One False Move

"One False Move" is a gritty, compelling film noir thriller, which opens with a torture-murder sequence that is so rough and violent it serves as a test. If you can make it through those opening moments, the rest of the film is relatively tame.

An unlikely trio of drug dealers (Cynda Williams, Billy Bob Thornton, Michael Beach) steals a stash of cocaine in Los Angeles after one of them calmly kills the dopers they've robbed in a ritualistic manner. Two investigating cops (Jim Metzler, Earl Billings) are soon on their way to rural Arkansas, a little town called Star City, where the killers/thieves are likely headed. There, Metzler and Billings link up with a yahoo sheriff (Bill Paxton) who is excited about the possibility of his first big-city case.

As the film progresses, however, Paxton's character turns out to be more complex than it initially seemed, and it isn't long before he discovers that one of the killers is someone he once knew. Intimately.

Crosses, double-crosses and surprising revelations follow as all of these diverse personalities head for a climactic showdown that is both tension-filled and thoughtful.

A tough low-budget, independent film, tautly directed by newcomer Carl Franklin, "One False Move" isn't an action-packed, giggle-and-titillate Hollywood production by any means. It's a meaty character study and one of the better thrillers to come along in some time.