police captain Hank Quinlan. When Vargas begins to suspect that Quinlan and his shady partner, Menzies, are planting evidence to frame an innocent man, his investigations into their possible corruption quickly put himself and his new bride, Susie, in jeopardy.
When a car bomb explodes on the American side of the U.S./Mexico border, Mexican drug enforcement agent Miguel Vargas begins his investigation, along with American police captain Hank Quinlan. When Vargas begins to suspect that Quinlan and his shady partner, Menzies, are planting evidence to frame an innocent man, his investigations into their possible corruption quickly put himself and his new bride, Susie, in jeopardy.
The film's central conflict critiques police corruption, abuse of power, and xenophobia, portraying a Mexican prosecutor as the moral compass against a corrupt American authority figure. This focus on systemic failings and prejudice aligns with left-leaning concerns, despite its exploration of individual moral decay.
The film features primarily traditional casting for its era, with no intentional race or gender swaps for diversity. Its narrative focuses on themes of corruption and moral ambiguity within the justice system, critiquing individual characters and systemic issues rather than traditional identities from a modern DEI perspective.
The character Miguel Vargas, canonically a Mexican narcotics agent in the source novel, is portrayed by Charlton Heston, a white actor. This constitutes a clear instance of a race swap for a central character.
The film "Touch of Evil" does not feature any identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or themes. While some characters might exhibit traits that could be anachronistically queer-coded, there is no explicit or strongly implied LGBTQ+ presence to evaluate within the narrative.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
The film "Touch of Evil" is an adaptation of the novel "Badge of Evil." All major characters, including Miguel Vargas, Susan Vargas, and Hank Quinlan, maintain the same gender as established in the original source material.
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources