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57 reviews in total

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33 out of 35 people found the following review useful:
Not what it seems to be, 1 April 2002

Author: frankfob from California

At first glance, "One False Move" would seem to be just one more "cops vs. psycho cocaine killers" movie, but it's actually quite a bit more than that. It shows us what we first take as stereotypes, then throws them back at us: clean-cut, good-looking, intelligent (black) Pluto (Michael Beach) and beady-eyed, slovenly, foul-mouthed, slack-jawed trailer-trash (white) Ray Malcolm (Billy Bob Thornton) are partnered with beautiful black call girl Phantasia (Cynda Williams) in a rip-off of some Hollywood coke dealers. The robbery turns into a horrific massacre--instigated by Pluto, who, it turns out, is a heartless, remorseless serial killer whose few pleasures in life include slicing up his victims with a knife. And, as it also turns out, Phantasia isn't Pluto's girlfriend, as would seem logical, but she's with Malcolm, who looks and acts like he should be on a recruiting poster for the Ku Klux Klan--and who, for all his outward bluster, tough talk and murderous appearance, is actually the weaker of the two men by far, and almost totally under the thumb of the icy, cold-blooded Pluto, of whom he appears (with good reason) to be terrified.

The L.A. police eventually discover the trio's identities, and their investigation leads them to believe that the killers are headed for an Arkansas backwater called Star City, so they send two homicide detectives there to help the local sheriff apprehend them. In this film, though, even the two "sophisticated", big-city cops aren't exactly what they seem, either; one is an easygoing, slow-talking, overweight black guy, the other is a good-looking, stereotypical "Joe Friday" type white guy who, as it turns out, has his own demons to deal with. Even the Star City sheriff, a young, garrulous "bubba" (Bill Paxton, in a first-rate job) excited by the prospect of doing some "real" police work with some "real" big-city cops, turns out to have more of an interest in this case than just a purely law enforcement one.

This is a crackerjack movie, with no big stars but chock full of good, solid character actors, an inventive, well written script (by Thornton) and direction by Carl Franklin that brings to mind the best of Don Siegel, Phil Karlson, Joseph H. Lewis and other noir icons of the '40s and '50s. A clever, sharp, tough (it does contain some quite graphic violence) and twisted--in the best sense of the word--thriller from start to finish. Don't miss it.

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17 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Still on my mind, 27 December 1999

Author: barkus from St. Louis, MO

I watched this film in 1991 and I still think about it frequently. It has become a standard to compare other films. The violence at the beginning made me uncomfortable, and I almost turned it off. I am glad that I didn't, because I would have missed one of the best films of the decade. The movie's pace and tone are perfectly natural - not artificial in any way. I like the scene in the diner best. The two LA cops are joking with each other about the backward local sheriff (Paxton), and they didn't know he was standing there. The awkwardness of the moment encapsulated the film.

I think One False Move, Fargo, and The Sweet Herafter are a great trilogy of movie making at its best. All set in small - real towns with real people.

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16 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
A neglected gem, 19 November 2004
Author: jamesraeburn2003 from Poole, Dorset

Three criminals pull off a cash and drug heist in LA, which results in the sadistic and brutal murders of six people. The crooks are Fantasia (Cynda Williams), a bad girl with a soft spot. She got pregnant in her teens and got talked into the robbery by her boyfriend Ray Malcolm (Billy Bob Thornton) who is a paranoid and violent psychotic. Yet throughout the course of events, Fantasia wants to go back home to Star City and see her little boy (something that ultimately contributes to her downfall). The third member of the gang is Pluto (Michael Beach), a would be intellectual crime boss whose personality varies between being a cold and sadistic killer with a passion for knives and a cool calm and collected crook who won't kill unless he has to. Having pulled off the job they decide to make for Phoenix Arizona in order to sale the drugs and split the money. However, things are complicated by Fantasia wanting to go home and more blood is shed along the way.

ONE FALSE MOVE is a neglected gem. It marked the feature-film debut of American director Carl Franklin who takes a run-of-the-mill cops and robbers yarn and wisely places the emphasis on character. He is most ably assisted in this by a largely unknown but solid cast who give their director maximum effort in every scene. Williams, Thornton (who also co-wrote the script) and Beach are excellent as the three gangsters while Bill Paxton is also excellent as Hurricane the Star City cop entrusted with the task of helping the LA police track the gang down. The film got a very poor release at the time and it was even denied the film a screening at the Sundance Film Festival and it was dismissed as too violent. The film starts off quite violently but once it gets going the emphasis is on good old fashioned character study, but because of it's failure to reach the Sundance festival it wasn't picked up by a major distributor and it more or less went straight to video. Director Carl Franklin has done very little since apart from DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS with Denzel Washington, a crime thriller that was well received by the critics but didn't take on with the public. Billy Bob Thornton, however, has since become an international star appearing in such modern classics as A SIMPLE PLAN (1999) and the Coen Brothers' sublime black and white noir film THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE (2001).

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13 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Lots of false moves., 27 February 2008

Author: lastliberal from United States

Boy, this film takes me back to the jerkwater Arkansas town where I spent several years of my youth. Bill Paxton (Aliens, True Lies, "Big Love") is spot on as a cracker sheriff who, in his words, hasn't drawn his gun in six years on the job. Well, he drew his gun seven years ago and it has now come back to haunt him and put him in a position that could get him killed.

Billy Bob Thornton (A Simple Plan, Sling Blade, Astronaut Farmer), Arkansas born himself, co-wrote and starred in this film and really pulls off the psycho robber with such perfection that I really cannot understand how a supposedly intelligent guy like "Pluto" (Michael Beach - Short Cuts, "Third Watch," "ER") could hook up with him, especially since they spent two years in jail after the last job. Joining the duo, was Cynda Williams (Mo' Better Blues) in her second film, as Fantasia/Lila. She did a super job.

As the trio heads to Houston from L.A. the body count rises and the Sheriff is put into a position where he has to act alone. False moves throughout the film just add to the tension and excitement.

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14 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
Realistic, No Frills Thriller, 8 January 2000

Author: gbheron from Washington, DC

This modern film noir pits three violent criminals on the run from a violent drug rip-off against two LA cops aided by a rural sheriff. The trio of bad-guy consists of a white-trash loser (Thornton), his African-American girlfriend (Williams), and their high-IQ, sociopath friend (Beach) also black. After committing multiple murders in California they high-tail to Thornton's and Williams' hometown of Star, Arkansas to lay-low. Their journey across the backroads of Texas is fraught with danger, (it's not like they don't stand out) and unbeknownst to them, the cops are waiting....

Very well done without the "look at me I'm so realistic" dialogue too often found in this much copied genre. One of the best of its kind, well worth the rental.

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15 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
Forget about sticking to a plan., 5 March 2003

Author: Michael O'Keefe from Muskogee OK

Bloody, ruthless and very interesting early writing success for Billy Bob Thornton. After a drug buy goes bad, Ray(Thornton)and Pluto(Michael Beach)with pretty Fantasia(Cynda Williams)in tow head from California to Star City, Arkansas. Waiting there in the middle of nowhere is the local sheriff Bill Paxton and he is eager to go from small time to the big time. With or without the help of a couple of L.A.'s finest on the case, the young sheriff is out to prove himself. The finale is a burst of action. Also in the cast are Jim Metzler and Earl Billings. Billy Bob, with pony tail and all, will be no disappointment for his fans.

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12 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Amazing., 24 June 1999

Author: Brian Wolters from Cabot, Arkansas

Bad language and violence aside, this is one of the best movies of the 90's! This is actually, a lighthearted police drama with many surprises. One of the surprises is the depiction of small town Arkansas. They may have finally gotten it right! It is slower, safer and more relaxing in comparison to the life that the cops from L.A. have and there isn't any stereotyping that I could find! Another surprise is the performance by Billy Bob. He may be one of the most evil drug dealers I have ever seen on the big screen.

A word of caution though. This movie, at least in my opinion, has one of the most violent (not overly graphic, but sadistic) openings to a movie I have seen in a film. The way the murders and tortures are committed are a little hard to watch. But if you get past that, the movie settles down a lot and you really want to see the "bad guys" get what's coming to them! And the language is extremely rough. I saw the movie again on BRAVO and while there is a lot of silent moments, where they cut out the language, nothing else is cut from the film. A remarkable film.

I give this film an A-.

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14 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
A perfect move., 16 January 1999

Author: Peach-2 from Netherlands

This film is awesome!!!! The characters are all well developed and I loved the atmosphere created by director Carl Franklin. Bill Paxton is great in the lead role and Cynda Williams is a welcome surprise in this film. There's a different type of Billy Bob Thornton in this picture as he plays a very evil cocaine dealer. The screenplay is the reason for this film's perfection. What a great script and it should be shown to all screenwriters in Hollywood to help them develop their characters more and make their films more interesting. Great film.

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13 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Two movies in one., 20 October 2002

Author: Brian Ellis from Chantilly, VA

I have seen this movie twice. The first time, for the whole movie I was on the edge of my seat. This was an intense film. From the extremely brutal beginning to the climatic end, I couldn't relax once. I did notice the fact that race played no factor; all colors were represented on both sides. In 1992, I had seen over fifty movies at the theater so I put together a top ten list and this movie made it easily. Since I knew how the movie would play out, on my second viewing I was able to look for other things. This time I noticed though the thrilling aspects of the film were used to set the movie in motion, underneath there was an examination of big city meets rural town. Amazingly, the main characters weren't treated as stereotypes. Each character (I count six) was fleshed out but not too much. There were no judgments on which life was better or any advantages or disadvantages to either style of living. In a lot of ways the film reminded me of John Sayles' movies. In other words a movie that a lot of thought went into making it. A great film.

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8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
A Little Gem from the 90's, 11 April 2011

Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In Los Angeles, after a violent drug rip-off, the Los Angeles Police Department detectives find the identity of the trio – the sadistic I.Q. of 150 and college graduate Lenny "Pluto" Franklyn (Michael Beach); his not so bright buddy in San Quentin Ray Malcolm (Billy Bob Thornton); and his girlfriend Fantasia (Cynda Williams). Their further investigation indicates that the criminals are fleeing to Star City, Arkanas, and LAPD detective Dud Cole (Jim Metzler) and his partner John McFeely (Earl Billings) contact the local Chief of Police Dale 'Hurricane' Dixon (Bill Paxton) and they head to the little town. The yokel family man Dale, who is used to resolve domestic issues, is fascinated with the chance to participate of a manhunt and befriends the two detectives. But when he sees the picture of Fantasia, he recognizes her as Lila Walker and is haunted by his past, hiding a secret about Lila Walker.

"One False Move" is a little gem from the 90's and one of the best in the genre neo-noir. The first time I saw this film was on VHS in the early 90's, but now I have the chance of buying the DVD and watching it again. The dramatic story written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson is engaging and without redemption. Cynda Williams, in her second film, is awesome but Bill Paxton "steals" the film in the role of a bragger hillbilly and chief of police that sees the chance of his life of arresting real criminals but meets his past instead. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Um Passo em Falso" ("One False Step")

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