Shot Caller is an American crime thriller film directed and written by Ric Roman Waugh. The film chronicles the transformation of a well-to-do family man into a hardened prison gangster, undergone to survive California's penal system after he is incarcerated for his role in a deadly DUI car accident. The film stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Omari Hardwick, Lake Bell, Jon Bernthal, Emory Cohen, Jeffrey Donovan, Evan Jones, with Benjamin Bratt, and Holt McCallany.
It premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 16, 2017. It was released on July 20, 2017, through DirecTV Cinema, and received a theatrical release on August 18, 2017 by Saban Films.
Video Shot Caller (film)
Plot summary
Jacob Harlon (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is a successful stock broker living in Pasadena, California with his wife Katherine and young child Joshua. One night after departing a dinner with his wife, his coworker, and his coworker's wife, he unintentionally runs a red light while drunk, causing an accident that results in the death of his friend and business partner Tom (Max Greenfield). Arrested and arraigned on driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter, his lawyer urges him to take a plea deal instead of going to trial, citing the fact that he could do up to seven years if he lost his case. Harlon agrees, much to his wife's dismay, and is sentenced to incarceration at California Institution for Men (Chino) for 30 months, 16 of which he will have to serve. Upon his arrival, Jacob is shocked by the brutal realities of the prison environment, and is shaken after witnessing a gang rape during his first night. Upon entering the yard for exercise his first time, he accidentally stumbles into an African-American prisoner who responds aggressively. Harlon attacks the man, having been told by his lawyer that he was going to be housed with 'the big boys', and that if he was tested he would have to fight back, or face possible endless harassment. Both Harlon and the man are pepper sprayed and detained, and Harlon is thrown into the SHU (Secured Housing Unit) for thirty days. Upon entering the yard after his release from the SHU, he is approached by Shotgun (Jon Bernthal), a lieutenant for the PEN1 gang, and is brought to see Bottles (Jeffrey Donovan), the shotcaller for PEN1 in Chino. PEN1, also known as Public Enemy No.1, is a violent white supremacist gang with close associations to the Aryan Brotherhood. Bottles inquires why Jacob attacked the other prisoner, and under the assumption that Harlon did it for racial reasons, offers him protection and entry into the gang. He also warns him that his protection would have a price, saying that there were no free rides. Harlon proceeds to carry out various tasks for the gang, from smuggling heroin into the yard to eventually even aiding in a murder with another brother.
Harlon is given the nickname Money, referring to his past as a stockbroker, and is seen slowly acquiring various gang-related tattoos as his personality begins to change rapidly, hardened by his environment. During a prison riot, Harlon unintentionally gets caught on camera murdering another prisoner while protecting Herman Gómez, the leader of the Sureños, and although he gains recognition for it, he is sentenced to 4 years for assault with a deadly weapon and another 5 years for aiding in gang-related activity. Because of the nature of his crimes, he will have to serve a minimum of 85% for both terms before he's eligible for parole, effectively quintupling his original sentence. During the sentencing, he turns to a grief-stricken Katherine and tells her that it's over, and to forget about him. He is then transferred to Corcoran State Prison to be placed under maximum-security with the 'heavy hitters'. His new convictions validate him as a gang member post facto, and he is remanded to the SHU for the remainder of his sentence according to California law, where he will be on lockdown in his cell for 23 hours a day, and is only allowed yard time for one hour in a steel cage. Katherine files for divorce, severing the last ties to his former life. After further displaying his support for the brotherhood by attacking a Norteño gang member while being led out to the yard one day, he is introduced to the Beast (Holt McCallany), the head shot caller for the Aryan Brotherhood who has been in solitary for the last seven years, all the while managing the gang's activities from the inside via corrupt correctional officers. The Beast, impressed with Harlon's dedication, gives him 'the keys' to the gang in the prison, effectively putting him in charge under him. Harlon serves out his time in the SHU, and before being released is told by Beast that he will have to continue serving the gang's interests outside of prison, or else he and his family would be at considerable risk. Upon his release he is greeted by Shotgun and other gang members, taking him to a party. During the party, Harlon survives an attempt on his life, and a young girl is shot forcing him to leave. Harlon's parole officer Kutcher (Omari Hardwick), having recently survived a shooting of his own, is approached by Sheriff Sanchez (Benjamin Bratt) and other heads of a task force informing him that they believe Harlon is putting together a large arms deal with Herman Gómez and his crew. Harlon is indeed putting together the deal, and although he is sidelined by the appearance of his former wife and son, he sets the deal in motion. Harlon becomes suspicious of Shotgun's behavior, and following him one night he discovers him talking to Kutcher and other police behind his back, who are blackmailing Shotgun into cooperation. Harlon forces his wife to sign a release of all of his funds, clean money earned through his association with gang, and after giving her the money he tells her and his son to forget about him, and go on with their lives. Harlon then goes to Shotgun's home, and after getting him to open the door, stabs him to death for the betrayal. Shotgun also revealed that he helped Gómez carry out the unsuccessful hit on Money at the party. Kutcher finds the body, and after locating his cell phone, finds coordinates to the deal's location. Although Harlon knows he murdered Shotgun, he still responds when he gets a text from Shotgun's phone sent by Kutcher, and knowingly gives up the deal's location. The deal goes down, and after it is completed, Kutcher and Sanchez and the rest of the police's tactical force storm the deal and arrest or kill the various gang members. Howie is the only one who escapes the bust.
Harlon is arrested, fully validated, and given life imprisonment with no possibility of parole, all of it to be served in the SHU. When Kutcher offers to release Harlon with a full pardon of his crimes if he gives them Beast and the rest of the organization, Harlon refuses. Put back in his old cell, he is soon brought to see Beast again, who is furious that Harlon knowingly fumbled the deal. Beast threatens him by saying his family will be killed for it, and as Harlon is about to be taken away by the corrupt correctional officer, he removes a handcuff key and a razor blade that he had smuggled in through his anus. Overpowering the guard, he unlocks Beast's cell and proceeds to fight him, stabbing him in the neck and killing him. It is then discovered that Harlon had orchestrated the entire scheme and his arrest to get to Beast, knowing it was the only way he could truly spare his family from possible damages for his gang association. Covered in blood, Harlon looks at the guard and says the deal that he has with the gang can remain the same, as long as he acknowledges that Harlon's in charge now. Harlon is then seen in his cell, reading a letter from his son saying he's forgiven him. Content, and having assumed Beast's place at the top of the Aryan Brotherhood's hierarchy, he begins to serve his life sentence knowing that this was the best way he could safely protect his family.
Maps Shot Caller (film)
Cast
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jacob "Money" Harlon
- Omari Hardwick as Ed Kutcher, Money's parole officer
- Lake Bell as Kate Harlon, Jacob's wife
- Jon Bernthal as Frank "Shotgun", a former prison buddy and associate of Money, PEN1 member
- Emory Cohen as Howie, a young acolyte of Money and war veteran
- Jeffrey Donovan as Bottles, one of his key prison influences and PEN1 shot caller
- Evan Jones as Chopper, Money's former cellmate and associate of Shotgun
- Benjamin Bratt as Sheriff Sanchez, who is partnered with Kutcher
- Holt McCallany as Jerry "The Beast" Manning, an Aryan Brotherhood shot caller
- Juan Pablo Raba as Herman Gómez, Leader of the Sureños
- Matt Gerald as Phil Cole, a parole officer chasing some gang members.
- Michael Landes as Steve
- Jessy Schram as Jennifer, Tom's wife
- Keith Jardine as Ripper, a member of the Nazi Low Riders
- Chris Browning as Toby "Redwood" Simms, a high ranking Aryan Brotherhood member.
- Max Greenfield as Tom, Jacob's best friend
- Monique Candelaria as Lola Gomez, Herman's wife
Production
On April 9, 2015, Bold Films came on board to fully finance and produce the crime thriller film, titled Shot Caller to be directed by Ric Roman Waugh, based on his own script. Participant Media developed the project, while Participant's Jonathan King would produce along with Michel Litvak and Matthew Rhodes of Bold Films, along with Waugh. In April 2015, Relativity Media acquired the US rights to the film for $3 million with a wide release commitment, and Sierra/Affinity was on board to handle international sales. Due to the fact that Relativity Media filed for bankruptcy on July 2015, the film's release was postponed until Saban Films acquired the U.S. distribution rights in April 2017.
Principal photography on the film began on May 26, 2015 in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Reception
Reviews for the film have been positive, with many reviewers praising Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's performances. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 74% based on 23 reviews, with an average score of 6.2/10.
References
External links
- Shot Caller on IMDb
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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