Quentin Tarantino has a lot to answer for. This gangster thriller isn't the first film to copy his style, but it's all the poorer for imitating instead of innovating. Cuba Gooding Jr puts away his Oscar to star as Joshua, loyal right-hand man to vicious Washington State mafioso Vincent (Miguel Ferrer). When Vincent finds himself locked in a bloody war with a rival (Harvey Keitel), Joshua begins to question his commitment to his boss and "the life". Aping Tarantino's penchant for stomach-churning violence and pop-culture laden banter, this forgettable thriller struggles to make its mark. Endless gun battles, strangulation with an American flag and cineaste discussions about Roy Scheider's role in Jaws ensue. Yet the complete absence of dramatic tension and a nonsensical twist in the final reel make this a wrong turn for everyone involved.

A small-time crime boss kills a drug dealer without realizing that the drug dealer works for the biggest crime boss in the country.