Beyond the Law | |
---|---|
Directed by | James Cullen Bressack |
Story by | Johnny Martin Walters Chad Law |
Produced by | Micah E. Brandt James Cullen Bressack Timothy Woodward Jr. |
Starring | Steven Seagal Johnny Messner DMX Zack Ward Bill Cobbs |
Cinematography | David Newbert Alex Brendea |
Edited by | Stephen Kaiser-Pendergrast |
Music by | Charlie Wilkins |
Production company | Charach Productions |
Distributed by | Cinedigm (USA, theatrical) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Beyond the Law is a 2019 American crime action film directed by James Cullen Bressack. It stars Steven Seagal, Johnny Messner, DMX, and Bill Cobbs. [1] The film follows a former detective who vows to avenge his estranged son's death and eventually takes on the local mob.
The film was released on VOD and limited theaters on December 6, 2019. [2] [3] [4] The DVD was released on January 14, 2020. [5] It also marks a reunion for Seagal and DMX who previously collaborated for Exit Wounds in 2001. Beyond the Law was the final film appearance of DMX before his death in April 2021.
A young man named Chance Wilson falls into a life of corruption moving back into the intercity against the wishes of his father Frank Wilson (Johnny Messner). Frank Wilson initially hoped to keep his son safe and out of trouble by moving out into the country after the death of his wife. Believing life outside the big city is no life at all, Chance returns to the city where he becomes involved with gangsters led by Desmond Packard (Zack Ward). While in the city, Chance developed a notorious reputation for gambling, oftentimes wagering more than he could afford to pay. One night after gambling at Packard's club, Chance's apartment is invaded by Packard and his men. Unable to produce the money he owes, Chance is brutally beaten and fatally shot by Packard.
Police Detective Ray Munce (DMX) is called to the murder scene. Afterwards, he locates Frank Wilson's residence via Frank's closest friend and neighbor Mr. Swilley (Bill Cobbs). The detective informs Frank of his son's murder and Frank embarks on a quest for justice for his son. He is visited in a diner by a colleague named Ashley Millet, formerly employed at the DA office who offers her support. Meanwhile, news of Chance's murder quickly reaches the local mob. The boss Augustino "Finn" Adair (Seagal) is displeased to learn that Packard killed what is revealed as the "son of a cop". Making matters worse is that Frank Wilson is not simply a former cop living off-grid, but a man Boss Adair personally knows as being "one of the dirtiest cops" in the city, and a man whose life either must be bought or ended.
As Wilson returns to life in the city, he meets Charlotte (Saxon Sharbino) who was Chance's girlfriend and an employee at one of the clubs Chance frequently visited. Despite her claim that Chance developed a bad reputation as a gambler with excessively high debt, Frank discovers Charlotte bought drugs using all of Chance's money that was owed to Packard. She confesses she wanted to leave the city with Chance but could not convince him. Frank blames her as the cause of his son's death and holds her accountable for the rest of her life. Frank also confronts Packard himself and vows justice for his son's death. It is later revealed that Munce is a dirty cop, working as an informant for Adair's mob. He reveals Frank's location in the country to Packard, who then sends out a hit squad. Frank dispatches most of the hit squad before being wounded. Munce visits the hospital Frank is recovering at and meets Frank's friends Swilley and Ashley.
Meanwhile, Boss Adair and Packard have a falling out after Adair condemns Packard's conduct and blames him for endangering their mob family for his wrongful murdering of Chance. Packard hatches a scheme to take over the mob family with his "father"'s second-in-command. The conspiracy is quickly discovered however and Adair executes his second-in-command as punishment. Meanwhile, Munce informs Packard of Frank's two closest friends and Packard sets out to silence Swilley. Munce attempts to have Frank killed during his release from the hospital by other dirty cops. The ambush fails and Frank soon after meets and fatally shoots Munce after he admits his corruption. Frank proceeds to go to Packard's headquarters where he confronts and kills him, but not before being wounded by one of Packard's men. Soon after, Boss Adair is waiting for Frank who he now knows he must kill to protect his mob operation and legacy. The two fight, but Adair easily overpowers the wounded Frank and shoots him. Police respond to a 9-1-1 call on Frank's phone as the dying Frank smiles with content at the knowledge Adair will be imprisoned for life.
The film's final moments follow Charlotte who apparently went into hiding at a hotel. She reads a breaking news bulletin on her smartphone reporting Boss Adair's arrest and questioning for the murders of Frank Wilson and Detective Munce. Fearing any possible connections, Charlotte attempts to flee for her life but is intercepted by one of Adair's associates armed with a gun.
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, martial artist, and musician. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan and eventually ended up running his father-in-law's dojo. He later moved to Los Angeles where he had the same profession. In 1988, Seagal made his acting debut in Above the Law. By 1991, he had starred in four films.
Hard to Kill is a 1990 American vigilante action-thriller film directed by Bruce Malmuth, starring Steven Seagal, Kelly LeBrock, William Sadler and Frederick Coffin. Seagal's second film after Above the Law, he portrays Mason Storm, a detective who falls into a coma after being shot during a home invasion that killed his wife. Reawakening seven years later, Storm embarks on a journey to avenge the death of his wife, and expose the corruption of Senator Vernon Trent, the man who ordered the murder of his family. The film was released on February 9, 1990, and grossed $59 million.
Out for Justice is a 1991 American neo-noir vigilante action thriller film directed by John Flynn and co-produced by and starring Steven Seagal as Gino Felino, a veteran police detective who sets out to avenge his partner Bobby's murder by killing Richie, the trigger-happy, drug-addicted mafioso culprit.
The Glimmer Man is a 1996 American buddy-cop action comedy film directed by John Gray and produced by Steven Seagal. The film stars Seagal, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Bob Gunton, and Brian Cox. The film was released in the United States on October 4, 1996.
Exit Wounds is a 2001 American action film directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, and starring Steven Seagal and DMX. The film is based on the book of the same name by John Westermann. The book takes place on Long Island, while the film is set in Detroit. Steven Seagal plays Orin Boyd, a police detective notorious for pushing the limits of the law in his quest for justice.
Exiled: A Law & Order Movie is a 1998 (two-hour-format) television film based on the Law & Order police procedural and legal drama television series; it originally aired on NBC. Written by Charles Kipps, the film revolves around Noth's character, Detective Mike Logan. Kipps received a 1999 Edgar Award for his screenplay.
Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito were former New York City Police Department (NYPD) detectives who committed various illegal activities on behalf of the Five Families of the American Mafia, principally the Lucchese and Gambino crime families. The two subsequently became known as the "Mafia Cops".
James J. Marcello, also known variously as "Little Jimmy", "Jimmy Light" and as "Jimmy the Man", is a crime boss who was a front boss for the Chicago Outfit criminal organization in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. Organized crime observers identified Marcello as a figurehead during that period while the organization's day-to-day operations actually were run by John "No Nose" DiFronzo, Joseph "Joey the Clown" Lombardo, Joseph "Joe the Builder" Andriacchi and Angelo J. LaPietra.
Into the Sun is a 2005 action film directed by Christopher Morrison and starring Steven Seagal, Matthew Davis, Takao Osawa, Eddie George, Juliette Marquis, and William Atherton.
Johnny Messner is an American film and television actor best known for his portrayal of a muscular military man in the 2004 film Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid.
Leo Rossi is an American actor, writer and producer. A character actor with over 100 credits to his name, he is known for his role as foul-mouthed EMT Vincent "Budd" Scarlotti in the 1981 horror film Halloween II, as the serial killer Turkell from the 1990 horror sequel Maniac Cop 2, and as Detective Sam Dietz in the Relentless franchise. His other films include Heart Like a Wheel (1983), River's Edge (1986), The Accused (1988), Analyze This (1999), One Night at McCool's (2001), and 10th & Wolf (2006).
Henry Silva was an American actor. A prolific character actor, Silva was a regular staple of international genre cinema, usually playing criminals or gangsters. His notable film appearances include ones in Ocean's 11 (1960), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Johnny Cool (1963), Sharky's Machine (1981), and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999).
Primo Cassarino is a New York mobster who became an enforcer for Gambino crime family, and extorted money from actor Steven Seagal.
The Buffalo crime family, also known as the Magaddino crime family, Buffalo Mafia, The Arm, the New York State crime family, the Upstate New York Mafia, and the Todaro crime family, is an Italian-American Mafia crime family based in Buffalo, New York. Criminal investigators assert that the family operates throughout Western New York, Erie, Pennsylvania, and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The Buffalo family is purported to hold strong connections with the Hamilton-based Luppino and Papalia families. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the current boss of the Buffalo crime family is Joseph A. "Big Joe" Todaro Jr., having assumed the role after his father, Joseph E. "Lead Pipe Joe" Todaro Sr., retired.
The Lucchese crime family is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the American Mafia. Members refer to the organization as the Lucchese borgata; borgata is Mafia slang for criminal gang, which itself was derived from a Sicilian word meaning close-knit community. The members of other crime families sometimes refer to Lucchese family members as "Lukes".
Ring of Death is a 2008 American television film directed by Bradford May and starring Johnny Messner, Stacy Keach and Charlotte Ross. It was created for Spike TV in 2008.
The Naked Face is a 1984 American thriller film written and directed by Bryan Forbes, based on the book of the same name by Sidney Sheldon. It stars Roger Moore, Rod Steiger and Elliott Gould.
The Papalia crime family also known as Papalia 'ndrina, is a 'Ndrangheta organized crime family based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, as well as Platì in Southern Italy and Buccinasco in Northern Italy. Another branch of the family is based in Griffith, New South Wales, Australia.