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Year: 2015
Runtime: 94 min
Language: English
Director: Sarik Andreasyan
In a tense game of loyalty and redemption, former convict Frankie (Adrien Brody) reunites with estranged brother James (Hayden Christensen), who's rebuilt his life after taking the fall for their past misdeeds. As they concoct one final heist, their conflicting moral compasses collide, threatening to destroy everything they've worked to achieve.
Warning: spoilers below!
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As James, who is no stranger to desperation, stands on the brink of a new life, the looming presence of his older brother Frankie threatens to shatter everything he has built. Frankie’s selfless sacrifice—taking the fall for their shared wrongdoings—has granted James the opportunity to start over, find comfort in his relationship with Emily (a police dispatcher), and secure a job as a mechanic. However, when Frankie returns from his prison sentence, he pulls James back into the treacherous world of crime. Frankie’s associates, Sugar and Ray, have devised a complex plan for a heist, and Frankie is adamant that James must take on the role of the getaway driver.
Initially, James is doubtful and hesitant, aware of Sugar and Ray’s unpredictable nature and their extravagant ambitions. He suggests that they cut ties and forge a fresh start, but Frankie finds it difficult to detach due to debts accrued during his imprisonment. The tangled history of the brothers surfaces as Frankie reveals the abuse and humiliation he endured in prison—an illustration of the toxic bonds formed in such dire circumstances. He also discloses that Emily’s existence had been known to Sugar and Ray, hinting that she could be in grave danger if James refuses to cooperate.
As the brothers reconnect over their shared experiences, James faces a harrowing decision: to break things off with Emily in hopes of protecting her. They spend several days rekindling their brotherly bond, and on the morning of the heist, they are joined by Spoonie, an adept fifth wheel who expertly creates diversions throughout the city.
The heist begins smoothly as the crew accesses the vault with previously acquired codes. However, disaster strikes when an unsuspecting eyewitness spots Frankie through a window and subsequently sees James parked outside. In a panic, she rushes to a nearby store to notify the authorities. As sirens begin to wail, James rushes into the bank to warn his team that time is of the essence. Unfortunately, their plan unravels when Spoonie disappears with the getaway vehicle, leaving them trapped as law enforcement closes in.
As tensions soar among the group, Frankie takes charge and engages in a fierce shootout with the police, risking his own safety to save James by taking a bullet to the abdomen. Meanwhile, Sugar and Ray provide covering fire while James commandeers a nearby vehicle, swiftly hot-wiring it. Though the group manages to escape from the bank, a sense of urgency grips James when he realizes that his brother is being left behind. He finds Frankie poised on the edge, seemingly resigned to losing his freedom again.
As their companions fall one by one under relentless police pursuit, the brothers are forced to stall for time, desperate to navigate their perilous situation. With options rapidly diminishing, Frankie turns against James, overpowering him and shrouding his identity behind a disguise. Just as they emerge from the bank, Emily, tirelessly working at the police dispatch center, witnesses the chaos unfold, her eyes widening in shock as she recognizes the battered James and the unmasked Frankie.
The danger escalates dramatically when a police sniper takes aim, instantly ending Frankie’s life on live television. As James is whisked away by paramedics, he regains consciousness long enough to exact revenge against one before slipping back into the rain-soaked night. The paramedic, recovering from their ordeal, manages to send out a distress call, prompting Emily to rise from her workstation with fierce determination. As James pauses to collect his thoughts, sitting on a trolley while the credits roll, the audience is left enveloped in uncertainty, with a seed of doubt that their story is far from over.
Last Updated: November 19, 2024 at 12:07
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