Boston cop Pally is forced into early retirement, putting a strain on his marriage. Pally's stepbrother, Ray, attempts to lift his spirits by tipping him off to a sure-bet racehorse. But their attempts to secure the champion equine are thwarted by a local mob boss, who steals the horse as repayment for a gambling debt. With their investment on the line, Pally and Ray become entangled in a web of underworld crime and murder.
Acting
LaPaglia and Sutherland's weirdly committed stepbrother bickering.
Production
The horse has more screen presence than most of the supporting cast.
Director
Mark Malone
Kiefer Sutherland
Pally
Anthony LaPaglia
Ray
Radha Mitchell
Charlotte
Lothaire Bluteau
Tony
Daniel Benzali
Frank Finnegan
Kay Panabaker
Sam
Denis Arndt
Ivan Barnes
Charles Martin Smith
Morty
Michael Benyaer
Man in Warehouse #1
Craig Veroni
Man in Warehouse #2
Gerald Paetz
Cadillac Man / Finnegan Thug # 1
Gary Hetherington
Captain
Frank Cassini
Manny
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This film sat on shelves for two years before its 2004 release, and Kiefer Sutherland allegedly did zero promotion—probably busy saving the world on 24.
Dead Heat arrived during the early 2000s wave of Boston crime films post-Departed, but with roughly 1/100th the budget and 0% of the critical respect.
CA
