After murdering their competitors a small-time drug dealer and her two cohorts become engaged in a game of cat-and-mouse with the cops. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 03/22/2005 Starring: Bill Paxton Cynda Williams Run time: 106 minutes Rating: R
A dark and spare thriller about irresistible forces headed for a collision with an immovable object. The latter is the local sheriff in a small Arkansas town (Bill Paxton); the former are a trio of L.A. drug dealers (Billy Bob Thornton, Michael Beach, Cynda Williams), who, having committed a multiple murder, head for that tiny town on the lam to hide out with Williams's family. Directed by Carl Franklin from a script cowritten by Thornton, the film contrasts the converging parties: Paxton as the eager small-timer who resents getting the high hat from the FBI and aches to prove himself; Thornton as the explosive bad guy who looks like a pussycat next to the sadistic Beach. In the middle is the subtle, low-key performance by Williams, who has secrets neither side is aware of. Compelling and energy-charged, without taking a single obvious step. --Marshall Fine

Customer Rating:
Summary: Franklin's auspicious debut
Comment: This film almost wound up on direct to video were it not for 2 people or critics--Siskel & Ebert!! Former actor Carl Franklin had already made one film for Roger Corman before he did this one and he had to mortgage his home to get credit to make this film--but it turned out to be a winner in more ways than one. For starters, it pushed former Cameron regular, Bill Paxton, to leading man status and Billy Bob Thornton to write another Southern classic, "Sling Blade". This proves that you don't need a lotta money to have a good film, just good writing!! And Cyndi Williams is a fox and excellent in the final confrontation scene with Paxton. Recommended for lovers of noir and Southern tales!!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: BONNIE AND CLYDE IT AIN'T! BUT, IT'S NOT BAD!
Comment: I never heard of this film before 2008 and considering it's age, that's saying something. While Billy Bob Thornton has done much better(Sling Blade)it's an OK drug/crime/"thugs on the run" film. The film starts out a little too quick for me with a couple of seedy character robbing a drug dealer. From that point on it's "thugs on the run" and there's no turning back. The cast is good and the story is interesting enough, but for a film that wants to get where it's going in a hurry it seemed to take a long time. It's an interesting film that should have taken some time to let us know the characters a little better. As it is, it seemed to be slow when it should have been moving fast and fast when it should have been moving slow. I caught this on cable, so it's worth a watch if you see in on TV.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended!
Comment: This a great movie. Carl Franklin's One False Move is riveting. I enjoyed it years ago in the theater and have not forgotten it since. It's a lost gem among a sky full of crappy crime dramas.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Would've given it nil stars if I could've...
Comment: Dated, derivative, self-indulgent & unintelligent. This is truly bottom of the range stuff. The acting, directing, soundtrack and script are all dire. None of the characters are even remotely sympathetic, in fact I was hoping they'd die slowly and painfully. I note that Billy Bob Thornton was both star and a scriptwriter - methinks his true nature is revealed in the script and the part he chose - an arrogant, amoral, misogynistic, self-important coward (with zero sense of humour). Don't waste your time watching this drivel, it will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth that no amount of tequila can erase.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Indie gem...Paxton can act...
Comment: Like most people, I saw this first on cable. About the same time, I saw Sean Penn's directorial debut, "The Indian Runner". I had a great respect for Independent films, like, forever, and "One False Move" is among the best. Carl Franklin is to be commended for putting the script (Billy Bob & Tom Epperson) to film in a concise fashion. I don't agree with previous reviewers who thought it needed more ground. This is indeed an original. Bill Paxton, in his first lead role, is excellent, and hasn't been as good since (though I liked his smarmy performance in "True Lies") and the wonderful Cynda Williams won awards for her performance as Fantasia/Lila. The film score is legendary...indeed, Peter Haycock & Derek Holt wrote a score that has been used in a whole bunch of cheesy films of the 90's; I don't really know if it was original for this one, but the use of the music by Terry Plumeri was effective and haunting. Billy Bob was a fine psychotic, and the most frightening performance of all came from Michael Beach as Pluto, never breaking a sweat as he slit a throat. Paxton really carries the film, along with Ms. Williams; you really want these people to survive. Life might be like that; a great exposition of good and evil, and delivered in fine fashion by the wonderful Carl Franklin.

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