During the tumultuous period of the American financial crisis and the 2008 presidential election campaign, Johnny "Squirrel" Amato, played by Vincent Curatola, hatches a plan to rob a Mafia poker game. To execute this risky venture, he ropes in Frankie, portrayed by Scoot McNairy, a former business partner, and Russell, a heroin-addicted Australian expatriate played by Ben Mendelsohn, who resorts to stealing purebred dogs for money. Despite their shared objective, tension brews between Johnny and Russell; Johnny believes Russell's reckless tendencies could jeopardize their chances. Likewise, Russell, who has ambitions of becoming a drug dealer once he saves up enough cash, views Johnny as too weak.
They set their sights on a poker game run by Markie Trattman, depicted by Ray Liotta, who has a dubious history of staging an inside job by hiring crooks to rob his own illegal poker operation. Johnny estimates that due to Markie's past, he will be the prime suspect, making it easy for the Mafia to dispose of him without further investigation when the heist occurs. The Mafia, embodying a ruthless vigilante approach, sends Dillon, characterized by Sam Shepard, to question Markie. Markie manages to survive the initial interrogation, but his luck may not hold for long.
When Frankie and Russell execute the robbery, despite their amateurish methods—using dishwashing gloves and a sawed-off shotgun—they successfully make off with the money after robbing not just the poker game but also the players involved. In the aftermath, a Mafia operative named Driver, embodied by Richard Jenkins, hires hitman Jackie Cogan, expertly portrayed by Brad Pitt, to address the fallout from their actions. Jackie, adept at assessing situations, recognizes that Markie wasn’t implicated in the heist but concludes that eliminating him is necessary to set an intimidating example for other potential robbers.
Jackie’s tactical approach to hits is one of detachment; he prefers to eliminate targets swiftly and without emotional turmoil. However, when he assigns the task to execute Markie to two brothers, Barry and Stevie, the plan unfolds with unexpected brutality. Despite Markie's protestations of innocence, the beating he receives is harsh, encapsulating the desperation in the underworld.
As Russell heads to Florida to offload stolen dogs, he inadvertently reveals details of the heist to a potential drug dealer named Kenny Gill. This slip sets off alarm bells, allowing Jackie to piece together the trio's involvement. Meanwhile, with tensions escalating, Jackie decides that it’s time to personally handle the matter involving Squirrel. After some maneuvering, he gains the information he needs from Frankie about Squirrel's whereabouts. The confrontation culminates in a shocking twist when Jackie unexpectedly executes Squirrel.
As the presidential election night unfolds with Barack Obama delivering his victory speech, Jackie finally meets Driver to settle the score for the three contracted hits. A heated exchange ensues regarding the price for Jackie’s services, reflecting the grit of their world. Jackie's explosive declaration sums up the film's harsh reality: > “This guy wants to tell me we're living in a community? Don't make me laugh. I'm living in America, and in America, you're on your own. America is not a country; it's just a business. Now pay me.”
This narrative knits together ambition, crime, and the ruthless quest for survival against a backdrop of economic despair.
