Jacob Harlon is a successful stockbroker living with his wife, Katherine, and son Joshua, in California. One night, while driving a few friends home after a party, he causes a collision which kills one of his friends. After taking a plea deal for DUI, Jacob is sentenced to 16 months at the California Institution for Men in Chino.
On his first night inside, Harlon overhears the gang rape of an inmate and decides to go on the offensive to survive. The next day, he attacks an African-American inmate when provoked, drawing the attention of Bottles, the "shot caller" for the white supremacist gang PEN1. Bottles recruits Harlon into the gang.
Over time, Harlon rises in rank, obtains the alias "Money", and grows even more hardened by prison life. During a riot, he stabs another inmate to defend the Sureños head. The act earns him other gang leaders' respect but also extends his sentence by nine years. To protect his family, Harlon ceases contact with his wife and tells her to start a new life with their children. Harlon is then transferred to Corcoran State Prison where he is introduced to "The Beast", the leader of the Aryan Brotherhood there. Impressed with Harlon's dedication, The Beast promotes him to second-in-command.
As Harlon's release nears, The Beast puts him in charge of a weapons deal with the Sureños. Although hesitant as he will be on parole, Harlon reluctantly complies after The Beast reminds him of the penalty for disobedience. Upon release, he is greeted by Aryan soldier "Shotgun" and several newly inducted members, including Howie, a young Afghanistan war veteran with no criminal record. Harlon survives an attempt on his life at a party and orders Howie to answer to no one but him.
Harlon's parole officer, Ed Kutcher, is tipped off about the deal and places him under surveillance. After Harlon has his life savings transferred to Katherine, she brings Joshua to meet him against his wishes, and he has a brief emotional breakdown.
Discovering that Shotgun is Kutcher's informant, Harlon murders him in his home. After meeting the Sureños, Harlon texts their coordinates to Shotgun's cellphone for Kutcher to find. As the deal closes, the police, ATF, and SWAT surround the gangs. Howie, whom Harlon earlier urged to leave the criminal life and forced out of their vehicle, watches the arrest from a distance.
Fully validated for Shotgun's death, Harlon receives a life sentence. He turns down Kutcher's offer to testify against The Beast in exchange for a full pardon. Harlon is returned to Corcoran where The Beast, informed of his betrayal, states that Katherine and Joshua will die. Harlon anticipated The Beast's reaction and concealed a handcuff key and a razor blade on his body. He frees himself and after a brief fight outside of The Beast's cell, kills him. Ordering a prison guard to report that he acted in self-defense, Harlon succeeds him as leader of Corcoran's Brotherhood.
Harlon receives a letter and pictures from Joshua, in which he forgives his father and tells him that he and Katherine will find a way to go on without him. Now content with his family's survival, Harlon is moved emotionally as he looks at pictures of his former life.
On April 9, 2015, Bold Films came on board to fully finance and produce the crime thriller film Shot Caller, to be directed by Ric Roman Waugh, based on his own script.[12]Participant Media developed the project, while Participant's Jonathan King produced, along with Michel Litvak and Matthew Rhodes of Bold Films, and Waugh.[12] In April 2015, Relativity Media acquired the U.S. rights to the film for $3 million with a wide release commitment, and Sierra/Affinity was on board to handle international sales.[4] Since Relativity Media filed for bankruptcy in July 2015,[13] the film's release was postponed until Saban Films acquired the U.S. distribution rights in April 2017.[14]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 70% based on 50 reviews, with an average score of 5.9/10, and the consensus reads "Shot Caller's weakness for action movie clichés is capably offset by strong work from Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the central role".[17] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 59 out of 100 based on reviews from 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[18]
Peter Debruge of Variety wrote: "It's a genre movie, to be sure, but there's an impressive sense of authenticity—in the language, the locations and the overall texture—that goes a long way to sell the scenario."[19]
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