Lewis, Sheriff and Tony are three friends vacationing in Malaysia. Sheriff and Tony eventually leave to pursue careers in New York, but Lewis stays behind to work with orangutans. Two years later, Sheriff and Tony learn that, because of their past actions, Lewis has been arrested for drug possession. With Lewis facing a death sentence, the friends are left with a difficult decision: return to Malaysia and split Lewis' sentence, or let him die.
Acting
Vince Vaughn's best dramatic work—surprisingly shattered, not funny.
Direction
Ruben turns Malaysia into a suffocating trap, not a postcard.
Writing
The math of friendship: three years each vs. one life.
Director
Joseph Ruben
Vince Vaughn
John 'Sheriff' Volgecherev
Anne Heche
Beth Eastern
Joaquin Phoenix
Lewis McBride
David Conrad
Tony Croft
Jada Pinkett Smith
M.J. Major
Vera Farmiga
Kerrie
Nick Sandow
Ravitch
Elizabeth Rodriguez
Gaby
Joel de la Fuente
Mr. Doramin
James McCauley
Famous Divorce Lawyer
Brette Taylor
Young Woman in Limo
Deanna Yusoff
Woman in Bar
David Zayas
Construction Foreman
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Loosely inspired by a real Dutch drug case in Malaysia, but the 'shared sentence' premise was pure fiction—no such legal mechanism exists.
The film tanked at release but gained cult status as a 'what would YOU do' litmus test; Anne Heche considered it her most underrated performance.
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Reactions from the web
RIP, it was such a great movie
@Tjsan 3
RIP Anne Heche
@UniversalMokenTroll 5
This is such a good movie. Joaquin Phoenix is incredible in it. IMO, he should have been nominated for an Oscar for this role.
@JM-zk9ou 1
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