Year: 1988
Runtime: 93 mins
Language: English
Director: James Glickenhaus
In a city where everything is for sale, even people are commodities. After a local drug dealer kills a corrupt police officer in self‑defense, a renegade undercover cop and a determined lawyer team up to prove his innocence. Their investigation plunges them into a tangled web of greed and corruption, revealing that in this town any price can be paid.
Get a spoiler-free look at Shakedown (1988) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.
In a restless metropolis where everything—even a person’s loyalty—carries a price tag, the streets pulse with the clatter of deals and the unspoken bargains that keep the city moving. The atmosphere is gritty and suffocating, a place where the line between law and profiteering blurs into a single, shimmering haze. Beneath neon-lit avenues, whispers of corruption echo through alleyways, hinting that even those sworn to protect may be for sale.
Enter Roland Dalton, a burned‑out public defender whose weary professionalism masks a deep‑seated yearning for genuine justice. Near the end of his tenure with legal aid, he finds himself drawn into a case that could redefine his career and his conscience. The client, a local drug dealer, claims he acted in self‑defense against a crooked police officer, a narrative that forces Dalton to confront the unsettling truth that the very system he serves may be complicit in the very crimes he fights.
Partnering with Richie Marks, a renegade undercover cop whose methods stray far from the department’s playbook, Dalton steps into a partnership built on mutual distrust of the establishment and a shared hunger for truth. Marks operates on the fringes, navigating the underbelly of the force with a blend of cynicism and relentless determination. Their uneasy alliance becomes the film’s core, a meeting of disparate worlds that fuels both tension and reluctant respect.
Together they set out to untangle a sprawling web of greed and corruption that threads through the city’s power structures. As they probe deeper, the investigation reveals how easily morality can be bartered and how every revelation raises the stakes for those daring enough to demand accountability. The mood remains taut and brooding, inviting the audience to wonder just how far anyone will go when the cost of silence is too high to bear.
Last Updated: December 03, 2025 at 23:51
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Uncovering systemic rot in a city where justice is a dirty business.Movies like Shakedown that explore themes of deep-seated urban corruption and moral decay. If you enjoyed the tense, gritty vibe of a city ruled by corrupt officials and the determined individuals fighting them, you'll find similar stories of institutional rot and high-stakes justice here.
Stories in this thread typically follow a maverick investigator—a cop, journalist, or lawyer—who uncovers a web of corruption far deeper than imagined. The central conflict is systemic, pitting the individual against a faceless, powerful establishment, often leading to high-risk confrontations and morally compromised victories.
These movies are grouped by their shared bleak urban atmosphere, central theme of institutional corruption, and a tense, determined tone. They feature protagonists operating in morally ambiguous spaces, using similar visual palettes of shadowy cityscapes and generating anxiety through pervasive threat.
When the system is broken, renegades take justice into their own hands.If you liked Shakedown's story of a renegade cop and lawyer teaming up against a corrupt system, explore these movies. This collection features determined outsiders bending or breaking the rules to fight powerful enemies, delivering intense, morally complex thrillers with bittersweet resolutions.
The narrative pattern involves a lone wolf or small team discovering a profound injustice that the official system cannot or will not address. Their investigation forces them to use extralegal means, leading to explosive confrontations. The ending often provides a partial victory but questions the cost and sustainability of their rogue methods.
These films are united by the archetype of the maverick hero, a fast-paced plot of investigation and confrontation, and a bittersweet emotional arc. They share a high intensity driven by the protagonist's precarious position outside the law they are trying to uphold.
Don't stop at just watching — explore Shakedown in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Shakedown is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Read a complete plot summary of Shakedown, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.
Track the full timeline of Shakedown with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Shakedown. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Shakedown: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.
Discover movies like Shakedown that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.
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