Review of One False Move (1991) by Andy F — 26 Jan 2005

At the surface, [i]One False Move[/i] seems like it could very well just be another "cops chase murdering fugitives" crime film. The truth is that it's layered with deep human emotion and vulnerable characters that we oddly grow to care for as we watch more and more.

Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton work together for the first time in this masterpiece from director Carl Franklin ([i]Devil in a Blue Dress, Out of Time[/i]). Paxton gives one his most memorable performances as the small town sheriff who never sees any "real" action in the police business, that is until he gets thrown right into the path of two drug dealers who are on the run after committing a mass murder in Los Angeles. Dale Dixon is Paxton's character, a sheriff who is totally naive and unprepared for any real combat, especially for what he is about to be confronted with. He resides in Arkansas, and the two murderers (played with perfection by Billy Bob Thornton & Michael Beach) are headed that way through the beggings of their accomplice Fantasia. This is where the story take sreal shape, where it starts hitting the viewer hard emotionally.

Billy Bob Thornton is a multi-talented artist, and he shows it off in this film as he co-writes the script with Tom Epperson. Later in his career he would co-write [i]The Gift[/i], a terrific thriller from Sam Raimi. [i]One False Move [/i]is now close to 13 years old and why it isn't considered a classic is beyond me. It's just plain excellent, and when the final scene approaches it will leave you in awe.