Dark Blue

The film opens in Los Angeles in 1992 with LAPD Sergeant Eldon Perry pacing a motel room, clutching a shotgun and pistol. The tense setup hints at Perry's readiness for conflict and the volatility that will dominate the story.

Five days earlier, Darryl Orchard and Gary Sidwell rob a convenience store to reach an office safe. Four are killed and one wounded, triggering a chain of investigations and a looming web of corruption. The incident sets the stage for the subsequent betrayal and cover-up.

Perry defends his partner Keough during an internal hearing about a previous use of deadly force and Keough is ultimately exonerated. The outcome elevates their status but foreshadows a darker pressure from within the department. The victory hardens the bond between Perry, Keough, and their corrupt superior.

Perry and Keough celebrate Perry's impending promotion with their superior, Jack Van Meter. Van Meter is a corrupt cop who encourages fabricating evidence and uses subordinates to his own ends. The scene establishes the power dynamics that corrupt the investigation from the outset.

Van Meter visits Orchard and Sidwell at their home and takes the money stolen from the safe, admonishing them for their reckless behavior. This act demonstrates his control over both criminals and officers. It also deepens the criminal lattice supporting the corruption.

Van Meter assigns Perry and Keough to investigate the robbery, providing a false alibi for Orchard and Sidwell and instructing them to pin the crime on someone else. The order taints the investigation from the start and sets in motion a deadly chain of events.

Assistant Chief Arthur Holland questions Perry's testimony, while Beth Williamson uncovers a casual-sex past with Keough. The double concern threatens to expose the conspiracy and increases the pressure to keep it hidden. Loyalties within the department start to fracture.

Using a dubious search warrant, a SWAT raid targets the ex-cons chosen as fall guys. One man escapes into a back alley but is captured, and Keough reluctantly kills him under Perry's orders. The scene marks the collapse of moral boundaries and intensifies Keough's internal crisis.

Perry returns home to discover his wife leaving him, a personal consequence of the corrupt environment surrounding him. The separation deepens his isolation and fuels his willingness to pursue the scheme despite growing costs.

Keough visits Williamson and admits to killing the innocent man, offering to testify against Perry to expose the corruption. Williamson sees both Perry and the robbers as loose ends and becomes entangled in the plot, blurring loyalties further.

As the Los Angeles riots erupt, Van Meter manipulates events to force Perry and Keough into a deadly confrontation. The social upheaval provides cover for their escalating feud and makes accountability seem distant. The stage is set for a final confrontation.

Keough and Williamson drive to the robbers' address; Keough is killed by Orchard and Sidwell, while Williamson tearfully blames Perry for the carnage. Perry pursues Orchard and Sidwell through the chaotic streets, leading to Orchard's capture amid the mayhem.

Perry goes to his promotion ceremony, confesses the corruption, implicates Van Meter, and volunteers himself to be arrested. The film ends with a grim sense of accountability, despite the personal costs and the fallout for everyone involved.