One False Move

So lean and straight it's like a math problem; two trains (the cops and the killers, the ex-lovers, the father and his son, the Feds and the locals) leave their stations at such and such a speed, how long before the meet up? Nicely pulls at threads like race and power…

matt lynch

Idolatry in all its forms shown at first with smiles and pleasantries before it pulls back the curtain and flashes its fangs. There's a particular sense of certain tragedy awaiting its characters on-the-move that initially registers as mechanical, run-of-the-mill even,…

reibureibu

Carl Franklin's under-seen, ONE FALSE MOVE is a richly textured and thoroughly engrossing southern neo-noir about past mistakes, race and power dynamics. It features a fantastic cast (Michael Beach, Billy Bob Thornton & Cynda Williams) giving top-notch performances and…

Nakul

If you look how stunning One False Move looks compared to the output nowadays, it is hard to believe it was intended for a direct-to-video release. It is a deceivingly simple movie. Underneath the brutal crime story there are themes touched upon that I find borderline…

Yves Bouwen

Rewatch I used to refer to One False Move as one of the best crime films of the 90s until I realized what a disservice that was to the movie. It's one of the best crime films I've ever seen. It's violent, vibrant, bleek, nasty, and violent again. It tells the story of…

William Cooper

So if you've been around in Letterboxd for a while now, just like me, you've probably seeing plenty of people reviewing this movie and, you know, by the 10th review I couldn't resist and had to take a look at this. And to my surprise, it was actually really good. From…

Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine

"You can't assume anything about anybody in a case like this." When I saw that Criterion Channel added One False Move last month as part of their "Lovers on the Run" package, I knew I had to break out my DVD and return to Carl Franklin's often overlooked gem both without…

theironcupcake

One of the godfathers of 90’s Neo Noir. Every story beat is fraught with tension when it isn’t easing you into small town rhythms. Every line of dialogue airtight. Every performance is pitched perfectly. My favorite Bill Paxton role. The ushering in of one of the most…

Joe Lynch

easily the plutonic ideal of these 90s, tough as nails, distinctly American crime films; simultaneously tragic, sadistic and eloquent with the bookended bursts of violence a contrast to how theatrical the majority of it is

Justin LaLiberty