Max plays this unsettling, pragmatic counterbalance to the central obsession. While Zade's whole thing is this overwhelming, destructive possession, Max's loyalty is quieter, rooted in a shared history that doesn't require romantic justification. His importance is how he functions as Zade's tether to a world with rules, even if those rules are criminal ones. He's the one asking, 'Is this worth it?' not from a place of morality, but from strategy.
That creates a fascinating tension. We see Zade's descent through Max's increasingly concerned but obedient perspective. He's the audience's stand-in sometimes, questioning the madness while still being complicit in it. His presence stops Zade from being a pure force of nature; he has a partner, which makes the darkness feel more organized, and therefore more dangerous. Their dynamic suggests this isn't Zade's first rodeo, and Max has seen it before, which adds a layer of grim inevitability to the story.