One False Move

Carl Franklin, 1999 (9.1*)
Terrific crime film that is one of the best films yet from an African-American director, former actor Carl Franklin. The story begins with a brutal robbery-murder of drug dealers in Los Angeles, spearheaded by Billy Bob Thornton. The gang then flees toward a member's ex in Arkansas.

Meanwhile, using what few clues they have, the feds send one pair of FBI agents to a small town in Arkansas where they liaison and enlist the aid of local sheriff Bill Paxton (Aliens, Big Love) just in case the gang heads toward the ex.

This is the perfect synthesis of plots. We have the countdown factor of impending forces coming together (not at a time, but at a destination), we have a road trip for the killers, and we have bigoted southern cops dealing with interracial federal agents. This makes for terrific suspense, and Franklin's sense of pace keeps you riveted until the conclusion. This is now one of my favorite all-time crime films.