Before The Young Pope, there was this: a coked-up Michael Cerveris owes mobsters $30K in 67 minutes of pure anxiety.
Two brothers are reunited under terrifying circumstances. John Reece has made a precarious living by selling cocaine to actors and bands, but now he owes his violent associates in the Los Angeles underworld $30,000 - and they don't care how they get it. His upstanding brother tries to rescue him, in turn exposing his wife and young son to danger.
Acting
Cerveris's sweaty desperation before he became famous.
Direction
Danny Cannon's kinetic early style, pre-Judge Dredd.
Director
Danny Cannon
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Danny Cannon's thesis film at USC, shot for roughly $25,000, and it directly led to his Hollywood career including The Young Americans and eventually Gotham.
Michael Cerveris would become a Tony-winning Broadway legend (Hedwig, Assassins), making his raw, pre-fame desperation here almost uncomfortably voyeuristic to watch.
US
