Director John Dahl's intricate neo-noir thriller casts Nicolas Cage as a drifter mistaken for a hired killer by a tavern owner (J.T. Walsh) who wants his young wife (Lara Flynn Boyle) rubbed out. Desperate for cash, Cage agrees to accept the job, but the wife instead offers him more money not to pull the trigger. Matters are further complicated by the appearance of "Lyle, from Texas" (Dennis Hopper), the real killer.