Den of Thieves goes out of its way to make Nick a "cool" corrupt cop rather than a tragic or truly villainous figure. The movie presents his toxic behavior—cheating, drinking, abusing power—not as something to be condemned, but as part of his “badass” persona. The way his fellow cops act like his personal gang just reinforces that fantasy.
That scene where he storms into his wife's friend's house and flexes his power is a prime example of how the movie wants you to see him as an untouchable alpha rather than a reckless, abusive cop. Same with torturing the informant instead of following the law—he's not just breaking the rules, he's relishing it, and the film never really punishes him for it. The fact that the FBI is supposedly scared of him is just laughable, like something straight out of a cop's power fantasy.
It’s definitely not some deep, thought-provoking look at law enforcement corruption—more like a glorified "cops can be badass criminals too" wet dream. If it had leaned into showing Nick as a true villain instead of just a "bad boy with a badge," it might've had more weight. But instead, it lets him be this ultra-macho antihero without really challenging what that means.