One False Move
| One False Move | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Carl Franklin |
| Produced by |
Jesse Beaton Ben Myron |
| Written by |
Billy Bob Thornton Tom Epperson |
| Starring |
|
| Music by |
Peter Haycock Derek Holt Terry Plumeri |
| Cinematography | James L. Carter |
| Edited by | Carole Kravetz |
| Distributed by | I.R.S. Releasing |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,543,112 |
One False Move is a 1992 American thriller film co-written by Billy Bob Thornton. The film stars Thornton alongside Bill Paxton and Cynda Williams and was directed by Carl Franklin. The low-budget B-movie was to be released straight to home video when it was finished, but became popular through word of mouth, convincing the distributor to give the film a theatrical release. Film critic Gene Siskel voted this film as his favorite of 1992.
Plot
Three criminals are working together: Ray (Billy Bob Thornton), an immoral and slightly neurotic thief; Fantasia (Cynda Williams), Ray's less violent girlfriend; and Pluto (Michael Beach), an intelligent psychopathic killer. After Fantasia sets up several friends, Ray and Pluto commit six brutal murders over the course of one night in Los Angeles, California as they seek a cache of money and cocaine. The trio leaves town for Houston, Texas to sell the cocaine to a friend of Pluto's.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) starts investigating the case, led by Detectives Dud Cole (Jim Metzler) and John McFeely (Earl Billings). After getting a few leads, they discover that the three are possibly headed for Star City, Arkansas. The LAPD contacts the Star City police chief, Dale "Hurricane" Dixon (Bill Paxton). Dixon is not what they expect. He often talks too much, listens too little, and takes things for granted. Dixon is excited about the case, as it gives him an opportunity to do "some real police work". Dixon is well known throughout the small county, saying hello to everyone except a five-year-old black child whom he occasionally sees. Whenever he sees this particular child, Dixon becomes quiet and uncomfortable. The detectives travel to Star City and meet Dixon. He attempts to ingratiate himself with the LAPD detectives, whom he reveres.
Meanwhile, Ray, Fantasia, and Pluto are headed to Houston. They are pulled over by a state trooper. Acting on a hunch, the trooper orders Pluto and Ray out of the car at gunpoint. However, Fantasia sneaks up behind the trooper and shoots him in the head. Word of the trooper's murder gets to the detectives in Star City, and the trio review surveillance photos of Ray and Fantasia in a convenience store before the murder. Dixon informs the detectives that Fantasia is Lila Walker and she grew up in Star City. He recalls she was a troubled youth who left for Hollywood with dreams of an acting career.
The detectives sense there is more to the story. They stop by Fantasia's relatives' house, where they see the young boy that makes Dixon so uncomfortable. The boy is revealed to be Lila's young son. The detectives feel that Lila will be coming home to see him.
Ray, Fantasia and Pluto arrive in Houston to sell the drugs as planned. Fantasia takes a bus ahead from Houston to Star City while Pluto and Ray stay behind to work the deal. The deal goes terribly sour for Ray and Pluto, who then have to kill three more people and flee the city. The two drive from Houston to Star City to meet up with Fantasia and plan their next move.
When Fantasia arrives in Star City, she hides at a rural house; she sees her son but soon must flee. Dixon confronts her, and it is revealed that the boy is Dixon and Lila's son, conceived during an affair they conducted. After tense conversation, they make a deal. She will lure Ray and Pluto to ensure their capture. In exchange, Dixon will help her leave town.
Pluto and Ray arrive at the house and are immediately confronted by an armed Dixon. Pluto stabs Dixon in the stomach and Dixon shoots Pluto at point blank range. Ray draws his gun and runs outside while shooting at Dixon. The two fire at each other outside, but Fantasia stops Dixon from killing Ray, only to have Ray errantly shoot her in the head. Shot in the chest, Dixon steadies himself and shoots Ray, killing him. Pluto walks outside and falls dead in the grass. Dixon calls for help with his police radio, and the LAPD detectives arrive (with Fantasia's son), amazed what Dixon has accomplished. Dixon and Lila's son walks over and talks to Dixon, and he asks the boy about himself.
Cast
- Bill Paxton as Dale "Hurricane" Dixon
- Billy Bob Thornton as Ray Malcolm
- Cynda Williams as Fantasia/Lila Walker
- Michael Beach as Lenny "Pluto" Franklin
- Jim Metzler as Dud Cole
- Earl Billings as John McFeely
- Jimmy Bridges as Bobby
Critical reaction
One False Move has a score of 98% "Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes based on 45 reviews.[1] Hal Hinson, writing for The Washington Post July 18, 1992, praised the film: "'One False Move' is a thriller with a hair-trigger sense of tension. Directed by newcomer Carl Franklin, its power comes from the stripped-down simplicity of its style and the unblinking savagery of its violence."[2] Film critic Roger Ebert praised the film's director in his review: "It is a powerful directing job. He starts with an extraordinary screenplay and then finds the right tones and moods for every scene, realizing it's not the plot we care about, it’s the people."[3] The film was nominated for the Grand Prix of the Belgian Syndicate of Cinema Critics.
References
- ↑ "One False Move". RottenTomatoes.com. Fandango. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- ↑ Hinson, Hal (July 18, 1992). "'One False Move' (R)". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- ↑ Ebert, Roger (May 8, 1992). "One False Move". RogerEbert.SunTimes.com. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
External links
- One False Move at the Internet Movie Database
- One False Move at Rotten Tomatoes
- One False Move at AllMovie
- One False Move at Box Office Mojo
- One False Move at Trailers from Hell