Henry, an uptight businessman who sometimes acts with questionable ethics, nevertheless rejects Ron, a scam artist who wants a partner. Ron won't let up and finds a lever to blackmail Henry, whose daughter Gina has killed a pedestrian in a hit-and-run car accident. To protect Gina, Henry disposes of Ron, but a murderous sociopath witnesses this crime. Henry and this stranger bond in an odd way, telling stories about their childhoods. Henry makes a deal with the stranger, helping to get rid of the body of one of the stranger's victims. Will this act seal a bargain between the two men and get Henry off the hook, or will the stranger threaten Henry and Gina?
Acting
Hopper sleepwalking through every scene with weird commitment.
Director
John Sjogren
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot in 1999 but shelved until 2001, this was one of seven films Hopper appeared in that year as his health declined.
The title's double meaning—physical choking and 'choking' under pressure—mirrors Henry's simultaneous suffocation by guilt and Ron's actual death.
US
