Well, now you can add Narc to the list. Talk about sheer, unadulterated power, this low-budgeted drama is so unapologetically brutal, it makes Training Day look like Lilo & Stitch. Since it also boasts engrossing, no-holds-barred performances from Ray Liotta and Jason Patric, the end result is an unforgettable moviegoing experience that will most likely leave you shell-shocked when you stumble out of the theater.

After being held responsible for the accidental death of an unborn child, suspended undercover narcotics officer Nick Tellis (Jason Patric) is drawn back to the Detroit police force to help investigate the murder of a fellow cop. He reluctantly teams up with the dead officer's partner, Henry Oak (Ray Liotta), who he quickly realizes is an unstable, unpredictable loose cannon on a personal mission of vengeance. They clash repeatedly throughout the course of their investigation, but more importantly, they soon discover that the truth they seek could very well destroy them both.

Narc is not your average buddy picture with corny dialogue and mindless action. Instead, it is a gritty, disturbing and violent film with gunfights so loud that your eardrums will be put to the ultimate test. Writer-director Joe Carnahan may be recycling some overused cop movie cliches (the corruption, the conflicted partner, the dedicated wife, etc.), but he balances an unrelenting, chaotic pace with stylish cinematography with the result that the film stands on its own.

Though constrained to a micro-thin budget of only $3 million, the film also succeeds because of a smart script, inspired performances and an ending that will blow you away. These elements are what undoubtedly caught the eye of none other than Tom Cruise, who came on board as Executive Producer in an effort to push the film and release it through Paramount Pictures (actually, Cruise is one of 17 credited producers). Otherwise, it might have been stuck with a smaller distributor and not received the exposure that it clearly deserves.

After languishing in a bunch of forgettable projects over the last decade (remember Turbulence or Operation Dumbo Drop?), Ray Liotta is back in a big way and burns up the screen with a harrowing performance that will keep you on the edge of your seat. He immerses himself both physically and emotionally into his role, and effortlessly balances just the right amount of brutality, devastation and even sensitivity. Jason Patric also puts in a strong performance as his conflicted partner, but it is admittedly similar to the one he gave in 1991's little-seen, but still very powerful Rush.