Sheriff: Narko Integriti (also known as Sheriff) is a 2024 Malaysian Malay-language action thriller film directed and screenplay by Syafiq Yusof based on story by his father, Yusof Haslam who also produced the film with co-produced and distributed by Skop Productions and Astro Shaw. Starring Zul Ariffin as the titular character, and co-starring Syafiq Kyle, Aaron Aziz, Elizabeth Tan and Azira Shafinaz.
The film ran its official photography for 81 days starting February to May 2023, right after the release of Polis Evo 3 including in Bandar Malaysia and the Klang Valley, including Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
The film received huge positive reviews from critics and filmmaker for its direction, writing, casting, cinematography and plot twist. it grossed over 64 million against the budget 6 million ringgit, it held for record second highest grossing local film in Malaysia until being surpassed by Blood Brothers and Papa Zola The Movie in 2025. A sequel has already been planned by Syafiq after the box office success from this film.
Plot
Internal police investigator Sheriff Hussein and his team are assigned to find the Meth Killer, a vigilante serial killer who has been murdering associates of drug kingpin Tony Ifrit and whose latest victim was the corrupt head of the Narcotics Department. Believing the Meth Killer is himself a member of the Narcotics Department given the killer's inside knowledge of Tony's organisation, Sheriff becomes suspicious of narcotics officer Nazri, who works with his sister Syazlin in the department and whose fiancée, an undercover policewoman, was found out by Tony before being raped and killed by him.
To get Sheriff off his tail, Nazri convinces his informant Firdaus to commit his next murder to provide an alibi for him. Firdaus is soon identified and captured by the police and in the interrogation room Nazri tells him to stay silent using Morse code; however an agitated Firdaus tries to escape and is shot and killed. Nazri becomes haunted by his death and visions of his fiancée, as well as his murder victims, but refuses to turn himself in.
After discovering the high failure rate of the department's operations, Sheriff suspects that Tony has a mole in Narcotics. The mole is revealed to be CID officer Jennifer, who works for Tony to secure a better childhood for her young son, and reveals to him that the Meth Killer is still out there. Frustrated by the killer disrupting his drug operation, Tony kidnaps Sheriff to find out who the Meth Killer is. Sheriff provides him with several leads but also deduces that not only is Jennifer the mole but there are actually two moles in the Narcotics Department before Tony releases him. Jennifer later approaches Nazri, revealing to him that she is Tony's mole and that she knows he is the Meth Killer. Telling him that she supports his actions, Jennifer offers Nazri the chance to get close to Tony, who ends up taking him hostage.
Tony, led to believe by Jennifer that Nazri is not the killer, demands that the police hand over the Meth Killer in exchange for Nazri's life and that of Jennifer, whose kidnapping Tony has faked. Sheriff convinces Syazlin to pose as the Meth Killer while wearing a hidden tracker, and she is taken by Tony's men. Following the tracker, the police raid Tony's hideout but Sheriff's team are ambushed trying to find Jennifer. In the chaos, Jennifer frees Nazri who finds and brutally kills Tony. However, now aware that she was the one who blew his fiancée's cover, Nazri goes after Jennifer next, but Syazlin holds him at gunpoint, having realised that he is the Meth Killer and demanding he surrender. When Jennifer tries to reach for her gun, Nazri shoots at her, leading Syazlin to shoot and kill her brother. Syazlin is then shot by Farouk, Tony's second mole in the department, who Jennifer kills to cover up her involvement before Sheriff's team reaches them.
In the aftermath Jennifer is lauded as a hero; however she discovers that Syazlin has survived her injuries, leaving her the last witness to her betrayal. Jennifer slips into Syazlin's hospital room and poisons her drinking water but is surprised by Sheriff, who confronts her with evidence of her working for Tony. Believing that her son will not be safe if she remains alive knowing what she knows, Jennifer commits suicide, entrusting Sheriff to raise her son as his own. Afterwards, Syazlin recovers from her injuries and resigns from the Narcotics Department to join Sheriff's team. The film ends with Sheriff and Syazlin confronting a corrupt judge who had been turning a blind eye to Tony's crimes.
Cast
Main cast Zul Ariffin as Sheriff / Sheriffuddin Hussein, an officer from the Integrity Department (real life of Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (ISCD) of the RMP) who goes after police officers suspected of corruption Mikael Noah as Young Sheriff Syafiq Kyle as Nazri / the Meth Killer, a young officer from the Narcotics Department and younger brother of Syazlin who is secretly a vigilante serial killer going after associates of Tony Ifrit Aaron Aziz as Tony Ifrit, a ruthless and dangerous methamphetamine drug kingpin Elizabeth Tan as Jennifer Wong, a corrupt CID officer from the RMP and main mole of Tony Ifrit Azira Shafinaz as Syazlin, a female officer from the Narcotics Department and older sister of Nazri Amir Nafis as Farouk Mahmud, a narcotics officer Kodi Rasheed as Firdaus, a Malaysian Army veteran and Nazri's informant Shaharuddin Thamby as Superintendent Malik Esma Daniel as Superintendent Roslan, head of the Integrity Department Kamal Affandi Hashim as DSP Hafsham, Superintendent Malik's successor Natasya Mahyan as Wani, Nazri's deceased fiancée Hazama Azmi as Amirul Asyraff , a corrupt police officer Azri Iskandar as Hussein Osman, Sheriff's father and a corrupt police officer Hasnul Rahmat as Syed Rahman, a corrupt Chief Judge of Malaya Zen Ng as Hong Meynillen Thamil Selvan as Nagarajah Siraj Alsagoff as Arkash
Additional casts
Azalizan Azaman as Faizal Mohd Khairulanuar Zulkifli as Razak Mohamad Fadhil Haniff as Kapak Hazly Hassan as Tony's henchman Nizam Bahar as Tony's henchman 2 Joannes Anak Mosas as Tony's henchman 3 Akmal Asyraf as Tony's gang Muhammad Azri Mokhtar as Tony's gang 2 Muhammad Farhan Ahmad Fauzi as Sergeant Latiff
Production Sheriff: Narko Integriti is the third police-themed film directed by Syafiq Yusof after KL Special Force (2018) and Polis Evo 3 (2023). It marks the fourth collaboration between Syafiq and Zul Ariffin after Misteri Dilaila (2019), Penunggang Agama (2021) and Penunggang Agama 2 (2021). The other actors involved in this film are Syafiq Kyle, Azira Shafinaz, Elizabeth Tan, Aaron Aziz, Shaharuddin Thamby, Kodi Rasheed, Esma Daniel, Hazama Azmi and Azri Iskandar. Shaharuddin and Esma previously acted together in KL Special Force, while Elizabeth starred in Misteri Dilaila and Abang Long Fadil 3 (2022), both directed by Syafiq. This film is also a project between Syafiq Kyle and Azira Shafinaz together after they previously appeared in television series, including Married Tapi Benci (2016) and One Cent Thief (2022). Azhan Rani was originally intended to be cast as Tony Ifrit, but was replaced by Aaron Aziz after being dropped from The Original Gangster (2024) due to some friction between Aaron and Syamsul Yusof. Aaron reveals that Syamsul told him to inject for losing weight at first place.
Syafiq added that he grew up watching police dramas and films, not just Gerak Khas but also Hollywood films such as Lethal Weapon and Die Hard.
He also reveals that Syerif (Sheriff in Malay) was a working title for production.
The film's principal photography ran for 81 days around Klang Valley from February to May 2023, right after the release of Polis Evo 3, also directed by Syafiq. The film was released in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore cinema on 18 April 2024, a week after Eid al-Fitr.
Syafiq admitted that his father really liked the film he directed, but did not have the opportunity to show this film to his brother, Syamsul Yusof. Syafiq told Harian Metro that this was the hardest film he ever directed not because of PDRM, but LPF's action on the film once its completed.
After the trailer uploaded, some people furious after shows "a whole" plot of the film, but Syafiq later deny it. He reveal that he decided to reveal the "Meth Killer" (portrayed by Syafiq Kyle) to use reversed concept of "Whodunnit" or "Howcatchem". He hopes that it can attracted audience to watch the film as it was Syafiq's first experimental with the concept.
Faizal Noar, who previously worked with Syafiq Yusof as assistant director for Abang Long Fadil 3 (2022) and Hassan Muthalib were mentioned in the film for "creating" the fictional film for Sheriff, titled Hujan di Kuala Lumpur (Rain in Kuala Lumpur), in which used as an evidence from Nazri for what he do on the night when he was asked by Sheriff.
Release
Rating The film was originally rated 13 by the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia (LPF), but was re-rated to 16, in which Syafiq had no choice but to agree on LPF's decision. He stated that the film does not have extreme scenes, but he thinks that the final rating was given due to the film's topic. This film was later given a green light to be released in theaters.
Release and promotional campaigns The official trailer of the film was released on YouTube by Skop Productions and Astro Shaw on 22 March 2024, in which it is scheduled to be release in Malaysia and Singapore cinemas on 18 April 2024, a week after Eid al-Fitr. The film was later released in Indonesia by CBI Pictures on 23 May 2024, titled Sheriff: Narcotics & Integrity. It received positive reaction by Joko Anwar as Joko himself was Syafiq's idol.
The film was scheduled to screened in Hong Kong on 6 June 2024, distributed by Universal Pictures Hong Kong branch with original dialogue. The film will set become Skop Productions' first film to screened there and Astro Shaw's second 2024 international release after Mechamato Movie in Japan. Originally, the film managed to attracted Warner Bros. staff who have invited to gala night in GSC Mid Valley Megamall. According to Yusof Haslam, Warner Bros. Hong Kong staff approved the film to be screened, in which the title of the film was changed to Mass Killer "Sheriff" (Chinese: 警長：抓内鬼) with original audio and bilingual subtitles (English and Mandarin).
To promote the film, Skop Productions teamed up with Secret Recipe to give away 15 pairs of gala night premiere tickets, which is a contest called Snap & Win. Malaysian cinema chain Golden Screen Cinemas is giving out Raya packets in selected cinemas starting from 2 April. TGV Cinemas ran an "open house" for both Dancing Village: The Curse Begins and this film, priced at RM75. Malaysian distributor of this film, Astro Shaw is giving out Raya packets in multiple bazaars in conjunction to the release of the film.
Syafiq cautioned parents about bringing children to watch the movie due to its 16 rating, in which caused by viral TikTok videos showing minors present at showings.
Reception
Box office