One False Move

African-American director Carl Franklin's ONE FALSE MOVE presents itself as a crime thriller, but upon deeper inspection reveals itself to be a thought-provoking drama concerning racism and racial identity. After stealing a large stash of cocaine and brutally murdering several people in the process, two Los Angeles outlaws--the intelligent Pludo (Michael Beach), an African-American, and the psychopathic redneck Ray (Billy Bob Thornton)--hit the road with Ray's biracial girlfriend Fantasia (Cynda Williams). Thinking that the killers might be headed to Ray and Fantasia's hometown of Star City, Arkansas, two L.A.P.D. detectives travel there to await their arrival. They're greeted by"Hurricane"Dixon (Bill Paxton), the town's energetic police chief, who looks up to them as if they're superheroes. When Pludo and Ray stop in Texas to sell their drugs, Fantasia continues on alone to Star City where she intends to reunite with her 5-year-old son. Once there, Hurricane tracks her down and she challenges him to c...