‘If You Want To Send A Message, Use Western Union’
That’s about film as an art form, not law enforcement and criminal justice.
Films that are crafted expressly to send a message tend towards propaganda.
But of course law enforcement and criminal justice want to send a message. The message is supposed to be that crime doesn’t pay.
Unfortunately, it has been paying well for some folks for a long time. That’s why we keep getting more of it.